The crisp, creamy and colourful slaw is the perfect accompaniment to the sweet and sour teriyaki glazed pork meatballs, paired with the aromatic garlic rice – a truely home cooked and delicious meal. It is delivered to your door step in a reusable and sturdy box, fitted with ice-packs and insulation to eliminate odours. A slim and sleek recipe card sits inside…meatballs are only minutes away. By the sounds of this HelloFresh experience, it is bound to get your senses flowing.
The way in which an individual views the world around us, including the plethora of marketing material that is embedded within our daily life, is commonly referred to as ‘Perception‘. It is the process by which an individual “…selects, organises and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture” (Solomon & Russell-Bennett 2019). In turn, the sensations we experience, such as smell, vision and taste, are context effects that can subtly influence how we think about the products we encounter. According to Sorenson et al., the impressions one gets from the sensory encounters of food, can ultimately affect and determine one’s loyalty and favourability towards a brand when faced with future purchase (2003).
HelloFresh, the online international publicly traded meal-kit company, adopts a different approach to the ‘traditional’ notion of ‘Sensory Marketing‘. Offline businesses are able to easily engage face-to-face with their consumers in a way that can positively influence their ‘Customer Experience’, hoping to enhance and secure their relationship for future retention (Solomon & Russell-Bennett 2019).
However, for HelloFresh, the physical delivery of their meal-kits and their social media platforms present an opportunity to appeal to their target segment, “the busy household” through sense of sight and taste (Harrop 2007).
With 2.04 million active customers that are unable to assess and access the product before purchasing, the brand has elucidated a crisp ‘customer-centric’ strategy to ensure consumers remain satisfied (HelloFresh Group 2018). This not only extends to the actual arrival of their HelloFresh box, but also through their social communities. Encouraging and facilitating user-generated content, for example through hashtags (#HelloFreshPics), enhances the visual component within one’s senses. Individuals may be compelled to learn more about the brand and purchase as a result of the brand’s impressive imagery and community engagement.
The following provides an insight into how Hellofresh has tapped into their consumers “Sensory System” through offering a multi-sensory experience.
Vision:
- Committed to environmental sustainability and reusability, HelloFresh’s packaging is made with 100% recyclable materials. The simplistic design of the meal-kit box complements the “organic” element that their consumer’s are concerned with. Through this visual tool, consumers immediately recognise the company’s values align with their own.
- Colour is a facet that can “…draw out emotion and influence perception of a service, company or product” (Solomon & Russell-Bennett 2019). HelloFresh’s brand is immediately recognised through their logo, a vibrant green leaf symbol. In turn, the company’s choice of earthy tones, such as green, orange and yellow symbolise ‘freshness’. Consumers are grabbed by the colours of the meal-kit box, recipe cards and the fresh food, whereby these tones represent “organic, warmth and excitement” (Solomon & Russell-Bennett 2019).
Taste:
- HelloFresh rank ‘taste’ as one of their top priorities when it comes down to ensuring consumer’s continue to purchase their subscription boxes (HelloFresh Group 2018). Through adventurous recipes and unique flavours, Lee (2016) stated, “…taste trumped simplicity…with our testers rating each of the six recipes “very good” and noting “well-blended flavours”.
- Multiculturalism has expanded the tastes and palates of the average consumer, thus HelloFresh has increased their range and variety of food, including foods such as, ‘Thai Pumpkin and Veggie Yellow Curry” (Solomon & Russell-Bennett 2019).
- According to Matt Fitzgerald, HelloFresh’s Vice President of Marketing, in order to ensure consumers are excited to become a Hellofresh customer, the brand aims to be close to food trends, culinary preferences and ingredient choices, “…because it’s not one size fits all when it comes to food” (Kwittken 2018).
Furthermore, potential consumers of HelloFresh may represent the notion of ‘Perceptual Vigilance‘, the tendency for individuals to be more aware of stimuli that relates to their current needs (Solomon & Russell-Bennett 2019). For example, a Mother has recently gone back to working full-time and is looking for a quick, convenient approach to cooking dinners. Prior to her starting work, she may have never of noticed HelloFresh’s ads, yet she is now in the market and therefore pays more attention.
It is imperative that once consumers are in the market for a meal-kit subscription, HelloFresh continues to uniquely positions itself against competitors using such sensory tools as mentioned above. Ensuring consumer’s maintain favourable perceptions of the brand through product delivery and sensory marketing, will result in satisfaction and loyal relationships.
Brittany
Reference List
Harrop, S 2007, ‘What role can sensory branding play in online marketing?’, E-consultancy, viewed 28 March 2019, <https://econsultancy.com/what-role-can-sensory-branding-play-in-online-marketing/>.
HelloFresh Group 2018, ‘HelloFresh 2018 annual report’, HelloFresh, viewed 28 March 2019, <https://www.hellofreshgroup.com/download/companies/hellofresh/Annual%20Reports/DE000A161408-JA-2018-EQ-E-00.pdf>.
Kwittken, A 2018, ‘Food for though: How HelloFresh is on a mission to make us less ‘hangry’ after work, Forbes, viewed 28 March 2019, <https://www.forbes.com/sites/aaronkwittken/2018/03/27/food-for-thought-how-hellofresh-is-on-a-mission-to-make-us-less-hangry-after-work/#1eff3835dc11>.
Lee, J 2016, ‘Consumer reports reviews HelloFresh’, ConsumerReports, viewed 28 March 2019, <https://www.consumerreports.org/food/consumer-reports-reviews-hellofresh/>.
Solomon, R, Russell-Bennett, R & Previte, J 2019, ‘Consumer behaviour: buying, having, being’, 4th edn, Pearson Australia, VIC.
Sorenson, L, Moller, P, Flint, A, Martens, M & Raben, A 2003, ‘Effect of sensory perception of foods on appetite and food intake: a review of studies on humans’, International Journal of Obesity, vol. 27, viewed 28 March 2019, <https://www.nature.com/articles/0802391.pdf>.
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