Laukaikul used the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy as the basis for this idea. At an individual level, this means “refraining from taking advantage of other people” and living simply.

These ideas that form the idea of Karma Marketing hold some similar principles and connections to Ed Freemans Stakeholder Theory. Stakeholder Theory promotes the creation of value to all stakeholders involved in a business – communities, employees, stockholders, financiers, and so on. This works when companies find the intersection of all stakeholders’ interests and finds opportunities to create more value for all.

I think that one way Karma Marketing can create value for all stakeholders is the focus on quality that this idea implies. For people to need less of an item, this often means the quality must be high so that it is not disposable or easily diminished. In turn, less consumption will lead to more sustainable life-cycles of products.

I agree with the critics here, that the idea is “novel” and would be challenging to integrate into the marketing industry. Minimalism is a life-style, and is challenging to get people to buy in to in the North American culture of mass-consumerism. Karma marketing would require a behavior change of the whole market, which seems like an insurmountable challenge. This life-style and ideology will only appeal to a small niche market.

Ultimately, Karma Marketing and Sufficiency Economy Philosophy highlight some key principles that will be crucial for marketers and consumers alike to keep in mind going forward. Mostly, the idea that more is better will diminish as sustainable objectives and products that are increasingly prevalent in the business world.