Scent Marketing - how to increase sales

The human brain retains scents the longest because the sense of smell is most closely connected to the part of the brain responsible for emotions. We might forget an image or a sound, but a scent will remain in our memory for a long time. Marketers have decided to use this to their advantage – this is how scent marketing, or aromamarketing, was born.

A scent, which is a mixture of chemical compounds that trigger specific stimuli, can significantly (though subconsciously) influence our decisions. Therefore, it is worth becoming familiar with the term aromamarketing, which primarily aims to interest customers in a brand through a specific fragrance.

Why use scent marketing?

Undoubtedly, an essential role in shaping the relationship with the customer is building a good image. Often, the first impression (similar to human interactions) is the most important and leaves an indelible mark, which can be crucial in further negotiations.

Specialists studying the impact of human senses on the sale of a product have developed a new method – associating a brand with a pleasant scent. This translates into a series of good associations that create a desire in potential customers to purchase the product. Therefore, scent plays a very important and crucial role, from negotiations to direct sales.

The effectiveness of scent marketing has been studied by the University of Paderborn in Germany. Scientists calculated that due to the influence of scents, customers spend an average of 15.9% more time in a store, their willingness to buy increases by 14.8%, and the store's turnover increases by 6%.

One leading car manufacturer announced that after using a citrus scent on the assembly line, the number of defects in cars caused by worker errors decreased by 30 percent.

How to choose the right scent to increase sales benefits?

The key role in deciding on the right scent is to specify the target group. In most cases, a product or a series of products is dedicated to a specific group of recipients, which significantly allows for a quick determination of the appropriate scent. However, this is not a determinant but merely a starting point that we can follow in broadly understood scent marketing.

If we assume that the selected product is aimed at men of a certain similar age and with similar interests, we can use a specific scent from a given group (adrenaline). However, if we want to increase sales, for example, in a cafe, we will use very popular scents such as orchid, amber, or cherry.

A well-chosen scent, like color or texture, affects potential customers very suggestively. Considering that the sense of smell, unlike the sense of touch, usually influences decisions subconsciously (excluding the purchase of the scent itself), we can say that scent marketing is an excellent advertising tool offering significant sales manipulation possibilities.

So, even if we are only a potential customer (e.g., accompanying someone making purchasing decisions) and do not focus on the product or service, thanks to the right scent, we can feel comfortable enough to often unconsciously enter the created world of the brand.

It is difficult to define the types of scents that will be dominant and most popular. As in many cases, it is mostly a matter of taste.

The choice of the right composition mainly depends on the industry, character, the mentioned target group, or the interior design.

Here again, it is worth emphasizing how important it is to specify the target group we want to reach. A wide range of products, especially recommended by us, is offered by the brand P+L System. Among them, in addition to classic fruit and floral scents, we can distinguish a whole range of fragrances dedicated to specific senses and moods.

A very important issue is also the appropriately chosen strength and intensity of the selected scent, and thus, its thoughtful and original composition that will be associated with a given brand and form its integral coherent part.

Agnieszka Dąbrowska (Ad aroma) “There is no perfect scent. However, there are scents appropriate for the season. Warmer periods influence the choice of more delicate, lighter scents. Colder days require 'warming up' and this is also fulfilled by a scent. If we consider the appropriateness of the scent to the product/industry/service or the purpose of using scent marketing, we will come to the conclusion that there are no most popular scents because the one most liked by employees may not always fulfill the purpose. Scents appropriate to the product are suitable because they complement the product’s communication or otherwise achieve the goal.”

What is needed to implement scent marketing?

Scent marketing is based on releasing specially created scent compositions both in spaces where customers are present and on promotional materials they receive or come into direct contact with.

Devices used to spread specific scents include dispensers, among which we can distinguish electric air fresheners, cartridge or spray types. In beauty salons, hair salons, and SPA centers, using a wide range of essential oils is a popular method of scent marketing. On larger spaces, existing ventilation shafts are often used to dose scents to all rooms (especially used in shopping centers and fitness clubs).

A very innovative advertising method of scent marketing in recent years has been the use of natural scents associated with a product in outdoor campaigns (e.g., the scent of St. Martin’s croissants in tram shelters with billboards advertising the croissants of a particular bakery) or the scent of a meadow dispensed at specially arranged bus stops as part of a campaign promoting the spring collection of a leading brand.

As we can see, scent marketing offers countless possibilities and ways to use this form of advertising, and considering that it is a relatively new and developing field, there will certainly be more in the future.

How to choose the right scent to influence sales increase?

To make scent marketing truly effective, it is necessary to choose the scent note appropriately for the product/logo or brand. The composition should be carefully thought out to form a coherent element of the image.

As mentioned earlier, there is no single perfect scent or even type of scents. Therefore, the choice of an appropriate scent composition is based on both the objective opinions of scientists dealing with this field and the taste and choice of those deciding on a particular blend of scents.

When following the principles of scent marketing in business, we must remember the existence of olfactory memory, which involves the spontaneous recall of certain memories, thereby strongly influencing our emotions and triggering specific actions.

Scent marketing is currently used worldwide. In the business class lounges of a leading airline, a scent is dispersed that refreshes and relaxes travelers waiting for their flight, creating positive associations with the brand. In gastronomy, natural scents of citrus (to stimulate appetite), cookies, coffee, or chocolate (to connect with the place and entice purchases), seafood (to stimulate taste buds and evoke vacation memories) are often used. Also popular are scents of materials from which a product is made, e.g., leather (used in car showrooms and furniture stores), wood (furniture stores), or high-quality plastics (RTV stores, cell phone, and computer showrooms).

In addition to direct benefits (increased sales), scent marketing also significantly affects:

- The duration of the stay in the store

- Customer loyalty (i.e., 'return rate')

- Perceptions regarding feelings and brand

- Ability to perform tasks

Scents for stores

It is difficult to generally define the types of scents dominant among customers. To a large extent, this depends on the character, industry, interior design, and color scheme.

In sports stores, refreshing citrus scents associated with lightness and freshness are very popular. Travel agencies often use Mediterranean and tropical scents with hints of pineapple, coconut, and papaya to entice potential customers to their offers. In exclusive boutiques, scent compositions based on the scent of well-known perfumes or floral notes are most often used.

When choosing the right scent composition, remember many factors that will together create a cohesive brand image.

Scents for toilets

Air fresheners available in various forms, colors, and types have many advantages, the most important being undoubtedly the elimination of unpleasant odors. Due to the vast range of air fresheners, when designing a toilet, we can choose the one that ideally suits our needs and the interior design. Starting from the most popular spray dispensers, through cartridge air fresheners to automatic ones. Spray dispensers are the cheapest but the least economical way of freshening the air. On the one hand, the wide range of scents available on the market offers great selection possibilities; on the other, we are exposed to the theft of such a dispenser and uncontrolled use. Therefore, a much better solution is motion-sensor air fresheners, which are much more economical as they only dispense scent when necessary. They discreetly release the fragrance, making the room feel fresh and pleasant.

Air fresheners for offices, conference rooms, receptions, banks

Offices, conference rooms, receptions, and banks are places where the air should primarily be freshened by neutralization. Neutralization of odors means adding fragrance compositions that effectively help eliminate unpleasant smells but are not invasive to those in the freshened room.

While scent marketing can be very prominent in stores, car showrooms, and gastronomy, in offices/receptions/banks, it should be based on neutral and delicate compositions that are not noticeable to customers. Air fresheners in this case should neutralize the air rather than perfume it. Heavy spicy or oriental scents, strong floral notes, or distinctive compositions that work well in gastronomy are not recommended here.

Instead, light fruity aromas, relaxing lavender, or neutral light plant scents can be used successfully in this case.

Scents for hotels and SPAs

Freshening agents for the hotel business specialize in eliminating the unpleasant smell of tobacco and moisture. They are called neutralizers and are most commonly available in automatic dispenser forms, allowing them to be programmed to release a pleasant fragrance automatically, saving employees' time and energy.

Hotel rooms are usually equipped with bathrooms, where the scent of the air freshener used should not dominate the fragrance sprayed in the rooms and other hotel areas accessible to guests. The most commonly used in hotels are light floral compositions, delicate citrus scents, or specially dedicated series of relaxing and soothing fragrances.

In SPA salons and rooms, scent compositions that form whole series with cosmetics used during treatments are often used. Depending on the activity, special scent notes are used, which, like in hotels, are meant to relax and soothe. A wide range of dispensers allows choosing the right type for the interior so that it can be an element of even the most exclusive interior design.

Professional air fresheners for healthcare

Places such as hospitals, clinics, dental offices, or veterinary clinics have specific conditions that significantly influence the dominant scent in these premises. The sterile cleanliness required in these facilities is associated with using large amounts of disinfectants characterized by a specific smell. Therefore, it is worth using professional agents that eliminate the strong smell of detergents and remove the feeling of so-called 'heavy air.' These agents are undoubtedly more efficient than regular air fresheners and are particularly effective in neutralizing unwanted odors. In waiting rooms, besides the mentioned professional neutralizers, dispensers releasing a delicate composition of herbal aromas causing relaxation are often used. Using such air fresheners is undoubtedly very important for the well-being of patients and healthcare workers.

Air fresheners for fitness clubs, pools, gyms

With the enormous interest in physical activity in recent years, many fitness clubs, gyms, martial arts rooms, sports halls, and swimming pools have been established. To meet the highest expectations, those responsible for the appearance and use of the mentioned places strive to equip them with all possible amenities, including air fresheners and air neutralizers. Leading brands producing aromatic compositions dedicated specifically to places with increased physical activity have focused particularly on refreshing citrus scents and energetic scent series. At the same time, all kinds of indoor pools, where the smell of chlorine, so common until recently, is rarely encountered. This is related to the increasingly popular water ozonation method but also, and perhaps most importantly, to using dispensers neutralizing this characteristic smell. It is also worth mentioning places where air freshening is just as important as in all the above-mentioned areas - such as all kinds of changing rooms, locker rooms, or preparation rooms before increased physical activity. These places are characterized by relatively large freedom in choosing suitable aromatic compositions; however, it is worth remembering to use fresh and non-overwhelming scents.

As marketing specialists claim, scent marketing will gain significance and understanding over time, just as PR has become an appreciated marketing tool. Scent is an integral part of the environment, so it should be appropriately matched to the place, purpose, brand, or product. Building good customer relationships, introducing a new product to the market, or wanting to keep regular customers, it is worth implementing new advertising and marketing methods, among which scent marketing is undoubtedly one of the more interesting tools in the advertising industry.