This phrase was made popular by Marie Kondo and her book series, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Many of you may have gone through your closets and drawers, identifying the items that do, in fact, bring you joy—and decluttering those spaces in the process. It’s so widespread, it’s even been coined, “The Marie Kondo Method.”
Another approach is similar, yet different.
In the documentary, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, The Minimalists (as they’re known in their website, book, podcast, and documentary fame), Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, are careful to define this philosophy as more than just decluttering.
The point is this: By removing the excess, we actually make room for more of what’s important.
All Roads Should Lead to Intentional Marketing
Fields Millburn says, we’re so “wrapped up in the hunt that we can’t find what we’re looking for.”
This sure sounds like a lot of companies we meet that want to pivot from random acts of marketing to a more intentional approach to spending. Focus here on the “more intentional” aspect as opposed to the “spend less” part.
Marketing spending is anything but minimalist.
Drilling Down to What Is Necessary
When we’re talking through marketing planning with our clients and prospects, there’s urgency. But, moving towards implementation without a strategy is like moving into a Tiny House without figuring out what you need to take with you.
Here’s a good example from a recent inquiry: “We need help with everything from our overall messaging, content creation, and social media to a new website.”
“Marketing spending is anything but minimalist.”
We’re happy to do all that. Many of our clients have realized success with those very tactics.
But, first we need to understand revenue attribution, customer needs, brand requirements, and budget limitations. The challenge is to ask the right questions and apply a turnkey process that drives only the most necessary programs.
Ultimately, we discover what is truly important—and devise strategies to meet those goals. It should never be an “either/or” scenario, if you have a clear vision driving your marketing planning.
As always, our mantra is this: Invest where marketing works best for your brand.
