The importance of senses and what they trigger in our minds haven’t gone unnoticed to marketers. These are 5 ways you can use them:
To trigger emotion
Smell is a powerful tool to trigger emotions in people. You may not end up infatuated to the point of neglecting your everyday responsibilities as with the Amortentia potion, but the right scent can still change your mood pretty drastically when you least expect it. For example, the American chain store Barnes & Noble sprays a scent of crisp new books and fresh coffee beans in their stores to relax their clients.
To trigger memories
The scent of fresh cut grass can take you back to summer vacations when you were a kid. You know, when you didn’t have to do anything but chill out on a deck chair and sunbathe? A travel agency may use one of these scents to make you reminisce and therefore motivate you to spend your money on a plane ticket to the caribbean. Studies have shown that clients are more likely to buy if they associate the product with a pleasant smell. The opposite can be said about bad smells.
To organise their customers
Some big department stores use different aromas on different sections of the venue. Sometimes they’ll use a more feminine “flowery” scent on the feminine section and a more masculine “musky” fragrance on the gentleman’s area. Tests have shown that both men and women don’t tend to linger when they enter an area that smells like the opposite gender.
To attract buyers
Whoever has walked pass an Abercrombie & Fitch store can recall it’s very pungent “Fierce” scent. Nowadays there are specialised companies that on top of designing branded aromas also install a scent spreading device. This is not meant only to give the venue an atmosphere, but also to reach out to potential customers that may find themselves nearby and like “bees to honey” attract them.
To create fidelity
Fashion brands spend millions and millions of pounds on creating new perfumes and then, when they finally decide on a scent, they spend even more money to protect the formula. The perfume Chanel No. 5, arguably the most famous perfume in the world, has barely (or at all) evolved since its release in 1921. Brands use smells to create a loyal consumer base. Considering most people are reluctant to change, sales would probably suffer if the scent was altered.
