- Brands are using scent as a marketing tool more than ever before
- Some brands are designing physical spaces to appeal to all five senses, including scent
- Examples include Mastercard’s “experience centers” with custom fragrances and Genesis’ venue with signature scents
- Custom scents can range from $5k to $65k and require machinery installation in HVAC systems
- Certain scents have been found to increase customer spending by up to 20%
According to The New York Times, brands are leveraging the power of scent to enhance their marketing efforts. Fragrances have long been used by brands to create a connection with consumers, and now this trend is being taken to new heights.
Brands are aiming to create fully immersive experiences by designing physical spaces that engage all five senses. For instance, Mastercard has commissioned custom fragrances that are inspired by the brand’s logo and are used in their “experience centers.” These centers serve as spaces where customers can engage with the brand in a multi-sensory way.
Luxury car brand Genesis has taken a similar approach, operating a venue that includes a restaurant, library, and showroom, each with its distinct signature scent. This strategy aims to create a unique and memorable experience for customers.
While there are advancements in bringing fragrance into virtual reality, it is still a work in progress. Therefore, brands are currently relying on piping perfume into their brick-and-mortar locations to provide a sensory experience.
Creating bespoke fragrances, however, comes with a hefty price tag. Olfactive branding company 12.29, which has worked with major banks, car companies, and fashion brands, states that custom scents can range anywhere from $5k to $65k. Furthermore, distributing these scents requires the installation of machinery in HVAC systems. This ongoing expense can cost brands hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month.
The key challenge for brands is nailing a scent that resonates with a broad audience. Certain scents, such as fresh citrus and florals, have a more universal appeal. Research even suggests that certain scents can prompt customers to spend up to 20% more.
In conclusion, brands are increasingly utilizing scent as a marketing tool to create immersive and memorable experiences for consumers. By incorporating fragrances into physical spaces, brands aim to engage all five senses and build a stronger emotional connection with customers. However, this approach comes with a significant cost, as creating custom scents and installing fragrance distribution systems can be expensive. Nonetheless, the potential return on investment in terms of increased customer spending makes this strategy appealing to brands.
Scent is a powerful thing: one sniff can transport you to a different place or even back in time.
And brands have been using fragrances to sell products for years. (The smell of Abercrombie & Fitch stores might still be fused to the insides of our nostrils). But, according to a recent article in The New York Times, industries are employing scent as a marketing tool now more than ever. It’s all part of a broader trend, with brands designing physical spaces to capture all five of our senses. Mastercard commissioned custom fragrances inspired by the brand’s logo for its “experience centers.”
Luxury car brand Genesis operates a venue that houses a restaurant, library, and showroom, each filled with its own signature scent. And while there is progress being made with bringing fragrance into virtual reality, we’re still a ways off. So, for now, piping perfume into brick-and-mortar locations is the closest brands can get to fully immersive experiences.
Bespoke fragrances don’t come cheap. Olfactive branding company 12.29 has worked with major banks, car companies, and fashion brands, and says custom scents can range anywhere from $5k to $65k. Distributing those scents then requires installing machinery inside HVAC systems to dispense fragrance oil, which can cost brands hundreds — even thousands — each month. One study even suggests that some scents can prompt customers to spend as much as 20% more.