What Impact Does Sensory Marketing Have During the Holidays?

The holiday shopping whirlwind is one of the best periods for retailers and a time of intensified marketing activities. Many entrepreneurs consider the holidays a harvest, as this period generates profits unmatched at any other time of year. However, nothing happens without reason, so in many cases, achieving high profits requires creating the right atmosphere accompanying the purchase of products or services. This is where well-chosen sensory marketing tools prove very helpful.

Which senses and when?

The sense of smell has the greatest influence on purchasing decisions. It is followed closely by hearing and sight. It is hard to imagine a customer who would not daydream at the scent of a Christmas tree or freshly baked gingerbread. The same goes for holiday hits. Many people say that "Last Christmas" and "Jingle Bells" are irritating, but on the other hand, let us try to imagine the holidays without these songs. Going further, the ubiquitous lights, images of Santa Claus, or snow falling from the sky are also an inseparable part of the holidays.

- It is worth combining all parts of sensory marketing, but one should also remember to dose them gradually. Many companies decide on holiday activities from the beginning of November. However, this is not a good time to start intensive holiday campaigns. The best period to begin holiday sensory activities is late November or early December, which also coincides with St. Nicholas Day – says Aleksandra Potrykus-Wincza, Country Manager Poland & Baltics at Mood.

Selection of holiday music and scents

As Christmas approaches, it is worth ensuring a thematic atmosphere and appropriately selecting music and scent for each type of retail space. To do this professionally and effectively, the selection should be made after prior analysis of the property or premises and with regard to the end customer profile, i.e., different music and scent should be recommended for a clothing store dedicated to young audiences (age category 15-25), and different for an elegant boutique located on a prestigious street in a large city. In the case of holiday scent, it is different.

Volume level

To determine the best volume level for playing holiday repertoire, one must first specify the character of the venue and the infrastructural conditions of the room. In pubs, one should generally opt for somewhat louder music, while in a café it should be more subdued. This results, among other things, from factors such as the assortment offered in these two types of venues. In the first, customers generally consume alcohol, and in such a case, louder music works better because it is often even desired by guests and effectively masks, for example, their more lively discussions and allows for greater anonymity while conducting them. A café, on the other hand, is generally a quieter place, where conversations held by guests are restrained. Moreover, nowadays, some business meetings take place in such venues, and many people work – even regularly – using café spaces. Naturally, the music in such a venue should be quieter and allow for focus and concentration for both guests and staff, which will also foster mutual interactions.

Clichéd hits or alternative jazz in a holiday mood?

Resigning from holiday hits may in many cases prove unprofitable for the venue owner. Songs that everyone knows help create a friendly atmosphere and at the same time boost sales during the holidays. However, it must be emphasized that for playing such songs, royalties and related rights fees must be paid to the appropriate organizations. In Poland, to legally play music publicly by Artists Associated in Copyright and Related Rights Organizations (in Poland or worldwide), one must sign agreements with associations protecting creators, works, performers, artists, and producers. These are: ZAIKS, STOART, SAWP, and ZPAV. However, a single phone call to each of these institutions is enough for an inspector with the relevant documents to be sent to our venue.

If, however, we believe that the customer of our venue would prefer to hear something more unusual, it is worth considering an alternative, namely music by creators not associated with Copyright Organizations. Thanks to this, we will stand out from the crowd and at the same time save, in this case, for example, on fees related to public music playback. However, such a solution should be considered well in advance, and one should remember that it is not an offer for everyone.

From research conducted by Mood among its clients and their consumers around the world, it appears that the magical date to launch holiday music is the beginning of December. Due to the period then underway, during which Poland also celebrates St. Nicholas Day, the transition to a different musical climate is unobtrusive and does not raise objections from customers. A properly composed music program, dosing holiday music and hits, can only contribute to increased sales, which is why those who approach the matter seriously and professionally achieve greater benefits, even though they play the same songs as others. In truth, the secret lies in the details: therefore, not only the selection of repertoire but its arrangement and gradual introduction of the customer into the holiday mood are effective.

The aroma of the holidays

Scent is one of the main elements that creates the unique mood accompanying special and occasional events, such as the holidays. Associations evoked by aromas help in remembering places and events, which translates into recreating specific situations from the past and bringing back pleasant memories. Moreover, despite the holiday "rush" that usually accompanies many people, scents can be used to control time and "extend" the consumer's stay in a given location.

- It is enough to use an appropriate fragrance blend to slow the customer down, alleviate stress caused by lack of time and haste, and make them appreciate the quality of services offered more or rate the products presented to them higher. The aromas that work best during the holidays, which probably will not be a surprise, are the scents of Christmas tree, cinnamon, and gingerbread – says Aleksandra Potrykus-Wincza from Mood.

Holiday digital signage

During the holidays, of course, the content that works best when displayed via digital signage systems – i.e., visual carriers (televisions and monitors) located in various places in stores, shopping malls, or service points – is that which refers to the holiday period. When planning visualizations, it is therefore good to use design elements related to Christmas trees or Santa Claus and presents.

Interestingly, forest motifs and all those with "lights" in the background also work well. This is probably due to the associations these motifs evoke in consumers' minds. When displaying this thematic content, it is worth unobtrusively "slipping in" information about discounts and promotions, because by using the right background, we will reach the customer's mind more effectively. From Mood research conducted in many countries around the world, it appears that the group that perceives content transmitted by digital signage systems the fastest and most accurately are people aged 15 to 40.

What after the holidays?

Immediately after December 26 (or after December 31), one should quickly move away from holiday music, scents, or visual content and replace them with carnival ones. In this way, we introduce freshness and indicate to the customer a change of period and a focus on selling new products or services. At the same time, such a change shows that the brand reacts quickly to individual time changes.

To maintain the best possible sales dynamics after the holiday period, one can further expand sensory marketing activities and venture to reach for new technologies; however, the pre-holiday fever is a time unique in its kind and generating profits unmatched at any other time of year. Marketers around the world are wondering how to maintain year-round sales at the holiday level, but unfortunately, it is not that easy. An important issue is to take care of one's customer and their well-being all year round. Then they will repay with loyalty, and during the holidays with even bigger purchases.

Designing the architecture of positive experiences provides emotions, which in turn translate into perceiving brands as highly innovative. One example could be virtual fitting rooms in clothing stores. One brand that used this type of solution was New Look, which in its London store combined a fitting room with a professional photo studio and visual carriers in the store. Of course, such projects also occur in Poland, but the scale of their implementation is still incomparably smaller than in the mentioned countries.