Sin No More with Synesthesia

The Economist magazine has shown an abiding interest over the years in synesthesia. That’s the cross-sensory phenomenon in which, for example, certain sounds produce in the person’s brain the perceptions of colors, each sound bringing forth a particular hue. Or how the sounds of music can arouse sensations of taste.
     Sophisticated brain mapping technologies now allow for an explanation of synesthesia in terms of adjacent and overlapping anatomical pathways. Other explanations concern the associations among tastes, smells, textures, sights, and sounds which we’ve learned over our lifetimes as consumers. Specifically, taste can be stimulated by verbal descriptions, not just by the sensory experiences themselves. And the more of these senses that are pleasantly stimulated, the more likely the shopper’s movement toward the sale.
     In its latest article about synesthesia, using study findings from Oxford University researchers, The Economist discusses how the quality of background music influences gustatory experiences when eating. Extrapolating from the material in the article gives suggestions for enhancing consumers’ sensations. Here’s my version, based on what’s reported there and similar research findings:

• Accentuate sweet and sour tastes with higher-pitched music
• Bitter, smoky, and woody tastes come through better with lower-pitched music
• Fruity flavors are associated with piano and woodwind

     University of Michigan researchers presented one of two chewing gum ads to consumers. The first was designed to appeal to multiple senses, reading "Stimulate your senses." The other ad mentioned only taste, reading, "Long-lasting flavor." All the study participants then sampled the gum.
     Those people reading the multiple-sensory version before the sampling gave higher ratings to the flavor of the gum. The researchers repeated the multiple-sensory versus taste-only advertising/sampling with potato chips and with popcorn. The results were fundamentally the same.
     Having customers fully enjoy that first sample of a new product is crucial. You don't have a second chance to make a good first impression. When you include descriptions that appeal to the full range of sensations in your ads, promotional materials, signage, and packaging text or menu text, you gain an edge at the time the consumer puts your product into the mouth.
     And this means of achieving an advantage works with non-food items, too. Whether it's detergent, sporting goods, or hardware, the fuller the preparation of the shopper's senses, the better.
     To miss the opportunities to profit from a combination of sensory stimulation of the shopper would be a sin, retailer. Sin no more.

Click below for more:
Talk to Multiple Senses with New Products
Compose Integrated Musical Atmospheres
Balloon Your Profitability with Music