There are a lot of marketing tactics out there geared towards customers’ visual and aural senses. Billboards, magazines, radio and TV adverts all appeal to these two dominant senses in which we generally place so much stock. Much time and effort are put into visual-and/or audio-based marketing tactics, which appeal primarily to customers on a conscious cognitive level.
However, appealing to customers’ olfactory sense – their sense of smell – is often overlooked by marketers to their detriment. Savvy marketers have, however, waking up to the fact that our sense of smell can evoke powerful associations in our minds – for better or worse.
Olfactory branding or scent marketing appeals to customers on a subconscious emotional level. It is far more subtle and yet far more potent as a result. The powerful connections between smells and memories will likely yield highly long-term results. A simple scent can bring a specific brand to mind years later and stoke a desire to purchase even when no visual or audio brand signs are present.
What Are Some Examples?
Real estate agents have known the secrets of scent marketing for a while. One of their favourite tricks is to make the house they’re trying to sell smell like cookies. Sometimes they will actually bake cookies in the house’s kitchen on the day it goes on show, or they will spray a cookie dough aerosol throughout the house.
This tactic is so successful because the smell of cookies baking is widely associated with many people with their childhoods or happy memories of homeliness and comfort. The feeling it gives prospective buyers is overwhelmingly positive and serves to make them feel like they’re at home already, and therefore far more likely to consider purchasing the house.
Another example is the smell of popcorn at the cinema. Every time one goes to watch a movie at the cinema, the smell of popcorn is pervasive. After that, every time one smells popcorn anywhere else, thoughts of going to the cinema come to mind, evoking positive memories of first dates, outings with friends and family or simply the happy feeling of watching one’s favourite films.
What Are The Main Types Of Olfactory Branding?
There are several primary kinds of olfactory branding or scent marketing tactics.
Thematic smells help convey the sense of the business and communicate a particular feeling associated with the specific kind of business. Typical examples are soothing aromas in spas or that “new car smell” at car dealerships.
Ambient smells mask any potential unpleasant odours to create a comfortable environment for customers. These are often subtle and undefinable, but pleasant fragrances found, for example, in shopping centres or retail stores.
An aroma billboard is a distinct and bold scent designed to evoke a specific brand. These are unique to the brand and will be used in all branches. Signature smells evoke a particular feeling whenever customers interact with the brand and remind customers of the brand whenever they smell it.
At Scent.ology, we have a variety of fragrances and delivery methods, as well as expert advice to help you kick off a powerful olfactory branding or scent marketing campaign. Contact us now to get started!
