{"id":658530,"date":"2019-05-06T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T07:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/?post_type=articles&p=658530"},"modified":"2020-02-07T13:06:24","modified_gmt":"2020-02-07T12:06:24","slug":"sensory-marketing-straight-to-the-emotions","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/articles\/sensory-marketing-straight-to-the-emotions\/","title":{"rendered":"Sensory Marketing: Straight to the Emotions"},"featured_media":658509,"template":"","meta":{"_has_post_settings":[]},"schools":[29,33,35],"areas":[22,24],"subjects":[],"class_list":["post-658530","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","schools-business-school","schools-human-sciences-and-technology","schools-university","areas-sales-marketing","areas-strategy"],"custom-fields":{"wpcf-article-leadin":["The senses play a key role in consumer perceptions and exert a powerful influence over buying decisions. Marketers have long sought to integrate the senses into brand communications, albeit generally in a limited and partial way. Today, sensory marketing is recognized as an essential tool for strengthening the connection between brand and consumer by stimulating all the senses and generating emotions."],"wpcf-article-body":["As part of the marketer\u2019s quest to connect with\u2014and adapt to\u2014today\u2019s constantly evolving and increasingly demanding consumers, sensory marketing<\/a> is now considered to be a top-priority activity. Sensory marketing leverages all five senses to influence perceptions, memories, and learning processes, with the aim of manipulating consumers\u2019 motivations, desires, and behavior<\/a>. The goal is to create a sensory experience that strengthens the connection with users through a process that involves both the rational and the emotional parts of the brain, although to varying degrees. As part of this process, the subconscious component facilitates automatic decision-making and behaviors on the basis of lessons learned through past experiences.\r\n\r\nThe development of sensory marketing<\/a> has been driven by two main factors. The first factor is scientific research, particularly in the field of neuroscience, which is closely linked to the marketing function. Neuroscience helps us understand the brain processes involved in perception and behavior<\/a>, as well as the role played by emotion and reason. The second factor is the evolution of the markets. Today\u2019s markets are increasingly competitive<\/a> and global<\/a>. Brands, and their ability to differentiate themselves, are more important than ever, and buying behavior is increasingly driven by emotional factors rather than rational processes.\r\n\r\nAs a consequence, three main areas of activity have developed in sensory marketing<\/a>. The first area focuses on the creation of buyer and user experiences through what is known as \u201c360\u00b0 sensory marketing,\u201d with the aim of influencing every stage of the buyer\u2019s behavior<\/a>. The second area involves harnessing all five senses in an integrated manner, aligning the entire sensory experience towards a single objective. And finally, the third area involves using the senses to consolidate the brand, with emphasis on one predominant, identity-shaping sense\u2014that is, a sensory signature.\r\n
A memorable experience can forge a stronger connection to the product or service, increase satisfaction, and influence the consumer\u2019s behavior and attitude.<\/blockquote>\r\nOptimizing the experience<\/strong>\r\n\r\nCreating the right sort of shopping experience\u2014either physical or virtual\u2014is a high-priority objective for brands. A memorable experience can forge a stronger connection to the product or service, increase satisfaction, and influence the consumer\u2019s behavior<\/a> and attitude. As a result, the consumer becomes more predisposed to make a purchase, spends more time in the store, has more exposure to the various categories, and in turn becomes more predisposed to make future purchases. By setting this process in motion, the brand also improves its image.\r\n\r\nConsumer behavior<\/a> can be influenced by sensory marketing<\/a> to generate experiences at every stage of the buying process: activation of desire, awareness of the product or service, assessment of the product or service in relation to other options, purchase, and post-purchase evaluation of use or consumption. This sort of 360\u00b0 sensory marketing serves to define the points of contact between the consumer and the brand at every behavioral stage: before the purchase, during the purchase, and during final use.\r\n\r\n\"Marketing<\/a>\r\n
Source: Compiled by the authors using data from Prophet.<\/span><\/h6>\r\n \r\n\r\nThe points of contact are identified and prioritized according to their importance in the buying process in terms of the specific objectives of each stage, which include the development of brand awareness, the communication of added value and relevance to the consumer, and the actual user experience. Once the partial objectives for each stage have been set, the specific senses that influence each objective are identified and their functions and characteristics are established in order to maximize their contribution to the overall objectives.\r\n\r\nOf key importance are two \u201cmoments of truth\u201d that take place when the brand interacts with its market. The first moment occurs when the consumer makes a selection at the point of sale<\/a>, and the second one occurs when the user experiences the product and its benefits.\r\n
A higher degree of sensory stimulation means more communication and a better experience.<\/blockquote>\r\nFive integrated senses <\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe importance of each of the five senses in the transmission of perceptions and the generation of experiences depends on the nature of the product or service and the stage of buying behavior<\/a> in question. As a rule, however, a higher degree of sensory stimulation means more communication and a better experience. Research has shown that the involvement of multiple senses can have a multiplier effect on perceptions when the senses in question communicate synergistic messages. In other words, each sensory stimulus reinforces the messages conveyed by all the others, giving rise to stronger, more consistent, and more holistic perceptions. This integrated accumulation of sensory impacts improves the consumer\u2019s perception, lodging it deeper into his or her memory. Multisensory perceptions therefore facilitate faster product recognition and attribution in response to stimuli, as well as higher processing speeds and consequently a better assessment of the message.\r\n

\"Marketing<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Source: Hollis, N. (2007). Smelly Business.<\/em> ESOMAR Fragrance 2007. Millward Brown.<\/span><\/h6>\r\n \r\n\r\nVision and touch are recognized as the main senses involved in the perception of most products, but they are typically associated with the more functional objectives and with a predominantly conscious process. The generally lesser-valued senses of taste, smell, and hearing contribute a more emotional component in the generation of experiences and have a greater impact on loyalty.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSensory branding and sensory signature<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe main strategic<\/a> objective of sensory marketing<\/a> is to communicate a brand image\u2014in other words, sensory branding. The goal is to use the senses to reinforce the product\u2019s attributes, functional or emotional benefits, values, and personality, conveying its relevance to the consumer and helping to communicate its brand identity, while at the same time\u2014and most importantly\u2014communicating the product\u2019s differential value for a specific segment of customers in an increasingly competitive<\/a> market.\r\n\r\nSensory branding is developed through a sensory strategy<\/a>, which determines which senses will be used in the communication of the image and connects each sense with the consumer, while also defining the messages and experiences to be developed by each sense. A key part of sensory branding is the development of a brand\u2019s sensory signature\u2014the main perception associated with a product or service. The sensory signature identifies and differentiates the product and conveys the main message that the marketers wish to communicate to the market.\r\n\r\nThe sensory signature summarizes a product\u2019s positioning and main competitive<\/a> advantage. Selecting this signature is therefore a critical decision for any brand. There are only two requirements for a sensory signature: the sense selected must be suitable for communicating the category to a particular consumer segment and, most importantly, the signature must communicate the brand\u2019s differential value proposition. As long as those two requirements are met, any sense can become a sensory signature.\r\n
\"Marketing<\/a><\/h6>\r\n
Source: compiled by the authors.<\/span><\/h6>\r\n \r\n\r\nA brand\u2019s sensory strategy<\/a> is developed through various marketing<\/a> activities, including the details of the product itself (name, brand, packaging, formula, etc.), the way in which it is communicated (advertising, promotions, sales arguments, etc.), and actions associated with the point of sale<\/a> (location, merchandising, etc.).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u00a9 IE Insights."],"wpcf-article-extract-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-extract":["By Roberto Manzano<\/strong>, Teresa Serra<\/strong> and Diana Gavil\u00e1n<\/strong>.\u00a0The senses play a key role in consumer perceptions and exert a powerful influence over buying decisions. Marketers have long sought to integrate the senses into brand communications, albeit generally in a limited and partial way."],"wpcf-article-summary-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-summary":["In marketing, the senses are often used as a tool for communicating with consumers. However, this sensory approach is sometimes limited by two factors: a lack of focus on the integrated use of all five senses and the underdevelopment of sensory marketing as a strategic activity for generating experiences, consolidating a brand\u2019s image, and differentiating products from the competition. Thanks to these elements, plus the growing importance of emotions in driving decisions and generating loyalty, marketers are advised to adopt a methodical and integrated approach to sensory marketing as a core activity capable of enriching the value of a brand."]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/658530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/658509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"schools","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/schools?post=658530"},{"taxonomy":"areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/areas?post=658530"},{"taxonomy":"subjects","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subjects?post=658530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}