Did you know that our senses are pre-cognitive? Because of this, they're memorable and motivating. And, the most powerful sense is smell... because the olfactory nerve is very close to the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for short and long-term memory.

Have you ever walked into a bakery during the holiday season and had the feeling that you were a child in your grandma's kitchen? You can almost feel her hugs, hear her laughter and taste her great cookies. That's because you smelled something that triggered these memories.

Have you ever been driving along in the car and heard a song that you haven't heard since college? You're transported back to that time. You're enveloped in the feeling of being a college student. The sound of the song made you feel a certain way.

How do you feel when you walk across a beach? The touch of warm sand on your feet may trigger feelings of vacations or family
outings...happiness.

Have you ever tasted something that made you feel a certain way? Or, have you seen something that evokes emotion?

The senses... smell, touch, taste, sight, sound... transport, evoke and remind...all without thinking.

This is incredibly important to your brand. By incorporating as many of these sensual experiences into your brand communications, events and programs you'll be able to develop long-lasting relationships with people.

And, you'll be even more successful with women because a woman has more emotional outlets in her brain than a man. Her emotional outlets are also more connected than a man's.

So, first think about your brand. Create a Sensogram... what does your brand smell like, feel like, taste like, look like and sound like?

Next, think of ways to incorporate these senses into your communications, events and programs. Now, I know some of you are wondering how to incorporate the sense of smell into radio and TV. We know, it’s not possible...although some movie theaters in Japan have incorporated Smell-O-Vision into the theaters. NTT Communications Corp has installed fragrance-releasing equipment (think: giant Glade Plug-Ins) that mixes different herbs and oils to create aromas that supposedly enhance key on-screen plot elements.

But, I digress.

Get your brand team together and brain-storm how to use the senses to build strong relationships with people ...especially women. What can you do on your website? How about your promotions? What about advertising?

I recently saw a great advertising example that incorporated all of the senses...and, believe it or not, it was a print ad. Pepsi introduced a new soda ...Diet Jazz Black Cherry French Vanilla via a magazine insert (I saw it in People). The 1st page has a large image of the bottle (sight). When you open the insert, you hear jazz music (sound) and a 3-D image of musical notes pops up (feel). The last page has a scratch 'n sniff section (smell). The taste of the product is described in copy. Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste ...a great example of incorporating the senses into communication.

A recent Ad Age article proclaimed that 2007 will be the year of smells. As marketers continue to find ways to connect with people, they are embracing more behavioral science. It makes sense . . . if it's your job to motivate behavior, shouldn't you find out why people behave the way they do?

Labels: marketing, senses, smells