Have you ever heard of AI? No, we’re not referring to artificial intelligence, we’re talking about aesthetic intelligence. This is a concept every entrepreneur must understand in order to stand out in saturated markets.
Let’s dive a little deeper -- what it is, why it’s important for your business, and how you can start applying it in your marketing efforts.
What is Aesthetic Intelligence?
We’re not just referring to design and beauty like the pretty packaging that may be your weak spot when making purchases. Aesthetic intelligence is so much more than that.
Aesthetics is the pleasure and appreciation that we derive from perceiving an object or experience through our senses.
It does include some visual beauty, which is the most common relation to the term, but don’t forget about our other senses. This could be the soft texture of velvet, the soothing sounds of a calm voice, a delicious meal, or a fragrant smell that evokes emotions.
Even though this term is usually connotated with beauty, it’s actually the ability to understand, process, and interpret feelings that are brought out by a particular object or experience. And when you apply this aesthetic intelligence within your business, things get even more creative.
Why Aesthetic Intelligence is Important for Your Business
Like we just mentioned, aesthetics can be applied to a product or service to evoke the right emotional cues within consumers. This typically piques their interest and causes them to become emotionally invested in what is presented.
It takes a great deal of empathy to correctly use aesthetic intelligence because you must be able to tap into the emotions of your consumers and how they will feel when they experience your product or service. Understand that purchases are not made by robots, they are made by people. So, ask yourself, how does the shopping experience (or the experience any time they come in contact with your brand) connect with them on a human level? Diving deep into this will put you on the right track to figuring out what aesthetic appeal you want to incorporate.
Take the cosmetic industry for example, many of the best cosmetic companies like Ulta and Sephora grow by giving consumers free samples of their products and allowing them to touch and smell what they offer through testers. This experience can evoke emotions such as happiness, confidence, and joy, that leaves a lasting impression long after they make their purchase.
Some other examples you might be familiar with are the gifts with purchases that so many retailers have started to offer over the years. It could be a discount on a future purchase or mini versions of full-sized products. Also, the scent strips that you usually find in magazines promoting a new fragrance. When a smell evokes positive emotions in you, you’re probably going to add it to your list of purchases to make.
You create loyal customers by integrating these techniques into your business.
It’s important to note that using social media is still important even though consumers can’t really experience aesthetic intelligence efforts in-person. It’s still evoking some sort of visual and sound aesthetics, but imagine the difference it makes once they’re able to experience what they see on their phones in-person.
How to Apply Aesthetic Intelligence to Your Business
Applying AI to your brand is a game-changer and can be effective through collaboration with your marketing team and research done on current consumers. Before you can incorporate it in your marketing and present it to the market, you must be able to understand your own senses. Sometimes it takes reconnecting with it and other times it’s just strengthening your current senses.
Once you’re able to fully step into it, begin to put yourself in the shoes of your consumers. Develop a point of view from their perspective. From there, you can curate what elements of AI you want consumers to experience. Without getting specific and strategic, the experience you create can get confusing.
It may take you some time to trial and error your AI efforts, but with consistency and adaptability, you will be able to strike gold in no time. You can do this by offering something for them to experience in your current marketing efforts like e-blasts or social media. Invite them to try your product or service out for free or host an event that allows attendees to get a first look at something new you’re launching. If you’re online-based, send them something to experience like a personalized kit that relates to what you offer.
Remember that your goal is to build excitement for a great experience when consumers are interacting with your brand and to leave them with great memories of the experience.
The reality is that people remember brands that offer an experience that resonates with them emotionally. Brands that master aesthetic intelligence connect with consumers on a much deeper level. When the relationship continues to build, consumers will become so loyal that they won’t even think about shopping anywhere else for that product or service.
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