Surely you are familiar with the concept of Slow as an adjective for some activities such as slow-cooking, slow-fashion, slow-living… In short, the activities associated with the slow philosophy are those that allow us to slow down the pace, connect with the present moment and value things more deeply.
Let’s start at the beginning. The slow movement emerged in the 80’s as a response to the culture of haste and instantaneity. It focuses on the idea of slowing down the pace of life and enjoying things more consciously and calmly, paying attention to details and valuing quality over quantity. Instead of pursuing efficiency and productivity at all costs, the slow philosophy focuses on quality of life and connecting with oneself and others, finding a greater sense of well-being and fulfillment… But what does this have to do with marketing?
Concept and trends of slow marketing, when it is recommended and for what type of companies
Marketing is supposed to be about creating needs, encouraging consumption, increasing sales… It seems that the slow philosophy is the opposite, right? Well, no, marketing can also be slow, and just as or more effective.
Slow marketing is a trend that is inspired by the slow philosophy and focuses on building strong and lasting relationships with customers through patience and attention to detail. Instead of using aggressive, fast-selling marketing tactics, slow marketing focuses on the value of the customer experience and building a brand with a strong, authentic identity.
Slow marketing is more common in those companies that want to build long-lasting relationships with their customers and that focus on the quality of their unique products or services that focus on sustainability and social responsibility.
Some of the principles of slow marketing are:
- Emotional connection: Slow marketing focuses on building an emotional connection with customers, rather than simply selling products or services. The idea is to create a lasting and authentic relationship based on trust and loyalty.
- Quality over quantity: It focuses on quality over quantity. Instead of trying to reach as many people as possible, to sell as many products or services as possible, slow marketing focuses on reaching people who are interested in the brand and who align with the brand’s values and identity.
- Patience: Instead of trying to sell quickly, you focus on building lasting relationships through time and attention to detail.
- Authenticity: The brand must be true to its values and identity, and not try to be something it is not.
- Customer experience: The idea is to create a positive and memorable experience for customers, which makes them feel valued and motivates them to return.
- Sustainability and social responsibility: Companies that focus on these values can build a more authentic and lasting brand.
Trends and strategies
Slow marketing focuses on creating quality content that is relevant and interesting to customers, that resonates with the audience and that allows them to learn more about the brand and its values.
Social media is an important tool in any marketing strategy, as it allows you to interact with customers and create a community around the brand, but in this case, the focus should be on the quality of interactions and creating authentic and relevant content.
Como focuses on the customer experience and seeks to create a positive and memorable experience for a lasting and authentic relationship with customers, in which they feel valued and appreciated. That’s why human relations events and activities, which allow customers to interact with the brand in a personal and authentic way and allow customers to feel part of a community.
Slow marketing can also take advantage of influencer marketing, recommendations from customers, users or prescribers and, of course, influencers who are aligned with the values and identity of the brand, and who can help create a community around it.
Slow marketing techniques take sustainability and social responsibility into account, and seek to emphasize these values in their strategies. The idea is to create a brand that is authentic and responsible, and that generates a positive impact on society and the environment.
When is it appropriate to develop slow marketing strategies in companies?
It is valid for any type of company, but it is especially recommended for those that seek to differentiate themselves in a competitive market and focus on quality and customer experience, and emphasize their values. For example, companies that produce organic, artisanal, local or sustainable products, care services, etc.
The key is that, instead of focusing on quick sales and an aggressive marketing strategy, these companies are looking to build a community around their brand, based on trust and loyalty, that works on long-lasting and authentic relationships with customers, rather than simply focusing on short-term sales, so that customers feel valued and appreciated.
To do this, consistency across all communication channels and messages is important. Authenticity and transparency, the personality and values of the brand, and this is reflected by creating quality content that is relevant and interesting to customers, that resonates with the audience, that generates a positive impact on society and the environment.
Finally, and based on the experience we have in Art Marketing, I can only point out that slow marketing is no less effective, efficient and profitable than “normal” marketing and that it is highly recommended because, in addition to all that, it is sustainable, congruent, that focuses on people and communicating the values of the brand.
