Rory Sutherland has revealed a marketing trick used by cafes (Image: Getty)
If you’ve ever found yourself lured into a cafe or shop after spotting chairs and tables outside, Rory Sutherland has revealed the reason why.
The advertising executive, 59, is the vice chairman of the Ogilvy & Mather group of companies and is now one of the UK’s most viral stars.
The Cambridge graduate may not appear to be your average influencer, but his interesting insights into how everyday marketing tricks can unwittingly influence human behaviour has earned him more than 2.4 million likes on the platform.
Offering an unique insight into tricks of the marketing trade, Sutherland has explained the real reason cafes and coffee shops put chairs outside their stores.
According to the 59-year-old, this simple act indicates to passing customers that a cafe is open and thereby presents an immediate opportunity to grab a coffee or a bite to eat.
Explaining the clever marketing tactic in a video clip on his channel, he said: “We don’t actually go, rationally there are chairs outside the cafe therefore it must be open because a cafe that was closed would have locked the chairs inside. It’s system one – we just automatically go, wahey coffee chance over there”
Sutherland says the trick will still lure customers through the doors even in bad weather, because it is a clear signal that the cafe is open for business.
In another clip shared on , he explains: “Now coffee shop owners are going to hate me all over the world for sharing this. If you run a coffee shop, leave the chairs and tables outside the coffee shop even if it’s raining.
“Because from 300 yards away, the fact that you have tables and chairs on the pavement means that you’re open. It means there’s coffee available there and they’re clearly open because if they’ve closed or were closing they would have put the chairs away.”
The marketing guru adds that the trick also works in reverse, so if cafe owners want to deter customers from coming in, they simply need to stack a few chairs on tables outside as this signals the shop is closed.
He adds: “All you’ve got to do is take two chairs, stack them upside down on a table, no one comes in and no one orders a goddamn thing.
“Simply having two chairs upside down – you haven’t said closed, you haven’t changed the sign – simply doing that tiny little thing is basically enough to prevent anybody coming into your coffee shop.”
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The trick is recognised by other marketing strategists, with New York marketing agency FemFounder saying simply offering an outdoor seating option enhances business.
The agency says that having outdoor cafe chairs is an important tool in attracting customers through the doors and is a wise option for all businesses to consider.
It adds: “Outdoor seats often serve as great advertising for your cafe. First of all, passersby will know immediately what you provide by checking people sitting around the cafe. And they can gauge the quality of your services at the same time.