The emotional purchase

A small theatre local to A Thousand Monkeys HQ recently struck gold. They were one of three venues in the country that booked Ricky Gervais for his new material show.

As you’d expect, people were queuing the length of the high street. The phone lines were down. The website crashed. Tickets sold out in minutes.

This is so exciting we have not seen anything like this since Henry VII visited The Priory In 1510

- random Facebook commenter

We can all think of similar scenes. Taylor Swift concerts. Apple product launches. Limited edition trainers.

Wherever there’s a feeling that lots of people will be competing for a chance to grab something exclusive, emotions run high.

And, as all good marketers know, emotions are key to success when it comes to selling products or services.?

So, what can we learn from the great Ricky Gervais Christchurch ticket scramble of 2024? Here are the main elements involved:

• Scarcity. The venue only has 500 seats and there were only two performances.
• Exclusivity. It's unlikely you'll get another chance to see such a famous comic in such a small venue.
• Urgency. Tickets went on sale at 10am and there wouldn't be a second chance.
• Social proof. Because so many people were desperate for tickets, you know it should be good.
• Trust. Ricky Gervais is a well-known name, so it's pretty likely the show will live up to the hype.

The whole interaction is driven by emotions. People don't buy comedy tickets for logical reasons, they buy them because they want a fun evening. Even people who weren't particularly fussed about Ricky Gervais probably got swept up in the moment.

Whether you're writing a product brochure, an event invitation, or a prospectus for a course, try to build in some of these emotional elements to create a sense of excitement. If yours is the more limited edition product, the more exclusive event, the more popular course, you'll beat the competition and see your results improve.

Discover more emotional persuasion techniques.