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Why Sensory Marketing Is Retail’s Secret Weapon & How Mood Media Makes It Work

Beyond convenience and layout, winning customer attention hinges on the complete sensory experience customers encounter: what they hear, see, smell, and feel. This is the domain of sensory marketing, and few are as knowledgeable in this area as Jaime Bettencourt, SVP at Mood Media.

With decades of experience in retail CX strategy, she has been instrumental in helping brands like The North Face, H&M, and Macy’s transform their in-store environments into potent forces for brand building and revenue generation.

This expertise has never been more critical. With physical retail driving 72% of total U.S. sales through 2028, stores must evolve beyond transaction points into experience platforms. Mood Media’s research reveals that 67% of shoppers enter stores seeking inspiration rather than specific items, creating a prime opportunity for brands to influence behavior through coordinated sensory engagement.

The Four Pillars of Strategic Sensory Marketing

Mood Media’s approach centers on four strategic elements that work in harmony to create these transformative experiences:

Audio strategy transforms background music into a powerful tool for customer behavior and brand consistency. Region-specific playlists reflect local character while maintaining brand identity. Ongoing content updates prevent staleness and support staff morale.

Scent marketing leverages the direct connection between smell, emotion, and memory. Custom olfactory signatures, developed through partnerships with global fragrance houses, create instant brand recognition and lasting emotional bonds with customers.

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Dynamic visual signage replaces static content with contextual digital displays that adapt to real-time conditions, including time of day, season, and demographics. This approach balances brand consistency with local relevance, ensuring content enhances the shopping experience.

Interactive digital media focuses on purpose-driven elements that simplify rather than complicate the customer journey. Heat mapping and engagement tracking optimize these touchpoints, creating two-way engagement that adds genuine value.

Proven Results in Action

The North Face’s London flagship demonstrates the power of sensory marketing. When expanding their Regent Street store by 33%, they dedicated prime center space to a 360-degree projection dome. The dome features AI-generated landscapes, nature soundscapes, and a custom “White Pepperwood” scent. Rather than traditional product displays, this bold commitment to experience delivered measurable increases in both dwell time and return frequency.

Future-Ready Implementation

AI-powered personalization now enables real-time adaptation based on store demographics and conditions. Operational tools like Mood’s Messaging Copilot streamline content creation, while managed services ensure seamless 24/7 operation. The focus remains on removing friction rather than adding flashy features.

Modern stores are evolving into social and cultural spaces where brands can connect authentically with Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers who expect physical environments as dynamic as their digital lives. Brands maintaining static, product-only approaches risk irrelevance with these influential demographics.

Mood Media The North Face flagship store case study

Strategic Partnership Approach

Mood’s implementation begins with comprehensive discovery to understand brand identity and customer behavior patterns. Custom strategies integrate the optimal mix of audio, visual, scent, and interactive elements, with scalable solutions ensuring multi-location consistency while allowing local flexibility. Ongoing support and content evolution maintain fresh, engaging experiences that drive measurable business results, like increased dwell time, higher conversion rates, and enhanced brand perception.

Learn how Mood leverages sensory marketing for retailers on DesignRush.

Jaime Bettencourt

Jaime Bettencourt, SVP of Global Account Management and Marketing at Mood Media, is an accomplished senior-level sales and marketing leader with a proven ability to achieve double-digit revenue growth, recognized for designing world-class customer experiences for leading lifestyle and retail brands. She has a robust track record for leading teams and leveraging custom, complex in-store marketing, media, and technology solutions for Fortune 100 clients in the retail space. Throughout Jaime’s 20+ years in the experiential industry, she’s been in various marketing, branding and sales leadership roles and has worked with global organizations to enhance in-store experiences through targeted brand initiatives and marketing strategies supported by customer insights and analytics.

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