The New Superpower of Companies and Their Brands: Sensory Experiences

February 8, 2021 6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We are in crucial times, where the future of work intersects with the exhaustion caused by uncertainty; the old practices of leadership with new forms of agile leadership; staying at home reveals the consistency of primary affections, where work is an important aspect, but not the only one.

We are changing our minds.

The process may appear to be very slow; and I often hear it said that humanity is not going to change, that everything will remain the same and that destiny is more likely to twist to redirect it as it came before the pandemic, than to take on the challenge of the new.

I disagree on this point. I observe in my work as people, and, later, companies, they are transforming rapidly; some driven by circumstances, and others, because they woke up to that different generative impulse. They matured and are still growing amid the volatility and brittleness of the moment.

That is why business and home rituals, encounters, creating environments of warmth and containment, are becoming more and more essential. Imagine a person working from home, dedicating an average of two or three more hours per day to work beyond attending to domestic issues, and juggling to perform as well as possible.

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These five routines that I want to propose personally and with an impact on work can help you improve your potential, as long as you implement them continuously:

1. Take a quiet space. Call it meditation, mindfulness or whatever you feel. Just 5 to 10 minutes a day to free your mind of tensions, let your ideas go and focus only on breathing.

2. Plan before starting the day. You can do it before the end of the day, or first thing in the day. It is a way of connecting with the energy that will drive your day and setting priorities.

3. Read at least half an hour daily. Choose all kinds of materials that nurture you not only in professional skills, but also in personal development. Remember that soft skills are more than 50% of what the world of work requires today.

4. Networking. Maintain an updated network of contacts, which permanently opens up new opportunities to add value through your work.

5. Aromas and music. They are two tools that you can also incorporate into your daily life. The aromas uncover creativity, boost sensations and emotions that contribute to the internal state you want to achieve. And music can be an inescapable companion of all moments. You can create lists on Spotify or listen to the thousands that already exist to help you change your mood, synchronizing them with how you feel internally according to the moments of the day.

Double-clicking on the power of aromas, years ago the work of Melina Napolitano, an expert in multi-sensory design, caught my attention through her Smell Me project.

Conversing with her about the relationship of companies with their collaborators and with consumers, we conclude that most of the time they have concentrated their efforts on the properties of their products, on their next launches, on salary conditions or spaces of employment. their workspaces, etc. However, even today, very few have been able to contemplate emotions and senses within their strategies.

“The pandemic has caused an explosion of new behaviors that have highlighted the need to contribute and positively impact people’s emotional well-being,” says Melina. “Hand in hand with aromas, essences, flavors, brands can approach people’s intimacy and display their superpowers.”

Where does the perception come from that what smells good does good? “The perception that being perfumed is a sign of cleanliness and care is cultural, whether from the home, the pet, public environments and ourselves,” he says. “There is a long way to go by companies to use aromas as a marketing tool, and, even better, within work spaces to harmonize the internal climate.”

Scents as emotional companions

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Depending on what you want to achieve in the internal state, there are aromas more conducive than others. Here, several ideas proposed by the specialist:

• Keep calm : keep calm . When people work or carry out their daily activities, they need more than ever to find spaces of calm, of slow times. Accompanying people to generate those rituals where time takes on another dimension within their work hours or personal activities is key to contribute to recharging energy, supporting people to maximize attention and clarity.

#Tip> Some of the ingredients that contribute to calm: Lavender, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Chamomile, Rose, among others.

• Rase your energy : Increase your energy. Here it is about recreating a positive atmosphere, contributing to moments of recharging and activating energy, promoting optimism and creativity, are some of the challenges that brands should observe and address.

Some of the ingredients to boost energy: #Tip> Ingredients: Lemon, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Orange.

• Reconcile the dream : fall asleep. The uncertainty, complexity and fragility result in difficulty sleeping, and the pandemic accentuated this problem. Companies and their brands, for their teams and clients, can work with certain aromas that help to counteract insomnia, reduce stress and induce people to a quality sleep, helping to improve the quality of life.

#Tip> Aromas with ingredients such as: lavender, chamomile, patchouli, vanilla are recommended.

In the words of the aroma expert, “the emotional will undoubtedly drive the purchase decision to a great extent and those brands that know how to respond appropriately by promoting resilience, seeking positive and anti-stress rituals, connecting humanely with their consumers and innovating will have much to gain. in this post-pandemic future that we are already imagining. “

There is no single formula. Aromas are one of the tools, and they can be combined with many more.

The invitation is to try, rehearse and create pleasant environments to improve our focus when working, and expand the frontiers of the sensory to connect with new experiences. And this can start at home, and extend it to the realm of the company, the brands, and the ties with the clients.