The Story

Have you been to Anthropologie? If not, visit one, at least to experience the store. This brand knows how to create the quintessential multi-sensory experience – one which gets women to pay an extraordinary mark-up for not-so-extraordinary clothing. Let’s take a look at how they accomplish this:

When you step into an Anthropologie, the first thing you’ll notice is the scent – a distinct sweet, floral perfume that wafts throughout each of the brand’s branches and conjures up images of sunny country villas. The next thing you’ll take in is the interior – unfinished wood floors, logs stacked against the wall, and products displayed on antique-looking cabinets and tables. Quirky chandeliers hang low from the ceiling and the home décor for sale is made to look vintage. Clothing is displayed in a similar fashion, surrounded by old mirrors and chairs to make you feel like you’re in a French lady’s Victorian boudoir.

Let’s not forget sound. The music that resonates throughout Anthropologie’s branches is all part of the branding. It’s hip music – not cheesy pop music – but rather the alternative type that the cool girl in class would listen to.

So what does this ’shabby chic’ and antique sensory overload do? Well, it convinces the girl who buys the overpriced skirt that she is not just buying a piece of clothing – rather she is buying a whole lifestyle. With that skirt, she gets to take home a little piece of the pseudo-European bohemian character that permeates every corner of the store. She is consciously or unconsciously willing to pay an exorbitant markup for Anthropologie’s branding, because it convinces her that she belongs in this world:

(book on display in Anthropologie)

As a bank marketing or credit union marketing professional, you are probably wondering how any of this is applicable in the world of financial services. I’m using this case to show how a brand has successfully used multi-sensory marketing to prove their story. I’m not suggesting that you should copy Anthropologie. After all, you don’t want your bank branch to smell like a French powder room, because that probably (hopefully) has nothing to do with your brand. However, I am suggesting that you investigate what scents, sounds and looks could help you prove your brand story. Don’t think that banks can do this? Take a look at Bank Leumi, which has started using scent marketing in all of its branches.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 9:56 am and is filed under Bank Branding, Credit Union Branding, Bank Marketing, Touch points, Experiential Marketing, Branding, Experiential Brands, Multisensory Marketing and 5 Senses Branding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.