It’s time to sweat the small stuff.

I’ve been fascinated lately by David Armano’s work on what he calls “micro interactions,” and his theories on how they influence our relationships with brands and businesses. For example (from his outstanding slideshow):

We live in a world where the little things really do matter. Each encounter no matter how brief is a micro interaction which makes a deposit or withdrawal from our rational and emotional subconscious. The sum of these interactions and encounters adds up to how we feel about a particular product, brand, or service.”

On a basic level what Armano says here has always been true, but I’d add this: it was more true years ago when people did their buying locally and face to face; it became less true as the culture shifted towards chains and big business; and it will be the most true in years to come as our options expand to functional infinity (owing largely to the internet and new technology).

When everything is available to anyone — often instantly — the only thing that separates one outlet from another is the experience. How does this store/restaurant/lawyer/auto repair shop make me feel?

If the answer is anything less than “great,” someone else will steal that business. It isn’t enough anymore to be the biggest, the most convenient, the cheapest, etc.

The reason that I like Armano’s micro-interactions concept in particular is that it levels the playing field. It plays into everything from the success and failure of local shops to Comcast’s recent attempts to revitalize their damaged brand. It’s a very powerful concept, and one that I suspect we’ll hear a lot more about in the coming years.

(image via the Drugstore Museum)