Marketing Musings: Fitting In and Belonging

I remember returning from a year of offshore sailing and realising I had very little in common with my high school friends who had experienced a different reality. Different – not better or worse – just different.

Fast forward 25 years and I recall going to soirées when I worked in the foreign service and thinking, “what am I doing here?” or the innumerable times I wonder how “I didn’t drink the Coolaid.”

What does this have to do with Marketing? Everything.

You see, fitting in is about seeing a situation, assessing it and adapting yourself in a way to be accepted by the group. Belonging, on the other hand, means we don’t have to change to adapt. Belonging means we embrace who we are; it is accepted and even celebrated by others.

There are times when you are a piece of the puzzle and other times when you are a masterpiece.

No one fits in all the time and that’s the beauty of humanity. I am optimistic that younger generations get this and are embracing their oneness. They understand the power of being themselves and their unique ability to be individuals and create impact in their own way.

And there’s the insight. As Marketers we may want to create a “herd effect” by fitting a product to a need or market and it becomes the next big thing. ?It’s profitable and satisfying. It could get us promoted, praised and rewarded. But muse with me for a moment and think of the meaningful products or services in your life. They don’t just fit; in fact, they very likely move something in you and make you feel like part of a community or a tribe. You likely get a sense of belonging of “they get me” rather than just fitting a spec. The nuance is subtle but important.

Some of the most successful longstanding movements are built on individual expressions of belonging. They are customer centric and they foster a sense of community or attachment. They create a ripple effect because individuals who feel they belong, talk about their experiences, share their opinions, defend their views (and company!) and want more. They are your best brand advocates.

I look at some of the projects I have created and smile. The most successful ones –a slogan, a brand ambassador program or online delivery of a curriculum – are about standing out and standing up. They embrace diversity, move brand leadership forward by creating a product or service or statement that fosters a sense of belonging and resonates with people that want to share in something unique to them.

It’s not conformity; it’s community.

When I was little, I watched my dad plan our sailing trips. As we set sail with our bow pointed towards the open ocean, he would sketch the coordinates for where we want to go on the charts in the aft cabin, check tides and winds and stores (that’s storage of goods for the journey) and raise his eyes upwards. He knew that it was always an adventure but on that little floating ship we called home we were a community and we belonged. We may encounter adverse weather, mini mutinies, difficult conversations or boredom (trust me, the doldrums are nothing to write home about!) but we would go together.

As Marketers there is treasure in a company, brand or place that resonates with a community of individuals. Not fitting in may be a good thing. Consumer movements start with something different. It signals that we are doing something worthwhile because it may lead to something much bigger yet more personal. It’s the open ocean versus a sheltered port. It is a voyage of individuals taking their own journey punctuated by shared experiences.

?Belonging happens when individuals identify with a rallying cry, a cause and a way of life. They contribute, grow and challenge others to be better – a responsibility we have as business leaders.?

Product – market fit is great and our bread and butter. Belonging, on the other hand, paves the way for greatness for all parties and all stakeholders. Masterpieces. Master mariners. Marketing muses and movements.

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Esther Clark?is author and outstanding contributor to Forbes and the World Economic Forum (WEF). Follow @ClarkEsther.

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