A piece of thinking from Weber Shandwick strategy about how applying scientific learnings can improve retail engagement.

1. THE SCIENCE OF
PEACOCK RETAILING
Become masters of the retail
mating game with our six
golden rules

2. THE RETAIL
MATING GAME
The latest learning from neuroscience has taught us much about how we make
decisions and why we choose one brand over another. For example, we now know
that we either warm to something and want to go towards it. Or we are repelled by
it and want to move away from it. There is no neutral position as previously thought.
Which means the objective of every retailer should be to make their brand a
‘towards’ brand.
How?
By deploying advanced mating techniques, just like the peacock.
Online players may be sleeker, brighter, cheaper and quicker, they might look like
better mates, but the offline retailer can still rule the roost if it abides by our
six golden mating rules…

3. WOO THEM WHEN
THEY’RE IN THE
MOOD
When we experience an emotional high,
we are more likely to remember the
event…and the brand most associated with
the experience. These positive associations
will be recalled every single time we see
the brand name.
So open a dialogue with customers when
they’re on an emotional high, and they’ll
always associate your brand with pleasure.
Create events that actively trigger high
states of emotion or engage them digitally
at times when they’re wired to respond in
the most positive way .
Starbucks Ski-through coffee shop

4. MASTER RETAIL
FORE-PLAY
Playing triggers dopamine, the happiness
chemical that neuroscientists believe drives
motivation. Whether you’re selling paint or
prams, jumpers or jam, the more playful and
interactive the experience is, the greater the
likelihood that customers will keep on coming
back.
And the more creative, the better. Work by
behavioural economists suggests that certain
acts of creativity can be even more rewarding
for shoppers than financial incentives. They’ll
enjoy them, tell their friends and come back for
more. Just like the ultimate date.
Uniqlo Roller Rink

5. MAKE A SCENE
Like the peacock, you need to out-dazzle your fellow
retailers to attract the best shoppers.
And we’re not just talking balloon arches here.
The more theatrical the display or event, the more it
triggers our subconscious retail mating instinct. As
with a mate, a spectacular display sends powerful
signals to our brain that reassures us that the stock will
be high quality, our money will be safe here and we’ll
be well looked after.
Repetto’s interactive window display

6. STRUT YOUR
STUFF
We are wired to gravitate towards the confident
and shift away from the nervous and jittery.
Why? Because confident people make us feel safe
and secure.
It’s the same with brands. Retailers that wear
panic clothing like red ‘credit crunch sale’ signs
set our hearts racing faster and make us nervous
about the state of the economy. In this panicked
state, we’re much more likely to zip up our
wallets and save our pennies. Fact.
Peacock retailers that remain glass-half-full, on
the other hand, who retain a sense of calm and
look in control of the situation make us feel more
confident, relaxed and - you guessed it - more
likely to spend, spend, spend. Apple’s Grand Central store

7. MOOD-DATE THEM
Peacock retailers don’t just sell clothes or
bottles or trainers or hammers. They sell
excitement, adventure, danger, tranquillity.
Make someone who is normally stressed feel
calm, as The White Company do, and they’re
more likely to part with their money. They
want to buy a piece of that tranquillity for their
home.
Make someone who feels inferior and insecure
about themselves feel like a hero, like
anything’s possible, and he’ll want to wear
that feeling on his feet or in his hand all day
long. He’s also more likely to remember a
positive transformative experience, making
your retail space his first port of call next time
he shops.
Jack Wills

8. SHOWER THEM WITH GIFTS
The smart peacock retailer knows that
there’s no such thing as a free gift. We’re
wired such that when someone gives us
something for free, we are more open to
them and more willing to return the
favour.
So shower your shopper with gifts and
you’ll win their hearts…and their
pounds.
Maxwell House Optimism Café

9. WANT TO BECOME A
PEACOCK RETAILER?
Find out more by contacting Weber Shandwick’s Consumer Planning
Director, Liz Wolstenholme, on 0207 067 0213