Sensory Christmas

#sensoryChristmas Cracker Games /  by claire sokell thompson

Wrapping ripping, Kings choir, ice cubes cracking, almond trees shaking, Monopoly ataptaptaping, nuts cracking, Quality St squeaking, kids quibbling, Dad snoring, folding foil, Grannie’s whiskers, cashmere socks, Christmas jumpers, wellies walking, turkey steaming, candles burning, candles blown, No5 gifting, fire smoking or chestnuts roasting...

What sounds are you looking forward to hearing this Christmas? What textures? What smells will you savour? We’d love to know @vetyverfeels#sensorychristmas

We have put together some tricks and games to tune in to your senses this Christmas.

Now for a little wine tasting [best to view full screen]...

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What sounds are you looking forward to hearing this Christmas? What textures? What smells will you savour? We’d love to know tweet @vetyverfeels #sensorychristmas

 

 

Sensory Christmas #4: Made to Measure /  by claire sokell thompson

The After Eight pouch, the Toblerone mountain, the pop of a Snapple, the pitch of a Ferrari, the smell of a Bentley, the colour of a Tiffany box, the sonic mnemonic of Intel. It is the unique signifiers which distinguish your brand and allow people to fall in love with it. Everything you do should strengthen your brand narrative.

Everyone does Christmas so how do you stand out from the crowd and ensure that you are not lost in the nose?

The winter holidays every year are a great opportunity to do something special which will bring joy moments of joy to people, but this is frequently a missed opportunity as brands reach for easy off the shelf options.

A brand has a positioning, a set of values and a story and the way your brand behaves should reflect that in every way. Even a Christmas theme should be designed specifically to reflect your brand in the same way your logo and colour palette do. It is particulary important in the competitive Christmas market not to loose your point of difference - sounds and scents should be designed for your brand.

Christmas always feels like it comes more quicker than we are expecting, but it doesn’t need to take long to create sounds and smells. A sensory footprint can be created by experiences: hot toddies, chocolatiers, buskers, a bell over the door, or rung behind the bar like in It's a Wonderful Life, or a simple soundscape.

Stand out with sensory design, tune in to your senses and tune into Christmas.

Sensory Christmas #3: Context /  by claire sokell thompson

It’s been said that NOISE is sound that is out of place, something unwanted and inappropriate to surroundings. In our view that applies to sound and smell alike.

There is a wealth of Christmassy sensory experiences  to draw from but these need to be treated with respect and care. Cranberry, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves are flavours associated with both Christmas and this time of year, but even within this palette, appropriateness and context need to be considered for positive effect.

Mulled wine is completely Christmassy, but better in a bar or kitchen rather than the loo. The scent of pine can evoke the feeling of Christmas trees, but used in a loo or kitchen it’s more likely to trigger a sense of cleaning products. The smell of pine in a wooden lodge could transport you to the ski slopes, but a strong whiff of pine in a Hackney pub is more likely to feel hackneyed. 

We have subconscious expectations about what environments should feel like. If sound or smell doesn’t correlate with the environment, it jars. Context is king when it comes to the senses.

Sound, smell and sensory stimulation are always charged with meaning. Whether in the form of a cacophony or silence, it should always be appropriate to the environment.

To find out more or organise a Sensory Audit email feel@vetyver.co.uk

Sensory Christmas

Sensory Christmas Principle #1: don’t overwhelm

Sensory Christmas Principle #2: Authenticity

Sensory Christmas Principle #2: Authenticity /  by claire sokell thompson

To make it authentic, consider what does your brand represent at Christmas? How can sound and smell bring it to life? Will they add or detract?

A Swedish Christmas sounds and smells very different from an American or English Christmas, and a New Yorker Christmas feels completely different from a Californian. Remaining true to your brand origins and narrative will result in an authentic Christmas experience.

At Christmas time, it’s more important than ever to pay attention to your brand and sensory footprint. What are the sensory experiences important to your brand and customers and how will bringing in a ‘Christmassy’ theme work with this? Many brands are not aware of how they FEEL and discover useful surprises when they take the time to think about it which is why we begin our work with a sensory audit.

Playing Jingle Bells in a spa is going to jar with the ambience of relaxation and peace. However a soundscape of footsteps crunching through snow and the smell of a pine lodge or sauna would create a sense of season and evoke a Scandinavian Christmas. This approach would foster a feeling of cosy comfort, cocooning guests and heightening the emotional experience, rather than detracting from it. But obviously that wouldn’t work at all for an Asian spa brand.

A Christmas soundscape and smell which gives you a sense of place, relevant to your brand and your business serves to make them love you, love Christmas and relate the two. 

To find out more or organise a Sensory Audit email feel@vetyver.co.uk

Sensory Christmas

Sensory Christmas Principle #1: don’t overwhelm

Sensory Christmas Principle #1: don’t overwhelm /  by claire sokell thompson

At Christmas the sensory impact can already be overwhelming and standing out amongst the cacophony can be a real challenge. The result is frequently a high street shouting match. No wonder many of us have retreated to the internet to do our Christmas shopping. This heralds a missed opportunity, not just to make the sale, but also to build a trusting relationship and great brand experience with your customers. 

The temptation is to add cliché Christmas music, smells and decorations. There are two problems here: the first is that Christmas experiences are by default, well Christmassy, and they don’t represent your brand (unless your shop happens to be the 25th December shop in Bath); and the second is that given the heightened seasonal stress levels and the relatively limited and repetitive repertoire of festive encounters you will just be adding to the noise and stress. So rather than churning out the same playlist or lighting an orange and cinnamon candle you can create a sanctuary and design your own Christmas.

A sense of sanctuary is powerful at this time of year. If you focus on making the services relevant and the staff full of Christmas joy, (as well as enabling them to be heard!) you are helping to solve the Christmas stress and panic.

It’s also important to realise that no sense exists in isolation. What we hear affects perception of touch, taste, safety. What we see and hear affects our perception of taste. Seeing a picture of a mountain CAN actually make the water taste cleaner and red lighting can make a bun taste sweeter. It is essential to consider the interplay between the senses. Businesses frequently forget to consider the sensory interaction, particularly at Christmas. Nobody wants to walk into an environment where all your senses are assaulted. It means there is no space to think, feel or explore: it can trigger our instinct to fight or flee. 

Used well, one sense can enhance perception and experience of another, together they should work in harmony and to have an effect they need to be noticed. So if you are turning up the music and the smell, dim the lights and give everyone the space to enjoy a little dusting of the magic of Christmas. 

Sensory Christmas /  by claire sokell thompson

On the first day of Sensory Christmas..

Part of the joy of Christmas is the glorious sensory pleasures it heralds. Scorching mince pies in twinkling houses; the scent of nordic pine, candles and open fires; turkish delight and candied almonds; Quality St, turkey and all the trimmings; and Christmas carols and the crinkle of wrapping paper. Or maybe you dread: the sickly smell of cheap cinnamon candles; the unwelcome trill of Rocking Around the Christmas tree; the familiar onslaught of Jingle Bells in every shop.

We're excited and repelled in equal measures, as we are bombarded for what can seem like months.

Are businesses giving Christmas the consideration it deserves? The role of a business in the festive season is not to provide spiritual support (excepting the School of Life), it is to be successful and to stand out. But that doesn’t mean shouting loud and falling into clichés. By stepping back and considering your value to your customers, your relationship, and the way you are experienced, you can give the greatest gift - to make it as joyful and stress free as possible.

So what constitutes Christmas joy and what creates Christmas horror? What are the cliches, pitfalls and alternatives? We will be exploring this in our 12 days of Christmas series through December.

Follow along on the blog or with the #sensorychristmas hashtag on twitter