A brand isn’t just something people see – it’s something they experience. From the way a showroom smells to the texture of a welcome kit, the most powerful brands connect through all five senses. This isn’t about creating spectacle. It’s about creating memory. As designers and design-led businesses, we already understand the impact of form, function, and feeling. A multi-sensory brand strategy brings those elements together to create emotional resonance that clients remember, share, and seek out again.
Here are some ideas for designing experiences people truly feel.
What Is A Multi-Sensory Brand Strategy?
Multi-sensory branding is the intentional design of experiences that engage more than one sense. It’s not just about how your brand looks. It’s about how it feels in hand, how it sounds when someone visits your website or showroom, what it smells like when a client receives your welcome kit, and how all of those cues build a memory.
Some of the strongest brands do this intuitively. Think of the scent in an Aesop store, the tactile satisfaction of unboxing an iPhone, or the background playlist in a Soho House space. These aren’t afterthoughts. They’re sensory signals. And they work.
For a deeper look into how global brands apply this thinking, I like to recommend Brand Sense by Martin Lindstrom, a classic (although the examples of Nokia are a bit outdated…) It breaks down how companies use all five senses to shape customer perception and build powerful emotional connections. Another great read is Brand Desire by Nicholas Ind, which explores how emotional resonance creates brand loyalty and long-term engagement.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
We’re all overstimulated. Clients are bombarded with visuals every time they open their phones. Beautiful branding isn’t enough, it needs to be remembered. And visual memory is short. Sensory memory is sticky.
Read also: What Emotions Each Sense Triggers & Why That Matters To Your Business
Tactile Branding Still Matters
As digital becomes the default, the physical matters more. Designers and brands who still send client gifts, use printed materials, or develop physical products have an opportunity here. Business cards with an unexpected texture. Welcome kits wrapped in soft tissue and sealed with wax. Product catalogs that don’t feel like a flyer. These are all touchpoints that create lasting impressions.
We worked with a lighting brand that shifted from glossy brochures to heavyweight, matte-printed guides with embossed cover details. Orders increased. More interestingly, so did showroom visits. Why? Because the print piece gave people a physical reason to follow up.
Even Digital Can Be Sensory
Don’t assume multi-sensory strategy is only for physical products. Your website has rhythm. Your digital proposal has a visual tone. If you decide your brand elements are cotton, wool, or timber, you can easily add images of them to your website. Magically, your clients start to smell timber when looking at your website! Your onboarding emails can include music or video. These are sensory elements too.
A client of ours added a voice note to her post-booking email flow. It was a short, warm message recorded on her phone. Clients loved it. Several replied to say it made them feel instantly connected. That little audio cue created a human moment in a fully digital experience. Another special touch we love to add is video on the meeting confirmation page.
Designing Your Sensory Anchors
Here are some ideas for adding sensory touches to your brand.
Signature Scent
A well-crafted scent can define your studio, your packaging, or your event presence. Use diffusers in meetings, infuse tissue paper in product shipments, or add a subtle scent to your welcome kit. Scents create instant recognition and emotional recall.
Sound And Tone
What does your brand sound like? Consider a curated playlist for your showroom or virtual waiting room. If you do webinars or content marketing, use consistent audio intros or transition music. For inspiration, check out Sonic Boom by Joel Beckerman, which explores how sound design influences everything from product perception to consumer behavior.
Texture And Finish
Use texture intentionally in packaging, print, and materials, or like discussed earlier, as a background image on your website and marketing materials. Uncoated, soft-touch, linen, or foil finishes signal luxury, quality, and care. Don’t default to what’s cheapest or easiest – choose what’s memorable.
For designers who use lots of texture and finishes in their work, this is a no-brainer! Not only does it elevate your sensory branding but it also visualizes the kind of work you deliver.
Motion And Tempo
Your website, social graphics, and even proposals have motion. Slow fades vs. quick flashes send different signals. A gentle parallax scroll feels high-end. A jarring pop-up feels rushed. Design the pace to match your brand voice.
Taste And Emotion
Taste creates intimacy. It evokes hospitality, warmth, and a sense of celebration. A carefully chosen snack at an event or a regional treat in a welcome package can turn a moment into a memory. Even if you don’t run a food brand, using taste in your client experience can signal thoughtfulness and deepen connection.
Your In-Person Moments Need It Most
If you have a showroom, physical product, or in-person design studio, this is where multi-sensory branding becomes magic. Consider:
- Lighting that shifts subtly with time of day
- A low, consistent ambient playlist aligned with your brand tone
- A consistent scent used in candles, room spray, or diffusers
- Refreshments that reflect your color palette or origin story
- Packaging clients don’t want to throw away
These cues create brand memory. Clients will associate those feelings with your brand and want to return to it. Learn more in Elevate Customer Connections With Multisensory Branding.
Start With One Sense
To avoid overwhelm, choose one sensory area to focus on this quarter. Ask:
- What would it feel like to hold our brand in your hand?
- What should people smell when they enter our space?
- What do we want our digital presence to sound like?
Start there, layer slowly, and let it grow into something that’s uniquely yours, your signature.
