Consumer psychology: Sensory marketing – why do the smell & the music of Muji have a strange allure?

Close your eyes and think about Starbucks, what do you sense? Is it the strong aroma of roasted coffee spreading throughout the space, the clicking sound of the coffee grinder, and gentle jazz music? Or when you walk into a Muji store, are you suddenly enveloped by a relaxing, peaceful feeling from the melodious instrumental tunes?

That is no coincidence.

That is Sensory Marketing – the art and science of influencing all five customer senses (Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch) to create a deep emotional connection and an indelible brand memory.

While traditional marketing focuses on what we see and hear, sensory marketing creates a multi-dimensional experience, a world where the brand can be "felt" completely. Let's join Pazlaris to explore how master brands use this strategy to conquer us at the subconscious level.

1. Why is sensory marketing so powerful?

The power of sensory marketing lies in how our brain works. The senses are direct gateways to the areas of memory and emotion. In particular, the sense of smell (olfactory) has a direct highway to the limbic system—the brain's center for processing emotion and memory.

This is why an aroma can instantly transport you back to a distant childhood memory. By appealing to the senses, a brand can bypass the rational filter and create a strong, lasting emotional impression, far more powerful than a mere advertising slogan.

2. The symphony of the five senses in branding

A premium brand experience is a harmonious combination of all five senses.

Sight (Visual): The first impression This is the most familiar sense in marketing: the logo, colors, packaging, and store design. It sets expectations and is the first door inviting customers into your world.

Sound (Auditory): The brand's melody Sound has the invisible power to shape mood.

• Muji Case Study: Muji's music is never loud pop hits. They use carefully curated playlists with ambient music, instrumental, and relaxation tracks. This sound is part of the product, reinforcing the brand's philosophy of minimalism, peace, and tranquility, encouraging customers to slow down and experience the space.

You can listen to Muji's distinctive background music playlist here to feel it more clearly

Smell (Olfactory): The shortcut to memory This is the most powerful sense for evoking emotion.

• Starbucks Case Study: Aroma is an inseparable part of the Starbucks brand identity. They purposefully design stores so the smell of roasted coffee is the first thing to welcome customers. This aroma creates a space that is cozy, energetic, and familiar, instantly making you think, "This is Starbucks."

  
  

Touch (Tactile): The feeling of quality The sensation of touching a product speaks volumes about its quality.

• Classic Example: Apple. The cool, solid feel of the unibody aluminum casing on a MacBook or the smoothness when you scroll on an iPhone screen. All are calculated to convey a message of premium quality, precision, and peak engineering.

Taste (Gustatory): The most direct experience Although the hardest sense to apply outside the F&B industry, taste can still create engaging touchpoints. Offering a customer herbal tea at a spa or a small candy at the checkout counter of a fashion store is a subtle way to create a positive and memorable experience.

Application tips for businesses

ou don't need to be a huge corporation to implement sensory marketing.

• Smell: A small fashion store can choose an essential oil (e.g., sandalwood for luxury, lemon grass/citronella for freshness) and use it consistently to create a "signature scent."

  
  

• Sound: A coffee shop can create a unique Spotify playlist and share a QR code so customers can "take the music home."

  
  

• Touch: An e-commerce brand can invest in thicker cardboard boxes, beautifully textured wrapping paper, or a thank-you card printed on high-quality art paper.

Start thinking about your brand not just through what customers see, but through everything they can sense. Because in a world saturated with information, memories created from emotion are the most enduring and valuable ones.