Enroute to a weekend getaway, you happen to lose directions on the map and discover a local village fair — sparkling with earthy feel. No hoardings, no flashy jingles, no display screens to attract customers, but simplicity personified.
Folk music playing in the background, aroma of freshly cooked tea and samosas, a man grinding fresh turmeric, ladies and young girls getting beautiful henna prints on their palms, a woman selling bangles and humming a popular song, the smoky flavour of freshly roasted peanuts — can any marketing strategy or advertisement ever replace this? The answer is NO!
Cut to now..you enter a local store in Delhi and notice softly playing Kishore Kumar classics and a whiff of sandalwood. A coconut oil and turmeric infused body lotion grabs your immediate attention — that nostalgia of the lotion made by your grandmother; enough to compel you to buy the product. That homely touch and feeling of belongingness did all the marketing.
There’s an unspoken and weirdly powerful way of making things appeal right, the very first time. That’s called sensory marketing which should not just be good, but local too. Because the scent that made you nostalgic, may not work wonders in another city. A flavour that became viral in one country could miss the mark in another country. It’s not like copying and pasting, but as challenging as creating a remix of an already hit song — what makes it remarkable is the adaptability and understanding the beat of the local culture.
Tune Into The Culture
Sound indeed is a very strong sense and plays an important role in how a product, service, or a space is perceived. Juggling between relaxing, cool, or hype varies according to the place. Imagine the shift in the mood from witnessing the dawn chorus, listening to soothing music, changing tempo of a regional accent, to jam-packed traffic with a chaotic mix of vehicle noises and constant honking.
Smart marketers exactly capture that. They tie-up with professionals that offer creative content adaptation and Indian language translation services. These experts work with local musicians, use regional instruments and roots music to compose a freshly native piece, equivalent to the global charts.
Aesthetic With Local Roots
Seeing is believing — a catchphrase to highlight the relevance of sight. Localisation in sensory marketing goes beyond just being respectful. It is about echoing the same vibe. It is about being understood rather than being seen. It is about investing in cultural content strategy.
So, when a brand imbibes the colours that mean something to, or have relevance in a certain community, that’s cultural branding strategy; it’s not random, but foreseen.
Flavours Born And Bred
Taste and smell, as different as they may seem, they go hand-in-hand. Associated with memory, yet highly emotional. When done right, localisation can create an enduring sensory memory, even after the end of the product lifecycle.
Think of it as familiar flavours inspired paneer tikka burger for a pop-up campaign in India with garam masala, coriander, and dried fenugreek leaves, or authentic chocolate sourced from a local shop in Belgium. It is about bringing the friendly taste and smell that feels personal.
Grip With Hometown Grit
Touch is the most subtle form of sense but carries a great weight. You might have observed that despite having an App for everything in urban India, there is still a percentage that prefers to touch and check the fruits and vegetables before buying, they like to feel the fabric to understand its flow, etc.
Localising this feel is about offering a wholesome experience — seasonal traditions regarding the kinds of materials to be used, local weather conditions, religious and cultural comfort zone, packaging on a tech product, and the like.
The Last Drop
It’s easier to grab people’s attention using a flashy ad or a exotic promotion, but what really connects is the commitment, loyalty, and emotional attachment that people experience through their senses. Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch — when brought together, it resonates the specific rhythm of a particular culture. It hits different, unique, and special.
Localisation is not a bland way of a safe play, it’s about taking a bold move — being sympathetic to regional sentiments, receptive to local preferences, and being adaptive, using the right words in sensory marketing. Whether it’s digital content localisation, or proofreading and review services to adapt it for native audiences, localisation in sensory marketing is like Wi-Fi — it’s strongest when it’s close to home.
June 12, 2025 — magnon