Wednesday 22 December 2010

Have a Multi-Sensory Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Research with a Christmas twist indicates that stimulating a combination of senses heightens shoppers’ perceptions in a retail environment. Multi-sensory marketing experiments that combined Christmas music with a scent traditionally associated with Christmas (for example Apple Spiced Cinnamon) together proved more effective:

The report states that:

'The results of this experiment indicate that consistency between an ambient scent and music in a retail setting leads to more favorable perceptions of the store, its merchandise, and the store environment. Behavioral intentions to visit the store are also positively affected by consistency between ambient scent and music. When inconsistency exists between the ambient scent and music, however, evaluations and behavioral intentions are not affected and in some instances are negatively affected.'

Creating a coherent theme and atmosphere with the use of multi-sensory marketing has a positive impact on customers and gets your brand’s message heard (and in this case smelt!).You can also use these techniques on an exhibition stand to immerse your visitors in a total sensory experience!

Read 'It’s Beginning to Smell (and Sound) a Lot Like Christmas: The Interactive Effects of Ambient Scent and Music in a Retail Setting' to see the detailed results of  Eric R. Spangenberg's, Bianca Grohmann's and David E. Sprott's experiments.

Friday 17 December 2010

Vanilla, the sweetest cure to your ailments!

It tastes delicious and its gentle scent calms, vanilla's popularity know no bounds! But
did you know vanilla possesses numerous health benefits too?

As it is full of antioxidants vanilla can help fight against the damage caused to your body by free radicals. They can also stop repertory inflammation. The vanillin hydrobenaldenlyde vanilla contains can help aid depression, settle an upset stomachs and relieve fever.

Vanilla oil has antiseptic properties and also aids sleep as it  reduces blood pressure.

There's more! The scent of vanilla not only has the power to influence mood, relaxing
people and making them less anxious, it also works as an appetite suppressant. Having a scented candle lit this January may help your New Year's Resolution to shed a few pounds!

Read more about the benefits of the scent of vanilla...
Natutural-homeremedies.com has some more interesting information too!

Read, Taste, Talk and Watch – How an audience succumbed to the rum!


In 2007 CBS Television used the sense of taste to get tongues wagging about the premiere of their new drama series ‘Cane’.

The show told the story of a Cuban-American family who produced rum. The inventive campaign advertised Lucia Duque Rum which was the fictional brand featured on the show. The adverts ran in the L.A. and New York editions.of Rolling Stone Magazine and included a dissolvable non-alcholic “Lucia Duque Rum” flavoured  Peel n’ Taste® strip invented by First Flavor.

This gave the readers a real taste for the show and the first episode attracted a 11 million strong audience…the highest figure recorded for that airtime slot for 8 years! Taking integrated marketing to a new level, the family was also seen discussing how to market its Duque rum on the show.


Office Olfaction - let your staff smell more than instant coffee this Monday morning!

Our acute sense of smell can influence our mood and thought processes. Taking this into account, some multi-sensory savvy bosses have perked up their work force with the help of scent stimulation!  This tactic has helped to boost performance…

'One Japanese company uses citrus scent to stimulate its workers at the start of the day, floral scents to boost their concentration in the late morning / early afternoon and woody scents such as cedar and cypress to relieve tiredness at lunchtime and in the evening.'

After your Christmas party why not refresh and revive your staff with a range of
energy boosting smoothies? Our peppermint and mango recipe will awaken and revive your employees so they can concentrate on their work with a smoothie smile on their face!


Visit the 'Scent Report'


Ahhhh…Bring on the Christmas Cinnamon nostalgia!

For memories of Christmases past, swap that peppermint candy cane for a glass of warm mulled wine with a cinnamon kick! In Bianca Grohmann's and David Thomas' impressive sounding 'Brand Memory effects of Retronasal Olfaction' they discuss how research has demonstrated that the scent of cinnamon has a greater power to help stimulate memory recall than peppermint.

'Retronasal Olfaction occurs during eating and drinking, and combines with the sense of taste, audition, and somatosensory perception of texture and fattiness to form flavour experience (Duffy, Cain, & Ferris, 1999).'

The sensation of flavour occurs through a combination of receptors in the mouth and nose being stimulated. When we eat, a majority of the flavour we experience is perceived by through our sense of smell. The area in our brain that processes scent also controls memory and emotion which means there is a strong link between them. Grohmann and Thomas explain:

'In a memory task, Zoladz and Raudenbush (2005) compared retronasally [which means through eating, drinking or in this case chewing ]administered odorants and found that peppermint increases performance on memory tasks over a no gum and no flavor gum condition, but was consistently outperformed by cinnamon odorant.'

Read 'Brand Memory effects of Retronasal Olfaction' for all the festive details!

Thursday 16 December 2010

Marketing to the 5 Senses: #2 Smell

Smell's direct connection to memory and emotion means that it has a great influence over behaviour and this has been utilised successfully in scent marketing.
Have you heard of the scenario when an estate agent shows a prospective buyer around a property they have a pot of coffee brewing or cakes baking in the oven?
The estate agent is using the customer’s familiarity and memories of these scents to build an image of a lifestyle within that house. They are creating an atmosphere that makes the people viewing the property feel at home. Marketing towards the sense of smell means they can imply the house would make a wonderful home without having to say it!

How does this all work? Our olfactory receptor cells - stimulated by air born molecules - send electrical impulses to the brain's limbic system, the most ancient and primitive part of the brain. In addition to our sense of smell, this area of the brain controls long term memory, emotion and behaviour. Marketing towards these three elements through the sense of smell is a brilliant way of enticing your target audience.

There’s more to flavour than taste…

When we experience flavour it is a combination of both our taste and olfactory (smell) receptors being stimulated. This explains why it is hard to taste some foods when we have a cold as we are not getting the complete experience. Also as people age, they begin to lose their sense of smell and because taste is related to smell, they do not enjoy different food flavours as intensely.

Using the two senses of taste and smell together to promote a brand is a great way to create a stronger link to the brand through a more complete sensory experience.

Monday 13 December 2010

People quick to experience the Google Chrome Game!

An interactive game promoting the Google Chrome browser managed the impossible – it tore the Westfield crowd away from their Christmas shopping! The public could take part in the multi-sensory action by being transported into the game!

The gamer stood on the Google Chrome platform and when the music started their colour changing   silhouette appeared on the HUGE paint splattered gaming canvas projected on the side of Westfield Shopping Centre! This interactive game involved bouncing multicoloured balls around the bright background by moving your body fast and furiously! The bold moving patterns, music and engaging gaming experience meant the fun went on all day - everyone wanted to be a rainbow coloured 10ft computer game character!

Forget the speed of light, this quick paced multi-sensory experience allowed the participants to experience 'Fast is moving at the speed of chrome'. Watch the video to see the interactive fun bouncing about on your screen!


Thursday 9 December 2010

Sounds like there’s a storm brewing!


This fantastic interactive poster campaign showcases multi-sensory marketing at is best!  Brazilian production company Saxsofunny ensures that its advertisements are both seen and heard with a tactile element at its core.

As the posters say ‘Every image has a sound.’  You touch the advert and hear what you see – it’s a powerful low-tech solution with no speakers or animation involved!  Here at Sejuiced we love the simplicity of this idea and its irresistible appeal.

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Get your gloves on! This “wall of ice” touch screen is soooo cool!

Researchers at Nokia in Finland are making the most out of wintery conditions by using them as inspiration for their technological advances! They have forged a wall made completely from ice and turned it into an interactive computing interface.

The giant computer monitor demonstrates that you can turn just about any surface into an interactive display.  Also known as “pervasive computing”, this advance enables computers to leave the confines of our desks and become partly embedded in our surroundings, allowing people to interact with many types of computer-generated media without using a formal computer.(Image: Nokia)

This is definitely something to keep an eye on as it develops …imagine the huge impact it will have on an exhibition stand or as an advertising billboard! Take a look at the video of the impressive ice wall which produces virtual flames in responses to being touched.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Delivering Sensory Results!

You’ve heard of something leaving a bad taste in your mouth but how about a bad smell in your letterbox!?

‘Researchers of UK company Bodywise found that people who receive bills scented with androstenone, a pheromone produced by male sweat which is almost universally perceived as very unpleasant, were 17% more likely to pay up than those who received unscented bills’.

Why? Because not only does the androstenone smell unpleasant but, by males, it can be interpreted as threatening. Bills work you up into such a sweat anyway they don’t need to come with their own!

You can read more about the pros and cons of smelly bills by reading the SIRC Smell Report

Wednesday 17 November 2010

A sight, sound and scent to behold!

Ralph Lauren's flagship London store, situated on New Bond Street, was
transformed into an interactive canvas for their 4D projection.

The presentation made use of the building's architecture, which appeared to open up
revealing a giant staircase on which 3D models descended. Other highlights of the
presentation were a giant red rotating handbag and live action polo players evoking the Ralph Lauren logo!

The impressive spectacle, which incorporated the brand's clothing and
accessories, was accompanied by dramatic music to give the event a real
sense of excitement. The experience was further enhanced by pumping fragrance
into the New Bond Street air. The 4D multi-sensory experience was clearly a sight, sound and scent to behold!

Take a look at this video of the whole 4D presentation - minus the fragrance!

Tuesday 16 November 2010

The taste of the colour yellow is advertising gold!

Yellow Pages took their colourful name and turned in into a sensory sensation when they launched their search to find the taste of the colour yellow. The New Zealand based ad campaign was fronted by 28 year old New Zealander Josh Winger who had auditioned for the chance to design, market and distribute the yellow flavoured chocolate bars. Josh’s only source of help to complete his challenge was his trusty Yellow Pages! It turns out the taste of the colour yellow is pineapple & custard and to think I thought it was cheese!

The impressive campaign won a Gold Titanium/Integrated award, a Gold Media Lion, and a Bronze Cyber Lion at Cannes International Advertising Festival 2010! Have a look at the video...the Sejuiced team was impressed by how tasty yellow chocolate looks. Maybe we’ll try a pineapple & custard milkshake at our next event!

Monday 15 November 2010

All the flavours of the rainbow – make your brand taste as good as it looks!

SIRC (Social Issues Report Centre) has a very interesting report about our sense of smell. Not only does it explain the positive effect that smell has on mood and emotion, it goes on to say how using a blend of the senses works wonders! Researchers found that a cherry fragrance had a more positive effect when it was also supported by a visual element:

“The scent of cherries, for example, was accurately identified more often when presented along with the colour red – and subjects’ ability to identify the scent significantly enhanced their rating of its pleasantness.”

So why not incorporate your brand’s colour scheme and scent into your next exhibition stand? Associating appealing smells and tastes with your company will heighten your target audience’s enjoyment of your brand
.


Thursday 11 November 2010

Good Food Magazine has the good sense to wrap up for winter!


The gift wrapped December issue of BBC Good Food Magazine has seen a 9% rise in ad revenue compared to last year’s issue. Could it be the eye-catching glitz of the front cover…? The Christmassy cover includes a foil masthead and gold or silver band. The visually stimulating and tactile element of this gift-like packaging is bound to make this magazine the most appealing on the shelf!

Find out what's inside the issue/present at the Brand Republic site!

Wednesday 10 November 2010

JACKPOT! Turning scents into cents

Stimulating the sensation of smell in a positive way has been proven to encourage spending. The bright lights and signs of Las Vegas when accompanied with a pleasant smell added to the experience and made people spend more:

“In an experiment in a Las Vegas casino, the amount of money gambled in a slot machine increased by over 45% when the site was odourised with a pleasant aroma!”

Building an experience around a brand can be subconscious as well as conscious. Creating a good atmosphere for your audience at live events will make them feel more positively towards your product. Sejuiced has noticed that as soon as our blenders start whizzing at exhibitions, the smell of fresh fruit draws delegates onto the stand and once they start sipping our fresh smoothies the conversation really starts flowing! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Read more about smell's influence on consumers...

Wednesday 27 October 2010

A touching story...

The researchers at MIT bring us more discoveries that will change the way we think about the world! This time we learn about the power of touch and its influence on decision making. The associations we have with textures and weights seem to have a subconscious affect on the choices we make. In the instance of the C.V. and the heavy clip-board, the connotation that weight has worth and quality makes it seem like the candidate being interviewed is more worthy of the job than when their C.V. is presented on a light clip-board. It's interesting to see how something insignificant and unrelated to the decision being made can have such a huge impact on it!

The article goes on to explain how these findings have great potential in the field of marketing - a fascinating read! At Sejuiced we have found that people see smoothies as a luxury item. Fresh handmade drinks suggest quality, health and goodness and to top it off they taste delicious! Hopefully grabbing hold of a glass of our vitamin packed treats at a event will subtly link those qualities with the brand we are representing! If the guys at MIT are right we're on to a winner!


Have a look at the the full article on the MIT webpage!

See it, touch it, want it!

Take a tip from IKEA by using touch to turn your exhibition stand into an experience. Let visitors interact with your brand and the physical connection will become emotional. Emotional connections to brands stay in the memory as will a great experience. 

Sejuiced offers a fresh and fun exhibition experience with our smoothie bars. They’ll have your brand in the palm of their hand with our branded smoothie bottles…let them browse your stand and enjoy the experience. You’ll have them transfixed in your zone!



Read more about the sense research undertaken at IKEA...

Friday 15 October 2010

Marketing to the 5 Senses: #1 Taste

The connection between taste and memory means eating and drinking is more than just a necessity, it becomes an experience. Marketing that uses the sense of taste reaches an instinctual part of the mind. Eating or drinking something that produces positive feelings means the next time that food is tasted the memory or emotions of that taste experience will be recalled. Creating a bond between a wonderful taste and your brand is a great way to form a lasting connection with your customer.

Taste comes in handy because it encourages our body to consume the nutrients it needs. When we crave something that's taste pointing us in the right direction!  We can get vitamins from sour fruits, minerals from salty foods like veg and carbohydrates from sweet foods.  If you offer your customers delicious fresh smoothies your brand will stay fresh in their minds!

The newest discovery about taste occurred in the early 20th century. It was the discovery of a fifth primary taste. Before there were four tastes that made up all the complex tastes we encounter: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. A Japanese scientist, Kikunae Ikeda, discovered Umami. This taste is the response to salts of glutamtic acid. Umami and means 'delicious savory taste'. It became the fifth primary taste in 1985 when scientists failed to recreate the taste with combinations of the other four. It is thought that the taste of fat may be the sixth primary taste…eeeeew! What’s your favourite taste?