How Apple Creates Suspense, Why Satisfaction Doesn’t Matter, and A Lesson From Star Wars

I spoke a while ago on the idea of what I’m calling ‘brand mystery’ – we looked at JJ Abrams’ TED Talk and Lost, and how he tells a story by suspense. He never provides the complete picture, and this is what keeps you hooked.

Today I want to explore three ideas: suspense, expectation, and what Apple understands that most brands don’t.

Episode 1. Anticipation is tied into expectation.

No greater example of dismally failed expectations exists in my life than Star Wars Episode II. For years I had been building it up in my mind. Nothing could match my expectations. From then on, I was bitter. They had lost a brand advocate.

Suspense begins with expectation. If I don’t expect anything, then I have nothing to anticipate. So the required first question is: what expectations does your product or service set?

Episode 2. Why Customer Satisfaction is a load of rubbish.

Apple leaks small amounts of information before product launches. The rumour mill creates mockups and conspiracy theories. Stock rises. Yet no one knows what the product actually is.

When the end isn’t known, you allow what Guy Kawasaki calls ‘letting 100 flowers blossom’. People’s minds go to work in 100 directions – and this is your message spreading.

Because no one knows what the thing is, they know they might be wrong. And when they acknowledge they might be wrong, they’re emotionally prepared for a different outcome. Apple doesn’t break a promise because no promise was made.

Satisfaction is just what happens when someone receives what they were promised. It means my expectation is met – nothing more. In this day and age we should be beyond just delivering what we say we will.

Episode 3. The Suspense Model

Four levels of customer experience:

1. Customer Sacrifice – delivery falls short of expectation
2. Customer Satisfaction – delivery meets expectation
3. Customer Surprise – delivery exceeds expectation
4. Customer Suspense – the experience of anticipating an experience

If you continue to surprise people, they start to expect the next surprise. That’s suspense. And suspense is the highest level of experience you can create.