In the next section of this module, we're going to talk about product design. And we're going to make the case that the design of a product often is a key driver of its success or failure. So we're going to continue to talk about the senses and how important they are in marketing. But now we're going to apply that discussion a little bit more to how we can utilize the different senses directly in product design, which is so important today. So we start with the argument, that form is function. In other words, people are looking to the design of products to their form, to make inferences about how well they work.

And it turns out that our brains literally are wired to appreciate good design in one study, respondents who were hooked up to a brain apparatus called a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner, and we'll talk more about those in a later module showed faster reaction times when they saw aesthetically pleasing packages, even compared to well known brands such as Coca Cola. So at a very basic level, our brains are responding very positively to products that have pleasing shapes and designs. Form is function. The packages you see here from the method company are a great example of this and method has done a great job in the home cleaning products category to differentiate itself from older competitors by focusing on the design of its products. And we know that especially recently, mass Consumers are thirsting for great design. And they reward those companies that give it to them with their enthusiastic patronage and loyalty.

So from razor blades such as the Gillette sensor, to the Apple Watch, and even cleaning products, like the method products you see here, design is substance. You can see the importance of design in many product categories, for example, by looking at some of the products that have been designed by a friend of mine, the very well known industrial designer named Kareem Rashid. And Kareem really understands that form his function. He has made a wonderful career by designing a whole range of products that go from trash cans, to water bottles to hotels and restaurants. He differentiates his products, not just in terms of the function, but essentially by approaching each one as an art form. And you can be sure that consumers really resonate to this kind of focus on the quality of design.

So speaking of product design, let me ask you a quick question. Do you know why Campbell's soup cans are red and white. This is an example of a very distinctive package design. The red and white cat has been with us for many, many years. The artist Andy Warhol, of course, made these cans quite famous when he painted a lot of them. But just to show you how different the process is today than it used to be, I'll answer this question for you.

And it's a nice little trivia question that you can share with your friends of cocktail parties if you want. And that's that is that the reason that Campbell's soup cans are red and white. That an executive at Campbell's, when they were designing the cans, liked the football uniforms at Cornell University and they were red and white. And so he arbitrarily decided to make the Campbell's cans, red and white. It's very difficult to imagine that kind of impulsive process going on today, where companies often spend upwards of $100,000 to conduct research to design the optimal package. The Owens Corning fiberglass Corporation was the first company to trademark a color when it used bright pink for its insulation material.

As part of its very well known Pink Panther campaign. We know that colors directly influence emotions and that's one reason companies pay so much attention to the colors they use in packages. in retail environments, so some colors particularly red, create feelings of physiological arousal, and they stimulate appetite. Others such as blue create more relaxing feelings. We know from research that people who complete tasks when the words or images appear on read backgrounds perform better when they have to remember details later about the tasks that they did. In contrast, they excel at ideas requiring an imaginative response when the words or images are displayed on blue backgrounds.

American Express launched its blue card after research found that people describe the color as quote Providing a sense of limitlessness and peace. On the other hand, research shows us that teams in both the National Football League and the National Hockey League that wear black uniforms are among the most aggressive. They consistently ranked near the top of their leagues in penalties during the season. Let's look at some marketing applications of colors. And again, these are not set in stone but just some common applications that we tend to see. We know that yellow tends to be associated with a feeling of optimism or youth.

Red symbolizes energy we've already seen that it tends to stimulate arousal. The color red is often seen in clearance sales. Blue connotes trust and security, a color commonly used by banks. Green, not surprisingly is associated with wealth, but it's also used to promote relaxation in stores. Orange is an aggressive color. It represents a call to action to subscribe to buy or to sell.

Black is powerful and sleek. And at least in Western society, it's often a color that is used on luxury products to connote sophistication. Purple is a soothing color and we often find it used on beauty and anti aging products. So the takeaway here is that consumers have very vivid color associations. And these are based both on physiological responses, and cultural associations. So the moral of the story is, think very carefully about your color palette, it really does have an impact on the message that consumers carry away from your product or store.

So now let's dive a little deeper into these specific senses. And just talk a bit about how marketers might take advantage of these senses in their various campaigns and efforts to communicate with customers, both through product design, and in the messages that they create. Let's start with sound. Harley Davidson actually tried to trademark the distinctive sound that a hog makes when it revs up the hog is one of their big bikes. The motion was denied. But NBC Intel and and co among others actually do own sound trademarks today.

So the way a word sounds, influences are assumptions about what it describes, and its attributes, such as its size. For example, consumers are more likely to recognize brand names that begin with a hard consonant like a K, as in Kellogg's, or a P, as in Pepsi. Let's talk a little bit more about sent. Some of our responses to cents result from early associations that call up good or bad feelings. When the Folgers coffee brand did some research on some of the psychological characteristics of its product, research found that for many people, the smell of coffee summons up childhood memories of their mother's cooking breakfast. So the aroma of coffee tends to remind them of home.

Let's move on to yet another sense, the sense of touch. We know from research, that allowing shoppers to touch a product encourages them to imagine that they own the product. And it turns out that we value things more highly if we own them. Researchers call this the endowment effect. So in one study on the endowment effect, participants who simply touched an item in this case in inexpensive coffee mug for 30 seconds or less, reported a greater level of attachment to the product. That connection in turn boosted what they were willing to pay for the product.

The as the grocery chain in the UK, removed the wrapping from several brands of toilet tissue in its stores, so that shoppers could feel and compare textures. As your reported soaring sales for its own in store brand after it did this, resulting in a 50% increase in shelf space for the brand. We know from research that touch also can influence sales interactions. So in one study, diners who waitstaff touched actually gave them bigger tips. In another study in a supermarket, food demonstrators who lightly touched consumers had better luck in getting shoppers to try a new snack product. And to convince them to redeem coupons for the brand.

So this is an interesting thing to think about when you're looking at sales interactions. But there is one warning here, one potential red flag and that is that an accidental touch from a stranger, especially a male stranger, can lead to more negative evaluations of products that a shopper encounters in the store. So use this weapon carefully. Well, it looks like it's time for a pop quiz. Let's take a quick moment to ask you a multiple choice question that you should be able to answer quite easily if you've been paying any attention at all. Here's the question.

The endowment effect refers to the tendency for consumers to a give more money to their alma mater when they are in a good mood. b value things they own more than things they don't own. See, prefer larger sizes to smaller ones, and d like to assemble furniture. What do you think is the correct answer? If you answered B, you're correct. The endowment effect refers to the idea that consumers value things they own more than things that they don't.

So the takeaway here, encourage your customers to participate in the sensory consumption of your product, if possible, literally involve them in the creation of the product.