Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow

Back in 1986, Carlo Petrini, a journalist from Piedmont, was reading about protests against the first McDonald’s opening near Rome’s Spanish Steps. Beyond the visual damage to the piazza, he feared food was being reduced to mere fuel - energy for the body, no better than petrol for a car.

He believed mass-produced, processed food would erase originality and individuality from food culture. When we rush, he argued, we lose care, connection, and quality. Food’s social value lies not just in preparation, but in the shared experience - something that elevates it beyond simple sustenance.

So, with a group of like-minded people, Petrini founded the Slow Food movement, now active in over 150 countries, celebrating diversity, authenticity, and the joy of taking time.

Fast-forward to today: Tamar Kasriel recently noted that social media has become just media. Only 17% of Facebook and 7% of Instagram use involves sharing with friends. Two decades on, the “social” web has evolved into broadcast media. Digital fatigue is real, and AI seems only to add to the mass-produced noise.

No wonder the idea of Slow Marketing is gaining traction. Like its culinary cousin, it values authenticity, intention, and respect for the audience’s time and attention. It’s an antidote to the relentless output, hard-sell tactics, and artificial urgency of “fast” marketing. Brands are asking fundamental questions: How can we be authentic, not fake? How can we listen better, show respect, and build trust that drives sustainable growth?

Agencies have a real opportunity here. Brands don’t need more content or quicker campaigns - they need partners who help them slow down with purpose.

The challenge is to: 

• Reconnect with values and audiences in more human ways. 
• Focus on quality storytelling over quantity. 
• Use data to deepen understanding, not drive output. 
• Build systems that foster long-term trust.

Slow Marketing reframes success away from clicks and trends toward lasting relationships and cultural relevance.

As Carlo Petrini said: 

“Being slow means that you control the rhythms of your own life. You decide how fast you have to go in any context. If today I want to go fast, I go fast. If tomorrow I want to go slow, I go slow. What we are fighting for is the right to determine our own tempos." 

Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.