Reflexion on Sensations and Consumer Behaviour

Hello,

In class and during the required readings there has been discussion that sensations have an impact on consumer behaviour. Therefore, I will further discuss how everyones five senses play a role in our daily lives by describing my analytical experience at the Cineplex movie theatre.

The five senses are of course the sense of smell, sight, sound, taste and touch. The main senses that I focused on during the experiment at Cineplex were the sense of smell, sight and sound. The sense of smell has the ability to stir up emotions and can also have a triggering affect on our ability to recall past memories. Furthermore, the sense of sight has the ability to see colours which subsequently can induce moods and emotion. Finally, the tempo of sounds can affect behaviour.

Previously, when I have gone to the movie theatre, I have a tendency to bring snack foods with me therefore I simply purchase my ticket and bypass all the stands and games to go straight to my seat. Therefore, upon arriving at the movie theatre entrance with an analytical mentality, you realize the mass range of advertising from upcoming movies to the variety of foods sold at the concession stand. At this particular cineplex, all of the walls and carpeting were very dark therefore causing my attention to be drawn to the luminous concession stand and advertising. Additionally, the concession stand was strategically placed in the middle of the building creating the inability of customers to head to their seats without having to pass by the crowded lineups. Although, what happened to be more overwhelming than the right was actually the smell of popcorn that hits you like a wall when you enter. However, this smell is not quite the same as when I make popcorn at home because I usually do not cover the top layer with liquid melted butter… Finally, my sense of sound was directed towards the arcade area as it was the only area with high tempo music.

In order for you to be able to stimulate your visual senses of an experience at Cineplex, I have posted a picture of a Cineplex from Google below:

After my experience at the Cineplex, I wanted to dig a little bit deeper to find some specialists opinions on sensations and consumer behaviour. The globe and mail led to me come across the quote below:

“Scent affects mood and scent affects emotion,” says Kevin Bradford, a marketing professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. “It works without you having the opportunity to filter it. To me, that is extremely unethical.”

I find that Kevin Bradford puts an interesting perspective on scent marketing. As an avid consumer, the idea that sensations can trigger subconscious emotions that we cannot filter is unsettling. However, hopefully sharing this knowledge will allow the realization upon exposure that we should make rational purchasing decisions.

Thank you,

Tarah Whissell

Sources:

Lewis, Carly. "When scent crosses the ethical line." The Globe and Mail. N.p., 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 4 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/beauty/when-scent-crosses-the-ethical-line/article20517586/>.