it’s how our brains are wired

Image of a brain

Neuroscience tells us that the richer the stimuli presented during an experience, the more the brain is able to imprint the memory, and form associations.

That means that the more sensory stimuli you embed as part of your customer experience, in a consistent and cohesive manner, the more your audience is able to be transported to that experience even with just one of those elements presented again.

In commercial terms this can translate as stronger brand loyalty, preference, brand association, recall and recommendation. It makes sense.

harnessing the senses

Sensory marketing has already been adopted by many brands who recognise the value of deploying non-conscious stimuli, tapping into the deepest parts of our brains. Research into it’s benefits has been building for over two decades, with overwhelming evidence of the power of harnessing the power of the five human senses: taste, touch, sight, sound, smell.

Imagine Christmas without the John Lewis ad soundtrack. Imagine visiting an Apple Store but not touching any devices. Or passing a Starbucks shop without the smell of freshly ground beans tempting you in. These brands all use sensory stimuli to provoke a reaction from their customers. The result?

Brand love. Purchase. Consideration.

BrandSensory® helps brands to harness the power of all five senses to transform ordinary customer transactions into memorable brand experiences.

Don’t just take our word for it…

  • The top 5 rules for brand growth: “Create and use distinctive brand assets (use sensory cues to get noticed and stay top of mind)”

    - Byron Sharp, ‘How Brands Grow’

  • “The whole sensory environment is part of our experience, and we need to think very carefully about how we do that. The richer you can make it, the better the hippocampus can form the memory and recall it down the line with even one of the sensory triggers”

    Joseph Devlin, Professor of Neuroscience, UCL

  • "New academic work reveals striking instances of senses affecting attitude, mood, and even memory more profoundly than words ever could. Such influences are subtle—and that’s exactly why they are so powerful. Every consumer company should be thinking about design in a holistic way, using the senses to help create and intensify brand personalities that consumers will cherish and remember."

    - Harvard Business Review

  • “Humanising your brand allows you to build more authentic connections and promote brand loyalty as people connect with your brand on a personal and emotional level.”

    - Oxford College of Marketing

  • “Studies show presenting brands consistently across all platforms can increase revenues by up to 23%.”

    - YouGov. (2021, July 7). Focus on measuring brand salience

  • “Science estimates that our subconscious mind accounts for 90% of our brain activity and affects everything we think, say and do. In order to change the way someone behaves, we can tap into the subconscious mind to retrain the brain to think and act differently. Repetition is key to this. If you repeat a sensory signal for long enough, for instance by playing a track over and over - this changes the neuro-biochemistry and pathways of the brain and brings new thought, behaviours and positive experiences.

    - Natasha Taylor Dip Hyp. Founder, House of Wellbeing

  • “From a branding perspective, a cohesive look and feel across the portfolio is paramount to protect the equity of the master brand in the long term. Cohesive products are matched back to their portfolio more accurately, and faster by consumers. They also demonstrate significantly higher brand recall.”

    - Ella Ward, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute

  • “Consumers are inundated with so many messages on their screen, while many know how to skip ads. Sensory marketing could be pivotal in breaking through to those consumers increasingly indifferent to online advertising, particularly younger demographics.”

    - Rhonda Hadi, Associate Professor of Marketing, Saïd Business School.