The Power of Sensory Marketing: Crossmodal Sensory Strategies Shaping Consumer Behavior

This special track invites high-quality theoretical, empirical, and applied research exploring how multisensory experiences—across visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile modalities—influence consumer perception, decision-making, and behavior. Drawing on insights from marketing, psychology, neuroscience, and design, this track focuses on how crossmodal sensory integration shapes brand experiences, emotional engagement, and consumer loyalty in both physical and digital environments.

We welcome interdisciplinary contributions that examine sensory strategies in traditional marketing domains (e.g., branding, advertising, retail, pricing) and in emerging contexts such as immersive technologies (AR/VR), digital interfaces, sustainability, health, and well-being. Studies may include experimental research, real-world applications, methodological advancements, and conceptual frameworks.

We particularly encourage submissions that:

· Investigate how sensory cues interact to shape consumer responses

· Explore the design of multisensory experiences in retail and digital platforms

· Critically assess the validity and impact of sensory marketing techniques

· Integrate data science, AI, or biometric tools to measure and enhance sensory effects

Key topics include, but are not limited to:

· Brand Building and Emotional Connection

· Retail and Experiential Consumption Environment Design

· Virtual Sensory Experiences in Digital Environments

· Sensory Communication Strategies for Sustainability and Well-being

Important Dates

Paper Submission Deadline: January 1 – March 31, 2026

Notification of Acceptance: April 15, 2026

Submission Guidelines

When submitting your paper, please follow the steps below to ensure it is directed to the correct mini track:

· Select [D (Thematic Cluster Submissions)] as the submission category.

· Enter “Prof. Spence” as the Chair of the Group Submission.

· Enter “Sensorymarketing” as the Topic of the Group Submission.

All submissions will undergo a peer-review process. Accepted papers will be included in the conference proceedings, and at least one author is required to register and present the paper at the conference.

Chair

Prof. Charles Spence

Professor Charles Spence is a professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. His research explores how the brain integrates information from the senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—to create rich multisensory experiences. He applies this understanding to improve the design of foods, products, digital interfaces, and environments. Charles has collaborated with companies like Toyota, ICI, and chef Heston Blumenthal, focusing on sensory-driven innovation in areas such as packaging, branding, food design, and human-computer interaction. He has published over 1,300 scientific articles, including in Science and Current Biology. He has received numerous international awards, including the Paul Bertelson Award, the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award, and the IG Nobel Prize in Nutrition for his study on the ‘sonic crisp’. His work has significantly influenced fields ranging from experimental psychology to sensory marketing, advocating for a new approach to neuroscience-inspired design that places multisensory perception at its core.