The Behaviours Agency had a company away-day recently to Amsterdam for a Retail Safari, in the hope of identifying a new retail trend.

The retail trend our team identified was ‘BRAND RELIGION’.

Brand Religion
Brand Religion is about being more than the core product/service a brand offers, and becoming part of someone’s life. It allows people to show their love of a brand and creates a ‘church’ for them to congregate for praise and appreciation.

There were two stores in particular who adopted this trend brilliantly; the Mini brand store, and the Copa brand store.

Mini band store
The Mini brand store was not about selling cars, it was about selling the Mini lifestyle. For owners or aspirational owners, they can show their love for the brand, through purchasing lower cost items e.g. bags, bikes, etc.

Mini Store

 

The ‘church’ allows Mini-lovers to interact and hangout with their love – the Mini’s themselves – get their pictures taken with them, learn about how they’re built, and meet other Mini-lovers.

Mini Hub


Copa brand store
Copa football recognized the religious nature of football. The passion, the belief, the faith, the obsession. It tapped into this love of football beyond the individual teams supported and demonstrated that Copa has the same values/rituals – washing machines for dirty kit, jumpers for goal posts, the heroes, the iconography.

Copa Store

 

It also created a space for mutual lovers of football to hang out with a football table, coffee bar and a beer bar.

Copa Bar

 

The 3 commandments to create the brand religion retail trend;

  1. Build a temple
    Create a space with the relevant iconography for flock to praise and engage with your brand religion.
  1. Grow your congregation
    Provide facilities that allow your worshipers to hold mass, meet other followers and grow a community.
  1. Spread the word
    Provide your evangelists with the tools demonstrate and sell their faith to the wider world.

Here at The Behaviours Agency, we love finding shopper and retail insights and spotting a new retail trend from store visits. Why not contact us to curate your own Retail Safari or Inspiration Tour? Get in touch and we can discuss how to help you innovate in your sector to deliver real results.