We’ve all been there: sitting in a restaurant, enjoying a quiet meal when the waitstaff comes charging through with a cupcake topped by a candle and singing some form of “Happy Birthday.”
A targeted 7-year-old may be thrilled; a 30-year-old, not so much.
The secret to whether this sort of attention translates into repeat business is all in how it’s done, said Cele Otnes, a business professor and marketing expert at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
“When done well, (marketing rituals) can be huge sources of bondedness,” Otnes said. The problem, however, is that many such rituals are not well thought out or well executed and wind up annoying customers rather than making them loyal, repeat clients.
Otnes presented research on the topic recently at the European Association for Consumer Research Conference at Royal Holloway University of London.
Otnes found that workers in costume who give polished performances made customers feel special and left a positive impression.
The now-defunct Marshall Field’s department store chain was a master of ritual.
“Consumers mourn the loss of cherished retail stores. They (Field’s) had excellent customer service. Going to the bargain basement was a tradition. Then there were the Christmas windows, the Walnut Room, the incredible amount of attention paid to you shopping for wedding dresses and prom dresses,” Otnes said. “You really see the poignancy that can be evoked when retailers do these rituals right.”
“Consumers claim them as their own traditions. They don’t think of them as a marketing offering anymore.”
Another retailer that does rituals right is American Girl, which makes tea at the store feel like a rite of passage. Also good at it are Disney and high-end spas. And for sports fans, there’s the 7th inning stretch.
Otnes, who has been studying gift-giving and rituals for two decades, said the mistake retailers make is not talking with their…