Know why its in his kiss?
I've been firm in the belief that marketers err most when they subject consumers to information overload via their communiques. Now I'm having a rethink on that. Sure, overload still is the problem, but the cardinal sin is not being able to engage all of the consumer's senses. Meaning the solutions (read, products) marketers pitch are mostly heard and seen. That's them missing out on three senses. Marketers offer almost nothing that can be tasted, smelt, or felt.
Pity.
My rethink on the marketer's error has been prompted by this brilliant book titled, 'Customer Sense: How The Five Senses Influence Buying Behavior' by Aradhna Krishna. Note, in reaching consumption decisions, consumers first form perceptions, then learn, and finally cultivate attitudes. Engaging the consumer on all his senses means being a step ahead to competitors in ensuring consumers not just make the brand part of the consideration set, but also give it 'greater' consideration.
Aradhna draws on both research and marketing practice to illustrate how each of the senses can be engaged by brands to build favorable attitudes. What makes her book pioneering is that it focuses on how consumer senses can be leveraged to influence consumption decision making. Aradhna also mentions there's more research to be done on knowing how the senses interact and its subsequent impact on decision making.
In our quest to know consumers better, I believe future databases on them won't just be populated by 'bland data', instead they will contain comprehensive information on the response of all consumer senses to stimuli.
I recommend Aradhna's book to everyone in business, and not just marketers. Why, I even recommend it to anyone who has a social life, or even a love-life. Remember, its not just about how you look. Its about how you sound, smell, feel, and even taste. If you don't believe me on the latter two, just ask anyone who's kissed, and whether they wanted to do it again with the same person, and why!
Pity.
My rethink on the marketer's error has been prompted by this brilliant book titled, 'Customer Sense: How The Five Senses Influence Buying Behavior' by Aradhna Krishna. Note, in reaching consumption decisions, consumers first form perceptions, then learn, and finally cultivate attitudes. Engaging the consumer on all his senses means being a step ahead to competitors in ensuring consumers not just make the brand part of the consideration set, but also give it 'greater' consideration.
Aradhna draws on both research and marketing practice to illustrate how each of the senses can be engaged by brands to build favorable attitudes. What makes her book pioneering is that it focuses on how consumer senses can be leveraged to influence consumption decision making. Aradhna also mentions there's more research to be done on knowing how the senses interact and its subsequent impact on decision making.
In our quest to know consumers better, I believe future databases on them won't just be populated by 'bland data', instead they will contain comprehensive information on the response of all consumer senses to stimuli.
I recommend Aradhna's book to everyone in business, and not just marketers. Why, I even recommend it to anyone who has a social life, or even a love-life. Remember, its not just about how you look. Its about how you sound, smell, feel, and even taste. If you don't believe me on the latter two, just ask anyone who's kissed, and whether they wanted to do it again with the same person, and why!
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