Science says multi-sensory marketing works. Here's how to try it...

This morning during the usual resurrection ritual with my roommates (coffee in the lounge) we were talking about places with signature scents.

One of my roommates was recalling a hotel he stayed in years ago: “I still think about that fragrance. I wish I could buy it.” I don’t know about you, but that’s powerful brand association. And it got me thinking.

Somewhere between the smell of patchouli and lemongrass and tang of a spicy Margarita, brands have decided you can’t scroll past a feeling. That’s the quiet thesis behind the new wave of multi-sensory marketing: a strategic move away from passive content and toward experiences that stick to your memory like syrup on diner pancakes.

Rhode Beauty has placed its lip balms atop frozen yogurt, cocktails, buttered toast. No longer is product placement limited to a bathroom shelfie, basic bitch flat lay or handbag dump. Now, it’s got texture. Flavour, even.

Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture is currently in the works, using AI to develop a signature scent, layering nostalgia and innovation in a single whiff.

Brands from Glossier to Abercrombie are using scent marketing as a core part of their brand identity. Scented candles, room sprays, and subtle fragrance mists aren’t just for ambiance, they’re part of the brand architecture.

So, why does multi-sensory marketing work (backed by science, not just vibes)?

Sensory input is tied directly to memory and emotion. While visuals dominate traditional marketing, studies show we retain only about 5% of what we see, but up to 35% of what we smell. The hippocampus (your brain’s memory centre) is physically close to the olfactory bulb (your scent processor).

That’s why a whiff of sunscreen can trigger a childhood beach memory faster than a photo ever could. It's why I can’t spot a walking red flag to save my life, but the smell of Dior Sauvage will set off alarm bells faster than you can send a “u up?” text.

According to Mood Media, consumers are 100x more likely to remember what they smell versus what they see, hear, or touch. And according to VML’s 2025 Future 100 report, 72% of consumers think very few brands stand out as different. Translation: brands that engage more than just your eyes are more likely to be remembered—and more likely to be felt.

Here's how to start playing in the 5 senses:

1. Start with your brand emotion. What should your brand feel like in a room? Warm and cosy? Cool and clinical? Sexy and chaotic? Once you lock that in, you can translate the vibe into sensory expressions.

2. Choose one extra sense to activate. Start with one sense beyond visual. Scent and sound are low-barrier, high-impact options. Taste and touch? Higher lift, but major payoff.

3. Borrow other people’s senses. Not a food brand? Collaborate with one. Don’t have a scent? License or co-create with a perfumer. Partnerships are your friend here—let someone else bring the buttered toast to your branding.

4. Think beyond the physical. Digital can be sensory, too. ASMR, satisfying textures, sonic logos, and evocative imagery can all trigger imagined sensory reactions. Think steam rising, crackling sound bites, or plush textures.

5. Make it weirdly specific. “Lavender vanilla” is nice. “Sunday laundry with a hint of sidewalk chalk” is unforgettable. The more niche the sensory cue, the deeper the brand stickiness.

The business case for going full-sense.

In a study by Mood Media, shoppers lingered 40% longer in scented stores. Multi-sensory campaigns have higher engagement rates and longer recall periods. And in an environment where attention is the most expensive currency, anything that lingers is worth the investment. Multi-sensory marketing is about giving people something to feel in a world where most things are forgotten the moment they scroll past.

-Sophie, Writer