In the modern world where competition is getting fiercer each day, companies have been forced to find new ways to attract the attention of potential customers. In the West in general, marketing has become more individualized, experience and preference-based, and consumers demand more service and more personalized products.
However, many companies are failing to attract the attention of the customer and many advertising campaigns don’t register anything distinctive in the customer’s mind. Many products turn out to be interchangeable commodities instead of powerful brands. To stand out brands need to be powered up with a full sensory and emotional experience.
Why scent marketing?
A gentle and subtle scent of flowers and perfumes stands out from the rest of the everyday scents and commands immediate attention. It’s a natural response driven by innate sensory feelings. If a customer is attracted to a piece of clothing merchandise because of its soft touch, research shows that the customer will likely switch in favor of a piece of clothing that is not only soft in touch but also has a gentle, favorable scent that evokes feelings of luxury and comfort.
For example, there is nothing that will make someone switch from a musky scent to a strawberry scent, yet most people will opt for the strawberry scent over a heavy, musky scent, as it relates to feelings of warmth, childhood memories, or summertime. Similarly, most consumers like the smell of leather or wood in a new car. Regardless of the brand of the car, people will associate the smell of leather and wood with a high-end brand such as a Mercedes or BMW.
The power of scent marketing.
Scent marketing is one of the most effective strategies that enable an advertisement to penetrate deeper into the mind of customers. Scent advertising triggers the neurotransmitters, which initiate the subconscious mind. These triggers enable a brand to capture the attention of the consumer and enhance the perception of the brand. Different scent marketing products and techniques have been utilized throughout the world. For example, in Japan, Kikkoman soy sauce has pioneered the art of producing aromas that provide an alluring feel to the brand.
What does the research say about scent marketing?
Apart from the power of the human senses, there are other traditional methods used to influence the customer. One widely used method that has been shown to be effective is the scent-based appeal to the emotions or mood-evoking scent marketing for business. The objective of this type of marketing is to utilize the power of the senses to indirectly associate scent with feelings and imagination to create or relate a perception with a particular brand. To effectively communicate the same, careful consideration needs to be given to the customer demographics and the experience the brand wishes to create.
The company needs to take great care to do its research to identify the best way to communicate and engage with the customer. It is an important factor that determines the success of any campaign.
Classic Scent Collection
How to use scent in your marketing campaign?
The explosion of digital marketing has transformed traditional methods of advertising. Like the growing number of emails and push notifications, scents have gained in importance and relevance. Hints of fragrance can be found everywhere in industry shows, design studios, retail stores, magazines, even mail campaigns, and these subtle smells can guide us from a passive state “just browsing”, to an active state, “I want to engage to learn more”.
Designers Inspired Scent Collection
Personalization has become a focus and the strong nature of smell plays a key role in evoking the right emotion for consumers. Researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon have found that the smell of an artificial patch, labeled with an identification number, could be more effective in engaging the badge user compared to a low-priced, simple badge. Companies of all sizes are exploring how to use scents to energize and evoke positive experiences with employees.
Bottom line
Today’s consumer has been trained to crave personalization in all things they do. For a brand, to stand out they need to provide more than a price or solid service. Whether the business is a product provider or a service provider, the business must consider the experience the customer is seeking and what does the customer value in engaging with the brand.
Additionally, a business or brand needs to consider a large ecosystem of stakeholders to identify shared values and to avoid insincere attempts of manipulating the consumer into engaging. Instead, the business must be creative to influence the experience and to find ways to align with their customer’s values. Associating a particular scent with the brand is a guaranteed way to stand out.
Talk to our scent marketing experts today for a free virtual consultation.
