One thing I truly enjoy as a marketer is uncovering insights around human behavior/social science that brands can leverage to break through the clutter and really engage their consumers.

A new book by Joshua Foer entitled Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything has been getting tons of press for its revival of an old topic dating back to ancient Greece – how do you make information memorable? The key, based on a principle called The Memory Palace is to associate the basic with the extraordinary, creating a distinct memory that is literally unforgettable.  To do this, people imagine a three-dimensional familiar space in their minds and “fill” it with unique visuals and experiences.

Foer’s trainer in expanding his memory (he won a national competition in 2006) and one of the foremost experts in the world, Ed Cooke, was recently hired by Chef Byron Brown to help him create a truly unforgettable dining experience.  The result is the 12-course dinner party Sensorium, that is part circus, part play (check out the NPR story here) and distinctive on every level.  The first Sensorium just wrapped in New York with a future series planned for Miami.  (Chef Brown, if you’re reading, we vote for SF next…).

This concept of creating engagement to build connection is a key principle upon which Grow was founded.  Creating immersive experiences that connect a brand to specific sights, smells, tastes and sounds not only creates fodder to fuel word of mouth, they create a memory specific to that brand that stays with the consumer long after the experience is over.  The milk smoothie enjoyed in an otherworldly oasis.  The unexpected expert advice received in the commuter hub that sparked a dream. The makeover that perked up girls’ night out.

Your brand may be unique.  It may be interesting.  It might even be revolutionary.  But, ask yourself, is it truly memorable?

Tami