Sensory Branding: 6 Ways to Engage Customers Beyond Visuals
With everything being so competitive, visuals alone aren’t enough to build lasting relationships with your audience. To stand out, your business must focus on creating deeper, more meaningful connections with its customers.
This involves understanding your customer’s needs, building trust, and delivering value time and again. Here are six proven strategies to engage customers beyond visuals and aesthetics.
1. Storytelling
Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to connect emotionally with your audience. A top branding agency knows that a compelling story not only captivates, but also builds a sense of trust and loyalty.
When people connect with your brand’s story, they are more likely to become advocates, because they want to support something that resonates with their own values and experiences.
Sharing stories that resonate with your brand values and mission can help customers see beyond the surface. You can illustrate your journey through narratives that showcase your company’s personality to create a relatable experience.
2. Tactile Experiences
In our increasingly digital world, physical touch experiences can make all the difference. Consider incorporating tactile elements into your customer journey, including textured business cards, packaging with interesting surfaces or product samples that customers can touch and feel.
Even in digital businesses, you can create tactile connections through well-designed direct mail or branded merchandise that customers can physically interact with.
3. Scent Marketing
Our sense of smell has a strong connection to memory and emotion. That’s why forward-thinking businesses are using signature scents to create memorable experiences.
Singapore Airlines, for example, has a patented scent worn by flight attendants and infused in hot towels, creating a consistent and recognizable brand experience.
You don't need a complex scent marketing strategy to start. Simple approaches like using consistent essential oils in your office space or adding signature scented elements to packaging can make a lasting impression.
4. Interactive Voice Experiences
Voice interaction is becoming increasingly important as smart speakers and voice assistants become more prevalent. Brands can create engaging voice experiences through custom Alexa skills, interactive voice response systems or voice-activated customer service options.
The key is making these interactions feel natural and helpful rather than frustrating. Focus on common customer needs that voice interaction can solve efficiently, and always provide an easy way to reach a human when needed.
5. Kinesthetic Engagement
Getting customers physically involved with your brand creates active rather than passive experiences. This could mean interactive product demonstrations, hands-on workshops, or participatory events that get people moving and doing.
For instance, cooking stores often host demonstrations where customers can try using products themselves, and you can emulate this by hosting classes or workshops where customers can learn how to use your products in a hands-on way.
6. Taste Experiences Beyond Food Brands
While taste might seem relevant only to food and beverage companies, other businesses can creatively incorporate taste experiences into their customer journey.
Hotels might offer signature welcome drinks, retail stores could provide branded mints or chocolates, and event planners might create custom food experiences that align with the brand's theme.
Even B2B companies can use taste experiences effectively; consider offering locally sourced snacks during meetings or creating memorable catering experiences at corporate events.
Look Beyond Design
By thinking beyond visuals, you can create richer, more memorable brand experiences that resonate with customers on multiple levels.
This multisensory approach not only helps your brand stand out in the marketplace but also creates stronger emotional connections with your audience, leading to increased brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.
