Alabama Construction News is the states only bimonthly magazine dedicated to the commercial construction industry.
Issue link: http://acn.epubxp.com/i/721413
Adam Huxhold is an experience design consultant and award-winning sensorial strategist with Adrenaline, an experience design agency, focusing on sparking a special chemistry between brands and people to initiate and encour- age long-term customer relationships. Adam collaborates with partners in construction industry to strategically deploy the customer journey within physical spaces. Contact him at AHuxhold@ Adrenalineshot.com. clients can be proactive, rather than reactive, and ensure that the physical environment is aligned with how they want their customers to experience the space on all levels. After all, what good is a beautiful space if it doesn't function to enhance the customer experience? Tiffany, which are among the top-10 brands embracing sensorial market- ing today according to Brand Sense – Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Sound by Martin Lindstrom. E NGAG I NG CON STR UCTION & DE S IG N But why should contractors, designers and architects be con- cerned with sensorial branding? Because in today's uber-competitive environment, the spaces that are being designed and constructed have to function for much more than just foot traffic. Architects, contractors and designers must con- sider multiple touch points within a space in advance of construction, a vital activity that will become the defining characteristic between for- ward-thinking construction compa- nies and those who are left behind. The world's largest companies with locations across the country – from Nike to Apple – are enhancing their own sensorial approaches, devoting large budgets to deploying them to enhance customer experiences. The future of commercial construction may well hinge upon the ability to integrate and implement this cus- tomer journey. From a purely practical stand- point in the schematic stage of design, companies are able to move walls around so they can build in strategic visuals they want consum- ers to see. Clients can change ceiling types or install flush-mount speak- ers to maximize the sound possibilities, but in an unobtrusive way. For smell, clients can look at installing a scent machine to capitalize on the welcome zone, where a customer's sense of smell is activated immediately, opening the door for a very positive first and last impression. Today, all of these strategic decisions can and should be made during the design phase so that clients are creating a holistic, 360-degree experience for their customers. It's also important to note that once a physical space is already designed, built and open for business, developing a sensorial strat- egy after-the-fact becomes increasingly difficult. At that point, clients are wondering why people aren't coming back, why aren't they excited, why aren't they advocating for me? What's exciting about building sensorial strategy into design at the outset is that 45 JUL-SEP 2016 AL CONSTRUCTION NEWS