Creating emotive experiences with light
Have you ever wondered why some memories can stay vivid for years while others fade with time? The answer is emotion. According to scientists and psychologists, people remember emotional events in two ways: first, they remember the event itself, and second, they remember how they felt during the event.
Research also shows that when people experience something that they connect with emotionally, they tend talk about the event, and create longer-lasting memories of the event AND are likely to recall the event again when they experience a similar emotion.
So what does this have to do with shopping centers?
Everything. By giving people an emotional experience during their visit to a shopping center, center managers can link the center with the emotion and not only give people an opportunity to create a new memory, but a new (and hopefully positive!) memory that will link an emotion with the center.
Brands have known about the importance of emotion and memory for years, which is why customer service and customer experience are often top priorities for successful retailers and businesses worldwide, and shopping centers can now take this one step further with light.
Light + emotion = unforgettable memories
Scientists have long known that light affects people’s brains, improving mood, their decision-making processes and even the way that they think. Combining light with design to create emotive experiences means that centers can help shoppers create lasting memories and associate that emotion and those memories with the center itself.
A great example of this in action is the festive lighting on display at G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf in Austria. The popular shopping mecca near Vienna wanted to create a special atmosphere for shoppers that would connect G3 with the idea of a love-filled Christmas, and give them opportunities to have a bit of fun in the center, too.
To create the link between the center and love, the center’s name appeared in lights accompanied by a heart, and the heart-theme continued within the center itself with a trail of hearts guiding people along G3’s store-lined avenues. A 7-meter-high light sculpture of a reindeer – complete with a glowing red heart – and a show-stopping 14-meter-high conical Christmas tree studded with pulsating, illuminated hearts and the G3 brand mark within made the link between the center and the emotion unmissable. With each light motif doubling as a possible photo point, shoppers were not only able to make memories, but they were able to capture them on camera and share them online, too.
The result? There’s no doubt that the emotive theme and light has helped to create or reinforce positive associations with the center. When shoppers think of G3 in the future, their brains will link happiness and love with the center, and that’s exactly the result the center wanted.
Harness the power of light to create an emotive connection
Do you want to tap into shoppers’ emotions and create unforgettable experiences that will drive footfall and increase stay? Our local teams of lighting experts are full of good ideas that they’re ready to share. Get in touch for a chat and let’s explore the possibilities together.
Image Credits:
Images used with kind permission of G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf.