your six senses and how they relate to your brand

Dear you,

Today, I am transported back to the days of integrated sciences in my blue and white check shirt and blue pinafore, sitting in class and watching a tall man (my teacher) teach me and my other classmates about the parts of our body and our five senses.

Your eyes were responsible for sight. They helped you see. Your ears were responsible for sound. Your tongue -taste. Your nose- smell. Your skin - touch. I'll add a sixth one and say your brain + all these five parts of the body - imagination.

I was fascinated by it then and even more fascinated in my adult life when I realized that all these senses are valuable in building a solid and memorable brand. But unfortunately, most people have focused on sight and ignored the other senses.

Have you heard a phone ring and unmistakably been able to pinpoint that it was an iPhone?

Have you ever been reminded of a memory just by smelling the rain as it hits the soil?

Have you ever tasted an unlabelled drink and immediately you were able to tell it was a Coca-Cola drink?

Have you ever touched something and immediately you could tell what it was?

If you answered yes to any of these things, then you know that your senses are active and intuitive. And you can build a great brand by infusing these five things to give an experience. It is called sensory branding, and the goal is to be recognizable and memorable.

Sight - Visual Branding: How your product or environment looks matters. In the case of a personal brand, how you look matters. Apple leveraged sight heavily when they built their products. Steve Jobs was very particular about how the motherboard was arranged and used calligraphy to make the brand stand out. If you have ever been to an apple store, it is super minimalist, just like the product, design, and everything that has to do with the brand. You can invest in your personal style, particular hairstyle, filter, or backdrop. This could include color, fonts, design, style, icons, illustrations, patterns, and elements in general. There should be recognizable elements people can associate you with - something that reiterates your beliefs, identity, or a part of your brand.

Sound - Sonic Branding: You know how when someone turns on their Netflix, no matter where you are, you can recognize the sound? Say it with me - tun-dun. I know you said it right. You too, can have a sound recognizable for your product, environment or personal brand. You could play a specific type of sound in the office, so whenever people enter, they know where they are or what to expect. Think about times you went into a spa; you definitely didn't hear disco songs playing. The sounds are often soothing music. You could curate the sound of your environment with music, tone, voice, and more. Use sound to create meaning. Series of films use jingles to help you recognise the show you are watching or feel certain emotions. Remember the Game of Thrones intro? Once you hear it play, you recognise it. Or Cowbell, our milk! There's a tweet sound you hear when you refresh your Twitter feed. These are all memorable sounds, soundtracks, jingles, etc., that are recognizable. Customers who experience your brand through a specific sound or song learn to associate those distinctive sounds with you, your company, product, or service. It can include voice, words, music, tone, etc. If you execute it well, your customers will immediately think of the song when they think of your brand or your brand when they hear the tune, song, or sound.

Taste - Taste Branding: This type of branding is popular among food brands, but other brands can leverage it too. You could collaborate with a food brand to create ice cream, sweets, cakes, or something your customers can associate with you. Some luxury brands serve only a specific type of champagne in their outlets. And customers automatically associate that taste with them. You could try having a specific kind of candy or chocolates delivered to your customer as an extra gift when they buy a product. There are so many ways to go about it. Taste branding is not popular, but it is a great way to differentiate your brand and create brand associations in your customer's mind.

Smell - Aromatic Branding: Some people do this without even knowing it. There was a clothing brand I really liked. She always sprayed her pack with a very specific Chanel perfume, and I loved it. A friend of mine loved the smell of roses. Her studio space always smelled like roses, and anywhere she did a popup space, she ensured it smelled like roses, which always felt like home for her customers. For individuals, it could be a particular perfume. Many Nigerians know the smell of specific goods called "Okrika". The scent is very distinct. You’re far more likely to remember something you smell over something you see. Remember this as you build your brand strategy.

Touch - Touch Branding: This is where things like texture, shape, design, material, etc. play a role. PS and Xbox Gamepads were designed with the customers in mind. They are not flat; you get a level of control when you hold them. They have a vibration effect when you interact with something, e.g. if you hit a pole or hit something. They are micro-interactions you feel as you move around some apps. This is sometimes what separates luxury and expensive from cheap. Think of physical touch (feeling physical) but also emotional feelings. Help people feel a sensation - emotional, physical or both when they interact with your services, product or brand in general.? It could be your space, packaging, paper, letters, the choice of decor, etc. Play with textures and use them to re-emphasize your brand message.

Imagination - Experiential Branding: Help people imagine what's possible. Give them an experience, take them on a journey. Transport them to a reality that aligns with your brand message. Help people imagine, re-imagine, and just create. It is one of the many beauties of Lego blocks, virtual realities, films, etc. The goal is to help your customers feel an emotion, participate, and create a memory + tie that memory to you.

Luxury Car brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and even Tesla, nail these things! They ensure the shape of the car is distinct and memorable, with options to customise it in colors of your choice. Then they beef up the engine to produce a specific sound. You can tell when the car is moving past you. They serve you champagne when you are shopping for a car. And there is a specific new car smell you take in when you step in for your first drive. Then the touch - how the car seat feels, the choice of leather for the steering, how it adjusts to your hands, the sensations. It's all so magical.

Every smell, taste, and touch that reminds a customer of your business is another opportunity to build brand affinity and love. So, as you set sail to build your brand (personal or business), ask yourself, beyond sight, how can I stimulate the senses of my target audience?

Re-imagine your brand.

With Love,

Blessing Abeng