We hear a lot of great things about mindfulness and what it does for a person’s mental health and wellbeing. Now also Marketing is applying this practice and the benefits for companies are significant. In this blog, we are going to tell you what “mindful marketing” is and how you can implement it in your business.
What is mindful marketing?
“Mindful marketing” or, also known as “conscious marketing”, is a strategy based on “mindfulness”, an ancient technique adopted from Buddhist traditions that is related to spirituality and the act of meditating. “Mindful marketing”, receives this name since it aims to raise awareness and consciousness. The idea is that brands must listen to what really concerns people and take into account their suggestions so that, together (brand and customers), they evolve at the same time towards the same path.
In conventional marketing the message is key. In mindful marketing it is even more important, since it must be as transparent and close as possible and attack problems from the root, promoting the search for solutions. Consumers have become more demanding over the years and their expectations from brands are increasing. They no longer usually buy a product solely for the benefits it offers, but rather they want to feel useful and obtain a commitment, that is, to contribute positively to society. For this reason, many brands are reconfiguring their values and turning to social causes such as: the environment, mental health, gender violence or sexual diversity, among others.
In this way, the profits obtained through sales are not usually only directed to the company, but the vast majority of brands that use this strategy donate part of the profit to a social cause. Therefore, “mindful marketing” is not designed to do everything possible to sell and please the public, but rather tries to provide solutions and help without profit.
What are the characteristics of mindful marketing?
Mindful marketing is made up of 4 main pillars which are:
1. The person at the center
Mindful marketing is a customer-centric approach, taking into account both sellers’ and buyers’ interests at the same time. Moreover, it looks for ways to create win-win strategies by carefully aligning marketing functions with consumer interests in mind.
2. Social responsibility and respect for the environment
All actions have their consequences, and mindful marketing wants to avoid being involved in wasteful, unethical and selfish marketing practices that can harm the environment or directly harm a social group. It seeks the collective social and environmental benefit.
3. The message matters
One of the points that mindful marketing pursues is to connect with customers on an emotional level, and, to achieve this, one of the best ways is to do it through storytelling. Customers want companies they have a connection with.
4. Values
The values that surround mindful marketing are solidarity, empathy and conscious consumption. It seeks to align the company’s values with the product or service they offer to their customers to make the world a better place for everyone.
Benefits of mindful marketing?
Mindful marketing offers significant benefits for customers, the public and the company on a social level but obviously there are also some business related advantages for companies:
1. Increase prescribers
Consumers no longer buy a product or service solely for the direct benefits it offers them. They do it because of the commitment to social, environmental and humanitarian responsibility that lies behind each one of them and that allows them to identify their values with the brand. They know that, with their purchase, they are contributing to a good cause and of course, there is no better motivation to be loyal to a brand and to recommend it than to share values and principles.
2. Improve brand identity
In an increasingly globalized society, it is difficult to differentiate yourself from the rest and stand out from the competition. Often, the only thing that distinguishes one company from another is its principles. That is why it is so important to integrate mindful marketing into a company’s strategy.
By connecting with causes such as sustainability, equality or social responsibility improves our brand identity and increases the engagement of users on social media. We are no longer just companies that sell cars, vacation trips or clothes. We are brands that make an impact.
3. Humanize
All companies need to sell to survive. Clearly. However, the way to do it can be completely different depending on the strategies companies use to achieve it. Mindful marketing, unlike traditional marketing, goes beyond economic benefit. It makes sure that people and their needs are in the center at all times and this strategy is reflected in its message, being closer and more transparent, but also in the relationship with the client. Companies who implement mindful marketing promote dialogue and listen actively to what their clients are saying. So in the long-term it strengthens the ties between the company and the client and humanizes the brand.
Examples of brands implementing Mindful Marketing
Mindful marketing, as we have seen before, has great benefits for companies and therefore, many brands are already implementing it in their strategy. Some best practices of Mindful Marketing are:
GOT BAG
GOT BAG is a company that was born in 2016 when the founder Benjamin develops the world’s first backpack made of sea plastic and founded GOT BAG.
Since his childhood, Benjamin spent time by the sea – first on sailing trips with his father, and later on vacations in Southeast Asia. He was shocked by how much plastic he found in the sea – from disposable bottles to nets – and even after 400 years that type of plastics can not be completely decomposed. This shocking moment of realization was the first step towards GOT BAG. To collect plastic they created a
clean-up program in Indonesia, where they collect plastic as bycatch from the sea with a network of around 2,000 fishermen: Depending on the product, they need between 1.5 kg and 5 kg. Moreover, they not only collect and recycle the PET for textile production – but also provide suitable recycling solutions for the types of plastic that they cannot use for this purpose. This is how they ensure that there are no losses in the raw material cycle.
The company not only produces great backpacks but also helps to clean the planet from plastic waste. No wonder, customers are huge advocates of the brand.
Photo: Top Bag
Freshly Cosmetics
This natural cosmetics brand was born in 2015. Founded by three young chemical engineers in Reus (Spain), they shared their vision of healthy cosmetics with the world, worrying about the impact it has on our health and the planet.
To do this, they have created a manifesto called “Planet Fist”, in which they have collected their sustainable practices: they plant a tree for each order placed over €50, they use the re-fill system to be able to fill the product containers, the containers are recyclable and are produced, for the most part, from glass, aluminum, kraft and wood and, in addition, in the offices they use green electricity, ensuring that it comes from renewable sources.
Photo: Freshly Cosmetics
Patagonia
Patagonia is a clothing brand that has the mission of manufacturing the highest quality product with the least possible damage. Founded in 1973, it has been promoting conscious consumption for years, encouraging society to repair and reuse used products instead of buying new ones. For example, one of its most important campaigns is “Worn Wear: Better than New”.
Its marketing strategy is based on the 5Rs: reduce, repair, reuse, recycle and reimagine, something completely new that breaks all the established rules of traditional marketing.
Photo: Patagonia
How to implement Mindful Marketing?
Currently, companies face unprecedented challenges due to the high level of competition in the market and the recent moments of pressure and uncertainty experienced. To connect with your target audience and keep your business growing, traditional marketing no longer is enough. So the question is: what can you do to keep up with the growth? One of the options is to implement the principles of mindful marketing and create a positive impact in society. In order to implement this strategy, companies should follow the following steps.
1. Define the corporate values that define your business
It is essential that your company is clear about its values. When applying mindful marketing it is important to know how to transmit these values in each message and product.
2. Understand and empathize with your target audience
Be aware of what the expectations of your ideal client are and take into consideration what the mindset of the audience on the digital/social platforms might be.
Think about them as long-term relationships and not as transactions and when engaging with the target audience make sure you treat them this way and start conversations with them.
3. Look for a collective impact with creative solutions
It is not enough to promote your product or service. Make sure to share knowledge, to create solutions and highlight the impact your company is having as well as others.
Practice reciprocity, sharing knowledge and highlighting others. Create a community of people who share the same values and advocate for your cause.
4. Be transparent and promote a relationship based on trust with your clients
Use storytelling to tell how your company was founded, how the business idea came about and what values the company has. Moreover, share what the company does on a regular basis to follow its values. This will create a relationship of proximity and trust between the brand and the public.
5. Set SMART goals to deliver real change
Once you have established the values that identify the brand, it will be important to reflect and determine the final objective you want to pursue, the goal you want to achieve, in order to direct your marketing campaigns towards it (for example, caring for the environment). When dealing with large-scale motivations (such as reducing pollution or offering job opportunities to people with less possibilities), it can be difficult to set objectives in an adequate way. Therefore we have to make sure to define SMART objectives.
Conclusions
Currently, companies face unprecedented challenges due to the high level of competition that surrounds them and the recent moments of pressure and uncertainty experienced. To connect with your target audience and keep your business growing, marketing plays an essential role. Mindfulness helps us find solutions to society’s problems and help to create a shift from a “mindless” consumption to a “mindful” consumption.
