The Unexpected Power of Gratitude for Luxury Brands – Today & Tomorrow

The FACC-NY network is composed of a diverse mosaic of talented, experienced, and open-hearted professionals united by a desire to share their knowledge, nurture meaningful connections and succeed professionally. In this Member Insights series, we invite a guest member to contribute timely and relevant tips for adapting your activities to overcome immediate challenges and plan for the long-term. 

Lauren Davitt is Vice President of PRS IN VIVO, a consultancy and research practice dedicated to helping brands elevate the luxury experience for their customers. They help clients influence behaviors and deliver on client happiness by leveraging expertise in Behavioral & Happiness Sciences, applied to innovation/packaging, omnichannel/digital, and retail experience.

Most of us are facing bleak days. At best, we spend our time in isolation, not able to be with many of our friends or loved ones. We go to the grocery store, where no one talks to each other and the shelves are empty of our favorite foods.

And yet, many of us can hear the applause each night as our neighbors step outside to thank medical workers for their dedication, a daily routine now in many cities worldwide.

It may seem counterintuitive to see such demonstrations of thanks during a time when it seems like we don’t have much to be grateful for. But it is not surprising. You may not realize it, but gratitude has incredible importance on our overall well-being.

By definition, gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives.

We at PRS IN VIVO Luxury believe gratitude is both an important part of getting through the crisis, as well as critical to integrate into our lives and brand experiences post-crisis.

We can look to Behavioral Sciences to shed light on why this is the case and how brands can put this into practice. But first, we’d like to take a moment to highlight a few examples around us:

• ‘Pay it forward’ moments, such as an instance where a young woman in line outside a grocery store made an employee aware of an elderly lady needing prioritization – and the employee then thanking the young woman with a gift card!
• Email communications changing, to show extra care and appreciation for your colleagues
• Instagram initiatives such as “#vosgâteaux” in France to make cakes for healthcare workers
• Bin collection crews thanked by residents in the UK with messages & drawings on the street
• Brands – too numerous to name – expressing thanks by creating much needed medical supplies and offering discounts or giveaways specifically for frontline workers

So, why are demonstrations of thanks so prevalent right now, and so important for the future? According to David DeSteno, a behavioral scientist from Northeastern University, compassion is actually a necessity for human survival and thus a natural response in a crisis. Taking it one step further, he teaches that demonstrating gratitude can have a significant impact on contributing to both a more positive emotional and even physical state. Ultimately, it is one of the key drivers of human happiness that have been identified by the field of Happiness Sciences, and discussed in our previous article.

Other research done by DeSteno, Robert Emmons and Monica Bartlett, amongst others, shows that expressing gratitude leads not just to increases in overall happiness levels, but also cooperation, self-control, productivity, and even physical benefits. It creates a positive upward spiral, or ‘circle of reciprocal relationships’, creating trust and positivity for those around you.

A few good examples of such studies can be found here.

While it is important to exhibit gratitude during times of crisis – it is equally important as people and brands we do not lose sight of this when the crisis is over.

We know Luxury consumers will increasingly be looking for ways to connect with brands from a more purpose-driven point of view and are more likely to return to brands sooner with which they have an authentic relationship. Gratitude can thereby be an important element to consider when creating a brand experience mix for a post COVID19 world – Not only the gratitude brands express to the customers (which they already do and is a pre-requisite), but the gratitude they help their customers express.

This second activation of gratitude is where customers’ happiness occurs, and while very demanding from brands, can be extremely powerful to generate loyalty.

Some brands are already initiating this type of experience - Such as a luxury jewelry boutique providing postcards in-store for a customer to write to someone else (mailed by the boutique); or a fashion boutique offering you to create your own flower bouquet to gift to someone, with a certain amount of purchase.

Another example – a high-end child apparel company, recently providing highly meaningful content during the crisis by offering virtual sessions with medical experts on varying childcare topics – which leads to customers expressing thanks towards the brand itself.

Creating an experience that not just says ‘thank you’ to the customer, but actually encourages and facilitates ways to express gratitude amongst its customers, and towards the brand, will ultimately be more likely to lead to client happiness, a crucial element for sustained success after the crisis.

We recommend considering this topic now, so your brand is prepared to take swift action as the reality of consumer mindsets shifts. We are happy to suggest further reading, insights, and inspiration for your journey!

Interested in connecting with Lauren? Log into the FACC Member Directory to send her a message.