Behind the Science of Scent Marketing:

How Smell Changes the Way We Experience Everything From Shopping Malls to Hotels

In a digitally advanced culture, there is still one thing that can’t be experienced via screen: scent. So why not turn smell into the reason one should actually experience a venue? And, if pleasant enough, can that aroma actually entice folks to stay longer, spend more money, and come back to a destination over and over again?

According to the science of scent marketing, yes.

Also referred to as ambient scent marketing, aroma marketing, and olfactory marketing, the industry “basically uses the power of scent to tell brand stories and to enhance experiences,” explains Caroline Fabrigas, the CEO of Scent Marketing Inc.

A branding and marketing exploit that has been around for decades—at first prevalent in hotels and casinos seeking to mask the smell of cigarette smoke—scent marketing has relatively recently gained momentum across tourist destinations as well.

One World Observatory, the top floor of One World Trade Center in New York, for example, is defined by world-class views of the city below and a specific smell pumped through the air that is reminiscent of the aroma of trees. That scent was commissioned by the venue itself and actually has a name: One World.

Starbucks, on the other hand, figured out that hiding the odor of the food prepared and served in-house enhances the in-store experience of customers who enjoy the smell of brewing coffee more.

The idea isn’t an odd one: We tend to remember moments in our lives based on how we lived them across our five senses. Companies dealing with declining sales and rising rents are trying to diversify ways to appeal to those five senses, hoping to draw in more customers and actually shape the way they live and breathe the brand by evoking certain sensations….[Read More]