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Recently, Fast Company shared an article on “The Science Of Why You Should Spend Your Money On Experiences, Not Things.” According to a study by a psychology professor at Cornell University, experiences connect us to other people, give us stories to tell once they’re over, and are harder to compare against when it comes to keeping up with the Joneses.
With that in mind, we’ve dug up some examples of how to make customers happier and earn their attention by creating better experiences. Here’s how they do it:
1. Make it more comfortable
2. Make it more interactive
3. Make it more daring
4. Check it out: Texter
1. Make it more comfortable
Casper, a small mattress company that sells the majority of their stuff online, has an office and showroom in SoHo that feels more like an apartment. The beds are made up to feel inviting — so inviting, Casper says plenty of customers fall asleep. The store also includes a living room and kitchen, where they make snacks and drinks for their customers. On weekends, they hand out mimosas.
The lesson: Most mattress stores are big, open, white, and full of bare mattresses. Shopping for them can feel awkward with a salesperson following you around as you lay on each one to test it out. That’s not how we sleep, so why is this how we shop for beds?
Learn more: Digiday
2. Make it more interactive
A quick glance is typically the most interaction recruiters and hiring managers give resumes. And with more applications submitted digitally, they’ll probably never even touch it. But one designer got his portfolio into potential employers’ hands by making it the “World’s Tiniest Portfolio.” His postage-stamp-sized portfolio included minimalist graphic designs to represent his best work with a short description and a magnifying glass included. It forced companies to hold it in their hands, take time with each page, and pay close attention to the details.
The lesson: How can you get your customers to slow down, interact with your stuff, and really pay attention to it?
Learn more: Fast Company
3. Make it more daring
We’ve mentioned the Alamo Drafthouse in this newsletter a few of times before — sorry, this company just keeps doing amazing stuff. And their screening of Jaws on the water is no different. For the movie’s 40th anniversary, the Drafthouse showed the film on an outdoor projection screen while moviegoers watched from inflatable tubes on a lake.
The lesson: This is the kind of experience customers can brag about. You’re brave if you watch a horror movie about shark attacks on the water — plus it’s just really cool. So you tell your friends about it.
Learn more: Alamo Drafthouse
4. Check it out: Texter
Texter allows you to turn text into a drawing. In the black box on the right, change the text, size of the text, angles, and colors. Then start drawing with your cursor anywhere on the page.
Check it out: Texter
