Influencing behaviors and creating suggestions at both the conscious and unconscious levels can be the right stimulus for Consumer Arousal.
SIMON Faure-Field, CEO of Equal Strategy, has been at the forefront of driving and building demand for sensory branding techniques in the retail industry for the past several years.
His company, which is the only one of its kind in Asia to effectively integrate the different sensory elements, is used by Mercedes-Benz, Courts, OCBC Bank, DBS Bank, and a multitude of hotel chains across Asia.
Marketing Magazine sat clown with him at Starbucks and listened to the British sensory branding guru on how he “scientifically” introduces ambient music, scent marketing, and ambient lighting into retail environments.
Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your establishment..
I’m 38 years of age and run a dynamic and exciting sensory branding business, Equal Strategy – the only business in Asia that specializes in the integrated use of music and fragrance to create unique signature customer experiences, which reinforces the brand propositions of our clients. I founded Equal Strategy in Kuala Lumpur during the Asian economic crisis of 1998.
Can you elaborate on what is it that the world’s most successful branding companies do differently in terms of touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound? Can you give some examples?
They recognized the integral importance of the customer experience to their brands. The research found that peoples’ opinions of brands are formed and reinforced in the minds of customers during their actual experiences buying and using a product or service, and not by the advert that got them to the store.
Brands such as Starbucks built a successful global business through the idea of blueprinting and standardising all the aspects of service delivery throughout outlets on a global scale. Four years ago Westin Hotels and Resorts rolled out globally” a consistent music and scent experience in all its hotel lobbies, followed one year later by its sister brand Sheraton, and the following year by Le Meridien.
The signature scent for Shangri-La was designed to smell expensive
Two years ago, we were involved with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts to develop a signature scent, designed to smell ‘expansive’, and diffused through the air conditioning system of their Asian business hotel lobbies and private residence lobbies.
Can you tell us the response that you have garnered from the Malaysian market? Is the Malaysian market receptive to the concept of sensory branding or are Malaysian companies adopting a wait-and-see-attitude?
It’s new, so awareness of the techniques and how they are applied to different businesses is partly an educational row. Colleges and Universities are still teaching the methodologies of 40 years ago.
Marketers still think if it’s not TV, radio, or print, it’s not the marketing department’s responsibility.
The reality is, if it touches people internally or externally, it is a marketing issue. Mind you, we’ve had positive interest but find the market still heavily obsessed with short-term tactical ROI as opposed to long-term strategic ROI.
Branding is strategic, and a long-term strategy
Businesses need to realize that branding is a long-term strategy that delivers the figures in the end. But patience and backing from the CEO is critical to make it a success. Look at the fortune 500 companies that have paid close attention to this through the years—Microsoft, Dell, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Walt Disney, and Boeing. They all mean something to us. I rest my case.
How do you brand or market this service/product that you are so passionate about? Can you elaborate on your marketing strategies?
We decided upon a strategy to work with well-established and respected Malaysian brands who lead by example. This would enable the market to experience our services on a personal level and realize it makes sense.
How do you help companies develop sensory plans? What can they expect when it comes to investing in such plans?
We recognise that all clients and their brands are unique.
Through our collaborative methodology, we take the time to understand each client: who they are, where they are now, what they are trying to achieve, explore concepts and ideas, and define how we are going to get there. Once we agree on the plan, we take ownership of the project, let the client sit back, and we make it happen.
What do you personally consider as the most interesting and surprising fact that you’ve heard from marketing research regarding sensory branding?
That people fall deeply in love with your brand!
Can you name a few clients that you have worked with in Malaysia and what was their perception of the concept of designing a brand experience for their customers?
Equal Strategy has been working with OCBC for ten years (since 1999) with our phone banking IVR and ‘in-queue’ professional voice-over and music services. For the past three years, Equal Strategy has been an integral part of OCBC’s ‘Branch Transformation Team’.
They realized market segmentation isn’t just about data on paper, but that the experience should fit the segment. This too should be experienced not just by adverts in print, but when they visit the branch.
Equal Strategy has provided Internet-delivered and managed music services since 2004.
We rolled out our music solution across all the branches in Malaysia, using background music profiled (in terms of tone, feel, texture & genre) to differentiate consumer banking and premier banking segments.
Premier Banking for OCBC Malaysia uses jazz & classical music to create an upmarket ambiance
Each profile was standardised across each segment. OCBC was open-minded and valued the experience and knowledge we could bring to the table, and by adopting our technology, we were enabled to change and update music content ‘remotely’ in individual or nationwide branches overnight, in both East and West Malaysia. Since 2004, Equal Strategy has used the Internet to deliver and update content at any location in the world.
Brands who dare to be different
Pacific Regency Kuala Lumpur has been a fun client to work with. Besides its’ rooftop chill-out bar ‘Luna’, which has been recognized as the best Malaysian night spot for several years. The GM Kenny Teo, recognized the need for their service to start at the guest’s first touch—when using the phone. The ability to replace “Kenny G” often found ‘when on hold’, with appropriate contemporary music to reflect its brand positioning and interlaced messages spoken by internationally recognized professional Malaysian talent, immediately differentiated the experience to others. The music concept was later extended to public areas of the hotel to reflect the different moods of the day, and days of the week.
