One of the most common mistakes in experiential, immersion, and activation events is sticking to a head-to-toe-brand philosophy, strictly staying within brand colors. As counterintuitive as it may sound, this approach can actually be detrimental to the immersiveness of the experience.
The Limitations of Sticking to Brand Guidelines Only
Imagine you're creating an experience for a brand whose colors are a deep indigo blue, turquoise green, and an accent of magenta. The brand embodies the Royal and Rebel archetypes, speaking to an audience that values status but rejects conformity. They aren't looking for the typical white-and-gold luxury experience; they want something fun, colorful, and unexpected, which aligns with the brand's promise.
The event involves music, food, drinks, and the goal is to increase loyalty and memorability. Many believe that using the brand colors will enhance brand recognition and immersion. But will it really?
Based on what the brand stands for, we need to create an experience that enhances those sensations and feelings. A brand that promotes self-expression, freedom, and high-quality experiences must convey that beyond words because people connect with brands through emotional experiences. Colors are tools to convey deeper, more meaningful connections, just like everything else the brand creates.
Creating Sensory-Driven Experiences
We don't perceive the world through words but through our sensory system. Saying an event is immersive does not make it immersive. Saying a brand is about self-expression doesn't make it so unless people actually feel it. To achieve this, we must convey those feelings through sensory stimuli, so participants feel free and confident in their self-expression.
For this brand, we might create an experience that feels spacious - offering space to move and express the personal identity - ensuring that the environment never feels restrictive, which could send an incongruent brand message. An open space allows for free movement without obstacles, which changes our internal perception of the experience through proprioception.
However, sticking to the brand colors could limit this sense of space. Deep indigo blue, for instance, can be perceived as heavy, making spaces feel more restricted and intimate. Pairing it with turquoise green and magenta might feel too loud and invasive, potentially leading to negative subconscious associations with the brand.
Then there's the food. The relationship between color and taste is crucial. If the space is filled with these colors (through painted walls, items, or lights) we must consider how this affects the food experience: taste, smell, texture, and so on. Ever been to an event where greenish lights made the food look grey or green? It's not appealing and can contribute to an unpleasant food experience.
The Power of Subconscious Cues
Our brains are wired to perceive subtle changes in our environment and respond accordingly.
For instance, scientific studies have shown that people find women who are ovulating more attractive, likely due to evolutionary needs. This attraction occurs subconsciously, as our brains pick up on the nuanced changes in skin tone and body due to hormonal shifts, even if we’re not consciously aware of it.
These subtle nuances have affected our perception in many circumstances.
For example, for a long time, hospitals misdiagnosed patients due to wall colors and lighting affecting how doctors perceived skin tones. Fortunately, some modern hospitals are paying more attention to this and are using environmental colors that not only avoid interfering with diagnoses but also promote healing: a win-win situation.
These subtle cues and subconscious patterns play a crucial role in how we experience the world and make decisions. By understanding and leveraging these patterns in experiential design, we can create events that align with what participants’ brains "expect to experience," reinforcing positive brand associations and making the brand more memorable. And colors influence us far more than we realize!
Inclusivity in Color Design
Another aspect often overlooked is the impact of brand colors on neurodivergent individuals. Too often, brand colors are not neurodivergent-friendly, so even if we keep noise levels down, the colors can be as overwhelming as sounds, particularly for those with heightened sensory sensitivity. Because senses work in synergy!
The same goes for smells, textures, and other sensory inputs. To cater to people with neurodiverse brains, we need to consider the entire sensory system holistically, which involves more than just the five senses. Adjusting just one sensory input doesn't necessarily improve the experience for them; we must consider the full spectrum of sensory interactions.
Bringing It All Together: An Immersive Multisensory Experience
To elevate brand experiences through synesthetic design, we start by considering the brand essence, personality, and values, along with the established goals of the event. We then delve deeper into the nuances of color, shades, associations, contrasts, materials, textures, and how these elements enhance each sensory touchpoint.
This approach ensures that every element of the event aligns with the brand identity while also creating a more immersive, memorable, and emotionally resonant experience for participants. The result is not just an event that people attend, but one they experience on a deeper level—making the brand more memorable and impactful.
Want to make your next experience more immersive and memorable, while elevating the brand? Let's create magic together!