Can you feel it?

Gord Cooke says marketers don't use the sense of touch enough in their marketing? Do you know of any good examples where this sense (or for that matter, the senses of taste or smell) might work effectively?

Gord Cooke president of Air Solutions Inc. from Cambridge, Ontario, made an interesting point when he presented the case for rationally including environmental considerations in your marketing strategies: marketers don't use the sense of touch enough.

Speaking to the annual environment dinner meeting at the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association (GOHBA), he said, to sell 'green', marketers need to find the emotion in the decision. "Its about finding logical reasons to help people make emotional decisions," he said.

Cooke said granite counter tops sell well, even though they aren't terribly practical, because "it feels great".

"How can we get people to touch green?" he asked, citing the marketing success of the original textured coke bottle "designed to make you feel comfortable whenever you touch the bottle."

"Our sense of touch isn't used enough," he added. "here's lots of logical side to green. What we tend to lack is emotional side."

Cooke added however that most consumers want 'green' but don't want it to change their lives -- they'll buy into systems which improve energy efficiency and save environmental waste, but don't want to have to 'water their sofa' (made out of green plant material) or walk on bamboo floors.

And he made a telling point that you can realistically sell you are making green improvements by just finding a 20 to 30 per cent improvement -- with modest cost and virtually no stress, these kinds of advantages are possible now, and allow everyone to get involved in the process.