Psychology of design to influence behavior
Modern businesses use many of methods to establish and maintain their brand. Earned over years of research and strategic market engineering, few things are more valuable than the reputation of a business’s brand. From the flare of coloring to keenly designed logos, having a hand in shaping the perception of your business is not only financially rewarding, but essential in today’s competitive market.
Conventional methods of ambiance control and influence, while effective, are ultimately enhanced with the application of scent marketing, a powerful yet neglected element of ambiance. Upon examination, you will see that each component of ambiance setting works together to form a cohesive and influential brand. The most impressive part about setting an ambiance is perhaps the ease at which it can be achieved with close attention to the details of your branding.
A Dash of Color
When a consumer views an entity, they usually form an opinion within the first two minutes, color accounts for roughly 62-90% of that opinion. There’s no doubt color plays an important role in marketing. From products to environments, color helps distinguish brands and companies from their competitors while simultaneously influencing their customer’s perceptions. Color is perhaps the most striking element of an ambiance and has the widest range in terms of distance.
When a customer is approaching a business, color is the first sense to be stimulated, the second being scent as they enter the establishment. Research indicates that the colors of a restaurant evokes different expectations and appetites. Fast food restaurants often utilize yellows and reds. The brightness and hue of yellow draws attention while red awakens the appetite. Complimenting this appetizing ambiance, the scent of the restaurant stimulates the salivatory glands and prepares the customer for their food. Scents also accounts for approximately 80% of taste, so restaurants are particularly inclined to coordinating a harmony between these senses.
Color also has the unique property of not only establishing the identity of a brand, but aiding consumers in establishing their own identities as well. This can be seen in gendered products. In the modern western world, pink is viewed as feminine while blue is viewed as masculine. However, this extends beyond products, businesses appealing to men often use darker colors in their décor, while businesses appealing to women tend to use lighter, more pastel colors. Similarly, when an establishment’s aroma matches the gender of a customer it has been shown to double the amount of stock purchased as well as enhance customer satisfaction and their overall opinion of the store.
Illuminating Lighting
While intertwined with color, lighting is its own form of ambiance manipulation. Lighting helps to influence our most basic perception of our environment and how we navigate it, particularly with architecturally oriented illumination. The influence of ambient appropriate lighting dwells more with the consistency between brand locations and the manipulation of a customer’s conscious awareness of their environment.
Although lighting is not an obvious trait among chain establishments, it is often cited as a way to form a consistent aesthetic. Controlling the lighting of an establishment eliminates a location’s dependency on natural or typical lighting, which in turn gives brands an edge in terms of distinguishing themselves among similar stores. A good example of this can be seen in shopping centers where the lighting is artificially controlled by the facility. Abercrombie and Fitch outlets are often located inside shopping malls, despite this they are known for their dim, evening themed light. This plays into their California surfer theme. By controlling their illumination, they have been able to set their environment apart from neighboring stores and maintain a consistent ambiance.
When establishing a brand, consistency allows a business to form a lasting relationship with customers. This helps set achievable expectations and long-term memories that form brand awareness. Scenting works hand in hand with this practice as scents can not only aid in long-term memory development but can be unique to a given store. In fact, Abercrombie and Fitch themselves also utilize scent marketing, albeit through their proprietary perfumes sold and diffused in stores. Strategic lighting in nightclubs and bars also allow establishments to maintain a nocturnal setting, while the natural environment may be daylight or evening. This helps set the mood patrons expect while broadening operating hours. When combined with scent marketing, this approach can help form a fully immersive environment. Casinos also indulge in ambiance lighting to slow the passage of time by separating their patrons from natural time progression, such as daylight.
The ability of lighting to influence spatial perception should not be overlooked. Businesses that emphasize their space as a major selling point, like residential buildings or hotels, may use architectural lighting to dim corners and dead space, thereby casting the illusion of room. This technique aims to highlight selling points of the environment, particularly with smaller condos and apartments. However, when combined with scent marketing its effects are more profoundly experienced. Particular scents, like lavender, are proven to have calming effects and can encourage a client to be more receptive of environmental suggestions over critical analysis.
Following that point, bright lighting can also emphasize products in a retail setting and make customers more alert. The physical effects of brighter lighting also improve color saturation and as research indicates, encourage customers to examine products thereby making them more likely to make purchases.
The Path of Strategic Layouts
Brick and mortar stores will always have the one thing digital stores could never hope to compete with; space. Businesses can play with the physicality of their products and store design much more than online retailers. Some added benefits are of course the psychological influences physicality can exert, like the ability to handle products in real life, but one of the most basic and overlooked features of modern stores are their layout. Some businesses sacrifice utilizing their layout for the sake of maintaining consistency among chain stores, while others fail to grasp the nuances of proximity. The main idea behind layout design is controlling the attention of your shoppers.
Research indicates shoppers tend to walk in a counterclockwise route when they enter a store. This means products placed to the right of the entrance will be the first thing many shoppers see. This position should be used for products a business wants to push, whether it be bargain bins or surplus stock they want to sell as soon as possible. This data can also be applied throughout the store so as the customer makes their rounds, the store is aware of their wavering attention. Samples are another way of boosting sales and can help recapture a customer’s attention, stores my place sample stands in strategic places to reengage customers and highlight products. Similarly, stores may implement different scents in different places, this makes it easier for customers to refocus. For example, a store may scent their garden section to create a new, immersive experience. This will be particularly useful if the garden is cut off from the main store and acts as a secondary location.
The location of different product sections is also another important feature retail stores can boast over their online counterparts. Digital retailers often resort to featuring recommendation lists to get customers to look at other products, however many will be able to find and purchase their products without spending much time on the store website. Conversely, physical retailers may place their most common or popular products to the back of a store. This forces the customer to slowly walk through different sections and gives them a chance to consider other products. This strategy can be aided by calming scents, like lavender, which encourages customers to talk their time and linger in a store. Research shows that the more time a customer spends in a store, the likelier they are to purchase multiple products. It is also important to note that while this strategy works on an unconscious level, customers also actively enjoy pleasant scents and may cognitively choose to spend more time in the store to appreciate it.
Product placement and store décor may also be altered to max out their selling potential. Young customers are more likely to desire amenity products like snack or toys, shelving a product at a lower height will make these products stand out more and be more accessible to them. Businesses with limited floor space may also incorporate mirrors, or adjust their lighting, to expand a customer’s perception of space. This is especially helpful to hotels or residential buildings, however studies show mirrors also reduce theft. This works in part because customers are deterred from stealing if they feel like they may be seen, but they also feel more self-conscious. This may seem strange to some, but pleasant recognizable scents are linked to moral character. In one study, when placed in a room cleaned with an aromatic spray a group of subjects were more likely to engage in moral practices like donation.
Music on the Mind
Music in marketing was initially linked to radio advertisements, but in recent years it has become difficult to enter a business without encountering some sort of music ambiance. The most obvious places where you expect to hear a tune you know would be large retailers like Forever 21 or Abercrombie and Fitch, but hotel chains, hairdressers, and most waiting rooms in the country find a way to incorporate music in their business, and for good reason. Music is available in every culture in the world and it has long been a proven influencer on our mood, behavior, and experience.
The most important thing to keep in mind when utilizing the marketing effects of music is to understand its effects. In one study, it was found that happier music was linked to a better mood and therefore a better experience. This may seem like a natural link, but it was also found that sadder music was linker to more purchases. Applying this to a business means examining the purpose of the establishment itself. Hairdressers, doctors’ offices, and waiting rooms or lobbies can benefit from improving the mood of their clients through music. However, retailers like shopping centers or clothing stores may have more interest in incorporating sadder, more thoughtful music from time to time.
The type of music you play in your store may also affect purchasing decisions. In one study, English speaking shoppers were more likely to purchase French wine if the store play French music. Most shockingly, this did not appear to be a conscious decision as many reported that they didn’t even know the music was French or cognitively decide on a French wine. This may be of particular value to wine or liquor outlets who want to push a particular brand of wine.
There may be a natural inclination to faster music, as it may seem more likely to improve the mood and energy of the establishment, but slower music tends to make customer linger. On study showed that slower music encouraged customers to shopper at a slower rate and stay in the store longer, thereby boosting sales. When applied to a restaurant, this encouraged customers to eater slower and stay longer at their tables. This is a great example of how positive correlations differ between businesses. The restaurant in the study encountered longer waiting times. Unlike retail stores, this wasn’t necessarily good for their revenue as only bar sales went up. Scent can be viewed in a similar manner, the productivity of a scent depends on its specialization. Generic scents may smell pleasant but have an unknown effect on your business, this is why custom blends are often more effective in achieving your goal.
Logos Customers Love
Few brands would argue that logos aren’t important, but we now have the data to support just how important they really are. Traditionally speaking, logos have been seen as an aesthetically appealing image a consumer could link to a brand to improve brand awareness and loyalty. The main idea being if a customer saw a brand logo, they would likely identify the brand and show preference because of familiarity and an expectation of quality. People have naturally grown attached to common place logos, and there are countless examples of failed redesigns. In 2010 Gap tried to completely redesign their logo to public outcry, which seemingly forced them to revert to their old logo six days later, while Pepsi’s latest redesign in 2008 is still fresh in the minds of consumers. Logos are one of the main building blocks of a brand, second only to their name, but identity isn’t the only thing at stake here.
In a 2016 study, researchers found that logos also communicate the content of their brands. Sharper logos make people think of physicality and roughness, while rounded logos made them think of comfort and softness. In the study subjects were given an angular logo and a rounded logo for a shoe brand and asked to rank the qualities they thought the shoe would have. Subjects given the angular logo saw the shoe as being tougher and durable, while subjects given the rounded logo expected to shoe to be comfortable and wearable. These findings can be easily applied to businesses however, a sports shop, fitness center, or men’s event would benefit from having an angular logo. A salon, spa, or women’s event may prefer a rounded logo.
In many ways scent acts as a logo in a deeper sense. People may recall a scent but at the same time not be able to place its origin. This is because scent is the first sense we developed as animals, unlike other senses scent bypasses the relay center of the brain and goes directly to our limbic center, which is associated with memories and emotion. A brand intent on capitalizing on their customer loyalty and recognition could benefit from this integral route. A specially formulated scent can set a brand apart from competitors on both an unconscious and conscious level.
One of the most unique things about brand logos are their mobility. Logos placed on merchandise can not only increase in value, as with luxury goods, but form as an inexpensive advertisement. This is why many brands, like hotels, car dealers, and casinos actually give out free merchandise. When people encounter a logo they can’t immediately recognize, just having familiarity with the brand can help form trust and loyalty. Scents can be given to a customer in much the same way. A specially formulated scent may be sold to customers so they can not only experience the scent away from your business, but form a deeper, more lasting connection to your brand. This works in part to share your brand with a wider range of clientele as well.
Size for Sales
The size of a product is a given. Consumers want more bang for their buck and in this age of wholesalers and bargain shoppers, it simply sells more. However, size also plays into the space you give customers to utilize. For example, if you own a department store or supermarket, giving customers a larger shopping cart or basket gives them more room to purchase. If they have smaller shopping utilities, they often feel like checking out sooner because they believe they have already bought too much.
Alternatively, wider shopping isles often encourage customers to move faster. Speed negatively impacts their ability to see the products around them and consider purchasing. Instead of making narrower isles which would annoy and prove cumbersome in their mobility, sales and promotions are often placed in the middle of isles to slow them down.
Training Worthwhile Staff
While manipulating the influencing elements of your business is powerful in its own right, the first human interaction is formed through the staff, and they carry a substantial influence of their own. Many retail stores suffer from the same problem, employee engagement and productivity. Retail positions in particular are not usually seen as desirable or well-respected, societal pressures are high while expectations are low.
At the same time, brands speak through their staff. Many businesses depend on their employees to help with immersion and ambiance setting. For example, theme park employees at Disney Land are often required to stay in “character”, in their Avatar exhibit employees will act as though the imaginary world is real and the movie is a documentary. This mirrors the way many events are handled, whether it be themed birthday parties or weddings, the staff are the linchpin that hold the illusion together.
Scents work in two parts when it comes to immersion. Firstly, pleasant scents keep employees happy and in character. Secondly, it works by adding another dimension of immersion for guests to enjoy. Themed weddings are of particular note here, while most weddings don’t have the overarching theme seen in children’s events, they often have an underlying theme they commit to. If the theme of the wedding is fall for example, scent can help immerse the guests and staff in this setting even if its murky outside. In car shows and exhibits, a new car scent can help entice prospective customers while helping staff sell their vehicles, even if its older models they have worked with in the past.
Keeping your employees engaged ultimately helps them improve their productive. This also works outside commercial settings, the effects of aroma dispersion in offices have been well documented. Employees introduced to lemon scents for example, are more alert and make less mistakes. Certain aromatic blends can improve effectiveness, accuracy, speed, and overall productivity. While the benefits are obvious in a typical office environment, co-working spaces are of particular note. In these offices, workers are generally independent, so their choice to be in the office is greatly influenced by what that environment can offer them. Curated scents can also improve communication and cohesion, making workers more likely to socialize positively.
One of the most important factors driving scent is that those who are exposed to it are both unconsciously and consciously engaged. Happier staff not only make the workplace more functionally efficient, but a more enjoyable place to be.
Capturing Culture
Culture has an undoubtable effect on people. Businesses seeking to expand and grow often look to localization experts to help them conform to the new set of expectations they will face in a new market. Examples of this can be found all over the internet, from Mocha flavored KitKats in Japan to Charcoal toothpaste in India, companies try their best to appeal to their new customers.
In some cases, obvious assumptions can be quite wrong. A good example of this is elaborate vs barren décor. Retailers often feel compelled to make their store as aesthetically appealing as possible. However, customers are more likely to feel as though they’re getting a “deal” in larger stores that have a bare décor, this is because they resemble wholesalers like Sam’s Club and Costco which are known for their low prices. This of course doesn’t apply to every location and varies between cultures. Places known for smaller stores often prefer a more intimate and manicured décor.
This isn’t limited to countries or even states, culture gaps exist everywhere and a notable one is the generational gap. As with the previous topic, music tastes are in large part generationally driven. Research indicates that popular music from the current era makes older customers perceive time as slower, while younger customers thought time passed faster. This will naturally vary depending on your target demographic. If you’re a sports store you may want to play newer music so customers get lost in their shopping experience, while antique stores may cater to an older clientele and benefit from classic songs. Alternatively stores with a well-balanced demographic may choose to blend their music and create playlists that appeal to everyone.
Viewing scent from a cultural perspective is integral to this appeal. Unlike many of our other senses, scent starts to develop in the womb. Whatever the mother eats, their infant responds to. This cultural influence carries on well into adulthood. In today’s global society, many stimulants can be found in everywhere. A popular song in the United States may be played on the radio in Africa, while popular Asian art may be seen on the computer in Europe. Scent is the last stimulant that is almost wholly localized, so resonating effectively to new customers may very well depend on identifying with them through scent.
A good example of this would be popular cleaning products in the United States which often have a lemon scent, while their Swedish counterparts use the scent of peaches. Circling back, if you want to tap into the moral links between cleanliness and honesty, it is important to account for these differences. Businesses that want to emphasize their hygiene, like gyms and fitness centers, may want to focus on these scents. In a more practical sense, some scents are simply more desirable in particular cultures. For example, the scent of strong cheeses are pleasant and expected in Western Europe, but undesirable to the Asian market. This is applicable to grocery stores and other food vendors who may want to emphasize different scents in different locations. The beauty of scent design is that stores can disperse different scents in different sections of their store.
Ambiance and Branding
Ambience engineering comes down to these basic components. Once used in a balanced and well thought out manner, they can exponentially enhance productivity, revenue, and branding. Each element works in tandem with one another, a few simple yet effective techniques can help bring the idea of a brand to life. Investing in setting the right tone for your business means putting care into a brand that is sure to last.