In this article: Sensorial Experiences That Build Brand Bonds.
Many cosmetics companies are already utilizing digital solutions. Chat apps, health trackers, lifestyle questionnaires, skin analysis software etc. all aim to direct consumers to a product which meets their requirements, whilst providing an entertaining brand experience. Do these digital solutions generate truly accurate results, and lead to appropriate product purchases and a happy, loyal customer? Are they enough?
For a long time, marketers have used the funnel metaphor to consider the points at which consumers engage with brands – moments which, when effectively utilized, can influence decision-making. This model implies that consumers begin with many potential brands in mind and methodically narrow down their options until they decide which one to buy. Post-purchase, their relationship with the brand does not develop and tends to focus solely on the use of the product itself.
In recent years, a team of researchers has introduced a modified model, which better represents the purchase process by considering the influence of the digital world. This model, the Consumer Decision Journey (CDJ) illustrates that rather than systematically narrowing down their choices, nowadays, consumers add and subtract brands from the group under consideration – based on interaction with peer influencers and reading online reviews – as their selection criteria shift. After enjoying the product, they often build a relationship with the brand. Ongoing engagement (e.g. via social media channels, signing up for newsletters, receiving promotions) and positive brand experiences trigger repeat purchases and encourage brand advocacy, forming a valuable bond.
However, according to the CDJ model, the all-important bond between brand and consumer is not formed until the user has had physical contact with the product and experienced it sensorially.
From a marketer’s perspective, bonding appears to happen at a relatively late stage of the consumer journey, that is the point at which consumers experience the product physically. It is the way in which consumers feel a brand that leads them to post-purchase bonding. Once again, the power of the senses is undeniable.
During the consideration/evaluation period of the CDJ, consumers are still uncertain and open to new options. By offering a powerful, bond-forming, sensorial experience at this stage, it is possible not only to stimulate consumer purchase intent but also to encourage brand advocacy and brand love.
Everything a marketer dreams of rolled into one little demo tool! Incorporating both physical and digital solutions into a marketing strategy is a no-brainer. This multichannel approach gives a brand a major advantage over others by triggering bonding at an early stage whilst providing the digital component that today’s consumers look for.
How to engineer sensory bonding into your next launch
To translate sensory bonding into a real activation, pick one signature sensory cue per brand and protect it across every touchpoint. It might be the cooling sensation of an applicator, the click of a pump, the scent profile of a sample, or the texture of a wipe. Whatever it is, name it as a brand asset and treat it with the same rigour as the logo: documented, briefed into every supplier, and audited at every consumer touchpoint to make sure it is showing up consistently.
The next step is to make sure that sensory cue is actually surfaced in the demo. Many brands have a signature cue and then bury it inside a busy activation where consumers never notice. Build the demo around the cue, give staff a single sentence to draw attention to it, and let the consumer experience it on their own skin or in their own hand. That is how a sensory cue becomes a memory, and how a memory becomes the basis of repeat purchase and unprompted recall.
It is also worth tracking the sensory cue in research the way you track logo recognition. A short prompt in the next consumer study, "describe the feeling, sound or scent you most associate with this brand", quickly tells you whether the cue is landing or being drowned out by the rest of the activation. Brands that monitor this signal over time can see when a sensory asset starts to fade and refresh it before it disappears, rather than discovering five years in that the bond they thought they had built is no longer there.