The Zombie Candy Experiment:
How to create a fascinating experience

Trick-or-treating is fascinating, right?

The costumes… the decorations… the scary moist clump of smashed Tootsie rolls that somehow always clump together by the end of the night.

But… how could trick-or-treating become even more spellbinding?

What if trick-or-treating could be a fascinating customer experience?

Hmmm… I was curious.

That’s how the Zombie Candy Experiment got started.

I decided to do a simple test on Halloween a few years ago.

How long would kids wait in line for candy that they perceived as MORE fascinating… even if the candy itself was the same?

“Do you want the Baby Candy… or the Zombie Candy?”

In this fun little video, I’ll tell you the results of the Zombie Candy Experiment.

Try this Zombie Candy Experiment for yourself. Tell us your results!

 
The Zombie Candy Experiment
Even a small dose of fascination can turn a ho-hum process into an experience that captivates customers.

In my research, I’ve discovered that people will pay up to 400% for a commodity, if it fascinates them.

For instance, if you buy Morton’s salt, you’re paying 187% more than generic salt, although the salt itself is a commodity.

Even tiny tweaks can make a huge difference in your brand.

“Do you want the green ticket, or the orange ticket?

Have I ever told you the story about the “orange ticket”? It’s in my book, Fascinate. Here’s a peek.

Disney’s Epcot has a ride called Mission Space. Guests choose between two different versions of the ride: either the orange ticket ride, or the green.

These two versions are almost exactly the same… but the experience is completely different. The orange ticket is fascinating.

Is your personal brand delivering the orange ticket? Or is it a boring green commodity?

How about your customer experience? Could you tweak the process just a bit, to make it memorable?

Whether or not you realize it, your decisions are guided by the people and things that instinctively earn your attention.

After measuring over a million individuals with the Fascinate Test, I’ve learned that high performers tap into their most distinctive traits. In other words, once people know exactly how they add value, they can focus on those traits when they show up. With this effort they’re more likely to stand out, and be remembered.

To become more successful, don’t CHANGE who you are. Become MORE of who you are.

You can make Halloween even more fascinating when you unlock your own Fascination Advantage. Log into your account or take the Fascinate Test today.

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About the author

Sally Hogshead

Sally skyrocketed to the top of the advertising world in her early 20s, fascinating millions of consumers for clients such as MINI Cooper and Coca-Cola. Since then, she’s published two New York Times bestsellers on the science of fascination, and is one of only 172 living members in the Speaker Hall of Fame. Over a million professionals have taken the Fascination Advantage® personality test to discover how others perceive their communication.

5 Comments

  1. Team Fascinate

    Love reading this!

  2. Terrisa Duenas

    It’s been months since I took the test and have been skipping emails, that is until I read the words, Zombie Candy, and had to open this email. I’m becoming a believer as I tested for Maverick Leader and I’m getting the connection now. Thank you Team Fascinate.

  3. Maverick Leader

    To add to the story a bit more, the Zombie candy line took a turn to the the grass around the corner where we had various teen age Zombies ready to come to life, to come to death, to come to the guests etc…. So it was the experience as well as the candy that made it fun. Definitely different and definitely better. For the little ones that could have been scared at the Zombie experience we did not shame them with the baby candy moniker, we saved that for the kids old enough to like a scare (or more usual a laugh). It was great fun for the kids and great fun for us. We get over a thousand kids each Halloween. No wonder our “hood” Baldwin Park was just named One of the best neighborhoods for trick or treating in the United States. http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2016/10/27/baldwin-park-named-one-of-the-best-neighborhoods-in-the-us-for-trick-or-treating I personally, however, am telling all the families that ask where to go, to head down to Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach. Now that would be a trick or treat to remember.

  4. Cindy

    I appreciate the lesson in upselling by using a position that is more appealing and relevant (aka Zombie candy)! As a geeky side-note, your study could have been a little more scientific with use of a placebo with a phrase like “Halloween candy” instead of “baby” candy. The test was biased by the use of the word “baby candy” which isn’t appealing or relevant, and not a term used in relation to Halloween – therefore leading the test subjects away from that option toward the Zombie option. Nonetheless – a fun experiment…and what a great setting to conduct it in!

  5. Angela

    You are so right. When I hold Group Connections I get a much better turn-out if it has a catchy title.

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