Sensory Marketing

Sensory Marketing

Have you ever noticed the smell of lemongrass at your favorite hotel chain? Or do you remember hearing chimes when you were on hold? Yes, no? Hi I’m Jeffrey Bernhard and welcome back.  I want to talk to you today about sensory marketing and how companies use your senses to sell.  This is part of my consumer behavior research and there are several books on this topic and like anyone else, I have my favorites that I read on the subject.  So let’s jump right into it.

As incomes rise, people want their experiences to rise with it. A great example is a young entrepreneurial team that created a product called Method cleaning products.  Now what made Method different? They marketed cleaning solutions in exotic scents such as cucumber, lavender, and clementine.   Then Target picked them up to sell on the shelves.  The rest is history.

Omni Hotels did a similar thing in sensory marketing.  If you go to their website to reserve a room, they play soft wind chimes in the background to put you at ease and make you feel relaxed, the smell of lemongrass and green tea is pumped throughout the lobby.  In the room you will find eucalyptus bath salts and sensation bars, the minibars have mojito flavored jellybeans, and miniature Zen gardens. 

I know what your thinking, wow Jeffrey that’s pretty amazing stuff.  I know, but it doesn’t stop there, people will also pay extra for sleek styling such as Apple products.  Apple taps into your visual channel through color, size, and styling. 

Now I know that colors can influence your emotions and thought processes.  I covered that in an earlier blog about a week ago or so.  Did you know that men rate women more attractive when they wear red as opposed to blue? Same woman.  Just a higher rating because of the color.  I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth.

Now odors and scents are becoming more mainstream. The country of Lithuania has started a new fragrance called what else “Lithuania.”  They are pumping this smell in government buildings and hotels around the country. Students are smelling this scent in their dorms and libraries this is to convey the countries image.  Folgers found that for many people, the smell of coffee brings back memories of childhood and capitalized on this by featuring a son returning from the military and as he arrives home early one morning, he turns on the coffee machine.  The mother who is upstairs in bed smells this aroma and simply says “he’s home!”  Do you remember this commercial? I can provide a link to it down below.  It’s great stuff to consider if you have a product out there or looking to launch a product soon. 

If you want these tips or facts to come right to you, subscribe and I can send them to you as I put them up on my blog or channel.  If you would like to send me a question, just leave it on my blog or connect with me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to talking with you soon. As always, take care and have a great day!