I ummed and aahed about writing about Babylonstoren, but the final prod came with a rather disparaging clickbait headline that tried to dismiss all that the very low-key Karen Roos has influenced and created.
Yes, Babylonstoren is high-end, yes, it is luxury, yes, a meal at Babel or an overnight stay may be for the very few – but is it exclusionary? No. Are you made to feel that you could never afford a walk through those magnificent gardens or to buy a small keepsake at the store? No.
For those not living nearby, their newsletters are a constant clever lure in. No, we may not all want to spend thousands of rondt on a glass vase, but we may want to treat someone to one of their harvest boxes or a candle. And the JOY of receiving one of those deliveries – let me tell you – from the packaging, the note and often a little surprise extra of what is in abundance at that time – is worth every penny.
Abundance and generosity – those are the words I associate with Babylonstoren’s marketing. Words that they live by, and which make their marketing approach not only inclusive but also aspirational – a Ferris wheel of sustainability, if you will. From those little extras included in a delivery, to the way that every single time I have visited, whatever produce is in abundance, is laid out around the farm for everyone to help themselves to.
I have dragged almost every client, sometimes through heatwave Friday afternoon traffic, to this farm. It is a masterclass in merchandising, a masterclass in detail and a masterclass in creating an experience. And that experience is open to all of us – those who can afford to spend a night, to those who have saved the entrance fee and are ready to wander the farm for hours, needing nothing more.
Babel chefs harvesting produce from the garden. Photo: Babylonstoren
Has it taken immense wealth to create this? Absolutely. But instead of spending money on ludicrous space rocket colonising Mars projects, this couple has created a legacy, from the precious new cycad garden to the nostalgic Sweetmilkfontein and then opened it all up to share with us. I don’t know how profitable it is, the quality and detail and service have me crunching numbers that make no sense to me. But the fact that they keep expanding their portfolio, that there are rarely sales (perfect supply demand exclusivity ratios) and that there is always something new at Babylonstoren means something is working.
And of course I loved their Blou in Keurbooms launch. Way before the Instagram launch or the glossy magazines covered it, an insanely vague email to previous Babylonstoren guests only, saying you could book (not open to anyone else). No pics of the rooms, no details on the website, just a booking system. The ultimate level of marketing reached: closed circle, basic website, high demand. They make me smile, these people, every time. Imagine trying to tell a client that this is how you are going to launch a super high-end luxury accommodation offering. The lesson? Be consistent in your offering, your narrative, your promises, your innovation, your creativity … and you create fans, groupies, never mind community.
- Disclosure: Keri-Ann Stanton has her own strategic communications consultancy that is at full capacity – the brands featured here are not clients, or potential clients, they are simply brands that have caught her eye and inspired her with the POV of sustainable marketing or communication. Twyg has been a past client of her consultancy, and she has conceptualised brand collaborations with them in the past. Full disclosure and all that.
- Images provided by Babylonstoren
