Extra Features and Coming Home

              Branding is the 21st century buzz word synonymous with money, and every company wants to brand or rebrand themselves to enhance profits. Of course. We want to make a more secure living. But in that process we so often look at type fonts and cute slogans instead of looking at the essence of the experience our shoppers or clients enjoy. For me, branding begins with the extra features.

               What does that mean? Let’s think of an example we can all relate to, one drawn from our memory banks. Can you remember visiting Grandma’s house? The smells, the hugs, the peace and joy you found there? My grandma spent a lot of time knitting, and as her knitting needles clicked, she clicked her dentures. I’d sit contentedly at her feet. I never grew bored because she had an extra feature that kindled the magic of Grandma’s house. She had an old-fashioned music box in which I could insert metal discs and play music. If I close my eyes I can still hear and smell and feel those magical moments.

               If you desire a thriving business, create a few sensory-loaded extra features that draw folks to you like the mystique of a music box for a child.

·        Is there a signature scent your business emanates? It can be scented plug-ins or fresh cookies every morning—but you need a primal scent that spells H-O-M-E.

·        Are there certain colors or visual cues that embody your business?

·        Listen to the background of your business. Is it inviting? What does your business sound like?

These are not idle questions. Forbes points out that brands engaging all five senses stand out from the competition.

               Mastercard launched an advertising campaign they called Priceless Tables. The idea was to associate good food with Mastercard. Did Mastercard give anyone food? No, but they collaborated with another brand or experience to associate a great culinary experience you can “only enjoy by using a Mastercard.” Do you get it? Mastercard spent two years researching a sound that is embodied in all their adds, and a 1.3 second segment of which is digitally embedded in every transaction.

               Since the publication of Packard’s Hidden Persuaders in 1957, advertisers have been busy little bees. Research documents that slow music played in a grocery store increases sales by 38%, and by 41% when piped into a restaurant. Neither sells sound, but sound sells. These sound manipulative, like gimmicks, and they are…but I’m talking about taking the concept one step further.

               Instead of manipulating your customer’s experiences for monetary gain, I’m suggesting you actually become the extra feature that attracts your customers, and let monetary gain follow you. This doesn’t have to cost an arm or a leg. It doesn’t require baking cookies every morning. Just mull the concept over and let your imagination supply a sensory experience around which you may foster a customer’s return. Doing business with you should feel a lot like coming home.