We need to help prospective customers visiting Big Yellow to imagine the benefits storage can bring them. These people are visiting the store to make enquiries but may not have considered how much they could store and how that could positively affect their homes and lives. We need to think of ways we can inspire them to store more with us, thereby up-selling them and making more profit.

We created an advert about loft conversions (a popular DIY pursuit in the UK whereby the attic/loft space in your house is converted into a permanent living space). The ad itself used a straightforward headline - ‘Fancy a loft conversion? We can help you make room.’ However the ad was designed so that it fitted exactly onto a ceiling tile in the reception area of Big Yellow. This clever placement amplified the stand-out and the effect of the ad in store.

This was not a quantitative test. However, in the new Big Yellow stores where we had the ceiling ad running Big Yellow staff found that customers often asked which size of storage units would be right for all the items in their attics/lofts. There was also a positive response from staff who felt the advert was a fun way to draw attention to one of the benefits of self storage.