Consumer Behavior

An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect perception, judgment and behavior.

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The article by Krishna (2012) sums up the research done within sensory marketing until the point of writing. Sensory marketing is about the sensory triggers that unconsciously helps decision making while consumer behavior is based on the knowledge of these triggers, their effect on decision making and how it can possible be used in marketing situations. Even though a lot of research has been made in the area of sensory marketing the last two decades is there still a lot left to research. Krishna explains sensory marketing “is an application of the understanding of sensation and perception to the field of marketing – to consumer perception, cognition, emotion, learning, preference, choice, or evaluation” (2012:334).

 

Sensation and perception are both phases in processing senses, where sensation is a biochemical reaction in the body when the receptors are stimulated and perception is the understanding and awareness of the sensory information.

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Vision, Haptics (touch), Olfaction (smell), Audition (hearing) and taste are all part of sensory marketing, as vision has had a main focus in general marketing research and consumer behaviour for a longer time does Krishna (2012) chose to put more focus on the other four senses.

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• Haptics (touch)

Touch can be between human-human, human-product and also product-product, all which affects consumers behaviour. Touch between human and human can lead to increase generosity but only if the touch is followed/combined by intentional act of trust. Touch between human and product has shown to affect the decision-making process and has been called NFT by researchers, where it is confirmed that, depending on the product, the possibility to touch the product have a direct effect on the willingness of purchase. Research has also shown that physical warmth generates interpersonal warmth as this is same part of the brain, ex. human tend to describe an other person as warm and caring after have held a coffee cup for the person.

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• Smell

Smell has a direct connection to memory and learning. The human has 250 times more receptors for smell then vision and up to 10.000 smells can be recognised. Smell can be recoginsed for a longer time after the first impression and memories trigged by smell are rated more emotional then memories trigged by other senses. Research shows that a pleasant smell/scent in a store enhances the evaluation of the store and its produts and increase the variety-seeking behaviour.

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• Audition

Much marketing already include audio, ex. radio, TV and jingles, where the music in an ad has an impact on the involvement and persuasion. Human attach a meaning to a word when we hear it and even while reading do we hear the words. When a brand name sound similar to the expectation of the brand does this have a positive effect on the brand evaluation. Sound of the voice affects the way consumers feel for a product, brand or service, ex the voices of a news anchors tend to talk with a low voice to seem trustworthy and respected. Research also shows that ambient music in stores can affect the duration of stay, what bought and how much money spent.

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• Taste

To be able to feel taste do humans need a combination of all five senses, even though the human eats a lot is the human in general bad at recognising tastes with taste alone, the smell, texture or look is often needed to be able to recognise the taste. Ads advertising more senses, for example touch, taste and smell, result in better taste perception then ads using taste only. It has shown the knowledge alone of food or drinks being healthy lowers the taste which confirms the role the other senses play in the taste.

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Krishna (2012) shortly mentions perception affects cognition in her article where bodily state, situated action and mental simulation are mentioned as large players in sensory marketing. The bodily state can have impact on behaviour an thoughts, for example how, when carrying a heavy backpack, a hill can feel steeper and longer when looking at it then in realty. It is often enough with mental simulation for the sensor receptors to react and for the human to feel the smell of cinnamon by only reading the word or start procuring saliva by looking at a photo of a newly baked chocolate chip cookie.

One of the goals of the article is to show what is left to be researched in the area of sensory marketing, which is discussed at the end of the article. Krishna discusses research areas like interaction of senses, sensory dominance, sensory conflict and a-modal information affecting perception.

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Personal reflections

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Krishna is using “I” in the article that makes is feel more personal and it shows to it being her point of view and understanding but can also in the same time give a less trustworthy impression. Personally, do I appreciate the articles written with a more personal touch and a more casual tone but not preferred by everyone within the academic area. The sum up and the many examples in the article makes it easier to follow and easier to read as the examples makes it more understandable and easier to relate to. I find it an advantage that Krishna do not focus to much vision, as visions, liked mentioned, already have taken a large role in consumer behavior and in marketing research.

Krishna mentions research in the area of sensory overload, similar to information overload, which I think could be an interesting area of research as more and more brands try to stand out in the ocean of brands with sensory marketing but the question if it is noticed, if it might be to much for the possible customer to take in and, who knows, it might come to the cases where a brand stand out more when doing less?  

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Krishna, A. (2012). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect perception, judgment and behaviour. Journal of consumer psychology, 22(3), 332-351.