Sensory marketing can give brands a competitive edge. In cluttered and competitive environments, sensory triggers can stimulate positive brand associations and activate subconscious purchase drivers. While it may be difficult to quantify the exact commercial value of sensory assets, their impact on brand value should not be overlooked.
Definition
Sensory Marketing appeals to one or more of the five human senses: touch, taste, smell, sound or vision. It engages on an emotional level and aims to capture consumers’ attention and influence purchase behaviour.
Key Insights
1. Familiar, multisensory brand properties can be valuable assets
In cluttered shopping environments, distinctive and familiar brand properties can help to build strong brands. Brains work on auto-pilot for 90% of the time, using ‘memory structure’, recognition and associations, to make purchase decisions. There are five non-brand-name visual trigger assets brands can consider - these include word-based, story, face, colour-based and shape assets. The most powerful brand assets go beyond recognition to also trigger brand meaning. Any changes should be carefully considered and gradually implemented to ensure existing valuable brand equity is not lost.