Last week, I spent a magical morning with Chef and Bali Asli Founder Penny Williams. First, we met the neighboring farmers tending their crops, then tasted and understood each individual ingredient (straight from these fields) and finally perfected mortal & pestle techniques to manually grind them into mouth-watering sambals. I was completely inspired by a full-circle of sustainability and harmony at Bali Asli restaurant; it embraced everything within its reach into a warm hug, including me.
Finishing our exquisite lunch complemented by a ginger-arak margarita, I asked our host Penny if she would be gracious enough to sit and discuss eco-marketing. I was particularly interested in the profile of her customers and how she aligned her eco-messaging. As you’ll hear from the interview, this 10-minutes was infused with much, much more. This is what I learned from our very charming discussion.
Authenticity of Brand
“This is REAL!” Penny exclaims. The Asli in Bali Asli directly translates to ‘real and true’ and certainly everything encompassing the product aligns with this concept, from ingredients to building materials, staffing and cooking techniques. It connects with what nature has to offer within a comprehensive sustainability practice that “loops and never ends,” as Penny describes.
Bali Asli also lovingly celebrates the local Balinese culture and cuisine. Specifically, the 3 pillars of the Balinese religion are good harmony with the environment, with your fellow living beings and with the spirits. Because this supporting culture encompasses environmental sustainability, it further encourages eco-friendliness and creates a beautiful consistency in the overall experience.
As we’ve heard in our earlier podcast interviews, product design and leadership must be aligned to the eco-messages shared. It’s critical in ensuring the marketing is authentic. Certainly, starting with a true sustainable product and leader makes the eco-marketing flow smoothly.
Aligning Messaging to Audience Profile
Does marketing an environmentally focused product mean you are limited to marketing only to eco-conscious customers? Penny says no.
Whilst the profile of most of her guests have some sustainability interests, they range from the extremes on both ends of the eco-spectrum. And that’s ok! The messages are simply adjusted based on the individual guest’s eco-consciousness. This happens quite naturally. You see, instead of direct marketing, Penny focuses on sharing knowledge and creating experiences. She inspires her guests by showing them what her team has accomplished onsite. “It can be easy to create an eco-friendly system. Look what I’ve done, you can do it too.”
Penny understands that travelers are savvier these days, particularly in regard to authenticity. But as her marketing is as honest as sharing her personal experience with others, it is without exploitation, resulting in a pure example of eco-marketing.
It’s a Journey. Start with grassroots.
While Bali Asli has no critics when it comes to environmentalism, Penny shares that everyone is on a journey and that there is always room for improvement, noting that most folks’ environmentally harmful decisions are generally financially driven. She provided an eco-vs-financial example she faced recently with an opportunity to sell a large order of sauces. Bali Asli sauces are packaged in recyclable glass jars which are heavy to ship, so her potential customer suggested she move them to plastic to reduce the shipping cost. The refusal to switch to non-sustainable plastic packaging cost Penny the sale but kept her brand and values intact.
Penny recommends that marketers get back to grassroots level, “to reconnect and be aware of our place amongst other living creatures on the Earth and live in harmony together.” She credits the Balinese people for teaching her the value in working together as a global community and not just on our own.
Finally, she explains that we should understand that not everything is perfect but making small considerations moves us ahead on this journey; simply being aware of our actions is the first step. As that self-awareness grows in our own minds, change may not come overnight but slowly, it will manifest and begin to make a difference.
Listen in to the full interview for even more points of inspiration to digest.