ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the reader with an overview of the assumptions and theoretical building blocks of the sensory approach. The sensory approach defines itself clearly in opposition to the information-processing consumer perspective. The exchange is both perceived as linear and co-created, but is in both cases primarily individual. The sensory approach acknowledges the interplay of the sensory and mental systems in the creation of brand responses. The core theme of the sensory approach is that brands offer consumers and customers sensory experiences which lead to a stronger brand affiliation. The product is merely an artifact; the brand is a collection of symbolic meanings around which it is possible to build the sensory experiences individual consumers strive for. Hence the product itself is no longer the ultimate goal – the purchase and consumption of the brand is strongly driven also by the self-fulfillment that the sensory experience of the brand provides.
