Bringing sensory anthropology to consumer research

Abstract

Purpose-Multisensory stimulation is integral to experiential consumption. However, a gap persists between recognition of the importance of multisensory stimulation and the research techniques used to study the effects of such stimulation on consumption experiences. This article draws on sensory anthropology to narrow the gap. Methodology-Sensory anthropology has the potential to help consumer researchers understand multisensory stimulation and its effect on consumption experiences. To highlight this potential, ethnographic fieldwork is reported for two related experiential settings: yacht racing and adventure racing. Findings-It is shown how consumer researchers can apply concepts and data collection techniques from sensory anthropology to derive powerful insights into consumption experiences. A set of guidelines and examples derive from embodied concepts associated with sensory anthropology, namely: kinesthetic schema, bodily mimesis, the mindful body, and local biology. These concepts are used to comprehend how consumers experience sensations phenomenologically, understand them culturally, and reenact them socially. Practical Implications-By acknowledging and engaging the senses, researchers acquire embodied information that would not be evident from conventional interview, survey or experimental data. Sensory anthropology adds to what is known from psychological, social and cultural sources to enable organisations to differentiate their offerings by means of the senses and sensory expressions, not only in yacht and adventure racing but potentially in many other experiential settings, such as travel, shopping, entertainment and immersive gaming. Originality/Value-This article offers distinct and original methodological insights for consumer researchers by focusing on concepts and data collection techniques that assist the study of experiential consumption from an embodied and corporeal perspective.

The Power of Senses

“…This study identifies pathways for developing CSE research with its central concepts and its dimensions (Bustamante and Rubio, 2017). In particular, the sensory dimension in the CSE research remains a key challenge for researchers and practitioners (Scott and Uncles, 2018). The text mining analysis offers a novel approach in analyzing diverse contributions to CSE research over time and identifies three distinct research areas of CSE: service system architecture, servicescape, and outcome measures.…”

“…Everything we see, smell, hear, touch, and taste influences our perceptions and shapes our experiences (Krishna 2012). This profound impact on our senses is not new to marketers and service providers, who have identified sensory marketing and the design of multisensory rich stimuli in service environments as the next battlefield, in which practitioners will strive to set themselves apart from their competitors (Scott and Uncles 2018). The airline industry is just one service environment in which service providers are seeking innovative ways to move beyond core services by creating extraordinary multisensory experiences.…”

“…The discipline of service research is still young and emerging; though scholars have made great efforts to disentangle the definitional dimensions of CSE, they have not yet developed a comprehensive understanding of the influence of all five CSE dimensions. The role of the senses seems particularly neglected (Scott and Uncles 2018), suggesting the strong need to advance research in multiple directions. In this context, my dissertation addresses four major research gaps, pertaining to (1) the role of the five definitional dimensions of CSE, (2) sensory dimensions within and beyond the service discipline, (3) the role of the senses in shaping CSE, and (4) sensory integration and information processing.…”

“…This implies that customers selectively transfer multisensory cues by means of their senses into cognitive and affective perceptions (Spence et al, 2014). This complexity of inner realism makes it particularly difficult for services and marketing researchers to understand and capture the connected and holistic sensory experience in a complex service environment (Scott and Uncles, 2018). Given that senses play an important role in shaping CSE, we believe that particularly the services discipline would benefit from a clear conceptualization of the sensory dimension.…”

“…Although the contributions of marketing and psychology research led to a clearer understanding of multisensory perception, these studies mostly adopt a product perspective, but still much work needs to be done in understanding the impact of multisensory customer service experiences (Keiningham et al, 2017;Scott and Uncles, 2018). In line with this Krishna (2012) shows how subconscious triggers that appeal to customers' senses affect their perceptions and induced behavior; substantial literature also identifies the effects of senses on customers' purchasing behavior (e.g., Adolphs et al, 2000;Bolton et al, 2014;Peck and Childers, 2008).…”