In 2012, Starbucks baristas started to write the name of the customer on the side of their cups. Yes, a bit of extra hassle. But a more personal and memorable experience in return.
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The Pratfall Effect states that people can demonstrate honesty by acknowledging a weakness. Stella applied this principle in 1982, before it had a name, with the iconic ‘Reassuringly Expensive’ campaign.
In 1972, Steve Jobs’ curiosity compelled him to take a calligraphy class at college, despite knowing it wouldn’t count towards his final degree or thinking it would have any practical application. But his knowledge helped create the Apple Mac’s slick, user-friendly typography – an integral part of its mass-market appeal.
According to the most commercially successful director of all time, “I always like to think of the audience when I am directing. Because I am the audience.”
When a company first releases shares, investors are unlikely to have much additional diagnostic information about the company’s performance. It turns out that NYSE companies with easy to pronounce names – i.e. more familiar to us – perform better than those whose names are hard to pronounce.
In Canada, cannabis sales are legal but retailers can’t display related products in advertising. So cannabis chain Stok’d created an ad campaign based around the neighbouring businesses of its stores that featured not-so-subtle nods to its address. “If you’re looking for the dopest nails in town, she says, you should visit NuNail beauty spa.” In store sales increased by 8% after the campaign was aired.
After Stranger Things featured Kate Bush’s song “Running Up That Hill,” she saw an immediate spike in listenership. Not only that, three years later listenership still remains elevated following this initial uptick.
Fitness app Strava has inadvertently become a platform for artistic expression. Strava Art has become a global movement, ever since users realised they could use the GPS tracking line to create unique drawings.
Streetlights reduce nighttime crime by 36% and reduce “serious offending” by 4%. This is roughly the same reduction in crime you would expect from a 10% increase in policing.
Employees of Stripe, the payments giant, initially needed to convince tech accelerators to use their platform. Rather than sending them an email, they’d sit there and help them install the software of their apps in person.
The outstanding predictor of longevity isn’t diet or exercise – it’s patchy birth records. Introducing proper records in the late 19th century reduced by more than two-thirds the number of babies who would eventually seem to reach the age of 110. That suggests that, until recently, seven out of 10 apparent supercentenarians were, in fact, younger than claimed.
Most supermarkets stock 40,000 items, but the typical household only buys 300 in a given year. So much for “seeking out the best option.”
Some supermarket sections, like the bakery, are visited by almost every shopper, while others, like greeting cards have few visitors. According to shopper scientist Herb Sorensen, 85% of in store behaviour can be accounted for by shoppers’ location, rather than the products in front of them.
In surveys, shoppers tend to say they visit most of the supermarket. But observational studies show that most cover a small fraction of it, and only 2% visit more than ¾ of the total area.
Big supermarkets sell over 40,000 products, but they’re not made the same: the top 300 account for 25% of sales. (If you’re interested, bananas and milk are usually bought most often)