"Anticipation of pleasure is, in itself, a very considerable pleasure." - David Hume

Have you ever just gotten so excited for something or someone in your life?  You have a vacation coming up or you met someone online and you are finally going to get to meet them, or you’ve been working on a big project and it’s finally going to get to make its debut.  The excitement that lives in the anticipation of something is just about the most awesome feeling ever!

So, how might you build anticipation for your next toy or game product?  Teasers in messaging are vital to creating excitement around something.  There’s also a little science to it.

The Torrance Incubation Model (TIM) is a three-stage model: Heightening Anticipation, Deepening Expectations, and Extending the Learning. At the start of each project, you have a content goal(s) and one creativity skill that runs through each of the three stages. The constant that runs through this model is labeled “incubation.” Torrance believed that if you set up your design with the three stages and a creative thinking skill, then the model promoted incubation and product was launched.  Dr. Torrance created this model more for using in the classroom, but it can be used for anything.

So, what might some examples look like?  My Aunt Connie just sent me a box and told me that I am not allowed to open it until she comes to visit in a month.  That means 4 weeks of me staring at this box piquing my curiosity more each day.  I am quite sure that she will be mentioning the box each time we chat on the phone too just making it that more exciting!  (It had better be good after the build up!  😊)

A few years ago, I saw a billboard here in Orlando and it was around holiday time.  It was just a picture of a dirty martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives and a phone number.  Now, knowing how much a like a good “dirty”, I was curious and called the number.  It was for a local restaurant known for craft cocktails to promote their new catering business and bartending services.  I thought it was so clever that I hired them to cater a holiday party for my staff that year.  Their marketing tease paid off.

I am creating a board game right now and the more that I talk about it with family and friends and their kids, the more questions they are asking about it.  This makes me think that they will be ripe for prototyping when the time comes.  And I am getting excited to show it to them as well.  The anticipation is building on both sides which is really fun!

So, how might you leverage anticipation with your new or re-imagined products?  Something to think about!

--gert--