Scent sells

Discover the physiology behind scent marketing

Scent branding is more than just simply creating or transmitting pleasant fragrances or aromatic products, just like there is much more to consumer behaviour than simply choosing a product based on price.

As scientists began researching our senses and the role they play in our daily lives, marketers have been using this research to apply to new concepts of branding and advertising. All five senses play a vital and complex role in forming our mood, thoughts and behaviours, though none as efficiently as our sense of smell. Yet 83% of commercial communication to customers is visual and auditory stimuli.

Our olfactory sense is our most primal and deeply rooted sense, directly linked to the limbic system which is the same part of the brain responsible for memory, perceptions and emotions. When your sense of smell is engaged, signals from the odour receptors in your nose reach your amygdala first, producing an immediate, visceral reaction. No other sense is so directly wired to this emotion-processing part of the brain; scent is unique in the way that any response in the higher cortical areas responsible for conscious thought comes second, if at all.

Advanced scientific research is revealing that scent plays a large part in influencing our emotions, decisions, and olfactory memory and affects 75% of our daily emotions. As such, scent marketing offers an alternative to traditional marketing that could be more effective. Indeed, the human brain is most receptive and more likely to form, retain, revisit and reinterpret memories when all five sense are engaged.

By adding the almighty power of smell to the marketing mix, brands can establish a stronger and longer-lasting emotional connection with their customers and be much more memorable.

Book a consultation and harness the power of scent branding.