Tuesday, September 18, 2007

4Ping Fundas : Sensory Branding

Interesting Facts:
  • According to recent study conducted in America, the tempo of background music affects the pace at which shoppers move and diners eat. Faster music in a restaurant can speed up the flow of diners. Slower music can lead people to spend more time in stores, so that they are more likely to buy something.

  • Some super markets in North America are connected to bakeries by hundreds of meters of pipeline. The pipelines carry the aroma of fresh bread to the stores entrances.

  • Singapore Airlines has patented a distinct aroma (Stefan Floridian Waters) that permeates its entire fleet and is included in the flight attendants perfume and also blended into the towels served before take-off. Surprisingly regular customers are distinctly able to relate to this scent to lovely attendants and impeccable service of Singapore Airlines.

  • When Rolls-Royce buyers began complaining in the mid-1990s that the new cars didn't live up to their predecessors, researchers tracked the problem to its source: the smell! Using a 1965 Silver Cloud as a reference point, the company deconstructed the scent, identifying 800 separate elements. It then recalibrated the aroma of leather and mahogany and now sprays it under the seats to re-create the scent of a classic "Roller."

  • Break Fast cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s has created unique sound of crunch with the help of Danish Laboratory.

And the last one,

  • Mercedes-Benz has 12 engineers dedicated to the sound of opening and closing of doors.

    All given example leads to a new discipline in the area of neuroscience marketing called Sensory Branding. Sensory branding is about involving all sense of customer into branding activities of product. Most of the branding activity focuses on just eyes and ears. Sensory branding goes beyond it and claims that smell can generate higher value of brand recall.

    Branding is all about creating emotional ties between product and consumer. But emotion is not only limited to eyes and ears. If emotions are generated through smell, touch and feel then why it can’t be used in building a brand.

    In his recent book “Brand Sense”, renowned Brand Guru, Martin Linstorm claims that Almost 83% of marketing and brand building concentrate on just two senses and just 17% make use of the other 3 senses. This fact is based on global research done by Millward Brown which studied the relationship between branding and sensory awareness. He also notes that only 3% of Fortune 1000 companies have given thought to using smell in their marketing or branding, despite the claim that 75% of our emotions are generated by what we smell. Lindstrom’s basic point is simple - brands that appeal to multiple senses will be more successful than brands that focus only on one or two.

    This study of branding has given new direction in the area of branding and was called “the first branding revolution in 30 years” by the American Advertising Research Foundation.

    In India, this practiced has been followed by some of the big brands (Knowingly or Unknowingly?) For example Pepsi, it launched aroma centres in some cities which emanates the smell of coffee which attracts the attention of passer-bys to its newly launched cafechino coldrink.

    Mr. Kishore Biyani confesses in his book “It happened in India” that it doesn’t not give feeling of “Sabse Sasta”, unless customers in Big Bazaar doesn’t feel crowd of people around and rub their shoulders to each other.

    There are some product in which sensory branding can be implemented effectively i.e. Pen (Smell of Ink), Book Publishing (smell of pages of book ), Retail etc.

    Sensory Branding can also have negative impact if it is not appropriate to the environment. The smell of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies would be appropriate in a bakery or coffee shop but the same smell gives negative feeling when it is used in toiletries area of retail shop. Consumer’s brain will process it differently.

    So next time when you can not resist your self by the aromatic smell of coffee when you are passing by CCD and end up buying one, remember you are falling into the marketing trap laid by Brand Manager.

    I am sure if my favourite Bhujia Shop Keeper can make a mobile stove to fry Bhujia and move around in nearby area just to generate smell of Bhujia, he can attract more customers to his shop.
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