Mandarin Oriental Miami
See. Hear. Smell. Touch. Taste. Believe…
Copyright © 2006 by McDaniel Consulting Ltd.

times are changing.

quality products
+
competitive pricing
+
service
≠
differentiation

quality products
+
competitive pricing
+
service
=
cost of entry

it is no longer enough …
to meet the needs of
your customers.
to deliver on time with
a smile.
to just say who you are.
to make promises.
Source: RedCMarketing, IXMA – International Experience Marketing Association, Martin LIndstrom

the new economy is the experience economy
and the criteria for success is very different.
experiences are staged.
they are personal.
they are sold by stagers.
they are bought by guests.
they are differentiated by sensations.
Source: The Experience Economy, Joseph Pine, James Gilmore

experience creation
=
escape from
competing on price
Source: Colin Shaw

nothing is real until you
experience it.
Source: RedCMarketing

what are your customers
experiencing?
are the experiences planned or
staged?
does everyone know their role?
is everyone reading the same
script?
does your experience awaken
the senses of smell, taste, sight,
feel and look?
Source: Colin Shaw, Building Great Customer Experiences

senses play a critical role in
helping consumers
understand and
interpret their
experiences.
Source: James Paschel, PHD Moving Beyond the Coffee, Bread & Chocolate Paradigms

what does your brand…
smell like?
sound like?
feel like?
the senses are portals
to our emotions.
sight, sound, scent,
touch and taste…from
packaging to music,
from an intangible
“feel” to the shopping
experience.
Source: Martin Lindstrom, Brand Sense, LoveMarks

we’re at our most
effective and receptive
when using all five senses.
but most brand-building
exercises only utilize sight
and sound to get their
message across.
of the five senses, sight is
the most important,
followed by smell.
touch is ranked lowest.
Source: Martin Lindstrom, Brand Sense

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Miami
a multi-sensorial experience

we are hard-wired for multi-
sensory inputs.
the human brain has
evolved to code and
interpret complex stimuli.
our experiences are
stronger, richer and more
satisfying when we are
presented with variety:
images, colors, sounds,
tastes, smells, touch,
language, emotion.
Source: University of Toronto, Department of Psychology

sight
sight n – ability to see;
vision
The Mandarin Oriental
Miami has created a
feast for the eyes, which
is the most important of
all five of the senses.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

a breathtaking wall of multi-level
floor to ceiling windows provides an
unobstructed view of Biscayne Bay
and the Financial District.
furniture is a mix of
modern and Art Deco, with an
Oriental flare.
décor includes carefully selected
muted tones to calm and relax.
guest rooms have 10-foot ceilings
combined with warm colors, which
makes them feel spacious and
relaxing.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

the signature restaurant,
Azul, has a magnificent white
marble open kitchen and raw bar.
floor-to-ceiling windows showcase
the picturesque bay views.
the spa has a glass elevator that
transports guests to what feels like
another world. the combination of
east and west makes the tranquil
setting a sensual paradise.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

smell
smell vb smelling, smelt
or smelled. to perceive
the scent of (a
substance) with the
nose.
the Mandarin Oriental
Miami uses the subtle
sense of smell to
enhance the guest
experience.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

the lobby welcomes you with
an aroma that immediately
soothes and relaxes.
washrooms offer
beautifully scented
Molton Brown soaps and
lotions.
meeting rooms are
infused with soft
citrus scents.
the spa smells of a rich,
deep, tropical aroma of
full-throated flowers and
woods.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

“smell is under-leveraged
and because of the
overload of sight and
sound, people are more
receptive and more
sensitive to
communication via
scent.”
Ingo Schweder,
Director of Spas,
Mandarin Oriental
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

sound
sound n anything that
can be heard; noise.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

what sounds are
associated with the
brand?
just remember to make
it slow.
the slower the music,
the more people
shop. the faster
the tempo,
the less
they spend.
Source: Brand Sense, Martin Lindstrom

in the lobby a collection of Asian-inspired
music calm and nurture the senses.
the spa uses custom designed and
sequenced music – a signature sound.
guest rooms are equipped with high-end
Bose Wave sound systems.
meeting guests hear the melodious
sounds of Tibetan Spa Chimes to signal
the end of breaks.
a sample of relaxing Zen-like music
plays as you open the web page, which
engage the ears.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

taste
taste n the sense by
which the flavor of a
substance is
distinguished by the
taste buds.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

soothing ginger tea is poured
at the start of luncheon
meetings to calm and aid
digestion.
the signature restaurant, Azul,
blends Latin flavors with Asian,
new Caribbean and classic
French influences.
guests are treated to the an
exotic “amuse bouche”
compliments of the chef.
exotic chocolates and truffles
compliment the meal.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

The truth of a thing is
the feel of it, not
the think of it.
Stanley Kubrick

touch
touch vb to cause or
permit a part of the
body to come into
contact with
someone or
something.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

furniture is comforting and luxurious to the touch with
natural cottons and sumptuous silks.
chilled ‘oshibori’ towels are provided at the
conclusion of meeting luncheons to increase energy
in the afternoon.
the private beach welcomes with white-cushioned
day beds and cocooning hammocks.
guest rooms offer weighty,
plush robes and slippers.
the spa provides exotic
textures – bamboo, rice
paper, glass and natural
linen.
Source: McDaniel Partners primary research, Mandarin Oriental website and overview package.

the multi-sensorial
experience
= a unique sense
of place
The
Mandarin
Oriental
Miami