Scent Marketing – Deepening Customer Connections
The sense of smell is the strongest and most primal of all our senses. It protects us from drinking milk that’s turned sour and alerts us to the presence of natural gas. It vividly reminds us of moments – good or bad – we first experienced decades ago. It is the first of our senses to evolve in the evolutionary chain and the sense with the strongest, most accurate level of recall. Scent is processed by the limbic system in our brain which is responsible for memory and emotion processes.
In marketing, scent can be highly effective in helping us distinguish one product from another. It can trigger a memory or desire that influences a purchase decision. Alternatively, scent can remind us of pleasant associations, whether that is “home”, the beach or a meadow. These associations help to create an environment in which we feel comfortable, “at home”. In a consumer setting this impacts our decision to stay longer and consume more.
Across industries, businesses are using scent as part of multi-sensory marketing strategies to enhance customers’ experiences of a location and its products or services. These experiences allow customers to develop deeper memories and emotional connections with the brand and promote sales and loyalty.