By Jaisurya Das
Hello and welcome to yet another exciting edition of India’s best known (and only?!) ‘Agony Uncle’ for the media and marketing world.
Today, I take you on a short voyage through sensory perception and how it shapes our emotions and purchase behaviour…
Do you recollect what your new car smelt like when you just brought it home? Â Or what aroma enveloped you when you visited the bakery down the road ?
I bet you can still recollect these distinct aroma’s if you were to shut your eyes for a minute. Some memories linger life-long, don’t they ? It may just be an aroma but what your mind just did is transpose that scent onto your innate sense of fulfillment.
It’s amazing how the senses can go far beyond what were exposed to day after day. I can never forget the wonderful gentle scent of Johnson’s Baby Powder. So much so, that I have actually bought cans of baby powder just to be able to sprinkle it around the room. Purity is best reflected in an aroma like baby powder, no matter what goes into it.. Yet another example of how your senses perceive and relate one advantage to the other. in this case, a gentle pleasant aroma with the purity advantage.
Foodstuff is one category that can do wonders with sensory marketing initiatives. For instance, it’s highly unlikely that you would catch a movie tonight without sensing the aroma of freshly popped corn.
What is even more interesting is that the tight purse strings get all loose when it comes to buying a tub of pop corn at the theatre.. I wonder if it has anything with the aroma that one is struck with when you walk to your screen.? Your senses just took over your rational mind. That is the simple answer.
Sensory branding isn’t new. It’s been there all along.
It’s just that we haven’t realised it. Coming to think of it, not many marketers in India use it to their advantage.
Globally, the aroma of freshly baked bread is used effectively by several large format supermarkets at point of entry. You walk in thanks to this inviting aroma and end up buying a basketful of goodies. What happened is sensory perception took over and the whole experience transformed into buying really fresh food, bread or otherwise. For the store sales grow, customers enjoy the experience and the bread smells fresh !!
It’s amazing how sensory branding can change the way we buy and this has been proved beyond doubt with brands across the world be it coffee, cosmetics, soaps, jeans and more.
Am sure it will come as a surprise if I were to tell you that most of these tantalising aromas, be it coffee, new cars or bars of chocolate originate from spray cans used liberally by the stores, manufacturers etc !
Marketing today isn’t today just about advertising or good visual branding; it’s about how to give consumers the right ‘connect’ to appeal to their senses..
Easier said than done! Sensory branding demands acumen of a different order. It’s about the will and patience to understand how the human brain works with its complex structures…
It’s probably a good idea for discerning marketers to wake up and smell the coffee !
Ladies and Gentleman, moving on from the heady stuff, we now take you through the Q&A for this week. We are happy to welcome and respond to our readers from Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Short question: I want to get into advertising. Which is a better place to be in: Mumbai or Delhi?
My recommendation would be Mumbai . Yes, Delhi has great names in advertising, be it agencies, clients or enthusiasts, yet somethings don’t change…
Mumbai is the Mecca of advertising and it will remain so for decades. It’s not just about the clients, it’s about the sheer cultural diversity and the buzz of a ‘activity intoxicated’ metropolis.
This is were careers are made, creative minds are shaped and brands are put to test 24/7.
Strategies that have made billions for brands are created are designed day after day in this very city. Yes I am biased, but that’s only because I have seen great talent in the city of Mumbai, be it advertising, film-making or streetfood !
However I must confess, I haven’t worked in Mumbai beyond a couple of days on work trips etc, yet I back Mumbai to learn the fine nuances of successful advertising.
Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan!
All the very best and a very warm welcome to Maharashtra!
I am in a spot. One of my members in my team who is a high performer is frequently unwell. While I just ignored it, I find that it’s due to the colleague’s own neglect. But even if that were to be untrue, the frequent absence (or erratic presence) is impacting my work, and more importantly that of the team. I do know that the colleague is genuinely unwell, and it’s horrible to let him/her suffer job-wise for this. But, yes, it is affecting work and the productivity of our entire effort. What would you advise I do?
Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM. This is tricky situation indeed but we shall nevertheless try our level best to alleviate your concern. Frankly i don’t envy your position my friend. It’s always a huge dilemma when you have to decide on priorities that aren’t in line with your leadership style or character.
I can sense that you are a sensitive leader who values your teams well being beyond everything. Great leaders are made of this mettle. Kudos to you! Unfortunately, this breed is quick vanishing from the corporate horizon.
Having said that, it’s important to remember that you have corporate objectives to meet as well, and it’s not fair on your employer to let that get affected by one individuals’ indisposition. Life has to go on, and your work mustn’t get neglected beyond a point.
May I suggest you have a fair and frank conversation with this colleague and explain the need to find a replacement for him/her in case the current health situation persists. You could think of giving your colleague a less demanding role if it exists, till he/she gets through this rough patch. You could also advise him/her to take a few days/weeks off assuming you can grant this. This will help him/her recover fully and get back to the normal routine.
This is the only way to go. Let me also caution you against allowing emotion and sensitivity play havoc with your role and objectives within the company.
Someone told me the other day that the advertising industry thrives on moonlighting. But is it really advisable? The creative output of the copywriter/visualiser will suffer if he or she is distracted. Right?
This is not true. The advertising industry had enough talent to go around and there is no reason for it to depend on people who moonlight.
Yes, this kind of a thing happens in small markets where there is a dearth of visualisers/ copywriters but not so much in large cities, unless its a very specific regional language campaign etc. Hence you may find a good Malayalam copywriter doing work for half a dozen agencies in Mumbai when it’s time for the Onam campaigns to roll, but this is not the rule of the land.
You’re right, the visualiser/ copywriter can get distracted with multiple campaigns, resulting in inhibited creative output. This isn’t ethical either, so I don’t imagine true professionals resorting to this merely for the monetary benefit.
As far as the agencies are concerned, it’s about work getting done especially in the less mature
Ad markets. Encouraging this practice by assigning work is in itself unprofessional!
The lure of the extra buck will always remain. The point is whether you want to be known for great work or just as someone who is available on call 24/7.
Is it okay to take off for a month to watch cricket? I have always wanted to, but never had the guts to ask the boss 🙂
Ha ha, this is an amazing question. I wonder if you’re boss is also a cricket fan like you? If he is, you may just find him taking the leave instead of you !
Honestly I don’t even know if something as crazy as this, is ok !!!! You have the leave and a good boss, take it by all means.. Sit back and gorge on the popcorn and cheer team India.
To hell with the world. If it’s cricket, nothing else matters. Don’t think buddy, just go for it.
But yes, there’s nothing ok about it . Nothing will ever be ok about it either ! ..
And yes, before I forget… If you get that leave approved, do inbox me and let me know which company you work for….I might just want to send in my resume!
That was a super quick week that went by wasn’t it? Such is life! Before you realise it, time has just flown by … from college to matrimony.. from living to fine living… from family to nuclear… from togetherness to being there.. from romance to intense love…. Life moves on hour after hour, day after day….
Such is the magic of life. Noting changes, and yet everything is different…
Well, some things don’t change.. Dear MxM will always be around, week after week, with more and more Questions, whacky Answers and our inimitable gaul to call a spade a spade!
Thanks for being with us. It means a lot.  Feel free to mail us if ever you’re in doubt at editor@mxmindia.com with ‘Dear MxM’ and your ‘City’ in the subject line.
Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelisteats,sleeps and romances brands. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. Incidentally he is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. Â The views expressed in this column are his own.