Make Your Marketing Mean Something
Between an inbox screaming at us to "BUY BUY BUY!" and TikTok Shop's latest "must-haves", where does it end? If you’re anything like us, you're exhausted.
With the ability to reach audiences at unimaginable scales, many brands are screaming consumerism and fluff stuff. What happened to value?
If you’re “buy only”, you may alienate your consumers. Especially Gen-Z – they’re likelier than most to shed the more stuff narrative:
Yes, revenue targets are real. And yes, sale season can make or break your year. But there are ways to market ethically. To offer value over volume. Purpose over products.
Brands that get this are building loyalty that lasts beyond sales campaigns. You can, too.
The Big Fatigue
Let's talk about our inboxes (meh 😒). If you’re unlucky, you have a million of these:
Pushing sale upon sale comes at a cost. First, there's consumer fatigue. 64% of consumers say they avoid brands that bombard them with promotions. Two-thirds of consumers will have 'marketing fatigue' by November 1.
The mental health toll is real. The American Psychological Association reports that holiday spending pressure is actively harming Americans' mental health. We're tired y'all.
Our planet’s not doing great either. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's, we generate 25 million tons of extra trash. 😢
And that's just the winter holidays.
Do we really want to do that? To her? 🌎
Conscious Consumerism Is Not A “Trend”
One-third of consumers—from Gen Z to Boomers—say they'll ditch even their favorite brands if they don't align with their values. They're putting their money where their mouth is.
Plus, your marketing team is probably tired of pushing the same "BUY NOW!" campaigns. This is your chance to think outside the box. Like when Patagonia and Fjällräven got creative with their anti-consumption messaging (see below). They didn't just survive, they thrived.
Ethical marketing = brand loyalty + happy consumers + healthier planet. We call that a triple win.
2025 is around the corner. Instead of planning next year's door-busters, what if you planned your impact?
Ethical Marketing Is the Way Forward
Some brands are doing it right, and reaping the benefits.
→ Patagonia's legendary "Don't Buy This Jacket" NYT ad challenged Black Friday consumption – and saw sales jump 30%.
→ Fjällräven's "Long Term Investment Friday" skips discounts entirely, focusing on quality that lasts decades.
→ The Ordinary's "Slowvember" spreads discounts across the month, encouraging mindful purchasing over impulse buying.
Look at how people are eating this up 👇
You can make YOUR marketing hit different.
Stuck on Ideas? Here’s some Inpso
[Images: Lululemon]
→ Let sustainability be the star: Bite Toothpaste Tabs landed NYT coverage and Shark Tank success by making plastic-free their headline, not their footnote.
→ Make quality your flex: Lululemon's hit "Dupe Swap" campaign invited people to turn in their knockoffs for real Lululemon Aligns. They used this opportunity to prove their worth – and reinforced their premium quality message while building brand loyalty.
→ Build community, not carts: Rally your audience around something bigger. Host repair workshops. Create meetups. Make your brand a gathering spot.
We really can do better than buy, buy, buy.
Written with ♥️ for Mother Earth.
