From Degenerative Marketing to Regenerative Communication
What mindset shifts are needed
Marketing as we know it
Modern, traditional, business-as-usual marketing is effective. It’s so effective that it successfully convinces us to spend hard-earned salary on things we don’t really need.
It’s so good at finding our exact buttons to push to get us to do what the companies want because they’ve had a lot of time — and tools — to refine their practice. They use a good ol’ 1900s psychological theory called behaviourism, appeal to our emotions (usually the most intense ones, like fear or anger), and combine these with unethical data mining of our digital footprint. This is not new to most of us, given the recent documentaries, like The Social Dilemma or The Great Hack.
Behaviourism assumes that humans can be conditioned through external stimuli, be it rewards or punishment, to do certain things. It invalidates human agency, individuality, adaptability, elasticity, and potential. In other words, it views humans as fragmented creatures, breaking us down into behaviours and mental models that can be conditioned. This antiquated psychological theory is very much alive in many institutions, from education systems to corporate culture to legal systems. This is also what prevails among the marketing and advertising industry.
As John B Watson, psychologist-turned-‘Mad Men-esque’-advertising-agent, puts it, ‘Tell him something that will tie him up with fear, something that will stir up a mild rage, that will call out an affectionate or love response, or strike at a deep psychological or habit need.’
How might we understand regenerative communication?
In living systems, communication serves a purpose and a goal. Some flowers reflect ultraviolet light to attract certain kinds of pollinators. Trees communicate via mycorrhizal networks and wind to warn each other of diseases, incoming giraffes, and more. When we communicate, we create an energetic field, an exchange and flow of information. That flow possesses and generates energy, frequency, resonance, and an external manifestation of essence. In other words, when you say something to someone, your words, body language, tone, energy, etc. gets transmitted to the other person, and they absorb, interpret, and form a worldview of you and your relationship through that communication.
Humans are social animals. We have a need to belong to coherent social groups. When this gets threatened, we become afraid. We don’t want to be exiled from our community, socially or physically. Current marketing tactics appeal to that fear. Instead of making us feel like part of our community, it creates a problem within us, then feed us with a solution that only that particular company or brand can offer.
If communications should serve living systems, what would it look like? Would it help us find the group of people who we want to belong with, rather than who we are told we should belong with?
Would it lead with love, intention, and understanding, rather than compel with fear and anger?
Would it serve a greater purpose other than sell, sell, sell, in order to satisfy short-term customer wants and shareholder value, and instead help the entire living system (the company’s workers and customers, and the environment and community in which it is nested) thrive?
How might marketing and communications help the living system in which it is embedded discover the essence, potential, beauty of place, people, and Planet Earth?
How might marketing and communications help life renew itself and foster mutual, reciprocal, intentional relationship with all those around?
Who is it for?
Marketing strategy needs to be in alignment with a business’ or organisation’s values. Regenerative messaging doesn’t really work if your business produces endless amounts of plastics or promotes the use of agrochemicals. Using the Three Horizons model (more on Three Horizons below), if your business is in H1 or H2, then it’s probably best to be honest about where you’re at and how you may want to transition to H2 and H3. You could also share your trial-and-errors, bringing your community along on your journey.
If your company is in H3, your messaging will likely be about aligning the inner work with the outer manifestation. In other words, how might you best present and represent your regenerative business to the outside world without using the same tactics as mainstream, conventional marketing?
What would regenerative communication look like?
There are so many ways to answer this and there are likely as many correct answers as there are incorrect ones. Here I will attempt with a list of principles for us to mull over. If it sounds abstract, that’s because there are no concrete ways, no silver bullet. It’s a journey we must take to understand and continually build onto each other’s work.
- Wholeness: Treat your customers and the ecosystem your business / organisation is in as a WHOLE. People and systems are complex. Appreciate and honour the wholeness of whoever you’re communicating with.
- Systems Actualisation: versus self-actualisation. Communication is a flow of information and energy that should serve the system.
- Mutualism: Create mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships; maybe strive to give more than you take.
- Aliveness: Be aware that we all live, breathe, play, and work in a shared living system. Try to connect people instead of assuming what they think or need. What’s more, your communication strategy doesn’t need to stay static — it should allow for development, growth, changes, adjustments, according to the living system around you.
- Niche: Don’t try to be for everyone. Find those who will truly benefit from your business / organisation and communicate with them from an authentic place. Identify what your niche cares about and speak to that. Give space for customers to figure it out.
- Abundance: Communication is not about birthing problems in people’s minds nor telling people what they’re lacking. Avoid coming from a scarcity mindset.
What other themes or principles do you think are important?
Check out Adam French and Jan Camille of Interform to guide your multi-dimensional and regenerative communication strategy in your organisation.
More on the Three Horizons model (Not to be confused with McKinsey & Co’s version!):
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