Haptic Marketing – Ads You Can Feel

There’s something drastically different between seeing a pillow online versus pressing down on the soft memory foam and running your hands over the delicate smooth fabric, right?

Haptic Marketing – Ads You Can Feel

There’s something drastically different between seeing a pillow online versus pressing down on the soft memory foam and running your hands over the delicate smooth fabric, right? Given the power of our tactile senses, that’s how haptic marketing came to light. Haptic marketing focuses on the physical tactile sensation to influence customers to purchase an item or increase the recall of your brand. While it’s a new marketing niche, it's already making waves across industries.

The Importance of Tactile Experiences

The concept behind haptic marketing isn’t anything new. Before our e-commerce dominated the shopping scene, consumers would go out to the nearest mall or store to shop. This allowed people to touch and feel products, influencing whether or not to purchase an item.

Studies show that objects we can feel, that have weight and texture, will produce a greater emotional response and are easier to remember and recall.

And you may be thinking “But what if I don’t have a touchable product, like a Netflix subscription or an internet provider?” If that is the case, don’t go anywhere, haptics marketing still applies. It goes further than just the touch of the product itself. It can relate to sensory appeal linked to the advertisement of any type of product.

For example, Media Brix, a gaming company added more sensory elements to their mobile advertisements. Viewers could click on different parts of the ad and specific vibrations and sounds would happen. For this brand, their ability to leverage both visuals, touch and sound only strengthened immersing their viewers in a distinctive experience.

Why Businesses Should Invest in Haptic Marketing

The ability to physically interact with a product or item triggers an emotional response that online marketing alone cannot.

Neuromarketing researches show that tactile experiences involve emotional processing, which is important for memory and brand associations.

And emotionally connected consumers are definitely what all brands should strive for. Emotions inspire loyalty, advocacy and preference.

In the current world of digital exposure, it’s important that brands offer consumers an extra tactile touchpoint, something that goes beyond the glimpse of the eye or a scroll of an ad. There are many different and creative ways to offer this, from the state of the art technology to simple paper-based marketing.

Haptic Marketing Examples

Since haptic marketing is still a new field, you may have difficulty figuring out how you can apply it to your company. Below are just a few examples of how you could incorporate haptic marketing into your branding.

01 Paper-Based Marketing

Did you know that paper-based items can trigger positive emotional responses?
In a study done in 2015, researchers found that in comparison to digital media, paper and physical materials sticks better to our memory and allow us to internalize the content better. From thank you cards to printed images, there are a ton of ways you can incorporate paper-based marketing.
Stampix is your partner in that area. We work with brands to extend the effort of their online campaigns to the offline world. More specifically Stampix helps businesses build emotional connections with their consumers by surprising and delighting them with a unique gift: their best moments printed and delivered for free. This allows brands to create an extra tactile offline touchpoint and be associated with their customers best moments.

02 Pop-up Stores

Never underestimate the power of a pop-up shop. This is a great option for e-commerce stores looking to provide an in-person experience for customers. Rather than selling your items, you can provide a sample of your product, host a game night or paint night – the options are endless. This way, more consumers will get to know you and your brand better. While it may be slightly more costly to rent out a space, the in-person physical experience you’ll provide will be unforgettable.

03 TouchSense Ads

TouchSense Ads are ads that you can experience through sight and touch. Haptic video ads improve brand connection by 62% and customers had an overall improved perception of the brand after watching the ads. Additionally, the unique ad features made customers more excited and happier. Brands like Arby’s and networks like ShowTime have all benefited from TouchSense ads in their marketing.