The Hindu Business Line : Hedonism, the eternal appeal

Experiential marketing is currently a hot topic with marketers. This issue has a strong link to the concept of hedonism found in marketing literature almost about three decades ago. Multi-sensory consumption of both products and services, fantasy appeals and emotional aspects of consumption are also associated with hedonism. In today's context, almost all consumption in developed markets such as the US and Europe is highly oriented towards hedonism, right from the design of passenger cars to the enjoyment of gourmet food and entertainment.

Understanding the importance of hedonism will enable marketers to design and position their offerings. Hedonism is one of the most powerful appeals as it is concerned with the sensual gratification of sensory experiences. In today's context, hedonism is concerned with how the products can appeal to the sensory aspects of consumer experience with or without the functional/benefits proposition.

Hedonism at work

Multi-sensory experiences involve appeals to the sense of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. In almost every product category, there is scope to improve the sensory aspects. Marketers strive to enhance them to make them an important proposition even in categories where the functional proposition (leading to benefits) is strong. Jewellery has been traditionally associated with visual appeal (symbolic benefit of enhancing one's self-image) but perfumed jewellery adds another sensory dimension. Pencil holders (separate pieces that can be inserted into any pencil) enhance the grip and contribute to the feel of the user. iPod's design makes it one of the most successful products in consumer electronics. Disposable plastic knives create a user experience different from the traditional one. Dove, the moisturiser soap, can be associated with an experience different from that of ordinary soaps.

The emergence of improved personal care products has not only added to the benefits associated with them; they are also enhancing the consumption experience. Gillette's Sensor Excel and Mach3 have been created with several millions of dollars to deliver the ultimate shaving experience. Tide detergent's fragrance adds to the feel and smell of clothes. Miata, the car from Mazda, was designed to ensure a `feel good' factor. Axe deodorant effectively uses the sensual appeal of the brand. Colgate's variant with crystals is an example of taste as a focus in toothpaste, going beyond the benefits normally associated with the category.

The feel factor can also be used by a brand of washing machine if it is able to offer a good proposition in this factor. Toyota's Lexus became a global brand by offering a sensual experience associated with Mercedes at a lesser price. Dettol's burning sensation may be a preferred benefit to consumers who associate it with effectiveness. It is not unusual to find consumers preferring "hot" creams to get rid of aches and pains. Several brands convey this experience to consumers. Centre Fresh candy used the taste aspect as its proposition.

Applying hedonism

There are three categories of products/services. From the viewpoint of hedonism:

Products that completely depend on sensual gratification

Products that have been traditionally associated with benefits; products that depend on hedonism as a competitive differentiator

Services and hedonism.

Services have boomed in recent times and unlike products, hedonism has appeared rather radically and not in stages. Each category needs to be analysed from the viewpoint of consumer needs, segments and more importantly how brands would price these offerings. In a marketing world that is increasingly moving towards lack of substantial differentiation, it is important to use hedonism in a conceptual manner.

Products that completely depend on hedonism

Soft drinks, biscuits, chocolates, fast foods and snacks completely depend on hedonism associated with the tastebuds. "Country of origin" effects are quite useful in such categories. There is already an existing image in the minds of the consumers and brands use them to further that proposition. Champagne and Swiss chocolates are examples. Bru's initial association with South Indian filter coffee is an Indian example. Ethnic cuisine served in metros (Chettinad, for example) explains the demand for these restaurants among consumers.

Brands that create a `first-mover' association using such an approach stand to make an initial impact on consumers. The delivery of hedonism should match the expectation of consumers.

When brands cannot make use of "origin" effects, a variation can be tried wherever applicable. In a highly competitive market of chocolates, several offerings make use of the `home-made' association suggesting a different consumption experience. In certain foreign markets some of their offerings are priced over well-known brands. Another approach is to create a unique offering that creates a totally different experience, which is new to the category. Red Bull, with its energy proposition, and Gatorade, the reviving drink for sportspersons, command premium prices. Ferrero Rocher, the Italian chocolate brand, has its offerings in the form of a ball (unusual for a chocolate) besides having a unique blend of ingredients that impart that texture and taste.

Products traditionally dependent on benefits

Detergent powder is a category that has been completely dependent on benefits for several decades. Ariel's `Spring Wash' and Tide's `Jasmine' fragrances appeal to hedonism. Consumers, apart from requiring clean, well-washed clothes, may feel better with fragrant clothes.

Retailers of optical frames, especially the premium varieties, emphasise the `feel-light' factor when traditionally durability and fit were important benefits. In developed markets, a number of leading car manufacturers try to make the interiors feel better and a few brands even spray a special fragrance when the cars are sold.

The feel factor has always been important in apparel but with major advances in technology, the feel factor has almost become the proposition in a number of higher-end offerings from well-known brands.

In entertainment electronics too, products ranging from Sony's plasma TV and iPod to MP3 players, product design plays a vital role as visual appeal by itself is being considered as a proposition, given the symbolic and perhaps the self-gratification derived from such aesthetics. Slim watches from Titan satisfy both the feel factor and visual appeal.

Visual appeal has always been a feature in consumer durable categories but in the recent times, it has almost become a proposition, given the commoditisation of products with almost all brands offering the same set of features/ benefits. Onida's Ultra Slim, LG Art air-conditioners and Carrier's changeable grill air-conditioners are some examples.

The consumer may be more attracted to such visual appeal, especially in durables that have a social signalling value. Power House, the mini audio-system from Philips launched during the Eighties, is a good example of how a brand used the visual appeal, apart from the price factor even then. While higher-end product categories (like durables) rely quite significantly on hedonism as a strong differentiator, hedonism is also getting into consumables like detergents and soaps.

The marketing implication of hedonism with regard to products is interesting. While both the lower and higher segments in a category may be interested in hedonism, it may be worthwhile for marketers to find out at what level hedonism appeals to consumers and if consumers will be prepared to pay for it.

The first aspect is concerned with a concept called `just noticeable difference' by which a brand will be able to know the point at which consumers will notice a quality - in this case, hedonism . For example, providing benefits like fragrance in detergents or even moisturiser soaps involves adding such attributes and marketers need to find out at what point consumers really notice and enjoy the experience. This can vary from segment to segment and research studies are required to obtain insights.

The second aspect is concerned with how much consumers are going to pay for the hedonism. This is important given the proliferation of product variants and hence costs to the brand. Such research also enables a brand to focus on a pricing policy.

Services and hedonism

The topic on hedonism will not be complete without the discussion on services. Services by their nature (intangibles, cannot be owned and sometimes as in the case of medical field, the consumers may not even understand the attributes but can only realise the benefits), lend themselves to hedonism. Depending on the services offered from the ambience and visual signals to emphasise quality of the offering (sophisticated machines) to the multi-sensory experience of socialising in Coffee Day or Barista, a variety of hedonistic measures can be thought of as appropriate to the service and target market. The socialising experience in a restaurant or a holiday resort as a whole can be branded and marketed with a plan that has hedonism as the focus.

Until the time consumers reach higher levels of spiritual accomplishment (meaning control of senses as per a school of thought on the subject), brands will continue to have a field day drawing the consumer deeper into lifestyles of hedonism. And pleasure has infinite variants.

(S. Ramesh Kumar is Professor of Marketing, IIM-Bangalore)

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