Latest / The CMO Podcast with Fexingo: Marketing Leadership, Budgets, and Executive Strategy / Why CMOs Are Marketing Through Sensory Branding
Transcript
- Lucas: You know that little jingle Mastercard plays at the end of every ad? The two-note melody that sounds like a quick 'ping-pong'? Luna: Yeah, I hear it in my head right now. It's almost impossible to un-hear once you notice it. Lucas: Right. That's not accidental. Mastercard spent years developing what they call a 'sonic brand identity' — a sound that plays in over 200 countries across TV, radio, point of sale terminals, even the hold music on their customer service lines. Luna: So they're treating sound the way they treat their logo — consistent everywhere. Lucas: Exactly. And they're not alone. A growing number of CMOs are investing in sensory branding — layering in sound, scent, texture, even taste — to deepen emotional connections. The logic comes from neuroscience: our brains process sensory input faster and retain it longer than text or images alone. Luna: Give me a concrete example that isn't just a jingle. Lucas: Singapore Airlines has been using a signature scent called Stefan Floridian Waters since the 1990s. It's a blend of rose, lavender, and citrus, and it's infused into hot towels, the cabin air, even the uniforms of flight attendants. Luna: Wait — the uniforms? So the fabric literally smells like the brand? Lucas: Yes. And it's not cheap. Reports suggest the airline has spent over $500 million across two decades maintaining that scent experience across its fleet. But they treat it as a brand asset, just like the logo or the livery. Luna: Half a billion dollars on a smell. That's a huge bet. How do they measure the return? Lucas: That's the tricky part. Sensory branding doesn't show up in a standard media-mix model. Singapore Airlines ties it to their Net Promoter Score and premium fare pricing — they consistently command a 15 to 20 percent price premium over competitors on long-haul routes, and they attribute part of that to the overall cabin experience. Luna: So they're not trying to prove scent alone drives bookings. It's part of a holistic premium experience. Lucas: Right. And some CMOs are now going beyond sound and scent into haptics — touch. Amazon has been experimenting with haptic feedback in some of its physical retail prototypes, where a shelf vibrates slightly when you pick up a product with high ratings. Abercrombie & Fitch famously pumped its Fierce cologne into stores and onto the sidewalks outside — that's scent as a physical draw. Luna: And that worked for them. I remember walking past an Abercrombie in the early 2000s and the smell was unmistakable from half a block away. Lucas: It created what marketers call a 'cross-modal correspondence' — the scent triggers an emotional state that primes you to feel more positively about the brand before you even touch a shirt. A 2023 study in the Journal of Retailing found that ambient scent matching a brand's personality increased dwell time by 30 percent and purchase intent by 22 percent. Luna: But there's a fine line between memorable scent and overwhelming stink. Not every brand can pull it off. Lucas: No question. And the risk is real — if the scent feels generic or, worse, clashes with the brand's positioning, it backfires. A budget airline trying to mimic Singapore's scent would feel manipulative, not luxurious. Luna: So which brands are doing sensory branding well right now that listeners might not think of? Lucas: One surprising example is Coca-Cola. They've trademarked the sound of opening a can — the fizz, the crack — and use it in radio and digital ads. It's a sonic cue that triggers thirst and nostalgia simultaneously. Also, Intel's five-note bong is one of the most recognized sounds in the world, and they've extended it into a full 'audio logo' used in all brand communications. Luna: Intel inside — that sound is etched in my memory from every PC ad in the 90s. Lucas: And they still use it today, with modern variations. The key insight from neuroscience is that scent-triggered memories are about 65 percent more vivid than visual-only memories. That's a massive advantage if you can own a sensory signature. Luna: Honestly, if today's episode sparked an idea you've actually used at work — like rethinking your brand's sonic identity or even just questioning whether your store's ambient scent is on-brand — then it was worth it. If it was worth a coffee to you, that's the link: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: And every bit of support keeps this show ad-free, which means we can keep digging into niche topics like this without worrying about commercial breaks. So if it resonated, great. Now, back to the question of execution: if a CMO wants to start building a sensory layer, where do they even begin? Luna: I imagine they need to define a sensory profile first — not just 'we want a sound' but a full sensory identity that aligns with the brand's values. Lucas: Yes. And there are actually specialty agencies now — firms like SoundOut for audio branding, or 12.29 for scent marketing — that help brands develop proprietary sensory signatures. The process typically starts with a 'sensory audit' of existing touchpoints, then a workshop to define the emotional territory the brand wants to occupy. Luna: How long does it take to develop something like that? And what's the budget range? Lucas: For a sonic logo, you're looking at $50,000 to $150,000 for development and testing. A signature scent for retail spaces can run $30,000 to $80,000 for formulation plus ongoing diffusion costs. But the real investment is in consistency — rolling it out across every channel and touchpoint, which for a global brand like Mastercard or Singapore Airlines is millions. Luna: So it's not a quick win. It's a long-term brand equity play. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why it's mostly luxury and premium brands leading the way. But there are interesting applications in digital too. Think about the sound a phone makes when you get a notification — that's sonic branding. The iPhone's default ringtone, 'Marimba', is one of the most recognized sounds on earth, and it reinforces Apple's design-minimalist identity every time you hear it. Luna: Even the haptic feedback on an iPhone — that little tap when you press the home button — that's a sensory experience that feels premium. Lucas: Right. And Android phones are getting better, but the haptic difference is noticeable. Some CMOs in tech are now working with engineering teams to tune those vibrations to match brand personality — a 'soft' thud for a luxury brand versus a 'sharp' click for a performance brand. Luna: It's almost like branding is moving from visual identity to full-body identity. Lucas: That's exactly where it's heading. And the data supports it. A 2024 study by the Journal of Brand Management found that brands using at least two sensory cues saw a 28 percent higher recall and a 19 percent higher emotional connection score compared to single-sense brands. The multi-sensory approach is additive, not just decorative. Luna: Any cautionary tales? Brands that overdid it? Lucas: Sure. Remember when Kodak tried to launch a 'Kodak scent' in the early 2000s? They developed a fragrance meant to evoke nostalgia for film photography — but it never caught on because it didn't connect to a real customer experience. You can't force a scent onto a brand that doesn't have a natural sensory moment. Singapore Airlines works because you're already in the cabin. Intel works because you're already hearing the computer boot up. Luna: So the sensory element has to feel native, not pasted on. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why the best approach is to start with a single, high-impact touchpoint. Don't try to do everything at once. A CMO might ask: What is the most emotionally charged moment in our customer journey? And can we enhance it with a sensory signature that feels like it was always there? Luna: I think we'll see more brands investing in this — especially as digital ads become harder to differentiate. Sound and scent are a way to break through the noise. Lucas: And as voice assistants and smart speakers proliferate, sonic branding is going to become as important as visual branding. If your brand doesn't have a sound, it's almost invisible in the audio-first interfaces people are using more every day. Luna: So the CMO who ignores sensory branding might literally be silent in the next wave of consumer tech. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the kind of brand risk that doesn't show up on a balance sheet until it's too late. Next episode, we're going to look at how CMOs are approaching brand activism in a polarized environment — a topic where sensory branding won't help, but a clear moral compass might.