Marketing

Sight, hearing, touch, Jai Beom Kim, Associate

Professor, Sungkyunkwan

taste, smell—a brand University, South Korea

should take advantage

of all of these to rein-
force its presence and Yoori Koo, Part Time

deliver its messages. Lecturer, Hongik

University, South Korea

Case studies from Nike

and Puma suggest how
this can be done.
Don Ryun Chang, President,
International Council of
Graphic Design Associations,
Professor, Hongik University,
South Korea
Integrated Brand Experience
Through Sensory Branding
and IMC
by Jai Beom Kim, Yoori Koo, and Don Ryun Chang
In the marketing environment of
yesteryear, firms used carefully
implemented marketing strategies
to lead customers into purchasing
and consuming certain products and
brands. Globalization, spurred on by
advances in network technology, has
enabled consumers to gain access to,
and share, information, even when
they live in geographically and cultur-
ally remote regions. Consumers in
this digital age have learned to gener-
ate culture themselves. In fact, you
could say they are actually engaged
in the process of production. More
and more firms are turning to their
customers for insight as they consider
product concepts, production, adver-
tising, and slogans.
This “prosumer” economy has
evolved along with the development
of information technology. In many
ways, consumers now increasingly
produce what they purchase and/or
consume. Consider the example of
Build-A-Bear Workshop, an inno-
vative and family-friendly retailer.
Build-A-Bear Workshop is a venue
where kids have fun in the process of
building their own customized furry
friends. The company has more than
200 outlets in the US and Canada,
and many international locations, as
well. Children and their parents
enjoy a fully themed environment
with eight bear-making stations
(Choose Me/Hear Me/Stuff Me/
Stitch Me/Fluff Me/Name Me/
Dress Me/Take Me Home) that
allow them to become engaged in
the process and form an emotional
attachment to the result.
Moreover, as time goes on, the
prosumers themselves have gradually
taken more diversified and segmented
roles. In this experience economy, con-
sumers look beyond mere purchase
and consumption to the unique and
rewarding. Many of them, especially
those in their teens and twenties, seek
new, if not novel, experiences—new
© 2009 The Design Management Institute 73
 New Pathways to I ntegrated Design Success
concepts, new functions, new designs,
new flavors, and new sounds. Call
them “trysumers.”
The more companies support
these personalized experiences, the
more value they are able to provide
to their customers, and the more
those customers are willing to pay.
For companies, great experiences are
likely to attract and retain more loyal
customers and thus prove lucrative.
By the same token, mass products are
no longer appealing. Each and every
product needs to demonstrate how
For companies, great experiences are likely
to attract and retain more loyal customers
and thus prove lucrative.
it can be customized for individuals
even within a previously well-defined
customer segment.
Although such personalized
products, even in the recent past, have
been expensive to manufacture and
required much engagement from the
firms producing them, rapid advances
in technology have greatly reduced
those costs and efforts. The Internet,
of course, has played a huge part in
this. Customers can measure them-
selves to order specific sizes and can
even access three-dimensional repre-
sentations to aid in their shopping.
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Customer relationship management
(CRM) based on data accumulated
on- and offline has also contributed
considerably to the identification of
customer needs and wants.
Mass production systems may
no longer be able to cater to the
specific needs and wants of each and
every trysumer. Indeed, as consumer
expectations around the degree of
personalization and the quality of
brand experience climb even higher,
these efforts will become more diffi-
cult. Of course, design’s role here goes
well beyond mere styling to become
a big part of the process of creating
experiences in the purchase and use
of products. Some companies have
thus concentrated their efforts on
“customized and further personalized
brand experiences” as a new paradigm
of brand management.
Personalized needs and wants
are most notable in the fashion sports
industry. This paper will look into the
evolution of customer brand experi-
ence in footwear firms by comparing
two leading sneaker producers, Nike
and Puma. But first, we propose using
a brand experience wheel (BEW)
model, which deals with the integra-
tion of sensory branding with brand
touch-points.
The brand experience wheel model
The evolution and further integration
of online and offline access points
have led to a growing number of
new platforms and touch-points for
customers both current and poten-
tial. As we have noted above, where
these points of communication are
concerned, the power increasingly lies
with customers in their changing roles
of prosumer and trysumer. Although
firms will accordingly make concerted
efforts to utilize as many touch-points
as possible, in difficult economic times
it may not be possible to maintain
all of them. Companies thus need to
carefully evaluate the degree of impact
of each touch-point in terms of expe-
riential breadth and depth.
Experiential breadth refers to
the coverage or the range of contact
points experienced by customers.
Experiential depth refers to the
degree of impact—expressed through
number and diversity of sensory
clues—that each touch-point can
have on a customer, whether current
or potential. The dilemma is that
depth and breadth do not always go
together, and companies are begin-
ning to realize this—with the result
 I ntegrated Brand Experience Through S ensor y Branding and IMC

that integrated marketing commu- may go for contact points with in- should work as both starting point
nications (IMC) is developing into depth appeal, hoping to create strong and focus.
a mainstream strategy. The age of emotional attachment and identifica- The core value/identity of a
mass media advertising has passed tion with the brand. However, in the brand can reach customers through
into one of more-targeted multiple current financial environment, which the five senses of sight, hearing, touch,
forms of communication—forms that calls for marketing to be eminently smell, and taste, greatly influenc-
work together to create a meaningful accountable, sophisticated designers ing experiential depth. But previous
experience that is effective across me- must focus on balancing experiential literature on brand touch-points has
dia platforms. Some marketers work breadth and depth to move consum- not clearly considered the importance
toward the best possible breadth of ers from mere awareness to true of those senses in evaluating touch-
appeal, hoping to provide the greatest “experience.” The designer is not just a point breadth and depth. That’s why
number of attention-getting, branded, creator of objects but also an enabler we like the brand experience wheel
and motivational moments. Others of experiences—and this attitude (BEW) model shown in Figure 1. In
this model, as you can see, the brand’s
core value is clearly demonstrated
through the five senses and through
on- and offline touch-points. Each
point needs to appeal to at least some
of the senses.
Considering brand experience
through the filter of the five senses,
firms can learn to enrich the cus-
tomer’s brand experience, as well as
the personality, of the brand—paving
the way to consumers’ preferences,
affection, and loyalty. Indeed, brand
building done in this way reflects
the decision-making shift we have
discussed above, from the rational to
the emotional and experiential. Active
consumers engaging in a variety of
experiences look for emotional sup-
port from the products they use; in
Figure 1. The core identity of a brand can affect customers through the five senses of sight, hearing, fact, they try to identify themselves
touch, smell, and taste, greatly influencing experiential depth. In the brand experience wheel (BEW) with those products and relate them
model shown here, the brand’s core value is clearly demonstrated through the five senses and
through on- and offline touch-points. Each point needs to appeal to at least some of the senses. to their lives.

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 New Pathways to I ntegrate d De sign Success

Consider psychologist offers not just a more diverse prod-

Abraham Maslow’s model of the
hierarchy of needs. Figure 2 offers
a similar pyramid to be used with
brand-to-customer experience
levels. Price/Function, at the bot-
tom of the pyramid, is equivalent
to the physiological needs noted
in Maslow’s model, and Meaning
parallels Maslow’s highest level,
self-actualization. This is how we needs, this pyramid illustrates the levels of experience
experience products, services, and typically
events in the context of our lives. come into focus after the lower needs are met. Once an
Yet, as with Maslow’s model, the
higher needs in the experience
hierarchy come into focus only after
the lower needs are met. Once an
individual has moved to the next level,
needs in the lower level will no longer
be in effect.
Evolving the brand experience
at Nike
Nike has built its brand image on
the slogan Just Do It, which encour-
aged customers to aspire toward the
achievements of sports celebrities
when they shop for shoes. How-
ever, new paradigms in the past two
decades have changed the logic from
an emphasis on this kind of herd
behavior to one of differentiation
and the uniqueness of each customer.
This new paradigm is most notable in
consumers in their teens and twen-
ties—major target segments for Nike
sneakers. To reflect this new need
Figure 2. In a nod to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of
reached by customers. As with Maslow’s model,
the higher needs in the experience hierarchy only
individual has moved to the next level, needs in the level
below it will no longer be in effect.
for self-expression, Nike began in
1999 to devise a new concept design
system, NikeiD.
With NikeiD, customers can
custom-design and personalize sneak-
ers, apparel, bags, and watches from
a blank canvas or a preconfigured
design for inspiration (Figure 3 on
next page). Consumers can access this
service not just online but also offline,
at NikeiD studios—bricks-and-
mortar outlets—with the assistance
of design consultants. These prosum-
ers can even personalize their choices
with their initials. The design process
is clean and intuitive, organizing
various steps and hundreds of color
choices into a simple four-component
sequence. With a variety of brand
extensions, NIKEiD appeals to both
sports fans and fashionistas. NikeiD
uct line-up, but also the opportunity
to turn a single $100 purchase into
a $250 acquisition (shoe, bag, and
shirt). In five years, NikeiD’s business
has more than tripled, with more than
3 million visitors every month.
In June 2008, Nike launched a
new service called Nike PhotoiD and
offered it to users in nine countries
(UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain,
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and
Finland). Based on the ubiquitous
cellular phone, it’s intended to take
advantage of the habits of the mobile
generation. Nike PhotoiD allows
users to design sneakers based on
color pictures they take with their
own phones (Figure 4 on next page).
Customers contact Nike via MMS,
and PhotoiD analyzes the photo,
matches the two most dominant col-
ors in the shots to the NikeiD palette,
and applies the colors to a selected
design. Users can save an image of
the customized shoe as wallpaper for
their mobiles or send it to friends.
Alternatively, of course, by entering a
unique DESIGN iD at NikeiD.com,
they can link directly to their own
designs to complete and purchase the
sneakers. In this way, Nike imple-
ments touches of buzz, as well as viral
elements. This wallpaper also enables
the user to save and remember the
personalized experience.

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 I ntegrated Brand Experience Through S ensor y Branding and IMC

Nike ID

Figure 3. NikeiD lets customers custom-design and personalize sneakers, apparel, bags, and watches from a blank
canvas or a preconfigured design. Consumers can access this service not just online but also offline, at NikeiD studios.

Figure 4. Nike PhotoiD allows users to design sneakers based on color photographs they take with their cell phones.
Customers contact Nike via MMS, and PhotoiD analyzes the photo, matches the two most dominant colors in the
shots to the NikeiD palette, and applies the colors to a selected design. Users can save an image of the customized
shoe as wallpaper for their mobiles, send it to friends, and of course, purchase the shoes.

77
 New Pathways to I ntegrated Design Success

If we apply the BEW model ized way of shopping. Nike Photo an established digital/mobile product.
to Nike PhotoiD, we see that this iD goes even further by offering a The Photo iD initiative demonstrates
service allows consumers to feel mobile-phone platform, adding an in- what can be achieved when technol-
inspired and captivated by a scene novative new dimension of consumer ogy connects a consumer’s inspira-
that appeals to their senses of sight, brand experience even though it uses tional environment with his or her
hearing, touch, smell, and taste. The
customer takes a photograph, and
thus fixes that moment in time. But it
is not just the image that is captured;
that moment is also captured, with
all the sensory clues it represents.
Every time the consumer wears those
unique shoes, he or she remembers
that moment, creating both a mean-
ingful experience and an advance in
the relationship between product and
consumers. It’s a service custom-made
(so to speak) for the trysumer.
Note that while the past use of
MMS in mobile marketing cam-
paigns has typically focused on short-
term, one-way interactions between
brand and consumers, Nike PhotoID
opens a genuine creative dialogue
between them.
As Figure 5 demonstrates, Nike’s
use of online personalized experience
evolved from offering mass-produced
items through online and offline
channels toward more-interactive per-
sonalization via mobile phone. After
all, even online, purchasing a standard
pair of shoes is generally not that
different from doing so in a bricks-
and-mortar store, or via mail order.
NikeiD took that process a step fur- Figure 5. This brand experience wheel (BEW) model demonstrates Nike’s evolving use of
online personalized experience—from mass-produced items offered through online and
ther by introducing a more personal- offline channels to Nike PhotoiD’s even more interactive personalization via mobile phone.

78

natural desire to create—one of the
reasons it earned the top prize at the
Revolution Awards for Innovation1
in 2009.
Nike’s management team empha-
sizes a collaborative process designed
to stimulate innovation, solve prob-
lems, and identify new opportunities.
A typical product development team
will include nondesign members, such
as marketers, brand specialists, and
trend finders (Figure 6). In fact, hun-
dreds of people are often involved. It
is a method that works: Nike an-
ticipates overall sale growth of 5 to 7
percent in 2009.
1. Hosted by the UK’s Revolution magazine, these awards
have served as the definitive benchmark in digital mar-
keting innovation and effectiveness since 1997.
Figure 7. Puma’s online Mongolian BBQ treats shoe design as if it were an a la carte experience.
I ntegrated Brand Experience Through S ensor y Branding and IMC
Puma: Cooking up the brand
experience
You may be wondering: Unless you’re
a purveyor of actual food, how can
you possibly involve the sense of
taste in your brand initiatives? Ask
Figure 6. The role of each department in Nike’s
development process.
Puma. Like Nike, this sports ap-
parel company was searching for an
innovative way to offer its products
online. Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ
gives customers shopping for custom-
ized footwear a way to “taste the art
of shoemaking” by choosing from
more than 30 materials, colors, and
textures, much as one would from an
a la carte menu (Figure 7). This is in
contrast with traditional online shop-
ping, which is heavily reliant on one
sense, sight. The online site mimics
the cooking process used in actual
Mongolian barbecue: for instance, the
customer selects various parts of his
or her shoe and the site displays them
on a tray as if they were being chosen
for cooking. Although the process of
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 New Pathways to I ntegrate d De sign Success

selecting colors and materials for 20
different shoe parts could be a tedious
one, the cooking metaphor makes it
entertaining. For instance, when the
design process nears completion, the
visual will demonstrate appropriate
“steam” and “flavor.”
Consumers can also experience
the BBQ offline by visiting a PUMA
store, where the store layout comple-
ments its online equivalent by offering
a tongue-in-cheek evocation of a
barbecue restaurant. Puma’s BBQ
concept integrates the cultural experi-
ences of Mongolian cuisine with the
utilization of five senses in the design
and purchase process (Figure 8). All
in all, pairing shoe design with an
exotic cooking experience offers con-
sumers an entertainment that they
have never had before.
The Nike and Puma cases
demonstrate some examples of this
evolution (Figure 9 on next page).
Nike PhotoiD built on the company’s
experience in customizing online
transactions to more interactively en-
gage with customers and their “street
photos.” Puma’s Mongolian Shoe
BBQ imagined building a customized
shoe as if it were an a la carte restau-
rant experience, full of vivid ingredi-
ents and flavors.
What’s next for the customized
online experience? Are we head-
ing for the day when customers can
truly reach out and touch the fabric
or material of their choice? Stay
tuned—and rest assured that savvy
companies will continue to find new
ways to connect with their customers.
If they can evolve to the next level and
orchestrate a holistic experience with
a brand, product, or service in re-
sponse to the ever-changing market-
ing environment, they will be assured
of a bright future.

Taste how good this smells!

Advances in multimedia technology

have enabled a more intimate inter-
action between users and products,
while augmented virtual reality and
mobility have blurred the boundaries
between online and offline. Online
space can even be reshaped to provide
creative experiences that cater to more
than just a visual sense, enabling bet-
ter storytelling—very important, in
this age of experience marketing. Figure 8. Mongolian BBQ as a BEW model.

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 I ntegrated Brand Experience Through S ensor y Branding and IMC



+
Nike ID

+ +

[
Figure 9. In the past, consumers were expected to experience brands in a basically standardized way. However, the rise
of personalization, particularly online, has enabled consumers to take a much larger part in their brand experiences.
Some products, such as NikeiD and Puma’s Mongolian BBQ, allow them to actually take part in the production process.

Suggested Reading Press, M., and Cooper, R. The

Jacobs, J., and Hackett, J. “Experiential Design Experience: The Role of
Design Drives Brand to a Youth- Design and Designers in the
ful Market.” Design Management Twenty-First Century. London:
Review, 19(2), 2008, pp. 45-52. Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2003.

Mapes, S. (2007). “Experiential Spengler, C. “The Competitive

Marketing as a Wundt Experi- Advantage of a Brand-Typical
ence.” Design Management Review, Client Experience.” Handelszeitung,
18(2), 2008, pp. 69-76. no. 33, 2008. n
Reprint #09203KIM72
Pine, J., and Gilmore, J. The Experi-
ence Economy. Boston: Harvard
Business School Press, 1999.

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