By Steve Stokes, Planning Partner at Dog Cat & Mouse.
Why do Guinness, Oreo and Orangina make their products harder, not easier? Because rituals make a brand more enjoyable.
Rituals are an integral part of our everyday lives. They can add meaning and comfort, create order, structure and routines, and at times make us feel like we’re a part of something bigger in the world. Think of the Orangina shake, Guinness’s splitting the G, Oreo’s Twist, Lick, Dunk or Diet Coke’s 11.30am break.
For brands, whilst many behavioural science principles help reduce friction by “making it easy” for consumers, rituals add friction. This is deliberate. They also make the brand feel more important. You wouldn’t ritualise something rubbish.
Seven types of brand ritual
- Preparation: Müller Corner’s fold and tip, Orangina’s shake, Guinness’s pour and wait.
- Presentation: Corona’s lime wedge, Aperol Spritz’s 3-2-1, Hendrick’s cucumber.
- Opening: Terry’s Chocolate Orange foil, San Pellegrino foil (old packs), Babybel’s red wax peel.
- Consumption: Guinness’s splitting the G, Oreo’s Twist, Lick, Dunk, Cadbury Creme Egg’s “How do you eat yours?”
- Sharing: KitKat and Twix’s sharing format, Jägermeister shots, Toblerone’s snapping off triangles.
- Post-consumption: Cheetos’ orange fingers, the Müller Corner lid.
- Occasion: Starbucks’ spiced pumpkin, the Diet Coke break, Guinness on St Patrick’s Day.
Read more: how Guinness used brand rituals to help get to number one.