What's Sensory Branding and How You Can Use it in Retail Marketing

Despite the fact that more marketing resources are being used today, the return on advertising dollars are diminishing every day. To give you one example, it is predicted that over 50% of consumers are eliminating ads from their television, hence the need to rethink the entire advertising process.

Sensory branding is a marketing tactic that appeals to all senses. It uses touch, smell, sight, sound and taste to relate with the customers on an emotional level.

How You Can Use Sensory Branding in Retail Marketing

Sight

The lighting in a retail store impacts the mood of the store environment and can be used to highlight certain products. Warm lighting makes leather goods to look better. A rule of thumb is to use neutral colors in about 80 per cent of the store and an accent color in the remaining part.

Low lying lights can be used to attract customers to a particular product and the brightness in the store will make customers feel more comfortable.

The color choice and the lighting relates to the emotion you want to evoke in the customers and the brand positioning. Example, orange and yellow are happy colors while blue encourages trust and green is a calming color.

Also customers are likely to purchase from a store with open layouts, attractive and well-lit display of products. Example, they are more likely to purchase from a retailer where they can see the butcher or baker at work.

Smell

Though often underrated, scent is one of the most powerful senses. The presence of a pleasant smell in a retail store affects sales directly by encouraging customers who would have otherwise left empty handed or bought fewer items to stay for longer and purchase more products.

Scent also improves customer’s perception of the products in a store. According to research, customers will be willing to pay close 15 per cent more for a similar product in a retail store that smells great compared to another that is not scented.

Touch

Research shows that when customers are able to touch products, they picture themselves owning the products and are more likely to purchase it. Therefore, retailers should display their products on shelves that are easily accessible by the customers.

Sticky strips can be used to hang lightweight items off the shelf while the large items are displayed on the shelves.

Taste

Product sampling is essential especially for new products in the market. Easy access should also be provided.

Music

Lastly, the type of music in retail affects the how long customers stay in a store. Also, it helps to reduce the perception of wait times which is useful during high traffic. Music also sets the mood in a store.