45 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. Exploring the Influence of Sensory Marketing on Brand Perception Zoran Krupka University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business, J. F. Kennedy Square 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia zkrupka@net.efzg.hr ARTICLE INFO Original Scientific Article Article History: Received September 2023 Revised September 2023 Accepted September 2023 JEL Classification: M30, M31 Keywords: Brand Sensory marketing Brand perception UDK: 339.138:659.1 DOI: 10.2478/ngoe-2023-0017 Cite this article as: Krupka, Z. (2023). Exploring the Influence of Sensory Marketing on Brand Perception. Naše gospodarstvo/Our Economy, 69(3), 45-55. DOI: 10.2478/ngoe-2023-0017. ©2022 The Authors. Published by Sciendo on behalf of University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Slovenia. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/4.0/). Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to investigate how the number, perceived intensity, and frequency of sensory involvement in the consumer-brand relationship, impact brand perception. The research was conducted on a sample of 189 respondents from the Republic of Croatia. To test the hypotheses factor and regression analyses were used. The main findings of this research are: a) involvement of multiple senses in the consumer-brand relationship has a positive effect on brand perception; b) the greater the frequency of involving multiple senses in the consumer-brand relationship, the more positive effect it has on brand perception; and c) the higher intensity of sensory involvement in the consumer-brand relationship does not have a significant effect on brand perception. This research contributes to marketing and brand management literature by investigating importance of sensory marketing, more specifically number, perceived intensity, and frequency of sensory involvement on brand perception. Introduction A strong brand is one of the most valuable assets of the company and also an extremely effective tool in gaining a competitive advantage in a hyper- competitive globalized and digitalized marketplace (Keller, 1993; Tümer, Aghaei, Öney & Nasser Eddine, 2019). Therefore, it is important to build a strong brand and to manage it so that at every point in time company has control over its image, its influence on consumer behaviour, and the decision-making buying process. To be able to do so, companies need to be aware of how a brand is perceived among all stakeholders, but espe- cially among consumers. Brand perception is considered to be one of a cornerstone of consumer behaviour, because it shapes the way individuals perceive, connect, and interact with brands. It can be defined as people’s belief in what a brand represents, rather than what a brand says it repre - sents (Kervyn, Fiske & Malone, 2012). 46 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. Brand perception is based on consumer's experiences, expectations, interactions, and exposure to the brand's communication and products. It incorporates a range of cognitive, emotional, sensory, and symbolic components that form the overall image of a brand (Keller, 2013). Brands with positive perceptions have loyal consumers, can tip the scale in favour of purchase, consumers are price insensitive, and become brand ambassadors (Koll & von Wallpach, 2009). People connect with brands in many ways, similar to how they connect with other people (Fournier, 2009). There- fore, how they perceive the brand is extremely important for the strength and type of connection they will develop with the brand. Research on brand perception has shown that consumers do not only pay attention to the benefits and functional characteristics of the brand but also to the type of relationship that the brand offers them and the feelings it evokes in that relationship (Aaker, Fournier & Brasel, 2004; Thomson, MacInnis & Park, 2005). The rela- tionship goes beyond mere recognition, it involves deep and long-lasting emotions, associations, and beliefs that consumers attach to the brand. Although brand perception is a set of mental associations, it is crucial in creating an emotional connection between the consumer and the brand. To develop this connection and create a long-term relationship, one of the strategies that can be used is sensory marketing. Sensory marketing can be defined as marketing that involves the consumers' senses and affects their perception, judgment, and behav- iour (Bhatia, Garg, Chhikara, Kataria & Talwar, 2021). The importance of sensory marketing is manifested mostly in the fact that it provides access to information about consumer emotions caused by different stimuli, which can help explain most consumer decisions (Zaltman, 2003). Many companies such as Apple, Google, Disney, Coca Cola, Amazon, etc. use sensory marketing, for example in communication messages, sales, and products/services, therefore it has been the subject of many studies (Bruwer, Saliba & Miller, 2011; Hagtvedt & Brasel, 2017; Huang & Labroo, 2020; Spence, 2014). Many of these studies have dealt with sensory marketing in certain industries such as wine (Bruwer et al., 2011) and tourism (Kah, Shin & Lee, 2020) industries, or have focused on a specific sense like touch (Ringler, Sirianni, Gustafsson & Peck, 2019; Ferreira, 2019) or smell (De Luca & Botelho, 2020; Canni- ford, Riach & Hill, 2018). This paper seeks to investigate how the number, perceived intensity, and frequency of sensory involvement in the consumer-brand relationship, affect brand perception. This paper flows as follows. The first section is an introduction that gives short overview of the importance of the topic, define the research gap and propose a way how to solve it. Introduction is followed by theoretical background discussing sensory marketing and its impor- tance in creating consumer-brand relationships and con- sequently brand perception. The next section presents the research methodology and research results, followed by a discussion and conclusions. Finally, the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are presented. Theoretical Background In to day 's wo r l d , w h en in f o r ma t io n is av ail abl e to e ver yo n e without space-time limitations, and marketing strategies and tools are easily imitated, companies and brands are continuously looking for new and different ways to win the hearts and minds of consumers. Consumers are sat- urated with numerous messages and information from different brands, so reaching them is one of the main and most difficult tasks of marketing. Sensory marketing has proven to be an effective approach to differentiate the brand from the competition and reach consumers (Fong, Lei, Chow & Lam, 2023). Krishna (2010) defines sensory marketing as activities that engage consumers’ senses and influence their behav- iour. While Farhadi, Slambolchi, and Alhosseini (2017), in addition to behaviour, add that it affects the consumer's brand perception and judgment. When sensory market- ing is approached in a broader context, it is necessary to consider product, price, place, and promotion as stimuli of consumer’s senses. Developing products that connect and engage consumers is crucial for success. The prod- uct’s design, texture, and feeling when touched, affect the consumer’s perception and emotions (Rodriguez, Reyes & Carvalho, 2023), as well as the sense of owner- ship (Peck & Shu, 2009). In addition, the visual impression of the packaging (Krishna, Cian & Aydınoğlu, 2017) and the sounds when using the product (Yalch & Spangen- berg, 2000) stimuli consumers' senses and shape brand perception. The smell of the product evokes associations from memory, thereby influencing consumers’ level of satisfaction (Mattila & Ratneshwar, 2003) and loyalty (Sowier-Kasprzyk, 2022). For example, in the cosmetics industry, the product's touch, appearance, smell, and colour affect the perception of luxury and the justification of a high price (Rodriguez et al., 2023). A crucial role in sensory marketing is played by store atmosphere - music, lighting, scent, store decoration, etc. (Shahid, Paul, Gul Gilal & Ansari, 2022; Yalch & Spangenberg, 2000). All this affects consumers’ mood, the length of their stay in the 47 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. store, and finally, buying decisions. And ultimately, pro- motion through visual stimuli, but also taste, smell, and touch expressed in in-store advertising (Simha, 2019) and event marketing (Kuo, Liu, Wang & Chen, 2023), contrib- utes to sensory marketing as stimuli to the senses that create brand perception. Sensory marketing is important for brand management and creating brand perception because it enables powerful personalized experiences that arouse emotions and memories, due to which consumers connect with the brand on a deeper level increasing brand recognition and brand recall (Hultén, 2011). Sensory marketing goes beyond tra- ditional marketing that primarily uses the senses of sight and hearing, and enters the full spectrum of the senses to create a holistic consumer experience with the brand that will deepen the emotional connection between the consumer and the brand (Krishna, 2012). When there is harmony between sensory stimuli and consumer ex- pectations, a positive brand perception is created, and consequently satisfaction increases (Zha, Foroudi, Jin & Mellower, 2022; Krishna, Elder & Caldara, 2010). Sensory marketing is an approach that involves the senses to achieve a deep and memorable connection between the brand and the consumer through the five primary senses – sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell (Krishna & Schwarz, 2014). Sight is the most commonly used sense in marketing because colour and shape are the first things consumers notice when they see a certain product or a brand (Bone & Ellen, 1992) and the easiest way to identify and differentiate them from the competi- tion. Research by Huang and Labroo (2020) showed that 78% of consumers remember the message and slogan of a brand if colour is used. Hearing can significantly influence brand recognition and brand recall. Music affects not only the mood and atmosphere (Yalch & Spangenberg, 2000) but also the perception of the time that consumers spend, for example, in a store, in contact with the brand, and for the decision to buy the product (Kellaris & Altsech, 1992). For example, in the case of the Abercrombie and Fitch brand management, in-store music had an extreme- ly large influence on brand perception and brand image. Experiences of taste can contribute to the creation of a brand image because it is a taste that has a great influ- ence on brand recall (Hultén, 2011). If the competition competes with price or promotion activities, differentia- tion by taste, that is, by offering food and drinks as a form of attracting consumers, represents an efficient market- ing tactic (Kim & Forsythe, 2008). Furthermore, the sense of touch can increase consumer involvement. Quality materials, different textures, and ergonomic design contribute to the physical connection of consumers with the brand and increase the level of trust that consumers have in the brand (Peck & Childers, 2003). In the end, of all the five senses, the sense of smell has the strongest impact on consumers because about 75% of all emotions experienced in a day are generated precisely through smell (Lindstrom, 2005). The advantage of smell is that it enables constant interaction of the environment with the consumer and that it is connected to parts of the brain devoted to memory and emotions (Bell, 2007). That is why companies use smells in stores and incorporate them into products (e.g. cars). Sensory marketing impacts consumer behaviour in several ways (Sundstrom, Anttila, Nummela & Liljander, 2018). It influences the impulsive buying behaviour of consumers by creating an atmosphere in the store that stimulates the senses; it affects consumer satisfaction and loyalty; it goes beyond the importance of the functional features of the brand/product; and it creates loyal consumers who become brand ambassadors. Positive interaction between consumers and the brand through sensory marketing creates positive associations with the brand that influence the purchase decision (Biswas, 2019), and the alignment between the used senses and brand positioning improves the brand image, creates brand credibility and authentic- ity (Orth & Malkewitz, 2008). Sensory marketing tries to create the perfect combination of sensory stimuli (Rathee & Rajain, 2017) and achieve the greatest impact on consumer buying behaviour. However, sensory marketing should be used very carefully so that there is no overdose on the consumer's senses which could create a counter-ef - fect (Errajaa, Legohérel, Daucé & Bilgihan, 2021). At the beginning of researching sensory marketing, papers were focused on the individual impact of one of the five senses on consumer behaviour (Biswas & Szocs, 2019; Girard, Lichters, Sarstedt & Biswas, 2019), while research that focused on the simultaneous impact on the multiple senses of consumers and their influence on consumer experience and behaviour, such as those of Lowe and Haws (16) and Spence (23), were rare. But lately, authors like Knoeferle Klemens, Knoeferle, Velasco, and Spence (2016), Wiedmann, Labenz, Haase, and Hennigs (2018), and Yoganathan, Osburg, and Akhtar (2019) research the use of multisensory marketing on consumer behaviour and brand perception. However, the results presented in the mentioned studies are inconsistent; therefore, this area needs to be further researched in different contexts as much as possible. This is the reason for defining the first hypothesis: H1: The inclusion of multiple senses in the consumer-brand relationship has a positive effect on brand perception. 48 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. The level of intensity of sensory marketing is a way to establish a deeper connection between consumers and the brand. However, the intensity of sensory involve- ment in consumer-brand interaction is still insufficiently researched: Should the intensity be strong or weak?; In which situations is it preferable to use a stronger inten- sity, and in which cases is it necessary to use a weaker intensity?; Are there differences in the effectiveness of sensory marketing intensity depending on the senses?; etc., are just some of the questions that need to be answered. Mehrabian and Russell (1974) proposed a stimulus-organism-response model in which consumers have three emotional reactions to environmental stimuli: pleasure, arousal, and dominance. These emotional reactions result in two types of behaviours. The first is approach behaviour, which means that consumers stay, explore and accept to be in the brand's environment and continue to gain experience. The second is avoidance approach behaviour, according to which consumers avoid the environment where the stimuli are located and, thus, the interaction with the brand. In their study, Nadanyiova, Kliestikova, and Kolencik (2018) conclude that for sensory marketing to be noticed, the intensity of sensory involvement in the consum- er-brand relationship should be just above the threshold of perception, and the consumer must be in a state of average attention. In the case of multisensory marketing, the consumer perceives the intensity of sensory involve- ment more intensively, which leads to deeper emotions (Fong et al., 2023). Strong intensity of sensory involvement can be destruc- tive in the consumer-brand relationship, but too weak intensity can lead to consumers not finding the brand worthy of attention. Therefore, marketing managers must be cautious when deciding how intensively to use sensory stimuli in brand perception. Based on the afore- mentioned, the following hypothesis is set: H2: Perceived intensity of sensory involvement in the con- sumer-brand relationship has a positive effect on brand perception. Sensory marketing influences consumer behaviour in several ways (Sundstrom, Anttila, Nummela & Liljander, 2018). It influences the impulsive buying behaviour of consumers by creating an atmosphere in the store that stimulates the senses; it affects consumer satisfaction and loyalty; it goes beyond the importance of the func- tional features of the brand/product; and it creates loyal consumers who become brand ambassadors. Positive interaction between consumers and the brand through sensory marketing creates positive associations with the brand that influence the purchase decision (Biswas, 2019), and the alignment between the used senses and brand positioning improves the brand image, creates brand credibility and authenticity (Orth & Malkewitz, 2008). Sensory marketing tries to create the perfect com- bination of sensory stimuli (Rathee & Rajain, 2017) and achieve the most significant impact on consumer buying behaviour. However, sensory marketing should be used carefully to avoid overdosing on the consumer's senses, which could create a counter-effect (Errajaa, Legohérel, Daucé & Bilgihan, 2021). Similar to the intensity of sensory involvement, frequent use of multiple senses in interaction with consumers can lead to a counter-effect where consumers ignore the brand (Singhal & Khare, 2017). Also, the combination of stimuli used to stimulate the consumer's senses must be appropriately selected in line with the product’s purpose and the brand’s image, but also with the situation in which the consumer is influenced and the characteristics of the consumer (Bruwer et al., 2011). Therefore, the following hypothesis is set: H3: Perceived frequency of involving multiple senses in the consumer-brand relationship has a positive effect on brand perception. Empirical Research Methodology and sample To test the hypotheses, a survey was conducted on a con - venience sample of 189 respondents from the Republic of Croatia using a self-administered highly structured questionnaire. Using the snowball effect, the respond- ents were approached via the LinkedIn and Facebook platforms in April and May 2023. The questionnaire consisted of five sets of statements/questions. The first three sets of statements were related to the number of senses included in the relationship between a brand and a consumer, the intensity of sensory involvement in that relationship, and the frequency of involving multiple senses in that relationship. Before those sets of state- ments, the respondents were asked to think about the brand they buy and know and to express their level of agreement with statements that follow for that exact brand on a 5-point Likert scale (1 – Strongly disagree; 5 – Strongly agree). The fourth set of statements was about sensory marketing. Existing validated scales (Bruwer et al., 2011; Hassan & Iqbal, 2016; Shahid, Paul, Gilal & 49 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. Table 1 Sample characteristics Characteristic Number % Gender Male 78 41.27 Female 111 58.73 Age 18-25 61 32.27 26-35 68 35.98 35-45 32 16.94 45-60 21 11.11 More than 60 7 3.7 Education Elementary school 0 0 High school 16 8.47 Graduate degree 144 76.19 MBA 23 12.17 PhD 6 3.17 Employment Student 55 29.1 Employed 115 60.85 Unemployed 17 8.99 Retired 2 1.06 Monthly personal income Up to 800 EUR 62 32.8 801 - 1.500 EUR 74 39.15 1.501 – 2.000 EUR 32 16.94 2.001 - 2.500 EUR 13 6.88 2.501 EUR and more 8 4.23 As presented in Table 1, 111 (53.73%) respondents were female, while 78 (41.27%) were male. Of all the respond- ents, 61 (32.27%) of them were aged 18 to 25, 68 (35.98%) were between the age of 26 and 35, 32 (16.94%) respond - ents were aged between 36-45, while 21 (11.11%) of them were aged between 46 and 60, and only 7 (3.7%) were more than 60 years old. In terms of their education level, most of them (144; 76.16%) have a master's degree, followed by MBA (23; 12.17%), high school (16; 8.47%) and PhD (6; 3.17%) degrees. Regarding employment, 115 (60.85%) respondents are employed, 55 (29.1%) of them are students, 17 (8.99%) are unemployed, and 2 (1.06%) are retired. And finally, 62 (32.8%) respondents have a monthly income of up to 800 EUR, 74 (39.15%) between 801 and 1,500 EUR, 32 (16.94%) between 1,501 and 2,000 EUR, and 8 (4.23%) of them more than 2,000 EUR. Results and discussion To measure the variable "Inclusion_of_Multiple_Senses" in the consumer-brand relationship and the impact on brand perception, the following statements were used: a) When interacting with the brand, all my senses are involved; b) When interacting with the brand, the sense of sight is primarily involved; c) When interacting with the brand, the sense of hearing is primarily involved; d) When interacting with the brand, the sense of taste is primarily involved; e) When interacting with the brand, the sense of touch is primarily involved; and f) When interacting with the brand, the sense of smell is primarily involved. For this variable, Cronbach-α is 0.91, A VE is 0.5 3, and CR is 0.89. Furthermore, the following statements were used to measure the variable "Intensity_of_Sensory_Involve- ment" in the consumer-brand relationship and the impact on brand perception: a) In interaction with the brand, the intensity of involvement of my senses is high; b) The intensity of interaction with the brand is strong regard- less of which sense is used; c) The brand gives me great visual pleasure; and d) The sounds I associate with the brand are highly intense. For this variable, Cronbach-α is 0.66, AVE is 0.53, and CR is 0.75. Finally, to measure the variable "Frequency_of_Involving_Multiple_Senses" in the consumer-brand relationship and the impact on brand perception, the following statements were used: a) When interacting with the brand, all my senses are often involved, b) In communication with me, the brand frequently involves more than one of my senses; c) With its activities, the brand regularly affects all my senses. For this variable, Cronbach-α is 0.86, AVE is 0.52, and CR is 0.85. The defined variables were formed using factor analysis with Varimax rotation, and hypothesis testing was done by regression analysis. The results of regression analysis are presented in Table 2. Ansari, 2022; Brajko, 2012; Sliburyte & Ny, 2017; Sund- strom et al., 2018) originally in English were used, which were then translated in Croatian and tested using ‘back- to-back’ translation (English->Croatian->English). For data analysis, SPSS was used to perform t-tests, factor analysis, and regression, and standard validity and reli- ability tests were performed (Hair, Anderson, Tatham & Black, 1998; Fornell & Larcker, 1981). Finally, the fifth set of questions was about the demographic characteristics of the respondents. 50 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. perception is not statistically significant. Based on that, the second hypothesis (H2: Perceived intensity of sensory involvement in the consumer-brand relationship has a positive effect on brand perception) is rejected. Consid- ering the fact that the respondents themselves chose the brand for which they filled out the questionnaire, it cannot be determined the level of sensory marketing the brand applies. Consumers will not notice sensory market- ing activities if the intensity of sensory stimuli is low and focused mainly on sight or touch. The other extreme is if the chosen brand applies extremely intense stimuli to the senses (e.g. very loud music), then consumers can choose to avoid these stimuli. An additional explanation for such results can be found in the consumer's sensory adapta- tion (Yu Aleksandrova, 2023). If consumers are constantly exposed to stimuli that stimulate only one or all senses, after a certain time the consumers, i.e. the senses, adapt to the environment and do not notice certain stimuli anymore. The duration of adaptation of individual senses differs, which means that consumer’s sensory systems are primarily "intended" for noticing changes in the environ- ment, and a potential problem can occur if the stimuli are constant, i.e. of equal intensity. A possible solution to that challenge is a gradual change of stimuli that affect different senses so that the consumer is constantly inter- acting with the brand and the environment, and does not get used/adapt to certain stimuli. For example, moving a consumer from a brightly lit to a dimly lit space will result in a decrease in visual perception. The sensory organ reacts to this with increased sensitivity, which results in the registration of weaker stimuli that the consumer would not otherwise register. For department stores, this means that it is necessary to level the intensity of the impact on the senses in different parts of the store (lighting, smells, music, etc.) so that upon entering a par- ticular space, the consumer notices a different stimulus. As can be seen in Table 2, the variable "Inclusion_of_ Multiple_Senses" has a positive and statistically signifi- cant effect on brand perception. Based on that, the first hypothesis (H1: The inclusion of multiple senses in the consumer-brand relationship has a positive effect on brand perception) is accepted. That is in line with the findings of some authors (Spence, 2014; Wiedmann et al., 2018) who say that a higher level of market differentiation can be achieved by using multisensory marketing. Namely, a hot topic in consumer behaviour and marketing research in the last ten years was a brand experience (Andreini, Pedeliento, Zarantonello & Solerio, 2018; Kumar & Kaushik, 2020; Mostafa & Kasamani, 2020). The results of the research showed that consumers, in order to achieve a long-lasting and meaningful relationship with a brand, apart from the functionality provided by the product and the image (self-perceived and socially perceived) provided by the brand, want a certain experience and connection on an emotional level. In order to achieve this, the use of one sense, such as sight or touch, is no longer enough. Including multiple senses and combining them into a holistic approach, ensures that the brand reaches the consumers, gains their attention, and encourages them to take action. Ultimately, such customers become loyal consumers and spread positive word-of-mouth. However, managers should be very careful when applying activities of multisensory marketing because the inconsistency of the use of its elements with other brand activities creates an imbalance in brand positioning, which has a negative effect on the brand image. In order to achieve the positive impact of the brand management strategy on brand equity, all brand activities (including sensory marketing) must be aligned and communicate the same message. Furthermore, Table 2 shows that the influence of the variable "Intensity_of_Sensory_Involvement" on brand Table 2 Research results Coefficients Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 0.127 0.589 1.107 0.041 Inclusion_of_Multiple_Senses 0.210 0.131 0.210 1.543 0.009 Intensity_of_Sensory_Involvement -0.029 0.189 0-.022 -0.180 0.885 Frequency_of_Involving_Multiple_Senses 0.412 0.122 0.412 2.601 0.014 a. Dependent Variable: Brand_Perception 51 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. Finally, the last hypothesis (H3: Perceived frequency of involving multiple senses in the consumer-brand relation- ship has a positive effect on brand perception) is accepted. The variable "Frequency_of_Involving_Multiple_Senses" has a positive and statistically significant influence on brand perception. This result is consistent with the results for the first hypothesis and suggests that the frequency of involvement of more senses in the interaction of the brand with consumers contributes to brand perception. After stopping the use of stimuli of a certain sense, that sense gradually loses its importance and has no influence on the creation of experience and relationship with the brand. Also, if stimuli to all senses are not frequent, the associations and positive experiences that consumers as- sociate with the brand are forgotten over time. However, one has to be very careful here too, because by using the same stimuli too often, consumers, that is, their senses get used to these stimuli and no longer notice them. In addition to the statements related to hypothesis testing, respondents also expressed their agreement with the following statement on a 5-point Likert scale (1 – Strongly disagree; 5 – Strongly agree): "If the in- teraction with the brand stimulates my senses, there is a high probability that I will again buy that brand". The results show that respondents have a positive attitude (m.v.=4.253; t=11.985; df=99, p=0.001) to this statement, which implies that the involvement of the senses in the interaction with consumers creates loyal customers who will repeat purchases, and consequently contribute to increased brand equity (Feiz & Moradi, 2020). That is why investing in sensory marketing is of crucial importance for companies today. With it, a brand can create long-term relationships with consumers that will help in surviving fierce competition and ever-changing environment. Conclusions, Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research With the development of society and rapid changes in the environment (economic, cultural, political, technological, etc.), information and brands from all over the world have become easily accessible to consumers, making them more saturated and willing to switch the brands. In order to prevent that and to build positive brand percep - tions, companies stimulate consumer's senses in order to achieve a competitive advantage in the market. Sensory marketing, as a multidimensional approach to brand building, has confirmed its effectiveness in influ- encing brand perception and consumer behaviour. By engaging various senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell), brands can create unique experiences that evoke emotions, leading to stronger and deeper relationships with consumers. The brand perception created in this way affects consumer behaviour and purchasing decisions. Therefore, brands are increasingly using sensory market- ing to reach and retain consumers. This paper has several conclusions. First of all, the involve - ment of multiple senses in the consumer-brand relation- ship has a positive effect on brand perception. However, it is important to carefully determine which senses are appropriate for a specific brand, product, company, and industry. The use of inappropriate senses or unnecessary use of all senses can create negative effects on brand perception or consumer overdose. Likewise, not all senses have the same strength of influence, for example, sight and touch are the traditional and most used senses, while the sense of smell is connected to the parts of the brain responsible for emotions and memory, so it can have a more positive and greater effect on brand perception. Secondly, the greater the frequency of involving multiple senses in the consumer-brand relationship, the more positive effect it has on brand perception. As with the number of senses involved, with the frequency of their involvement, companies must be careful not to create a counter effect. Too frequent use of the senses in creating brand perceptions can lead to consumers getting used to stimuli and having no effect on the brand experience, and thus not on brand equity. The third conclusion related to this research is that a higher intensity of sensory involve - ment in the consumer-brand relationship does not neces- sarily have a significant effect on brand perception. This conclusion is extremely important for brand managers because the intensity of the impact on the senses needs to be managed with caution. Too little intensity can go unnoticed, while too much intensity can lead to consumer irritation, which will result in ignoring the brand. Sensory marketing should be a tool to build an authentic, memo- rable, and desirable brand making it resilient in today's turbulent environment. In sensory marketing, expectations are the driving force of success. Touching or looking at a product in a store or sense of smell in a coffee shop, create certain expec- tations. Therefore, the application of sensory marketing should be approached ethically and socially responsible. Manipulating the senses to create an artificial experience that the brand cannot fulfil can damage brand credibility in the long run. Thus, it is important for the stimuli to be in line with the products and the brand so they do not create a false impression among consumers. Consumers need to have “free will” to make a decision and choose the brand they really want. 52 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. As any other, this research has certain limitations. Sample can be considered as one limitation because convenience sample may offer indicative results but they cannot be generalized. Another limitation is the fact that the re- spondents' perceptions of sensory marketing were re- searched, and as stated in the theoretical background, if the stimuli of the senses is absent for some time, they slowly weaken. Therefore, one of the recommendations for future research is to conduct an experiment where it would be possible to find out with greater certainty the impact of a single sense on brand perception and the purchase decision, but also the impact on several senses at the same time. In addition, as a recommendation for future research, especially if an experiment is applied as a research method, is the use of virtual and augmented reality to impact the senses of consumers. Also, as a recommendation for future research, is to compare the importance of multisensory marketing and the intensity, and frequency of stimuli on the senses for domestic and foreign brands, given that there is a large migration of people and brands. References Aaker, J. L., Fournier, S. 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DOI:10.1111/ijmr.12270 55 NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 69 (3) 2023 Krupka, Z. Raziskovanje vpliva senzoričnega trženja na zaznavanje blagovne znamke Izvleček Glavni namen tega članka je raziskati, kako število, zaznana intenzivnost in pogostost vpletanja čutil v odnos med potrošnikom in blagovno znamko vplivajo na zaznavanje blagovne znamke. Raziskava je bila izvedena na vzorcu 189 anketirancev iz Republike Hrvaške. Za preverjanje hipotez sta bili uporabljeni faktorska in regresijska analiza. Glavne ugotovitve te raziskave so: a) vpletenost več čutov v odnos med potrošnikom in blagovno znamko pozitivno vpliva na zaznavanje blagovne znamke; b) večja kot je pogostost vpletenosti več čutov v odnos med potrošnikom in blagovno znamko, bolj pozitivno vpliva na zaznavanje blagovne znamke; in c) večja intenzivnost vpletenosti čutov v odnos med potrošnikom in blagovno znamko nima pomembnega vpliva na zaznavanje blagovne znamke. Ta raziskava prispeva k literaturi o trženju in upravljanju blagovnih znamk, saj raziskuje pomen čutnega trženja, natančneje števila, zaznane intenzivnosti in pogostosti vpletanja čutov na zaznavanje blagovne znamke. Ključne besede: blagovna znamka, senzorično trženje, zaznavanje blagovne znamke