Harnessing the Power of Rituals: Key Insights from MSQ's London Documentary Screening

Last week, we unveiled the practical applications of our landmark "Ritualized" research project; a real labour of love that has been nearly three years in the making. 

The event showcased how brands can move beyond efficiency-driven marketing to create meaningful connections through understanding and authentically engaging with consumer rituals.

The Journey: From Research to Real-World Application

Kate Howe, Executive Director at MSQ, described "Ritualized" as an extensive collaboration involving MSQ's global teams, industry partners, and CMOs. After years of research, the focus has shifted to a crucial question: "How do we actually apply it? What do we actually do? How do we embed it in our day-to-day marketing activities?"

The answer lies in MSQ's innovative approach to democratising this research. As Kate explained, we've embedded the insights into our internal AI products and tools to make the knowledge accessible and applicable for any client brief.

Understanding Rituals: The Emotional Transformation

Kit Altin from MSQ's Creative & CX agency, The Gate London, provided the foundational understanding that drives everything: "Every single kind of ritual is about an emotional transformation. It takes you from one emotional state to another." Rituals are fundamentally "a really, really clever behaviour to help us make the transitions that we need to make."

The Shift to Modern Rituals

Kit explained that the nature of rituals is evolving. Modern consumers are "making their own rituals from the materials that they have around them"; tradition and ancestry are no longer essential.

Habits vs. Rituals: A Critical Distinction

Through an interactive audience experiment involving daily routines like showering and brushing teeth, the team illustrated a crucial difference: "Habits and routines are automation and rituals are animation." While habits focus on efficiency, rituals have an emotional component where the specific sequence matters deeply.

The research revealed that rituals are deeply embedded in daily life. "The majority of important rituals occur daily for people," and remarkably, "48% of people who have a ritual have had that for more than five years."

Why Rituals Matter for Modern Marketing

Eleanor Lloyd Malcolm, Managing Director at MSQ's Insights Consultancy, Freemavens, explained the commercial significance: "Rituals offer brands a huge playground for emotional connection" because consumer choices are fundamentally driven by emotion.

The scope is vast. Research shows that "72% of consumers incorporate a specific product or brand into their rituals at least occasionally." This openness creates three key opportunities for brands:

1. Combating Atomisation: Supporting "individuals in an increasingly atomised society," with most rituals happening individually at home
2. Providing Control: Helping "provide control in a world of volatility," offering structure and escape
3. Creating Meaning: Enabling "more meaning, more purpose, more identity in a world that's increasingly becoming more tech-driven, more efficiency-driven"

The research identified "eight key emotional roles that rituals play in consumer's lives," serving as a practical "playbook" for brands to identify a distinctive space.

Real Stories, Real Impact

The accompanying documentary revealed the profound personal meaning of rituals. As one expert noted: "Rituals are how people return to themselves. They are expressions of personal cultural identity and that sense of self is incredibly important."

A particularly striking example came from a participant discussing their skincare ritual: "I would rather spend 3,000 rupees on my skin rather than giving it to a therapist"; highlighting the deep personal value attached to these moments.

The key insight for brands? "The brand doesn't dominate. It's a soundtrack, not a singer."

Watch the trailer for our film, Ritualized, The Documentary:

Live AI Demonstration: Theory Meets Practice

The event's highlight was a live demonstration of how MSQ's AI-powered products (MSQ Assist and MSQ Growth Engine) enables teams to apply the "Ritualized" framework to real client briefs and audience targeting. Using UK retailer "Very" as an example, MSQ Chief Product Officer, Fergus Dyer-Smith and Jo Lyall, Executive Director, MSQ, showed how AI trained on the ritualised framework can transform campaign development.

Key Principles for Brand Success

The panel discussion afterwards revealed crucial guidelines for brands:

On Authenticity: The key is having a "right to play in that playground" and ensuring authenticity in every interaction.

On Approach: Brands should "facilitate and don't dictate"; never forcing their way into existing rituals.

On Heritage vs. Innovation: It's a "fairly level playing field" between established and new brands. Heritage can be both "a blessing and a curse." The crucial factor is identifying the "emotional transformation you can authentically and credibly play a role in."

On Technology: Technology serves as an "enabler," creating "a whole bundle of new rituals appearing." The example of Doritos was cited, where observing gaming rituals led to "product innovation of different formats and flavours" and new media partnerships.

Audience Insights: Key Questions from the Q&A

The event's Q&A session revealed additional strategic considerations that marketers are grappling with:

On the Risk of Appropriation: When asked about brands potentially appropriating rituals, the panel emphasised that authenticity is paramount. The key question brands must ask is whether we have a genuine "right to play in that playground" and can contribute meaningfully to the consumer's emotional transformation.

On Competing with Established Heritage Brands: Surprisingly, the panel concluded that newer brands aren't at a significant disadvantage. As one panelist noted, heritage can be both "a blessing and a curse." What matters most is identifying the specific "emotional transformation you can authentically and credibly play a role in" rather than relying solely on brand history.

On Technology's Role in Creating New Rituals: The discussion highlighted technology as a "big enabler" that's creating entirely new ritual categories. The Doritos gaming example demonstrated how observing emerging tech-enabled rituals can lead to "product innovation of different formats and flavours" and strategic media partnerships.

On Long-term Brand Evolution: For established brands like Royal Mail, the core emotional role may remain constant (such as "connectivity or a sense of belonging to a community"), but "how you need to show up needs to evolve with how culture is moving." This insight suggests that ritual marketing requires ongoing cultural awareness and adaptation.

The Future of Meaningful Marketing

The "Ritualized" framework represents more than research; it's a practical tool that MSQ has embedded across our AI stack to help brands identify and authentically participate in the emotional transformations that matter most to our customers.

Key Takeaways for Marketers

1. Focus on emotional transformation rather than functional benefits
2. Observe existing rituals before attempting to participate
3. Prioritise authenticity and earn your right to play
4. Leverage technology to identify and scale ritual insights
5. Remember that rituals are animation, not automation

Watch a summary of the event below:

MSQ's "Ritualized" research demonstrates how brands can move beyond efficiency optimisation to create lasting, meaningful connections. By understanding the emotional transformations that drive consumer behaviour, brands can become valued participants in the rituals that matter most to our customers.

Ready to explore how ritual marketing can transform your brand strategy? Contact MSQ to learn more about our AI-powered approach to meaningful marketing.