Sensory Sensebility
We can say we live currently in an experience economy, whereby the experience of a product or service is central (Kikken, 2016). Experience and sensory stimulus are becoming more and more important in our society. People are looking for a different type of sensory sensation and for new ways to stimulate their senses. But how can you stimulate multiple senses? Last year, we have seen more and more initiatives and projects which want to create a completely new experience. To create a whole new experience, they stimulate multiple senses. I think we see a new trend right here, namely ‘Sensory Sensibility’. Companies have to follow this trend because consumers are more critical, more outspoken and more influential than ever before. The customer’s experience has greatly influence on the image of an organisation (Geldof & Boer, 2015). So, it’s important companies comply with the needs of the consumers. Below, I will explain three projects which stimulate senses in their new way.
Dinner in Motion The first signal I encountered was 'Dinner in Motion'. Dinner in Motion is a culinary experience, where guests are dining during a digital theatre. They make a trip through the casino, an underwater world and the artworks of world famous Dutch masters (Simon, 2016).
Dinner in Motion is a good example of the experience economy. A dinner at Dinner in Motion isn’t only focused on the sense ‘tasting’, but also seeing and hearing are important senses which you activate during this dinner. To make this digital theatre possible, they apply technological developments. Digitisation is an important trend in response to the new needs of consumers. The technological and digital world will have a completely different meaning. See the video to see how Dinner in Motion is set up.
Vapor Sphere
My second signal is ‘Vapor Sphere’; this is a device which lets you inhale alcohol instead of drinking it. The Vapor Sphere makes you feel the positive effects of alcohol, but it leaves your body faster, so you don’t get a hangover. Besides, there are no calories (PR Newswire, 2016).
Alcohol is a huge thickener. It has no nutritional value and contains a lot of sugars or cream, which makes the drink very calorie-rich. Because of alcohol you often get hunger, which leads to the use of unhealthy, fat snacks. Your body would like to lose the alcohol as soon as possible and burns the alcohol first. After this, the fat snacks will be burned. But when this doesn’t happen, the snacks will be stored as fat (Niemantsverdriet, 2012). So, alcohol is one of the causes of overweight. With the Vapor Sphere, you don’t have to experience all these negative effects of alcohol. You just only experience the fun and positive effects of alcohol.
Betsy’s Beer
My last signal is Betsy’s Beer. High in the clouds, the taste experience of people is different than on the ground. The passengers of an aeroplane want a nice experience. Also, the food must be of good quality. Therefore, Cathay Pacific Airways has been challenged with Hong Kong Beer to produce the world's first 'aircraft beer'. With ingredients from China and England in the beer, it succeeded to create Betsy's Beer (McLaughlin, 2017).
Future Proof
So, we have seen that using our senses is becoming more important during eating in three totally different views. Dinner in Motion makes your dinner a digital theatre, where you have to use especially your eyes and ears. By using the Vapor Sphere you inhale the alcohol, so you use your nose. Besides, you only experience the positive effects of alcohol. By drinking Betsy’s Beer, you just use your taste pupils, but it’s a whole new taste sensation when you are on an aeroplane. Projects like these create the trend ‘Sensory Sensibility’, and I think this trend has future potential. A trend responds to the needs of the society. People want to experience a product or service optimal. New technological possibilities make it easy to respond to this trend. Due to the increase in the needs of experiences, it's important we use multiple senses. Because you perceive an experience with your senses.
Life is a delusion of the senses
Sources:
Geldof, J. & Boer, G. (2015). Overleven in de belevingseconomie? Verhoog je Design IQ! Accessed at 20-04-2017, https://www.frankwatching.com/archive/2015/10/26/overleven-in-de-belevingseconomie-verhoog-je-design-iq/
Kikken, T. (2016). Beleveniseconomie. Accessed at 20-04-2017, https://www.ensie.nl/tara-kikken/beleveniseconomie
McLaughlin, K. (2017). Betsy: New craft beer by Cathay Pacific that's specially designed to taste great at altitude. Accessed at 20-04-2017, http://www.traveller.com.au/betsy-new-craft-beer-by-cathay-pacific-thats-specially-designed-to-taste-great-at-altitude-gujs5a
Niemantsverdriet, J. (2012). Wanneer is drank een dikmaker? Accessed at 20-04-2017, https://www.gezondheidsnet.nl/overgewicht-en-afvallen/wanneer-is-drank-een-dikmaker
PR Newswire (2016). Vapor Sphere Introduces "A Better Way to Enjoy Alcohol" Without the Hangover, Excess Calories and Blood Sugar Spikes for Diabetics. Accessed at 20-04-2017, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vapor-sphere-introduces-a-better-way-to-enjoy-alcohol-without-the-hangover-excess-calories-and-blood-sugar-spikes-for-diabetics-300269762.html
Simon, M. (2016). Dinner in Motion: culinair en digitaal theater in The Wall Utrecht. Accessed at 20-04-2017,
http://www.missethoreca.nl/restaurant/nieuws/2016/11/dinner-in-motion-culinair-en-digitaal-theater-in-the-wall-utrecht-101252455