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Consumer experience: theorising about an addictive journey

Some of the world’s leading leisure and entertainment brands are successful because they manage to keep the consumer’s interest by grabbing their attention with new experiences and challenges, constantly surprising them. The authors of this study wanted to do something innovative: theorise about this type of consumer journey, which they called the sticky journey, for obvious reasons.

In contrast to a more traditional consumer experience, of loyalty by convenience, this is a spiral of experiences that rattle customers, thrill them, experiences that unsettle, attract, hold their attention and continually renew interest.

The authors wanted to distinguish this journey from others, such as gambling, in which addiction is present but it has a heavy negative overtone. In this sticky journey, despite all the emotions, the customer’s exit is supposed to be easy.

Users of Tinder, Pokemon Go and Cross Fit were questioned for the study. The final objective of the authors is the marketing managers, despite this focus on the customer, equipping them with tools that allow them to manage their brands in light of this new model.

The various phases of this journey have been determined. A quick and easy entry, often free, which can be done in-person or online, where the new user is not asked to provide much data. Then, variety is required, lots of possibilities that keep the interest and attention, whether it concerns playing games, going on dates or exercising. The day will come when all these experiences have to change, because even the most exciting activity plan becomes predictable and boring over time.

Consumers are all different, and they respond best to different stimuli. The challenge for every brand is to find the balance between different journeys, according to its own identity.