httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgxVsxbhYhs
If you can’t see the above video, click here, or watch it directly on YouTube.
My friend James Whatley pointed me to this exceptional peice of work that he and the team at 1000heads did for Nokia. In the video above, you see the execution of a master plan of word of mouth creation and experience planning, in which they surprise a group of Nokia fans around the world by arriving on their doorstep or flying them to London and then giving them gorgeous sports cars to drive to fulfil a challenge that involved using various Nokia products like OviMaps and their phone.
Two things to say here. First of all, I hear people slam Nokia a lot (mostly Nokia fans) for not having Apple’s marketing machine. But I don’t see Apple hiring WOM planners like 1000heads and doing incredible things like this, or this, or partnering with Like Minds, for their fans on a regular basis.
Second thing: this takes us right back to our discussions on experience and expectation management. Remember this diagram below from Managing Expectations:
If we break this video down, the trailer (the front loading of the experience) is when people get the cars in the first place. It surprises people, it delights people, it’s completely unexpected. But what it now creates is suspense.
Suspense is the experience of anticipating an experience, and when you create one great experience, people will begin expecting another.
The real beauty of this video and work by 1000heads is not the cars at the beginning, it’s the fact that they exceed the expectations and deliver a better experience after that.
To put this into a metaphor, as per the diagram above, the film was better than the trailer.
Expectation Management for Event Planners
Here’s a quick note to the hash of people creating events around the world: you need to understand suspense and how to front/back load your experience to make sure that your marketing doesn’t exceed your delivery. I’d have you start by reading about the Expectation Pyramid, and then the Basics of Expectation Management.
If I was in a fighting mood I could list event after event where it sounded and looked far better than it actually was. The days of these hacks getting away with this won’t last much longer in my opinion.
Your Leading Thoughts
- If we were talking about a purely digital experience, when have you had your expectations exceeded?
- What can we draw from that experience to learn more about digital suspense?
Scott, so glad you liked this project and thanks for the praise. The Like Minds events have taught me a lot about the importance of back-loading experiences; it's so tempting to engage people by throwing everything you've got at 'em straight away, but the pleasure and delight as the surprises keep coming and the experience just keeps richening is priceless.
Thank you.I needed this. I tend to get lost in the excitement quite a bit still…
I so love what you guys do! Can't wait to be involved in something one day!Molly you know that of course, I'm also learning from you. Our long conversations serve as the necessary starting point to put content and ideas together
Back loading is totally where it is at. It is not a volume play, and you are unlikely to get short term wins. It depends on long term relationship building, value and a great product that isn't advertised, it is just referred. This is, of course, what you guys do!
Important lessons.If you feel like a longer read, check this 3,000 word essay out: http://scottgould.me/how-apple-creates-suspense…
NICE ! work 1000heads and scott for writing about it so we can see the big picture.What comes to mind is nokia may not be able to out spend Apple but put 1000heads together and you can out think!” nathan
Working smarter, not harder!