British psychiatrist John Bowlby became famous for his work on love, or to use his term, “emotional attachment”. For Bowlby, attachment was the sign of healthy parent-infant relationships. However, this attachment concept can go beyond human relationships and today we can see the development of emotional attachments to all kinds of products and brands.
One could argue that attachment to a person differs from attachment to a specific object, however they share many similarities. In the UAE, one place we can witness this on a daily basis is in our passionate attachments to certain coffee shops.
One reason for the development of these strong emotional attachments, is that certain coffee shops – like mothers – provide us with resources that help satisfy our need for comfort and our desire to achieve goals. For example, many coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi services and a wide selection of comfortable chairs – at least one of the chair types will work for you. If you are a student, a writer or just one of the many people who works best with a little background noise, then these simple elements create the perfect mood and environment for productivity. The cleverest coffee shop chains know that the sense of achievement we get from productivity can becomes associated with their brand thus strengthening the attachment. In this case, coffee shops are using functional resources to connect the brand to the consumer’s feelings of mastery and goal achievement. I know many writers who say things like: “My best work is done at such-and-such coffee shop.”
Leading coffee shop chains also foster attachment by satisfying several sensory modalities through hedonic and aesthetic elements such as aroma (fresh roasted coffee) and taste (a variety of sweeteners). They even accommodate our desire to be thin (low-calorie drinks). The same thing goes with the “exotic names” that leading coffee shops use to label their drinks, such as “Grande Valencia latte”. The psychological impact of such a language creates a sense of sophistication for consumers. Moreover, some of the bigger chains also consider cultural differences. For instance, they will offer wine and beer in some European locations, whilst perhaps offering a date and camel milk smoothie in the MiddleEast.
None of these elements are chance discoveries, and the leading coffee shops undertake regular programmes of research and development. One outcome of such research is the knowledge that most people give more importance to the “atmosphere and feeling” of a coffee shop than to the coffee itself. In short, psychological needs are more important than physical needs. Thirst might lead to drinking, but love/attachment will keep you coming back.
Interior design is another important consideration that is never left to chance. For example, some shops have multiple table designs such as curved edges and small round tables to encourage individuality, and protect the self-esteem of those consumers drinking alone. However within the same well-designed space, social interaction is encouraged by providing larger hard-edged tables for the gathering of family, friends or even business groups. Everyone is welcome.
In some coffee chain stores the employees’ behaviour also adds to the appeal. Staff are encouraged to form a sort of intimate relationship by attempting to learn our names and interact with us. Such interactions, especially for a lonely person, might be incredibly emotionally rewarding, further strengthening their attachment. Only my family and my barista call me by my pet name.
An additional psycho-geographical element behind the successes of leading coffee chains is the selected locations of their stores. Leading chains locate more stores in locations where people move to, rather than locations people move from. In terms of the consumer’s psychology, one idea is that people can soothe and reduce their anxiety of new places by attaching themselves to these familiar chain stores – a home away from home.
One could argue that such business strategies are manipulative, taking advantage of people’s psychological needs, however we could also argue that these clever strategies are mutually beneficial, the essence of good business.
Hind Salih Ahneesh is a student in the college of sustainability sciences and humanities at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi