Brand works on memory, and memory is more strongly reinforced with emotional and physical experiences.
How does memory work in a basic way?
“The creation of a memory requires a conversion of a select amount of the information one perceives into more permanent form. A subset of that memory will be secured in long-term storage, accessible for future use. Encoding is the first stage of memory. It is the process by which the details of a person’s experience are converted into a form that can be stored in the brain. People are more likely to encode details of what they are paying attention to and details that are personally significant.” Source
We live in a highly digital world, but that world can also be easily forgettable. Digital only experiences can lack sensory context that help the brain retain information. If you can tie an experience to an emotion or personal experience, that makes the experience more likely to be encoded for future recall.
Let’s take a quick overview of the key factors that can anchor sometimes seemingly random items and experiences in the swirling seas of memory.
Are you paying attention?
This sounds basic, but if you’re paying attention to something rather than mindlessly scrolling or multitasking, you are more likely to remember it. This might also be the hardest one since attention has become a rarer and rarer commodity.
Memory is tied to emotion.
I always imagined actors learned their lines by rote memorization. But in fact, a lot of them learn to use the emotional context to remember their lines. They work to deeply understand what is happening in any scene, so that they don’t simply recite, but can listen and respond to the other actors.
Memory is tied to sensory context.
Turns out that when you hand someone a hot coffee when you meet them, they will have a more positive impression of you. Physical experiences are wired to our brain differently in ways we realize and in ways we don’t. A simple tactile feeling like warmth can shape our perceptions.
Multi-modal learning and spaced repetition.
Anytime you experience something in more than one way, it makes it more likely you will remember it. In marketing, we call this “multi-media.” You might see an ad as a physical direct mail piece, then on your phone, then on TV. It is both the repetition (called spaced repetition) and the multi-modalities that reinforce the message. “…if you reinforce what you learn at regular intervals, it’s easier to retain that piece of information from the long-term storage areas of your brain.” Source
Memory is recreated each time you recall something.
“A retrieval cue is a stimulus that initiates remembering. Retrieval cues can be external, such as an image, text, a scent, or some other stimulus that relates to the memory. They can also be internal, such as a thought or sensation that is relevant to the memory. Cues can be encountered inadvertently or deliberately sought in the process of deliberately trying to remember something.” Source
Consumers are going through this process each time they see your brand after the initial introduction. Think about cues such as the pop of a can of Diet Coke being opened (I’ve heard these referred to as “fridge cigs” for their emotional context). And if that sounds good to you, you’re retrieving and rebuilding the last memory you had of having an ice-cold soda on a hot or stressful day.
These IKEA spots border on being too sad, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them. They create tangible emotion based on shared experiences tied directly to physical objects. It’s almost as if we’re tapping into universal core memories within each of these moments. They’re sad, but also incredibly relatable, and therefore memorable. I’m not saying go out and make the saddest commercial you can – IKEA already did it – but as a personal experiment, see how far into the future you remember these.
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