بازاریابی حسی دیجیتال
Abstract
Introduction
Theoretical Framework: What Does Sensory Marketing Mean in the Online Environment?
Visual-Enabling Technologies: A New Form of Mental Imagery
Haptic-Enabling Technologies: A New Form of Physical Contact
Multisensory-Enabling Technologies: The Future of the Internet
Need for Research
Conclusions
References
Abstract
People are increasingly purchasing (e.g., food, clothes) and consuming (e.g., movies, courses) online where, traditionally, the sensory interaction has mostly been limited to visual, and to a lesser extent, auditory inputs. However, other sensory interfaces (e.g., including touch screens, together with a range of virtual, and augmented solutions) are increasingly being made available to people to interact online. Moreover, recent progress in the field of human–computer interaction means that online environments will likely engage more of the senses and become more connected with offline environments in the coming years. This expansion will likely coincide with an increasing engagement with the consumer's more emotional senses, namely touch/haptics, and possibly even olfaction. Forward-thinking marketers and researchers will therefore need to appropriate the latest tools/technologies in order to deliver richer online experiences for tomorrow's consumers. This review is designed to help the interested reader better understand what sensory marketing in a digital context can offer, thus hopefully opening the way for further research and development in the area.
Introduction
Who has not wondered, when browsing the website of an online retailer, what one would look like wearing that new sweater, or what it might feel like against the skin; or perhaps whether those new Chinese noodles really would taste as good as they look? Just imagine, for instance, how great it would be if one could actually taste the dishes that one sees on Instagram, or feel the warmth of the virtual sand under your feet, not to mention smell the coconut oil, when viewing your friends' travel photos on Facebook. And who would not want you to virtually embrace their partner before saying goodbye after a Skype call? The current lack of genuinely multisensory interaction with the online environment is undoubtedly a missed opportunity given that we are spending ever more of our time on the Internet (Statista 2016). Digital interactive technologies (which enable the creation and/or manipulation of products on the screen), especially sensory-enabling technologies (i.e., SETs, those that can deliver sensory inputs), can be helpful when, for instance, it comes to creating a “webmosphere” (i.e., the conscious designing of web environments to create positive effects).