From Perception to Engagement: The Role of Sensory Richness in Online Environments 

Alix Baert, Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations
Ingrid Poncin, Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations 

Summary 

Delivering sensory experiences in online environments that approximate the richness and engagement of physical store interactions is a challenge, as online consumer interactions may suffer from a "sensory deficit." Given this context, this qualitative study aims to deepen the understanding of online sensory experience by focusing on online sensory richness. It explores potential sensory deficits encountered online and uncovers the mechanisms that consumers and retailers employ to mitigate these perceived deficits. Through in-depth interviews with 21 participants, our findings underscore the importance of a coherent, well-integrated multisensory experience that aligns sensory stimuli with brand identity to evoke a consistent and compelling digital atmosphere. Sensory experience in digital environments appears as a holistic construct, with multisensory stimulation, coherence, and congruence as its fundamental components. Though informants reported significant sensory deficits in online shopping, some mechanisms appear to enable a deeper experience through an embodied, sensory-rich digital experience. The study contributes to the literature by deepening sensory richness as a construct that shapes consumer experience, engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty. By examining sensory richness, this study aims to provide actionable insights for practitioners to help overcome sensory limitations, whether through congruent sensory design, mental imagery, or crossmodal interactions that enhance digital atmosphere. 

Keywords : Sensory experience, Crossmodal correspondence, Mental Imagery, Sensory richness, Congruence 

Conveying sensory perceptions about products in interfaces through cross-modal correspondences 

Manuel Martins da Silva, Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations 
Gordy Pleyers, Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations 
Jean Vanderdonckt, Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations 

Summary 

Marketing communication tools typically do not allow for providing sensory inputs like the taste or smell of the advertised product. As a matter of fact, e-commerce interfaces, posters, or many other communication formats are typically limited to the visual dimension. This may be considered a major limitation for many product categories involving taste or smell (e.g. food products, perfumes, cosmetics). A way to partially overcome this sensory limitation may be provided by the cross-modal correspondences phenomenon (i.e. systematic mapping between different sensory modalities). Based on an experimental approach in laboratory, this research examines whether a sensory feature (i.e. taste or smell complexity) of a product presented on an interface can be conveyed through the design (i.e. visual complexity) of the product and of its background. It shows that higher (vs. lower) visual complexity of the product is associated with greater inference of sensory complexity, therefore supporting the cross-modal correspondence framework. Furthermore, the effect of product complexity is found to be greater when associated with a more complex background, specifically when viewers are highly inclined to process visual objects as a whole. These findings provide useful insights for professionals in charge of products involving sensory attributes such as taste or smell. 

Keywords: Product design; Visual complexity; Sensory complexity; Cross-modal correspondences; Interfaces