Why is it that 97% of all brand communications engage only
two human senses (1), when us humans
interpret the world through five senses? Think about it, all of the ads you see
and hear on TV, radio, on outdoor billboards, or on your computer screen all
engage two senses; sight and sound. And this is not a mere academic
observation, it could be a pretty significant one for brand marketers.
Information Overload
The average consumer is exposed to 5,000 brand
communications every day (2), all
competing for your attention. As consumers, we cannot possibly interpret that
daily information overload and the fact is we don’t try. We are extremely
selective regarding which communications will receive our attention. How can
brands possibly cut through this clutter and be heard above this incredible
noise?
The
problem with engaging sight and sound only is the incorrect assumption that
consumers make purchase decisions rationally. Consumers don't make decisions
rationally (not most of the time anyway). Many decisions are made in the
sub-conscious mind. Many decisions are made based on feelings and emotions
connect with feelings. When brands engage all the humans senses they evoke
feelings and connect with their audience on an emotional level. This is the
language brands need to speak if they are to be heard above the noise. This is
the experience brands need to deliver if they are to cut through the clutter.
It has been proven; when brands appeal to three or more
senses, and therefore different parts of the brain,
brand impact and engagement
increases by more than 70% (3). Some brands
already know this. Did you know the “new car smell” is completely artificial
and sprayed into new cars from an aerosol can as the last process at the
manufacturing plant? That Singapore Airlines created their own perfume (called Stefan
Floridian Waters) which is infused into the fuselage of their planes? Or that
the ‘crunch’ sound of Kelloggs breakfast cereals was created in a sound lab?
Select Channels that
Engage the Senses
If marketers want to create memorable and change-enabling
campaigns, they must create sensory experiences that captivate the minds of their
audience. They must engage their senses. In doing so, and whenever possible,
they must choose channels that are capable of achieving this.
In my current role, as Market Engagement Manager at An Post
(the Irish mail delivery service), my challenge is to prove to marketers the
true power of direct mail as a marketing channel. Very few channels have the
power to engage all of the human senses and therefore create a truly sensorial,
and therefore memorable, disruptive and compelling, message. Direct mail has that power.
Starting from next week, and for five consecutive weeks,
marketers in Ireland will receive a separate unique direct mail communication,
each engaging a different sense. By the end of the series, they will have
visited the moon, revealed messages through touch alone, experienced tastes
like never before, and much more. I will report on these weekly sensory
mailings right here, although I will be limited in the sensory experience I can
deliver through this particular channel. The campaign will also encompass a truly engaging event discussing the power of sensory marketing and direct mail's ability to deliver remarkable campaigns that make real emotional connections. For more on this event, check out www.anpost.ie/engagethesenses
So, stay tuned to learn the true power of direct mail in delivering a multi-sensory brand experience and perhaps your next campaign could be the most impactful yet...
#engagethesenses
So, stay tuned to learn the true power of direct mail in delivering a multi-sensory brand experience and perhaps your next campaign could be the most impactful yet...
#engagethesenses
Gavin Fox MSc
Connect with me...
LinkedIn... http://ie.linkedin.com/in/gavindfox/
Twitter... https://twitter.com/gavindfox
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