Marketing Lessons We Learned From Tidying Expert, Marie Kondo

This will sound all too familiar; you wake up, reach for your phone, check all your social media accounts, see a bunch of advertisements. Then, you grab your coffee, read the news, and lo and behold… more ads.

It’s no surprise really, seeing as the average modern person can be overwhelmed by up to 200 online ads in the course of their typical day. The question is, how many of those ads do you actually remember? Perhaps you can count them on one hand, or more likely, you don’t remember any of them. 

Clearly the digital world is a crowded space in dire need of some reorganisation and tidying up. Clearly it needs Marie Kondo’s famed KonMari™ method. By applying the KonMari™ method in their marketing activities, brands should be able to strip down their strategies to the components that…

Speak to the heart

Let’s face it, nobody enjoys just being sold to – it’s insincere, boring, and severely lacking the human touch. In short, this approach fails to create a meaningful connection between buyer and seller. Instead, consumers of today want to feel like they are doing business with a real person – even if it’s in the digital space.

When it comes to humanising your brand, simple touches such as showcasing real people on your website and having a community manager replying to comments on social media can go a long way.

Take that one step further by integrating chatbots that can communicate with customers through auditory or textual methods. Apart from helping your brand cultivate a relationship with your customers, chatbots are faster at providing responses, less invasive, and can provide 24-hour service.

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, nothing speaks to the heart of your customers more than caring for the cause that is dearest to them. This is especially true when it comes to marketing to Gen Z – those born after the year 1996.

According to Cone, 94% of Gen Zers believe that businesses should take a stand on social and environmental issues, and 89% would rather buy from a business supporting these issues over one that does not. When you consider the fact that the Gen Z demographic is expected to become the largest generation on record, failing to speak to their hearts is akin to committing brand suicide.

Spark joy

Marie Kondo’s famed catchphrase is definitely something that all brands should strive to achieve in all their marketing activities. Why? Because sparking joy within your audience leads to brand awareness, loyalty, and retention which in turn sparks a greater return on investment.

According to Temkin, loyal customers are seven times more likely to test an offering, five times more likely to buy again, and four time more likely to refer a brand, product, or service. Bain & Company goes on to say that increasing customer retention by 5%, can increase profits by anywhere from 25% to 95%.

The benefits speak for themselves; and the best part is, sparking joy may not be as difficult as you think. It’s all about creating a great customer experience through an intimate understanding of your customers. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and attempting to market to everybody, means marketing to nobody.

Instead, capitalise on your knowledge of their wants, needs, and behaviours, then tailor your content to the right audience. Brands such as Nike, Apple, and Porsche have proven that going against the grain and attempting something “crazy” can propel a brand to great heights while Old Spice and Dollar Shave Club uses humour to humanise their brand with great success.

So, while Marie Kondo is no marketing expert, her mindful and forward-looking philosophies and methods can surely be applied to all marketing activities to help your brand stand out in today’s ever-changing and competitive world of marketing.