When we think of seasonality, it’s often tied to the calendar year — the rhythm of winter, spring, summer, and fall. For food lovers, however, seasonality sparks something much more immediate: pumpkin spice lattes, limited-edition cookies, and holiday flavors that mark moments in time.
At Symrise, our work with seasonality goes beyond the predictable. To inspire new ideas, we partnered with Brand Genetics to interview experts from diverse fields. One of them is Roger Dooley, a pioneer in neuromarketing, author of Brainfluence, and founder of the popular Neuromarketing blog. With decades of marketing experience, Dooley brings a behavioral science lens to seasonality — revealing how the brain, emotion, and sensory cues drive consumer choices.
Neuromarketing in Action
Brands have long used neuromarketing to better understand consumer behavior. Tools like EEG, fMRI, and facial coding allow companies to measure subconscious reactions to ads, packaging, and in-store displays. Campbell’s Soup, for example, tested imagery to refine its label design, while Deloitte uses neuromarketing to optimize digital experiences.
Still, Dooley cautions that neuromarketing can feel intimidating to consumers if it appears manipulative. Transparency and trust remain key.
Why Scent Matters
Of all the senses, scent creates the fastest route to memory and emotion. “Smell and taste are deeply intertwined,” Dooley explains. “It’s the scent that triggers associations.”
Think of how the aroma of gingerbread can evoke childhood holidays, or how a whiff of roasted peanuts transports you to a ballpark. These cues create powerful emotional ties that food and beverage brands can harness authentically.
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The Psychological Drivers of Seasonality
Dooley highlights several forces that explain why seasonal launches resonate so strongly:
- Emotion & Nostalgia – Memories linked to flavors and aromas create lasting connections.
- Language & Imagery – Vivid adjectives can spark imagination and even boost sales (Cornell research shows descriptive labels increase sales by 27%).
- Scarcity – Limited-time offers (LTOs) play into our instinct to grab something before it’s gone.
- Novelty – Consumers are wired to seek out the new and unexpected.
- Social Signaling – Seasonal items can communicate identity and belonging (“I had the first PSL of the year!”).
- Priming – Marketing cues continuously shape expectations and cravings.
Advice for Innovators
For brands looking to leverage neuromarketing and seasonality effectively, Dooley suggests:
- Stay culturally aware. Local and regional differences matter — snow in the North, sunshine in the South.
- Leverage scent and emotion. Scent is a direct path to memory and desire.
- Test in layers. Pair subconscious tools (EEG, fMRI, facial coding) with real-world trials to validate results in context.
- Explore memories. Ask open-ended questions to uncover flavors tied to personal seasonal experiences.
A Scientific Spin on Seasonal Innovation
The science behind seasonality shows it’s not just about flavor, but about meaning. Novelty, nostalgia, scarcity, and emotional triggers converge to make seasonal launches more than just limited-time products — they’re cultural and psychological events.
For food and beverage brands, the challenge is to strike the right balance: creating excitement without over-saturating the market, and leaning into authentic connections that resonate deeply with consumers’ minds and memories.
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