The fast food restaurant’s latest advertising campaign announces the return of it’s famous $1 chips. Of course, the lure of the bargain will bring back people who have forgotten that this brand exists. Foot traffic will increase and revenue along with it—for a little while.

The local organic store puts out platters of delicious free samples for customers to try every lunchtime. The staff take time to answer questions about products, ingredients, and food allergies. Customers browse and linger. Revenue increases are reliable and sustained.

We have two choices. We can work hard to get attention and try to influence the customer’s short-term purchasing decisions, or we can set out to understand the context around what motivates him to want to belong first and buy later.

Which strategy are you working on?

Image by Jeffrey Smith.