Repetition of information

Pine and Gilmore (1999) recommended creating a theme for the business and harmonizing cues around the theme. The theme and harmonized cues reinforce the message of the business. Thus, the message is repeated and made memorable.

Personally relevant experiences

The theme also attracts a customer and makes the experience more memorable because of its personal relevance. For instance, a young customer with an interest in Indy 500 drivers is more likely to remember who won each go-cart race when the cars are modeled after Indy cars with which he/she is already familiar.

Rural Tourism Pretending to be driving in the car of your favorite Indy driver makes go-cart racing more memorable. http://www.mdf.ru/english/contests/ sprotshot/cart_racing/

Making sense of unexpected information

Themes many times have an element of the unexpected, or surprise, that help the customer recall the business and its offerings. This surprising information piques curiosity because it does not fit a customer’s expectations. Customers, therefore, spend more time paying attention to and thinking about the business, aiding recall (Gordon, 2003). For instance, the theme of the furniture shop, RVP-1875, is furniture production using 19th century methods and tools, which is surprising thus drawing attention and enhancing recall.

Retail RVP-1875: Jefferson, IA RVP-1875 expresses its theme in its store window http://www.rvp1875.com/studio.html