The Power of Scent in Branding
When asked the question, “What’s the best thing about a new car?,” without fail, most adults answer, “The new car smell.” It is so powerfully evocative that some people refuse to buy
even a great used car, saving thousands of dollars, only because it doesn’t have that “new car smell.” Should we fill them in on the little secret that there is no such thing? That “new car smell” is, in fact, an artificial fragrance sprayed into the car as it leaves the assembly line. It lasts about 6 weeks.
If someone blindfolded you and held a Crayola crayon under your nose, would you immediately know what it is, just from the scent? The vast majority of people will, even adults who haven’t smelled a crayon in decades. There’s a good reason why Crayola recreates that fragrance in the more modern incarnation of its colored pens. It’s creating yet another generation of memories that will be associated with its brand. A crayon that doesn’t smell like a crayon, even if it colors just as well, simply isn’t the same.
There is no human sense more closely related to emotion and memory than scent. It’s believed to be due to the proximity of the olfactory nerve to the limbic system, that part of the brain that controls memory and emotion. The sense of smell is also the only sense that can’t be “switched off.” It works continuously, with our without our permission, and often so subtly that we aren’t consciously aware of it.
Such is the power of scent. Such is the opportunity in branding.
Creating in your customers’ minds an association of a scent with your product or store can have the same effect as the two examples given above. Or, it can evoke memories and emotions that bypass the rational side of the brain, drawing customers in. How do you think sales would be influenced by using a suntan lotion scent in the bathing suit section of a department store? A Pina Colada fragrance in a liquor store? The fragrance of chocolate mint near the candy aisle of a grocery store? Can you count the impulse purchases?
Fragrance is so easy to introduce into an environment with the technology available today, it’s a wonder why more businesses don’t take advantage of its unparalleled power to tap into emotions and memories in a way no words or signs can.
Related posts:
- Three Uses of Scent in Business
- Scent Puts Customers at Ease: A Case Study
- The Scent of Summer
- The Power of Scent on Sales: A Case Study
- Woodland Wonders
Learn more about DMX Services.
2 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL
Before reading this post I’d never realized just how much scent plays in purchasing goods.
The points you raise about scents in grocery stores is so true! And infact I fell for such a ploy. I was walking by the meats department and they were cooking up sample food for customers to try, as soon as I smelled the garlic and meat cooking I was intrigued and had to sample this product, which in turn then led me to buying it right away. To be able to use technology to create the fragrance is astounding and something that I will be looking to add to the businesses I’m involved with. Scent is key to taste, and food is the key to heart. Haha.
Comment by Matt — September 24, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
What a inventive strategy to help create better atmosphere for customers. It’s so true that smell can envoke so many different memories and emotions so quickl. A great strategy.
Comment by Kerrie — September 28, 2009 @ 1:47 am