Blue Spirit Retreat Center embodies “pura vida.” The mantra – meaning “pure life” — has a deep meaning to the Costa Ricans. Marketing “pura vida” happens effortlessly at the Center. Your only method to reach Blue Spirit is a bumpy 3 hour shuttle crawl from Liberia Airport.
As you arrive at the Center, you are greeted by the haunting, guttural sounds of howler monkeys. Reception desk employees are warm, relaxed, and welcoming. You realize you have entered an alternate universe filled with mystery, beauty, and solitude.
Sublime beach sunsets in Nosara
Owner and chief visionary, Stefan Rechtschaffen, co-founded the Omega Institute in the 1970s. He did his homework before opening this second retreat in 2009, and it shows.
Can you honestly say that you deliver a customer experience that has a soupçon of mystery and cannot be imitated? To achieve this, sometimes you need to consider choosing a path that others have not yet taken. After spending a week at Blue Spirit, I began to question the common beliefs and industry analysts who tout data-driven, technology-heavy, modern marketing approaches. Are today’s modern marketing strategies universal truths, or results of western conditioning and some group think around “best practices?”
Magnus and I celebrate sunset
Coatimundi (coati) sighting
Lisa and Deva Premal, our workshop leader
In an upcoming post, I’ll share the four beliefs around marketing that do not apply to all vibrant organizations. Some–which martech experts insist be part of today’s marketing mix–might surprise you.
What aspects of your brand have your customers called “mysterious” and “impossible to replicate?” I’d love to hear your comments below.
Photos courtesy of Magnus Nirell.
copyright 2016, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
