Sensory marketing is based on emotional and behavioral strategies aimed at encouraging the purchase of a product or the adoption of a service through stimuli directed at the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
This type of marketing seeks to create a unique sensory experience that engages consumers and helps them associate positive values with a brand. By implementing sensory experiences, brands can evoke emotions, create memories, and spark consumers’ imagination.
Sensory marketing can take many forms, from the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafting from a movie theater to more complex, multi-sensory experiences.
Boosts Sales: According to a study by Walnut Unlimited for Mood Media, sensory marketing can increase in-store sales by up to 10%. The study found that shoppers purchased 4% more items at prices that were 6% higher when their shopping experience included sensory marketing elements.
Creates an Emotional Connection: Rather than relying solely on rational selling points, sensory marketing appeals to emotions, helping consumers develop positive associations with a brand.
Strengthens Brand Identity: Sensory marketing helps shape and enrich brand identity by incorporating visual, auditory, or other sensory elements that make a brand more distinctive.
Delivers a Unique Experience: Customer experience is one of the biggest differentiators for brands today. Sensory marketing allows companies to craft unique and immersive experiences that set them apart from competitors.
Jingles: Catchy ad jingles are one of the most iconic forms of auditory marketing. Many of us have had a commercial tune stuck in our heads for weeks! These musical elements become an integral part of brand identity and provide significant value to businesses. Think McDonald’s.
Background Music: Many brands also carefully curate the background music in their physical stores to enhance the shopping experience and reinforce their brand personality.
Logos: Logos are one of the most effective visual marketing tools. Some brands use creative techniques, such as ambigrams (logos that read the same when flipped, like Chanel’s two C’s), to make their identity more engaging.
Scents and Emotions: Scent marketing has a powerful emotional impact. For example, the Walnut Unlimited study mentioned above found that Intersport, a sports retailer, increased football-related product sales by 26% simply by introducing the scent of freshly cut grass in that section of the store.
Interactive Advertising: Creating ads that consumers can physically interact with to release the scents, sound, and more is a good way to engage consumers and increase word of mouth.
Edible Business Cards: One of the most innovative taste-based marketing campaigns came from a Basque restaurant, which advertised itself using edible business cards made from vegetable-based sheets.
Rhode, the beauty brand founded by Hailey Bieber, frequently features its products alongside desserts in Instagram posts, appealing to the senses of taste and desire. The brand uses creamy, glossy textures and indulgent visuals to create an irresistible aesthetic.
Kylie Cosmetics integrates sensory elements into its marketing, from luxurious packaging with soft-touch finishes to scented lip products that create a multi-sensory experience for consumers.
Recently, the brand collaborated with See’s Candies to create a unique PR package celebrating the launch of its toasted marshmallow lip balm:
Glossier’s branding relies heavily on sensory appeal, from its minimalist yet visually appealing packaging to its showcasing of soft textures in videos and dewy, glowing makeup finishes that invite consumers to touch and experience the products firsthand.
The brand is also a master of one-of-a-kind pop-up shops and events. One such event was the black cherry-themed dinner full of star-studded guests to support those affected by the LA fires and promote their black cherry cosmetics line.
Lush stores and social media are a perfect example of multi-sensory marketing. From the fun textures and strong fragrances of their handmade cosmetics to the vibrant displays and interactive product demos, Lush creates a fully immersive shopping experience offline and online that keeps customers engaged.
OREO recently partnered with Post Malone to release a new cookie flavor filled with a salted caramel and shortbread-flavored crème swirl. This campaign engages multiple senses—taste with the exclusive flavor and mouth-watering ads, sight with the custom-embossed cookie designs inspired by Post Malone’s music, and sound with promotional videos featuring his songs playing when the cookies are unveiled.