This is installment 3 of the importance of using the 5 senses to create successful events. We’ve discussed music (sound) and smell and now we’re going to talk about taste.
Taste is a very complex sense. It’s actually significantly affected by sight, sound and smell. I remember when I was a little girl going to the Toronto Science Center. They had an exhibit in which a whole bunch of different colored jelly beans laid out for kids to taste by color grouping. The twist was that they had switched up the flavors so an orange flavored jelly bean wasn’t orange it was pink and the grape colored jelly bean was orange, and so on. So the goal was to eat the jelly bean and say what flavor it was. Simple right? Not so much. It was really tough to guess flavors when you didn’t have the sense of sight to back you up.
I can’t stress how much time is spent by manufacturers on getting just the right shade of orange for Nacho flavored tortilla chips or how much r&d goes into getting just the right crunch for a brand of pickles. After all, “as all new cooks are told, the first bite is with the eye. The second is probably with the ears, finger or tongue.” Good marketers recognize that taste is not a stand alone sense.
In the same way that sight & smell affect taste, other senses can suggest taste. Just look at my post about a children’s library in China. The use of bright, punchy colors feels candy-like. The words fruity, decadent, savory, smokey, and citric are not used to describe food alone. They can be used in reference to colors. If looking to go decadent, use rich, dark, foodie colors like chocolate browns and wine reds. If looking to go citric, use bright oranges, lemon yellows and lime greens. So think outside of just food when looking to dial up taste. Furniture and decor can go a long way in increasing taste appeal.
Summary:
– Emphasize the taste of food by assessing color, crunch, texture, and design
– Understand the meaning of colors. A resource like ICA can help you choose foodie colors that are relevant to your event.
– Use more than just food to tap into taste – use decor, furniture, flowers and other design elements
Reference: Making sense of taste