The Newest Scent Marketing Studies and Their Results

Scent marketing has the power to positively impact a customer’s experience and change the way a business operates for the better. Numerous studies have been carried out to determine the impact of scents on consumers, their retail habits and the science behind it. Aroma and scent have a direct pathway through to the limbic system – the part of the brain responsible for memory, emotions and moods. Here, the aroma can affect 75% of people’s feelings, making ambient scenting an essential tool for business environments.

Business and companies are familiar with typical marketing techniques, such as visual and auditory enticements which account for 83% of communication to the consumer. Yet, scent works to influence a consumer’s emotions while creating a memorable and welcoming environment. There is also the bonus of removing any discouraging odors that may impact negatively on a customer as well as encouraging those who had no intention to enter the store.

Going beyond a simple, pleasant scent, latest studies reveal that when business owners pair a complementary aroma to the working environment, it consequentially has a positive influence on the behavior of the customer. It was shown to result in an increase of purchases, enhance the perception of quality, encourage loyalty, improve guest experiences, extend the customer’s time in the store, increase the customer’s desire to return and be beneficial to an employee’s performance.

Top 8 Benefits of Scent Marketing in Business

A signature scent whether for a gym, hotel, retail store or commercial business is a way for a brand to initiate a stronger enduring emotional connection and therefore be memorable to the customer. While a custom scent creates an atmosphere that attracts the consumer, studies also show the following benefits to the employer and overall customer experience.

• Increase Customer’s Time in Store: A pleasant smell makes for a welcoming environment and studies show that customers will linger up to 44% longer. The average time increase proved to be 20% which is still a significant amount of time for a customer to decide to purchase a product, which is the ultimate goal in sales. A comfortable and inviting atmosphere due to fragrance, either via an air conditioning unit or cold-air diffuser, makes customers less likely to leave.
• Increase Sales: Every business wants to increase sales and therefore revenue which makes all forms of marketing worthy of attention. A study by Lindstrom and Kotler found that 84% of customers shopping for shoes in a scented environment were more likely to purchase a pair than if the store was unscented. This led the researcher to discover that people were prepared to pay more for a scented product or if it was in a scented room. In a casino, it was discovered that a floral fragrance resulted in gamblers spending 45% more than if there was no scent.
• Attract New Customers: First impressions are important. When a person who walks past a store, with no intention of entering, a pleasant aroma can grab their attention, influence their emotions and get them to step inside. Together with a powerful visual image, such as a creative window display, smell and sight combine to form a whole experience. An aroma for marketing purposes is also used to elicit positive memories and turn new customers into returning customers. Studies show that returning customers spend more than first-time customers and, by association, when a fragrance is recognized as pleasant then so is your business. 
• Encourage Loyalty: Trust and loyalty towards your business from customers go a long way. A recent study found that 20% of customers are responsible for 80% of a company’s income. A pleasant fragrance used for marketing in-store allows for brand recognition and loyalty as customers will associate the smell with the business and their previous positive experiences.
• Enhance Perception of Quality: While a pleasurable aroma helps to encourage customers to purchase products, it also makes a customer perceive the product as higher quality and value. When people think they are getting good value for money, they are more likely to purchase. One claim states that a person’s perception is altered before they even recognize the scent. They will determine if it is a good scent or not, indicating that just as a pleasant smell has a positive effect, so does an unpleasant odor have a negative impact. 
• Improve Guest Experiences: Hotels are about the full package experience and leaving a positive impression in which the guests will want to return or share their encounter with friends. By creating a scent that complements your business you are catering to the first impression of when a guest arrives in the lobby. Here a person is likely to make up their mind what they think, and unlike visual memories, which fade by 60% in the first year, a memory crafted from a scent will fade by only 40%.
• Improve Employee Productivity: Scent is known to affect moods, and employers know that happy employees are more productive in the workplace, with one review showing a 31% increase in productivity. While also having a favorable effect on staff, scents such as lemon were shown to energize and relieve anxiety leaving employees more alert. 
• Identify Brand: Retail and business scenting is something that will set you apart from other companies. A custom and unique fragrance will immediately identify a business to a customer who associates that scent with their shopping or guest experience. This then plays on positive memories, leads to sales and brand loyalty. Also, in the hospitality business, it is not about creating a scent that caters to everyone, however simply to portray the property and its value while producing an ambiance that is recognizable to a specific hotel.

Utilizing scent marketing to entice customers and increase profits is a small investment which results in significant returns. AromaTech uses high-quality essential oils when working with clients to create a custom scent that matches their brand. By designing a unique signature scent, you can be confident that it will be pleasant to customers and make for a positive experience when associated with your business.

A custom scent can be consistently delivered through an AromaTech cold air diffuser to create an ambiance without hassle. Set the diffuser timer to work at specific times and control the intensity of the fragrance, unlike reed diffusers in which the scent weakens over time. Contact us today to discuss your signature fragrance and use scent marketing to your advantage.