Reflections on the meaning of Ambience
#1
Arabian nights: a visionary woman - Vanessa Branson - co-founded and runs the extraordinary El Fenn, an unforgettable experience of luxury in the heart of Marrakech. The gorgeous shop is at such odds with the unassuming street in which it hides in plain sight that it does prepare you for the breathtaking views and faultlessly curated, dining experience to come. As you may gather, it’s good!
You may be thinking, ‘luxury doesn’t come cheap’; however I was reminded by fred sirieix (who went to El Fenn with Andi Oliver in their series ‘Remarkable Places to Eat’) that this place serves breakfast for little over £10 - how? Because the delicious ingredients are all locally sourced.
#2
A truly immersive experience: a 2.5-hr train journey from Marrakech, Casablanca is one of Africa’s largest ports; however although there’s arguably little to inspire the tourist, Rick's Café Casablanca - the vision of the late Kathy Kriger - is enough on its own. Her recreation of the mythical Rick’s in the unforgettable 1942 movie is perfectly complemented by old-fashioned service, delicious food and the sharpest cocktails.
The really interesting thing about the experience is that it is ‘authentic’ - not just in the sense that it faithfully recreates the fictional Rick’s; it simultaneously evokes the sense of being on a film set, as in, the set on which ‘Casablanca’ might have been shot - and thereby produces a multi-layered reality which is satisfying even after the most arduous* trek to get there.
(* Full disclosure: a first class Moroccan railways trip isn’t arduous.)
#3
To paraphrase the great Joe Pine, a potentially game-changing, and (in my opinion) existential question for retailers in 2023 is “What would your store look like if you could charge admission?” - of course, for visitor attractions and other leisure destinations, this is the question they live with every day!
Anthropologie is one retailer that I would almost pay an admission charge to enter - if they added coffee to their offer it would probably tip me over! It’s a store that knows exactly who its customer is (she’s female, as it happens; creative and independently-minded) and it’s one of that elite group of stores that puts a smile on your face. This is literally the art of retailing, delivered through (nearly) all the senses.
It goes without saying that the whole experience is completed if the team is engaged, and engaging; living and facilitating the brand experience.
#4
"A modular system that utilises transparent LCDs to create ultra-realistic holograms that don’t require 3D glasses, a mobile device or any other sort of screen to convince the viewer that they can see something in three dimensions." As Apple launches Apple Vision Pro, its "first spatial computer", and the leisure industry races to deliver ultimate "immersive experiences", Miirage | Hologram Experience offers a new concept that allows humans to experience blended reality without the need to be isolated from other humans.
It's long been a debate as to whether audio- or multi-media guides requiring headphones create a better or worse visitor experience, if visitors are no longer talking to one another and sharing the experience in real time. Much as I love Apple, the impression I get from the Vision Pro launch video is one of a largely solitary experience - watch for yourself and see what you think: https://lnkd.in/efhZYhqK
Of course, you could argue that the iPod was a solitary experience, as was the Sony Walkman before it. The reality though is that immersive experiences are best enjoyed together. Immersive experiences, moreover, were not invented in Silicon Valley; nor are they exclusively delivered via the latest AR/VR or blended reality technologies. The clue is in the R-word: Reality! It will be fascinating to see whether, as I believe, Miirage will remind us that an experience we can enjoy without the need to detach ourselves from reality, is one that actually enriches our experience of being human.
#5
There's a perception that investing in customer experience is a luxury rather than a necessity. You’re already spending enough money on staff, stock, heat, light, marketing, rent, rates, etc etc. - the concept and the product should be enough to deliver ROI… shouldn’t it?
Think about it this way however: a customer walks into your store/attraction/business - the question is, how much can that customer contribute:
In that single visit?
Over a lifetime?
(Clue: this will be driven, to a surprising degree, by what the customer sees, or hears, or smells, and almost certainly on how your team engages with them, which in turn will reflect how engaged your team members are with your brand).
You do the maths: most of your costs are ‘sunk’ – meaning you are spending all that money whether your customer buys anything or not. Using your sixth sense to develop the most consistent and engaging experience of your brand (Ambience) will help you to maximise your ROI. (We call this ROEE – Return On Excellent Experiences).
#6
When Sarah Ward, CEO of The Giftware Association, introduced me to Demi Pendakis, founder of the award-winning home fragrance brand F.Y.G (Find Your Glow), she knew what she was doing (as usual) - within no time we were talking animatedly about the concept of Ambience, and how, in this case, smell plays a huge part in evoking an emotion, triggering a memory, or underpinning the experience of a brand. In fact, according to research by The Rockefeller University, smell accounts for 35% of the way customers remember brand experiences.
Demi's business has a wonderful story too: "In creating F.Y.G. it was important to produce not just another scented product but an immersive experience. What started as a desire to re-capture my childhood joy of family holidays spent in Greece, then developed into a project of encapsulating a range of significant and beautiful experiences from the past." The execution is founded on the principles of great design, and sustainability, meaning each product is 100% natural and recyclable.
Demi generously offered to provide some of his beautiful products for our Ambience Networking Lounge at the Museums + Heritage Show, and with our shared passion for experiential marketing, we look forward to working together again soon.
#7
A brilliant human being, collaborator, and business person (actually, two people, because his Mum, Shashi, is just as amazing, and important in this story) - Sanjay Aggarwal of Spice Kitchen has been my friend since a chance meeting at Spring & Autumn Fair, quite a few years ago now. I was praising both the concept and execution of the business, which was at the time up for a The Giftware Association Gift of the Year Award (which they won), but asking why Shashi, who was responsible for the signature sari fabric wraps that draw the eye to the beautifully-curated spice collections, wasn't front and centre of the marketing. I'm delighted to see that their brilliant new book is very much a team effort, and I can't wait to give some of the recipes a try!
Sanjay was an incredibly generous when Stephen Spencer + Associates reached out for help with the 'Smell' category for our Ambience Lounge at last month's Museums + Heritage Show - indeed, generosity, quality, passion, skill, and kindness are just some of the qualities I associate with this dynamic duo.
#8
I first met Ruth Holly Fletcher, founder of design-led lifestyle goods brand Ruth Holly, back in those innocent, pre-Covid times; when her beautiful, nature-inspired products passed my '3-second rule' by capturing my attention as I walked past her stand at Top Drawer London. Our first conversation - which concentrated on how Ruth photographs natural colours and textures and turns them into stunning designs that would grace any home - led to Ruth becoming an early Partner of Stephen Spencer + Associates, and her email newsletters never fail to inspire.
So when we were designing the Ambience Networking Lounge for this year's Museums + Heritage Show, we knew that Ruth's designs would exemplify the sense of "Sight" - not just drawing the eye with their vibrant colours and patterns, but also accenting/accentuating (?!) the overall visual impact of the Lounge. True to form, Ruth didn't hesitate to get on board with the concept, and as you can see, her cushions and accessories were just delightful in the setting.
We were delighted to collaborate with Ruth on this project, and look forward to working together again soon.
