In the world of marketing, too many companies focus on selling the flower - their product - rather than the fire - the transformation their product delivers.
The Mario Marketing theory takes inspiration from everyone’s favourite plumber, Super Mario. In the game, Mario faces challenges, enemies, and obstacles. Along the way, he discovers a fire flower - the power-up that helps him overcome those barriers. But here’s the key: Mario doesn’t care about the flower itself - in fact, the flower is usually hidden or hard to get to - it’s a pain in the ass. He cares about what it does for him. When he consumes it, he grows stronger and can shoot fireballs - that’s the result he truly values.
In business terms, companies act like the game’s designers - constantly showcasing their flowers: new features, specs, and designs. But customers, like Mario, are looking for fire: the transformation, the empowerment, and the problem solved.
Mario Marketing reminds us to shift the focus from the product to the outcome. Don’t sell the flower - sell the bad-ass Mario it creates.