Sensory appeal on product packaging

With the competition so intense and with social media playing such a huge role in product appeal to customers, sensory branding has never played such a pivotal role to get your product off the shelves and past the checkout at supermarkets.

When faced with the in the moment decision in the aisles, customers resort to making decisions, without consciously realising based entirely on bodily sensations, such as touch and feel.

So, now you must ask yourself – how can you leverage sensory marketing on your product packaging?

Sight

Easily the most stimulated, customers can quickly spot logos, colour branding (schemes) on your products, so it is up to you to to make your brand stand out. Hit that happy medium of bold but minimal branding, be on trend and highlight your product’s unique point of difference.

Taste & Smell

Everyone loves a try-me, so why not work on an agreement with your supermarket stockist to do sampling opportunities on your range. Have a new flavour available? Be sure to put this on your list of action items for launch, it doesn’t have to be at the supermarket, it could be at a street festival or community day – go where your customers go.

Consider try-me’s as a way to stimulate nostriles and take your customers to where your product is located on the shelf. Why is the bakery department always at the entrance of your local supermarket? Because it’ll take you to the area and you will instinctively pick up a fresh loaf of bread.

It’s all in the sensory appeal.

Touch

Ever pick up a product, feel it, and put it back? It’s not just children who like to touch everything in their sights, its adults too. Going to the local Woolies or Coles is an adventure – so make sure yours is a stop along the way.

Incorporating a matte or satin finish can make your prodcut grow legs and find its way into the shopping basket. Not quite ready to get a special finish but want to make that important point-of-difference? start out with a cardboard sleeve – this will protect your product on the shelf, as well as make for easy handling for customers.

Sound

It’s a bit hard in the supermarket to do this, but take it online! Use social media to your advantage and use inviting and stimulating songs to back your Instagram reels, or social media ads. Less can be more, so it can be as simple the sound of cooking pasta bolongese sauce in the background of an ad for your pasta shells.

Sensory appeal is such an incredible technique for you to reach a new audience and develop a connection with your target market.

Intensify and heighten your customers’ emotions as they think of your brand and product.

Make your brand stand out and create a meaningful experience with your product.