Digital is not enough: Why global brands are investing in multisensory
Marketing

In the online world, sight and hearing rule. We scroll, click, read, watch and listen. But despite its popularity, the virtual form lacks one crucial thing - tangibility, the ability to touch. Today, touch gives brands a new chance to stand out from the noise of digital communication and make their mark on customers' minds. Haptic advertising - marketing that actively engages the sense of touch - shows that touch sells, builds trust and creates a deeper relationship with a brand.

Why is touch so powerful?

Touch is the first sense we use to perceive the world. While sight and hearing often remain passive, touch requires interaction. And that's what makes it a tool that can:

  • strengthen the emotional connection with the object/brand;
  • increase the perceived value of the product;
  • improve the memorability of the message.

Think of the promotions of global brands with physical product displays and opportunities to try them out, or their miniature gifts in the form of samples. And how many times have street vendors tried to squeeze goods into your hands? The reason is clear. Haptics is simply persuasive and it works. A study says that tactile sensations can increase positive
IQ advertising gives clear instructions on how to work smart with haptics. You can use haptic advertising products in your business like many other, global brands.

How does haptics influence customer decision making?

The material, workmanship and grip of an object subconsciously reinforce the customer's trust in the product and the brand itself. The possibility of touch:

  • Increases trust - holding something makes it seem more real, more valuable;
  • encourages action - physical interaction activates the brain more than just reading or watching.
  • Increases loyalty - brands that engage multiple senses are better remembered and more likely to be emotionally connected.

In addition, the "endowment effect " applies - when we hold something, we start to subconsciously value it more. And that's a powerful moment for a buying decision.

Global brands that work with haptics

The most successful brands know haptics well - and use touch as a strategic communication channel:

  • Nespresso: capsule coffee is a symbol of speed and convenience - but it's the packaging that really evokes a sense of uniqueness. The matt, glossy, finely textured packaging is luxurious, even if the real value of the coffee itself is usually rather modest compared to the price.
  • IKEA: tactile experience has always been the key to success for the Swedish furniture manufacturer and retailer - thick paper, realistic photography and, for some special editions, inserts with textures or material samples. In the showrooms, IKEA encourages haptic testing - cushions, fabrics, chairs and accessories are free to touch. In fact, with every touch, the likelihood of a customer buying increases.
  • Apple: the luxurious tactile feel of packaging and materials is a hallmark of Apple products - the pleasing textures and coolness of aluminium build a premium feel before you even turn the power button.

Touch is the future of brand experience

Brands that focus only on visuals risk remaining just an image in memory. Brands that can be experienced with their hands have a head start. Tactile is powerful, trusted and memorable - and when combined with the other senses, it can turn an ordinary campaign into an experience.

Want your customers to remember you too? Don't just give them something to see. Give them something they can touch.

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Source: Lindstrom, Martin. Brand Sense: Sensory Secrets Behind the Stuff We Buy. New York: Free Press, 2005. ISBN 9780743273865.

14. 05. 2025
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