Does your branding message ‘spark joy’?

I recently read an article by Rachel Wolfe of the Wall Street Journal about how Marie Kondo is launching an online boutique of lifestyle product that she believes follow her message of “sparking joy”.

For those unfamiliar, Kondo is famously known for her decluttering strategy, starring in Netflix’s “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” and best-selling author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” that focuses on simplifying the material goods in your life.

To clarify, you shouldn’t buy new products – unless they’re sold by her. The irony is uncanny.

While Kondo is facing backlash for seemingly going against her own marketing message, I took a second to think… is she really going against her own values?

Kondo is known across the world for helping people find a life that “sparks joy,” thereby letting go of belongings that don’t help you get there. She never said you couldn’t welcome new belongings into your life – especially those being sold by her. Although she’s technically not going against herself, she’s going against the branding message that has been enthusiastically welcomed by her audience.

Kondo is walking a fine line by introducing online shopping into her world of getting rid of the excess, although she notes she’s “not trying to encourage over-purchasing anything.”

Is it okay to go against your own branding message if it “sparks joy?”