ABSTRACT
Experiences consist of sacred meaning. They are holistic phenomena that shape who we are at an emotional, psychological, and cognitive level. Capitalising on this concept, retailers have adopted experiential designs, providing larger-than-life spectacles to build identity and presence for their brands. However, it is clear that “spectacle” alone may not be enough to sustain the authenticity of the brand; moments only become experiences if they hold lifelong meaning. For this reason, we turn our attention to Mag Nation – a new breed of small-scale experience stores, where adoption of the brand occurs at an intimate level. Using ethnographic research techniques, this chapter highlights the implications of sacred meaning found within the experience; the ability of authorship to empower brand attachment; and why providing a platform that nurtures lifestyle meaning is beneficial for the brand.
