by Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) What with all this talk about finding your brand purpose, creating meaningful connections with customers and making advertising that matters, it would seem that our industry is having a self-help moment. Just a couple of weeks ago, my inbox pinged with a new trend briefing on enlightened brands and, now, karma marketing.
This latter concept is based on the “sufficiency economy philosophy”, an idea developed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. Also called “localism” or Buddhist Economics, the Sufficiency Economy is rooted in the Middle Path of Buddhism and espouses a way of life that is neither too extravagant nor too thrifty, encouraging people to consume only what they really need, to choose products carefully, and to consider their impact upon others and the planet.
Moderation is the central tenet of the Buddhist Middle Way. Living a life of moderation means avoiding the extremes of desire and denial; self-indulgence and self-discipline. In contrast, western capitalism and consumption feed off and fuel desire. As Gordon Gekko told us in the early ’80s, “greed is good”; however, 30 years later we’ve learnt that a greed driven system is unsustainable and now “green is good”.
So how do we reconcile the two?
Sustainable development is a long-term view and the future (especially a gloomy one) is a very difficult thing for marketing and advertising to sell, particularly when competing with the fulfillment of an immediate desire. Must. Have. Now. The tobacco and fast food industries are ongoing proof of this.
But the idea of a sufficiency economy is different. As with capitalism and desire, it is also founded upon a human psychological state of need. The need for enough. No more. No Less.
“Start with yourself,” said Bangkok-based brand strategist, Sirikul Laukaikul, at June’s Sustainable Brands Conference. “Have enough for yourself first — but don’t stay there forever — extend it to others — make it enough for others… that’s the whole idea of the sufficiency economy… just say ‘I have enough.’”
Echoing sustainability’s triple-bottom-line of people, planet, profit, she doesn’t eschew companies making a profit, but rather says they should extend their missions beyond profit to ensure that everyone has enough resources, both now and in the future.
Perhaps it’s less about greed vs green and more about greed vs moderation. And perhaps it’s time for marketing to add a mindfulness moment into the self-help lexicon, the marketing of moderation, of knowing how much we really need and when enough is enough.
Strategic consultant Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) brings a global perspective to the issue of sustainability, having lived and worked in London, Tokyo, Amsterdam and Cape Town. She contributes the monthly “Green Sky Thinking” column on sustainability issues to MarkLives.
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