A new, spirited sector of communications is surfacing, and for those who choose open-eyed living, it is all surrounding. It seeps in a non-profit’s education efforts to regenerate the soil beneath our feet, flows through a business’s initiative to develop clean sources of the water we consume, and is weaved into an e-commerce’s website highlighting social-cause-supporting threads that we wear on our backs. This mindful and pervasive branch of communications is called conscious marketing, and it is not for the faint of heart. In fact, on the explosive brink of an increasingly-aware 21st Century and sweeping with hopeful winds of collective mindfulness, conscious marketing is founded in, aligned with and existing for the whole-hearted. What exactly is conscious marketing and why would a generationally stereotyped selfish, entitled and lazy millennial be interested? We can debunk all of the less-than-loving myths and better grasp this up-and-coming industry by definitively exploring the newly intertwined concepts. Marketing encompasses all of the creative and deliberative actions of moving goods and services from a concept to a consumer. We can define consciousness as an awareness of and responsiveness to one’s surroundings, and we know the stigma a millennial oozes is one of poor work ethic, narcissism and the need for instant gratification. The question remains: why would a millennial, in all 24 years of said unkind stereotypes, pursue a career in a starting-up industry without guaranteed benefits? The bottom-line-up-front? Purpose. Conscious marketing is marketing that restores the good back in goods and the service back in services. It is the awareness that the majority of modern businesses operate lacking vision for the greater good, authentic social responsibility and heart. It is the strategic communications actions taken in restoring our concepts of and relationships with business, consumerism, clientele, money and meaningful work. This hyper-aware branch of marketing means stepping away from the fear that impels modern-day business in a mass-consuming, throwaway culture. It means emphasizing and believing in goodness firstly, setting mindful intentions and taking skillful actions based in love, honesty and awareness in a client-centric workspace. Conscious marketing is the execution of unmatchable communications strategies, campaigns and management, for they are driven by dignity, liveliness and authenticity, and not fear and corruption. It is important to note there is nothing corrupt about the act of business nor the concept of money. There is, however, corruption embedded in our present systems of business and relationships with money, and the way we conduct our energy and exchanges within them. The monetary prioritization of present-day goods and services perpetuates an insatiable need for more, propelling heightened rates of fear-based created demand and mass-production levels, and stripping away initial well-intended meanings of business. Values in whole-heartedness, meaningful life-space and workspace, and an innate belief in goodness set the foundation for the full-throttle, meticulous and soul-driven communication that gestates only when in alignment with a vision for something greater than financial gain– the betterment of society. These very values are reflected in the conscious clients that seek out mindful marketing: full-of-good businesses and organizations that embrace the truthful, restorative notions of the meaningful work we perform. Our clients are working to better this world, and as conscious marketers, we want to help them flourish in their victories with even greater magnitude. As a millennial laying down the first real bricks in my career path, I am not jaded nor defined by material gain and status; I am not driven by the taste of financial security nor the fear of financial insecurity; I have not felt the sweet, shallow comfort of corporation compensation and benefits. Such shiny perks have not yet altered my clear vision for goodness. And while I can appreciate and find importance in pursuing and having such securities, I cannot do so at the cost of compensating my heart and spirit. As a millennial living whole-heartedly, I know this world has been generously lent to me, and I am early in my stay here. I believe it is my millennial duty to give back, support the greater good, harness self-awareness and execute regenerative work for future generations; for my own children and grandchildren. I am indebted with the respect and honor of my very aliveness, and it is my life’s purpose to make use of the skills that have been gifted to me. I have untapped into talents to offer my neighbors, my society and my planet. I have the most time, vitality, and generationally fresh ideas now than at any point in my lifetime. My physical, mental and energetic resources are at a biological peak, and I do not intend to sign such precious gifts over to a system that will not ignite my spirit nor trek toward creating a healthier, more progressive world. I am in the business of leaving this world kinder, healthier and more beautiful than when I entered it. I am in the business of leading a life and making a living with self-awareness, with love and with meaning. I know this because I can feel it in my heart, because I choose to listen to it. And it guides me to harness my gifts and execute purposeful work with an agency and clients that choose me, and that choose mindfulness, too. I am choosing to take my first steps into the workforce in love and not fear. I am choosing to work through, with and for the heart. I am choosing to use my skills for the bettering of this world and to support those doing the same. I am a millennial, and a marketer, and I am choosing consciousness. What do you choose? |
