We just got back from our family’s first official ‘spring break road trip’. 2,300 miles total with an equal amount of memories. One of our stops — our favorite — was South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island.

After being on the island for just a day, we quickly noticed the amount of people wearing ‘Salty Dog’ t-shirts. They. Were. Everywhere. While I had already gotten a recommendation from a friend, seeing all of the walking advertising made us want to go even more. It has to be good because everyone has a t-shirt, right?

Upon arriving, it was easy to see we were not the only curious visitors. We put our name in for the hour and a half wait, wondering if we had entered a tourist trap.

We would soon learn that the wait was one of the best parts. We found Adirondack chairs at the end of the dock overlooking the marina, felt the warm sun, listened to the live music, had a cold drink and for the first time on our trip, we were completely relaxed. The food and homemade peppermint taffy were just the icing on the cake.

After dinner we found ourselves purchasing t-shirts of our own, a key fob and taffy to bring home. We weren’t buying these items to remember the restaurant, it was to remember the feeling.

The Salty Dog has created something special. Positive feelings create loyal customers, and they have some of the most loyal customers I’ve seen.

What emotion or positive feeling are you creating with your customers and brand? What can you do to make your customers want to ‘wear a t-shirt’?