Sensory Marketing

What it is

Using smell, sound, texture, color, and taste to influence purchasing behavior at a subconscious level.

How it works

Real-world examples

• •Abercrombie & Fitch pumping signature cologne through ventilation systems to create brand association.
• •Grocery stores placing bakeries near entrances so the smell increases hunger and overall spending.
• •Luxury car brands engineering specific door-close sounds to signal quality.

Ethical guidelines

How to defend against it

References

1. Krishna, A. (2012). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect perception, judgment and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 332–351
   The review that defines sensory marketing as engaging the senses to shape perception, judgment and behaviour, and summarises the evidence on scent, sound, touch, colour and taste — including that much of the effect operates below conscious awareness.
2. Milliman, R. E. (1986). The influence of background music on the behavior of restaurant patrons. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(2), 286–289
   'Slow music makes diners stay longer': in a field experiment, restaurant patrons stayed longer and spent more on bar drinks when slow-tempo music played than when fast-tempo music played.
3. Spangenberg, E. R., Crowley, A. E., & Henderson, P. W. (1996). Improving the store environment: Do olfactory cues affect evaluations and behaviors?. Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 67–80
   The class of evidence behind the entry's bakery-smell example: ambient scent in a simulated store improved evaluations of the store and its merchandise and altered perceived time spent — note the study tested neutral pleasant scents, not bread, and did not show a clear increase in total spending.