Olfactory Marketing Techniques
Sensory marketing aims to appeal to the senses. With the aim of creating sensory experiences through sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. In this article we will focus on olfactory marketing. One of the most sophisticated sensory marketing techniques. Its function is to achieve an identification and association of a brand, company or product through the sense of smell. It is capable of transmitting values taking advantage of our sense of smell, the sense that generates the greatest impact on memory.
The smell is a sense that is activated unconsciously and allows to create associations with memories and emotions. It is proven that if the aroma is pleasant the consumer will stay longer in the establishment. One of the main objectives of olfactory marketing is to leave a mark to the final consumer so that after several years he can identify your brand with just one scent.
Some of the main advantages of olfactory marketing are the following:
- It is a novel stimulation at the point of sale, since until now it had gone unnoticed.
- It is subliminal and direct.
- Modify and manipulate the behaviors.
- It is a generator of memories and emotions. If the experience inside an establishment is pleasant, so will the memory generated by smelling that same smell.
There are four strategies to apply the aroma to olfactory marketing.
- Reclamation Aroma: This strategy consists in saturating an olfactory space with an odor that extends even beyond the premises to attract the client. It is normally used in premises or food companies.
- Thematic Aroma: It is used to complement the mood in your exhibition or decoration. For example, if you want the clients to take a relaxed attitude inside the premises, smells associated with calmness could be used. As for example vanilla or lavender aroma.
- Classic air freshener: It is used to camouflage bad odors such as sweat. This strategic is more functional than promotional. It does not serve to attract clients, but if you do not leave your premises because of the bad smell.
- Brand aroma or odotype: Odotypes are custom odors developed specifically and used exclusively by a company to convey “feel” of the brand. This strategy is widely used in hotels.
There are many very curious examples, we leave 3 examples of olfactory marketing that have been successful.
- DISNEY: This theme park infiltrated the streets of its parks with the smell of popcorn to awaken the appetite of its customers. This technique, today is used in most movie theaters. When you enter one of them, the smell of popcorn prompts you to buy a box.
- STARBUCKS:They do not just sell a simple coffee. They sell the experience of having a coffee in a pleasant and relaxed environment. That is why its premises are flavored with the aroma of this drink.
- ROLLSROYCE:If you take your car to an official workshop of the brand, it perfumes the smell of leather and wood inside. This way, the client has the feeling of being a brand new car, rather than taking it out of a workshop. This strategy is followed today by a large number of workshops and dealers of used cars.
We live in an era where the market seeks new formulas to captivate and attract customers. And through the techniques of olfactory marketing it is possible to use the sense of smell as a new channel of communication. Much more powerful than sight and hearing and capable of awakening emotions and feelings.