Drinking in the memories

Editor's note: Dean Bates is research analyst at InModeration Qualitative Research, Philadelphia.

As owner of Wilhelmina's, a velvet-cloaked nightclub and lounge in downtown Philadelphia, Kelly Reynolds faced an interesting challenge: How do you make the 1970s come alive for your patrons, most of whom were in elementary school or diapers during the that decade?

Retro-style lounges like Wilhelmina's go all out to recreate the laid-back atmosphere of the '70s. Bar stools are replaced by overstuffed pillows and antique sofas. Flashing lights are substituted with candles. The music is a mixture of '60s bossa nova and '70s funk. And there's no dance floor.

Yet the fact remains that most of their patrons are too young to have actually been a part of the bell-bottom-wearing, eight-track-playing scene. They're living the '70s bar experience vicariously through the eyes of today's Baby Boomers.

So to enhance the swank experience of the '70s, Reynolds needed to get to the underlying perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes held by the club's customers. For help with that, she consulted Philadelphia-based InModeration Qualitative Research.

Selecting the technique

 People in their 20s rarely reflect upon the previous 10 years as nostalgic; in fact, they generally seem to be focused on the future. Therefore, to really uncover their feelings about the past, the InModeration team concluded that the research methodology should incorporate tactile elements and projective techniques that involved sight, sound, smell and touch, which would allow the respondents to express the nuances that made the era special to them.

During a series of individual interviews, each respondent was given a small brown paper bag filled with swatches of several different fabrics. The 4-inch-square samples included silk, velvet, burlap, wool, denim, linen and other materials. They were asked to reach into the bag without looking inside and retrieve the piece of material that felt most like the '70s. All of the participants gave in-depth answers based upon memories triggered by sensory stimulation.

The result of this tactile experience was different for each respondent. One person selected a piece of vinyl and explained how it reminded him of the plastic slipcovers on his mom's sofa and how the plastic would stick to his thighs whenever he sat on the sofa while wearing shorts. Another participant selected polyester; he made an instant connection between the feel of the fabric and the clothes he wore in grade school.

Similar techniques were used to evaluate the overall look, smell and sound of the decade. Twenty-second sound clips of various '70s recording artists were played for the respondents, resulting in mixed opinions of what the "real" sound of the decade was. Variables such as race and socioeconomic level contribute to one's taste in music during childhood. For some respondents, the Rolling Stones were the sound of the decade; for others, it was B.B. King or Steely Dan.

The sound-oriented segment of the interview indicated that most of the respondents' childhood memories were of things that were controlled by adult figures. For example, the music they remember so vividly was, in most cases, part of mom or dad's record collection, and not the result of experimenting with the radio dial. This theory is supported by the comments made by the interviewees: "Oh yeah, I remember that - my mom used to play that song when she would clean up the house!" "I remember riding in the car with my dad - he would play that song to death." Parents also selected the clothes they wore during those years.

A kid in a candy store

Although techniques involving touch, smell and sound were vital components of the research, the one sensory experience that was consistent for most respondents was the sense of taste. Almost all of the respondents fondly recalled going to the neighborhood candy store. In fact, when asked about their visits to the candy store, they described this experience in great detail, recounting everything from the location of the bubble gum machine to the smudges on the big glass case that held the confections. Everyone interviewed came up with the names of several candies that seemed to evoke pleasant memories of days gone by. Upon review, it became apparent that the visits to the candy store were one of the few situations where the respondents had full autonomy over the situation and purchasing decision.

Mimic the experience

 During the first client debriefing, the results of the interviews were explained to Reynolds, who seemed satisfied with the club's retro image and did not want to change it. But she was intrigued by the vivid candy store memories, and came up with the concept of creating cocktails that mimic the candy store experience.

Based upon the data collected during the interviews, she presented a list of popular '70s candies to her staff of mixologists, who then created an entire line of drinks that taste remarkably similar to the confections after which they were fashioned. A combination of chocolate liquor and peppermint schnapps along with a few other ingredients gives the fresh taste of a Peppermint Patty. Coconut-flavored rum and an almond-flavored cordial and chocolate liquor tastes like an Almond Joy. A licorice-based concoction is known as the Good & Plenty; another mix uses raspberry liqueur to make a drink called the Swedish Fish.

Conducting the testing

 A second round of interviews was conducted to test the concept and taste of the candy-flavored drinks. Since it was important not to influence the respondent's perception of the beverages, each drink was presented in the same type of glass, and no clues were given as to what the drinks should taste like. As predicted, the respondents were able to match most of the flavors to candies that they had not tasted for years.

Thus far, patrons have placed the new drinks in a unique category. Rather than viewing them as a vehicle to help discard inhibitions, the nostalgia-filled drinks are a symbol of leisure and comfort. (To truly enhance the nostalgia, each drink is served with a bite-sized version of the candy after which it is named.)

In addition, bartenders have noticed more men adding cordial-flavored beverages to their list of favorites, ignoring the long-held belief that sweet drinks are better suited to women. It appears that the social context has been altered through a shared childhood experience.

Taste of the '70s

 By using projective techniques to delve into respondents' memories, the research went beyond the usual question-and-answer approach of a qualitative interview and helped Wilhelmina's offer its patrons a true taste of a decade gone by.