How to create memorable moments for your brand and create loyal customers.
Stanford professor and author of The Power of Moments, Chip Heath has figured out how to create moments that matter.
We remember moments that connect us with others
We remember moments when our senses are elevated
We remember moments when we have an insight or learn something
We remember moments that are surprising and outside of our normal routine of experience
As I read these words, I found myself thinking back to the memorable moments that I have experienced in my work and I was surprised to discover evidence of Heath’s findings built into every memory.
I have been lucky in that I have always understood the power of standing out, of not be like everyone else, and of integrating who we are into the work we do. This precipice is at the core of all of the work I do, and it has caused me to both produce memorable moments for myself, and for my clients.
The first major memory I have in my work that still makes me look back and say, “Wow I did that!” happened seven years ago. I was working for the rug company Marc Phillips and was hired to help them open their Los Angeles showroom. Part of the initiative that I brought to Marc Phillips was to launch a collection of one of a kind street art rugs. We worked with artists Shepard Fairey, RETNA, Kenny Scharf and Cole Sternberg.
Marc Phillips bought a building on La Cienega that was once known as the Red Barn. It was a bookstore, a publishing house, and a hang out for writers like Hemingway. Before construction was started on the building, I suggested that we host an event, The Breaking Ground Party. Most of the design community had never been inside the space, so it was an opportunity to have them experience it’s rustic beauty as well as get a sneak peak at the collaborations we were developing with artists like RETNA, Shepard Fairey, and Kenny Scharf. We hung our collaborators artwork and rugs on the walls, we had an amazing DJ playing soulful beats, and a body painter who transformed our guests into members of our tribe.
We had over 400 people in attendance and it was the first big event I had ever thrown. I remember looking down from the mezzanine at one point in the evening over the sea of people. I felt like there was an energy in the air connecting me to everyone. I saw myself reflected back to me in every element: in the graffiti we had painted on the fireplace, in the diversity of the guest list, and in the structure of the building itself, casual, imperfect, and yet incredibly sophisticated. It was different from any event I had ever attended in the design world. Others felt it too. I saw it in their eyes as they thanked me for the experience, and I felt it as they gave me a hug and showed me their new body tattoo that had been painted on them. People still talk to me about this party as it was an event they will never forget. It is also one that I will never forget.
A few years later, I had the great fortune of being able to create the same kind of memorable experiences when I became Creative Director at Woven Accents. There I launched both a mural program as well as series of collaborative window installations designed to change the conversation around what constitutes inspiring design. I witnessed the brand making connections with people as they drove or walked by the showroom. I watched them stop to take in the mural or our latest installation, take a picture and then enter to the showroom to ask questions about what we were doing in the space. I heard people say things like, “We saw your installation from across the street and had to come over to see what you are doing in here,” and “I cannot wait to see what you do next!” Now four years later, I continue to hear from designers telling me how much my work at Woven inspired them and their projects.
In my work at GC Collaborative I am looking at new ways to create memorable moments for ourselves and our clients. This April, we are launching our second annual trip to Milan for Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week with our partner Snyder Diamond. Last year, we found that the memorable moments we created through our trip to Lago D’Orta and Casa Fantini, our guided tour at the Salone Fair, and our welcome to Milan cocktail party at the Bulgari both created a sense of community for those traveling with us, as well as served as creative fuel for them for the year.
This kind of work is the most fulfilling for me. To create connections, events, and marketing plans that all have an element of surprise, that allow my clients to stand out, and that help uplift the creative process of all of those involved. It’s where I feel the most creative, alive, and where I feel I can do the most good.
How are you creating memorable moments for your brand?