Getting customers in, is half the battle… What’s next? Part 2

Gradually, there is a shift from the mass marketing approach towards that of targeted marketing and relationship building so as to adapt to, and attract the evolving consumer. Consumers are increasingly placing value on their experiences or interactions with brands. Is your brand creating a memorable experience for its customers? One of the ways to better connect with them is through sensory marketing which leverages all five senses to influence perceptions and memories.

Basically, as a business you should be using the different senses to create a positive impression of your brand. If you have ever picked up a product and taken note of how it feels, you can appreciate the power of this type of marketing.

Below are a few ways in which each sense can be incorporated to yield better results for your brand:

Sight – Your eyes do about 70% of the buying. Factors that affect sight include colours used in-store and associated with your brand, as well as packaging. Additionally, images used by your, e.g. including photos of people in your adverts is a plus, because when we see other people doing something, we are more likely to try it. Never underestimate the power of lighting in your establishment – it’s a visual cue that changes the look and feel of your brand, e.g. your store can use lamps instead of overhead lights to change the experience the customer has.

Smell – In the words of branding guru, Martin Lindstrom “You can close your eyes, cover your ears, refrain from touch, and reject taste, but smell is a part of the air we breathe”. This is the only sense that cannot be turned off and it is strongly linked to memory. Do you sell candles, perfumes, toiletries, bath and body products, food (restaurant)? Ambient scents can be used to attract consumers to products in a store, influence their mood and by extension, influences sales, E.g. the scent of baked bread in the bakery section of the supermarket, the kitchen cleaning section smelling of lemon, or the scent of wood in a hardware/home improvement section to inspire customers to do DIY projects.

Sound- Music can be used to effect buying behaviour of the consumer in a desired direction. Have you considered creating a playlist that matches with your brand? If you decide to play radio in your establishment, ensure the genre of music matches with what your brand stands for. You can create a sound identity by having certain music or sounds associated with the company.

Taste: If you are a supermarket or distributor/manufacturer of condiments or food products/snacks and you’re not using taste marketing, you are a step behind. The most common type is the sampling of food and beverages. If you are in this sector, you should have a taste strategy to encourage gustatory experiences.

Touch – enhances the brand experience for a customer by adding sensory information about the brand, e.g. the use of touch screens in the purchase process, or having customers feel the quality of the garment before they purchase. This type of marketing can be incorporated to highlight comfort. Additionally, the quality of your marketing collateral such as business cards or brochures create an impression in the customer’s mind.

Candice Sealey is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Ignite! a Full-service Marketing & PR Consultancy that helps businesses/brands to stand out, engage and connect with the right people through Strategy, Marketing, Media services and Design solutions.
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Email: igniteresults@gmail.com