Imagine walking into an event where the aroma of brewed coffee greets you, or a beautiful song captivates you, or maybe a fun visual art is the center of attention. These are all examples of sensory marketing and this can be one of the best ways to draw in new people and add extra depth to your marketing strategy. Sensory marketing is when you use sight, sound, taste, smell, or touch to influence perception and influence on those who are in the area. This is a powerful tool that many brands are starting to adopt and add into their marketing strategies. We are going to dive more into sensory marketing and explain how it can captivate audiences and elevate your brand activations to make a bigger impact. 

Why Sensory Marketing Actually Works

There is psychology behind almost all marketing tactics, but sensory marketing is especially interesting to look into because of how impactful it can really be. Senses or sensory stimulation willa actually trigger emotional responses and memory recall, which are two of the most important aspects of a marketing campaign that actually converts. Psychologically, senses can impact and influence decision-making, which means that people are more likely to make a purchasing decision because of how they emotionally react to something. Top brands we know of already implement this marketing tactic into their brand, such as Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has done this with their “Share a Coke” marketing campaign where there were names featured on the bottles and cans. This prompted people to make a purchase simply because a loved one’s name was on the bottle and Coke was inspiring them to buy the product for that loved one. 

Five Senses and How They Work in Brand Activations

When it comes to sensory marketing campaigns, there are five senses to work with, which means there is a lot of variety to implement one or more of those in your marketing strategy. We are going to look into each of these senses and see how they can be implemented as a marketing strategy to make an impact. 

Sight: Visual Storytelling 

Sight is one of the easiest senses to trigger in your marketing campaign and this can even be done in digital campaigns as well. Visual identity is very important when it comes to color, lighting, and even movement in marketing. Some examples of sight in a sensory marketing campaign are immersive displays or projection mapping which can stimulate vision and engagement. You can even make this simple by adding interesting dynamic LED lighting to bring more to your typical marketing campaign. 

Smell: A Hidden Influence 

Smell is a forgotten sense that many people could implement, but forget to implement. Smell is actually a very powerful scent as well due to our memories being attached to scents and being triggered by them. Different smells can also trigger different moods, perception, and behaviors, making it much more influential than other sensory marketing aspects. Scent marketing has become quite popular in event spaces whether you’re working with beverages, foods, or adding a scent that goes along with your product. A couple examples of this could be a coffee brand brewing fresh coffee at their activations or a hotel diffusing the same scent at every activation for consistency and memory jogging. 

Taste: Emotionally Triggering the Brain 

How many times have you tasted something and felt pure euphoria? If you’re a foodie, then you probably know exactly what we are referring to. Taste is a sense that can help people to connect emotionally and trigger memories of their own as well. Flavor samples or themed food experiences are unique and interesting ways to implement taste senses into your marketing campaign. 

Sound: Setting the Tone

Sound is very easy to implement in almost any sensory marketing campaign no matter what kind of brand you have or what product you offer. Music intentionally evokes motion, which means choosing soundscapes, live music, or curated playlists can help evoke the emotion you desire people to associate with your brand. For example, a spa brand might play spa music at their activation or a car brand could use car sounds in the background. 

Touch: A Physical Connection

Touch is something that comes a lot with in-person brand activations, but it’s indeed a sensory marketing technique that can get people more engaged and involved. Play around with interactive elements, texture, or temperature that will help people immerse themselves into your brand and the experience. Simply being able to touch and feel your product can inspire trust and interest very easily, in comparison to other techniques. 

How to Implement Sensory Elements in Your Brand Activations 

We have four simple steps that will help you plan to add sensory elements into your next brand activation easily. Not every brand will choose the same senses to trigger, so going through these steps will help you tailor the sensory elements to your personal brand. 

Step 1: Stay Cohesive and on Brand 

The first thing to remember is that you want to choose sensory elements that make sense for your brand and go along with your branding. For example, if you are a car brand, you wouldn’t want to sample out cookies just to have that taste aspect at your activation. Ensure that the sensory elements tell a unified story that aligns directly with your brand or mission. 

Step 2: Personalize the Experience 

Think about your target audience, who might come to your activation, and who you are speaking to. Use data to help tailor the sensory elements to your audience which will help better connect with them. 

Step 3: Implement Technology When Possible

Technology is ever evolving and it’s something that many brands can easily implement into their brand activations. You can use AR or VR or project mapping in your activations to add an extra element that’s unique, but also sensory grabbing as well. 

Step 4: Measure Your Success

Like any marketing campaign, it’s important to measure the success of it to help prepare you for future campaigns. Some of the metrics you should pay attention to specifically for sensory marketing campaigns include brand recall, emotional response, and dwell time. 

Implementing Sensory Marketing in Your Business

If you think that sensory marketing might be a great option for your brand and you are interested in trying it out, contact us at Factory360. We have a team of experts at your fingertips that can help you plan the right activation with sensory elements specifically for your brand. We can help you through every stage of the campaigning process from planning, execution, and measuring the success of the campaign. Reach out to us via our website and let’s chat about your desires behind a sensory marketing brand activation and how we can help you build the perfect campaign for your brand.