Flavors that connect: sensory marketing and customer loyalty in themed restaurants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16581962Keywords:
Sensory marketing, customer loyalty, customer experienceAbstract
The purpose of this article was to determine the relationship between sensory marketing and customer loyalty in themed restaurants, considering sensory experiences as a key factor in consumer perception and connection with the brand. A quantitative, correlational, non-experimental, cross-sectional methodology was used, applying a structured questionnaire to a sample of 327 consumers from a representative restaurant in the Huánuco region. The results show a direct and significant relationship (r = 0.936, p = 0.000) between sensory marketing and customer loyalty, demonstrating that sensory stimuli, such as aroma, music, ambiance, and visual presentation, influence customer satisfaction and loyalty to the establishment. Therefore, it is concluded that strategically integrating the five senses into gastronomic spaces represents a sustainable competitive advantage, especially in contexts where experience is the main differentiating factor.
Downloads
References
Abdolmohamad Sagha, M., Seyyedamiri, N., Foroudi, P., y Akbari, M. (2022). The One Thing You Need to Change Is Emotions: The Effect of Multi-Sensory Marketing on Consumer Behavior. Sustainability, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042334
Akram, M. T., y Imran, D. M. K. (2024). Sensory Marketing and Willingness to Pay a Premium Amount: Investigating the Mediating Effect of Customer Loyalty. Journal of Policy Research, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.61506/02.00224
Cai, J. (2024). Emotional-driven: The Function of Experiential Consumption in Improving Consumers’ Purchase Intentions —— Take JELLYCAT as an Example. Highlights in Business, Economics and Management, 46, 77-83. https://doi.org/10.54097/69r1ry70
Cardoso, A., Gabriel, M., Figueiredo, J., Oliveira, I., Rêgo, R., Silva, R., Oliveira, M., y Meirinhos, G. (2022). Trust and Loyalty in Building the Brand Relationship with the Customer: Empirical Analysis in a Retail Chain in Northern Brazil. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(3), 109. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8030109
Chang, K.-C., y Cheng, Y.-S. (2023). How sensory perceptions and sensory brand experience influence customer behavioral intentions in the context of cartoon-themed restaurants. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 115, 103604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103604
Chauhan, J. S. (2018). Brand Loyalty and Its Impact on Repeat Purchase Behaviour of Customers: A Cross-Sectional Study in the FMCG Context. Psychology and Education Journal, 55(1), https://psychologyandeducation.net/pae/index.php/pae/article/view/7859
Chowdhury, T. G., Khare, A., y Coulter, R. A. (2025). Spillover effects of sensory stimulation. European Journal of Marketing, 59(3), 501-527. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-12-2022-0863
Dwiputri, A. L. (2024). Local Coffee Shop Use of Sensory Marketing to Maintain Customer Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Customer Satisfaction. Journal of International Conference Proceedings, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.32535/jicp.v7i1.3098
Gao, F., y Shen, Z. (2024). Sensory brand experience and brand loyalty: Mediators and gender differences. Acta Psychologica, 244, 104191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104191
Green, J. D., Reid, C. A., Kneuer, M. A., y Hedgebeth, M. V. (2023). The proust effect: Scents, food, and nostalgia. Current Opinion in Psychology, 50, 101562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101562
Helmefalk, M., y Hultén, B. (2017). Multi-sensory congruent cues in designing retail store atmosphere: Effects on shoppers’ emotions and purchase behavior. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 38, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.04.007
Herrera, A. M. T. (2025). Envolver los Sentidos: El Impacto del Programa de Marketing Sensorial en las Decisiones de Compra. Revista Científica Élite, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.69603/itsqmet.vol7.n1.2025.94
Huang, C.-C. (2017). The impacts of brand experiences on brand loyalty: Mediators of brand love and trust. Management Decision, 55(5), 915-934. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-10-2015-0465
Hussain, S. (2018). Brand Image and Customer Loyalty Through Sensory Marketing Strategies—A Study on International Fast Food Chain Restaurants. International Journal of Management Studies (IJMS), 5(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.18843/ijms/v5i2(7)/05
Ing, P. G., Lin, N. Z., Xu, M., y Thurasamy, R. (2020). Customer loyalty in Sabah full service restaurant. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 32(7), 1407-1429. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-07-2019-0437
Jiménez-Marín, G., Bellido-Pérez, E., y López-Cortés, Á. (2019). Marketing Sensorial: El Concepto, Sus Técnicas Y Su Aplicación En El Punto De Venta. Vivat Academia, 148, 121-147. https://www.vivatacademia.net/index.php/vivat/article/view/1177
Kazem, F. J., y Ahmed, S. H. (2022). The effect of sensory marketing in enhancing customer loyalty by mediating marketing knowledge, survey research in a group of large single market in Baghdad. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S5). https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS5.9932
Krishna. (2014). Marketing sensorial, encarnación y cognición fundamentada: Una revisión e introducción—Krishna—2014—Revista de Psicología del Consumidor—Biblioteca en línea de Wiley. https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.jcps.2013.12.006
Krishna, A. (2012). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect perception, judgment and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 332-351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2011.08.003
Kuo, Y., y Helm, S. (2024). How ethnic congruence affects authenticity and perceived taste of traditional foods. International Marketing Review, 42(1), 83-102. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-10-2023-0281
Liu, C.-H., Chou, S.-F., y Vu, H. T. (2024). Valuation of customers’ service quality, affective, sensory experience and entertainment to behavioral intention. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 35(13-14), 1509-1541. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2024.2373782
Liu, Y., Hultman, M., Eisingerich, A. B., y Wei, X. (2020). How does brand loyalty interact with tourism destination? Exploring the effect of brand loyalty on place attachment. Annals of Tourism Research, 81, 102879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102879
Mostafa, R. B., y Kasamani, T. (2020). Brand experience and brand loyalty: Is it a matter of emotions? Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 33(4), 1033-1051. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-11-2019-0669
Padillo, C. P., Go, N., Manreal, P., Samson, S., Galli, B., Yamagishi, K., Promentilla, M. A., y Ocampo, L. (2021). Modelling the priority attributes of customer loyalty in Philippine single-dish restaurants. Journal of Modelling in Management, 17(4), 1432-1455. https://doi.org/10.1108/JM2-09-2020-0243
Pan, Y., Sheng, S., y Xie, F. T. (2012). Antecedents of customer loyalty: An empirical synthesis and reexamination. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 19(1), 150-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2011.11.004
Park, A., Conway, M., y Chen, A. T. (2018). Examining thematic similarity, difference, and membership in three online mental health communities from reddit: A text mining and visualization approach. Computers in Human Behavior, 78, 98-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.09.001
Petit, O., Velasco, C., y Spence, C. (2019). Digital Sensory Marketing: Integrating New Technologies into Multisensory Online Experience. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 45(1), 42-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2018.07.004
Riza, A. F., y Wijayanti, D. M. (2018). The Triangle of Sensory Marketing Model: Does it Stimulate Brand Experience and Loyalty? Esensi: Jurnal Bisnis Dan Manajemen, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.15408/ess.v8i1.6058
Roy, N. A., Bak, J. H., Akrami, A., Brody, C. D., y Pillow, J. W. (2021). Extracting the dynamics of behavior in sensory decision-making experiments. Neuron, 109(4), 597-610.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.004
Safeer, A. A., Yuanqiong, H., Abrar, M., Shabbir, R., y Rasheed, H. M. W. (2021). Role of brand experience in predicting consumer loyalty. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 39(8), 1042-1057. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-11-2020-0471
Santos, M. A., Dopico-Parada, A., y Cabanelas, P. (2025). Cooking unforgettable experiences: Sensory marketing in slow food restaurants. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-05-2024-0174
Satti, Z. W., Babar ,Samreen Fahim, y and Parveen, S. (2023). Role of Customer Satisfaction as a Mediator between Sensory Marketing and Customer Loyalty: A Case of Pakistani Restaurant Industry. Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 35(5), 559-581. https://doi.org/10.1080/08974438.2022.2049415
Sayed, M. S. (2023). The Impact of Sensory Marketing on Managing a Sustainable Fast-Food Business in Egypt. International Journal of Tourism, Archaeology and Hospitality, 3(1), 161-174. https://doi.org/10.21608/ijtah.2023.189052.1068
Shahid, S., Paul, J., Gilal, F. G., y Ansari, S. (2022). The role of sensory marketing and brand experience in building emotional attachment and brand loyalty in luxury retail stores. Psychology & Marketing, 39(7), 1398-1412. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21661
Singh, G., Slack, N., Sharma, S., Mudaliar, K., Narayan, S., Kaur, R., y Sharma, K. U. (2021). Antecedents involved in developing fast-food restaurant customer loyalty. The TQM Journal, 33(8), 1753-1769. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-07-2020-0163
Srivastava, M., y Kaul, D. (2016). Exploring the link between customer experience–loyalty–consumer spend. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 31, 277-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.04.009
Tarlao, C., Fernandez, P., Frissen, I., y Guastavino, C. (2021). Influence of sound level on diners’ perceptions and behavior in a montreal restaurant. Applied Acoustics, 174, 107772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2020.107772
Utama, I. (2022). Creating customer satisfaction through sensory marketing. Jurnal Ekonomi, Bisnis & Entrepreneurship (e-Journal), 16(1). https://doi.org/10.55208/jebe.v16i1.229
Wang, G.-Q., Zhu, B.-W., Wang, K., Li, X.-Y., y Xiong, L. (2025). Links between cue combinations of physical environments and consumer satisfaction in themed restaurants from a systematic approach–avoidance perspective. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 126, 104055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.104055
Wolter, J. S., Bock, D. E., Hopkins, C. D., y Giebelhausen, M. (2022). Not the relationship type? Loyalty propensity as a reason to maintain marketing relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 50(5), 1052-1070. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00847-w
Wörfel, P., Frentz, F., y Tautu, C. (2022). Marketing comes to its senses: A bibliometric review and integrated framework of sensory experience in marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 56(3), 704-737. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-07-2020-0510
Zomerdijk, L. G., y Voss, C. A. (2010). Service Design for Experience-Centric Services. Journal of Service Research, 13(1), 67-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670509351960
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal is licensed under the Attribution License (CC BY), allowing the possibility of copying, distributing, displaying, and producing derivative works, as long as the author is acknowledged and cited.







