Leveraging Sensory Marketing to Boost Food Product Appeal
In a competitive landscape where consumers are inundated with choices, brands that win don’t just satisfy hunger—they engage the senses. That’s the power of sensory marketing: using sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound to deepen product appeal, enhance brand perception, and drive purchase behavior.
For food, supplement, and cosmetic brands, sensory cues are more than just “nice to have.” They are essential tools that influence how consumers perceive quality, flavor, and even functionality. At TasteFluent Consulting, we help brands harness the power of sensory marketing to create experiences that are not only memorable—but marketable.
Why Sensory Marketing Works
Human decision-making is deeply tied to the senses. Research shows that multi-sensory experiences increase emotional engagement and brand recall. In food and beverage, sensory attributes often influence perception even before the first bite or sip.
Consider this:
The crunch of a chip affects perceived freshness.
The color of a beverage can signal flavor intensity or sweetness.
A product’s aroma can trigger memories and emotional associations.
Even package texture influences perceptions of luxury or naturalness.
Sensory marketing taps into these subtle cues to tell a story that consumers don’t just see—they feel.
Applying Sensory Strategy to Food and Supplement Products
Whether you’re formulating a protein powder or launching a functional snack, here’s how to use sensory marketing to elevate your offering:
1. Design for Visual Appetite Appeal
Visuals drive first impressions. Use color, texture, and form to communicate flavor, freshness, and quality.
🟡 Example: Hu Kitchen uses imperfect chocolate chunk shapes and rustic textures to signal its clean, unprocessed identity. The visual style reinforces the brand’s “No Weird Ingredients” promise.
🟡 Example: Liquid I.V. color-codes each flavor with bright, tropical visuals that suggest hydration and refreshment before the stick pack is ever opened.
2. Highlight Aroma as an Emotional Hook
Smell is closely linked to memory and emotion. For brands with aromatic ingredients—like cocoa, mint, ginger, or citrus—aroma can become a signature experience.
🟡 Example: Four Sigmatic coffee blends infuse functional mushrooms like lion’s mane and chaga with rich, roasted coffee aromas, using scent to mask earthiness while enhancing ritual and enjoyment.
🟡 Example: Aesop in the personal care space has built cult status around signature essential oil scents like cedarwood and vetiver, turning aroma into a sensory brand identity.
3. Tap into Texture to Build Trust
Texture is a powerful differentiator. In food, texture affects both perceived quality and satisfaction. In supplements, it can influence mixability or mouthfeel.
🟡 Example: Perfect Bar focuses its messaging on “smooth and cookie-dough-like” texture to set itself apart from gritty or chalky competitors in the refrigerated bar space.
🟡 Example: AG1 (Athletic Greens) reformulated their powder to improve mouthfeel and now highlights its “smooth, mild flavor profile” to address consumer hesitations about greens powders.
4. Use Sound (Yes, Really)
The sound of food—crunching, pouring, fizzing—can enhance sensory appeal, especially in digital content.
🟡 Example: Poppi uses fizzy pouring sounds and vibrant ASMR-friendly visuals in TikToks and Instagram Reels to spark cravings for its prebiotic soda.
🟡 Example: Doritos has long built its brand around crunch, using sound in commercials and even social campaigns that emphasize the sonic satisfaction of their chips.
Beyond the Product: Sensory Branding in Action
Sensory marketing doesn’t stop at the product. Packaging, website UX, and unboxing experiences should all align to reinforce your brand’s sensory signature. A few ways to extend the experience:
🟡 Example: Glossier uses soft-touch packaging, minimalist design, and signature pink hues to create a tactile and visual experience that consumers associate with care and self-expression.
🟡 Example: Seed’s DTC probiotic subscription uses a high-end refill system with frosted glass jars, minimalist branding, and a subtle mint scent in the shipping box—turning gut health into a sensory ritual.
Your Product Deserves to Be Felt, Not Just Seen
In crowded categories, products that engage multiple senses have a strategic edge. Sensory marketing helps you go beyond functional claims and connect with your audience on a deeper, more emotional level.
At TasteFluent Consulting, we work with brands to audit sensory touchpoints, optimize formulations for consumer appeal, and craft messaging that reflects the sensory experience—accurately and effectively.
TasteFluent’s Starter Sensory Strategy Checklist
Audit your product’s existing sensory cues
What does it look, smell, taste, feel, and sound like? Capture what’s already working—and what might be sending mixed signals.Listen to how customers describe your product
Are buyers using words you want them to? Do their reviews and reactions reflect the intended experience?Define the emotional outcome
What do you want your product to feel like emotionally—calming, indulgent, refreshing, energizing?Check your brand alignment
Does your packaging, photography, and messaging match the sensory story of the product inside?Look for inconsistencies across touchpoints
Does the e-commerce experience reflect the same mood and appeal as the product itself? What about social content?
This framework is a great place to start—but it’s only the beginning. Truly effective sensory branding connects the dots between formulation, consumer perception, packaging, and positioning. That requires collaboration across teams—and a strategy tailored to your category, claims, and growth stage.
That’s where TasteFluent Consulting comes in - let’s turn your product into an experience.
TasteFluent offers messaging strategies that align science, storytelling, and consumer behavior—so you can stand out with substance. Reach out for a discovery call and let’s build something craveable.
