Life as we know it and life as we would like it to be are two very different things. On the one side of the spectrum there's a tribe of people that strives for continual human progress on all fronts; be it scientific, economic and technological. This species of being can be said to subscribe to a mantra of bigger, better, faster, more - all of the time. They are the type of people who are most likely to have their lives dominated by technology. They're wired 24/7, twittering their time away. They read email on their BlackBerry while walking the treadmill listening to a soundtrack of a recently-compiled Mp3 playlist. They reject idleness, preferring to multi-task, hardly stopping to enjoy the yards gained on the path to progress.
Life in the slower lane
On the opposite side of the spectrum, live another tribe of people that long for a return to a more basic and less demanding way of life. This tribe values a slowed down approach to life. According to their constitution, less speed and less pressure nurtures a way of life that is characterised by quality interactions. Relationships are built on solid foundations of time-honoured familiarity. For these tribespeople, easy always does it. They value quality over quantity, depth over breadth and distance over speed.
Balancing progress with sustainability
There's no doubt that for many centuries the driving force behind humanity has been our insatiable desire to move beyond the threshold of what was not so long ago thought to be impossible. Common to all of us is a striving towards progress, make life easier and more enjoyable. The question we need to ask, however, is progress at what cost?
Recent economic and environmental developments have highlighted the need for humanity and business to find more sustainable ways of doing things. Current global challenges require a special focus and deeper thought if we're to develop sustainable solutions. In her book titled Distracted author Maggie Jackson posits the idea that the way we live is fast eroding our capacity for deep, sustained and perceptive attention. These things, she believes, are the building blocks of intimacy, wisdom and cultural progress.
Where we've gone wrong
Recently we have faltered in our quest to sustainably construct a meaningful path to progress. Instead we seem to be stuck in what Daniel B. O'Leary calls ‘progress traps' in his book Escaping the Progress Trap. He describes it as a condition human societies experience when, in pursuing progress through human ingenuity, they inadvertently introduce problems that prevent further progress, which sometimes leads to collapse. The recession points to fault-lines in our economic super structure that need to be repaired with careful thought to detail if the solutions are to be sustainable.
Driven by the progressive quest to make money, US banks lent more money to more people who could not afford to meet their commitments. And instead of increasing the size of the mortgage pie for the banks it had the opposite effect - eroding the wealth of individuals and weakening the strength of the US financial system. The net result is that societies around the globe are suffering the consequences of ill-conceived growth strategies. The global economy now needs to find ways to continue its business and still achieve growth targets in an environment where there is less money.
A new attitude to progress
So what's to be done if we're to continue to progress? Perhaps the answer lies hidden somewhere within the constitution of the second tribe of people for whom slow means better. Recessionary pressures have created a tipping point for considered thought and conduct. People are beginning to value slower approaches to thinking and living. On the consumer front we seem to be entering an era of cautious consumption. Our purchase patterns have become less promiscuous.
We have been forced to slow down and pay attention and brands need to do the same. They need to think about delivering considered communication, forging consistent connections and enabling qualitative contact. Bigger, better, faster, more is no longer the holy grail of brands.
What this means for brands
Carl Honoré, a pioneer of the slow movement and author of ‘In Praise of Slow' suggests that it's good thing that the world seems to be shifting from high to low gear. There are signs that we are moving from a world where speed kings once ruled to one where slow coaches are beginning to clog up the fast lane. He finds it encouraging that a Slow technique is finally being applied to to product and brand communications. These signs of a permeating ‘Slow Philosophy' is evidence of the fact that society and culture are ready for slow seeds to take root.
The slow recipe for brands
Should the Slow seed be tended with patience and requisite skill, it may very well sprout into a food garden from which we can sustainably feed our souls, albeit slowly, with more appreciation and enjoyment. Such food for thought should be consumed at a steady pace, pausing regularly to reflect on the various complementary ingredients that that make up this sensibly balanced meal. Should your brand or business desire this meal, the recipe is as follows:
- An adequate measure of external needs analysis
- 10 grams of understanding of internal capabilities
- A single tablespoon of focused brand promise
- A consistent spread of a digestible brand message
- Served on slices of effective communication channels
- External needs analysis: the current recession has altered consumer behaviour so take time to understand your target market. This might involve undertaking primary research studies into what matters to them, how they relate to different categories, and what has caused them - at best - to bond with your brand or at worst to have drifted away from it. Start the conversation with the general (what's going on out there in the /their world) and end it with the particular (what they think and how they interact with your brand offering).
- Internal capabilities: this requires an honest assessment of what your brand can credibly deliver to its target market. The question to ask at this point is, what business are you in and how is your way of delivering the product and or service different and appealing to your prospective target market? Don't make claims that can't be substantiated - doing so will only lead to consistent under-delivery and the undermining of your brand's credibility. Be honest and true. Simply focus on what you're good at and improve in the areas that you're weak.
- Brand promise: where appropriate, move beyond functional delivery and articulate your brand promise in a way that it speaks to consumer insights. It's about how your brand offering makes life easier, delivers results faster and puts a big smile that warms the hearts of your target market consumer. Be inspirational, make people want to engage with your brand or service because you consistently deliver on your promise; a promise kept is another customer gained.
- Consistent brand message: take your time to craft a message that is founded on truth. Believe it and communicate it confidently and consistently. Who knows, perhaps you can get your customers to tell others, amplify your message through client testimony.
- Effective communication channel: the explosion of formal and informal communication channels has made channel selection important in getting your brand's message across. Don't rush to flood the channels with messages. Channel selection is about empowering the target market with product and brand information that enables them to take the desired action. It's not about being in every available channel, but rather choosing the channels that best carry your message to places where your target market lives.
*Allow the ingredients to settle a while before eating, which allow a slow infusion of business and consumer flavours.
And finally...
I also suggest that you wash your meal down with 250 ml of Slow Cow, a new offering from Canada that is positioned as an antidote to energy inducing drinks like Red Bull. By now you should be moving at a slow pace on a long-road to ‘Slowville'. Upon arrival at your destination you can expect to be reunited with long-lost tribesmen and women, long thought to be extinct, but slowly regrouping to establish a powerful nation of Slow. A word of advice, take time to get to know them as the bonds are likely to linger longer.
