I am sure many of us have noticed recently the increasing occurrence of scents being used in public spaces. From hotel lobbies, to retail outlets, scent marketing seems to be wafting into more and more places.
The theory is that scent is a strong trigger for memory and mood. The risk is you don't know what memories may be associated with a scent… what's pleasant for some may not be for others. The other risk is that you cause your customers to go into a sneezing fit or allergic response and leave.
I am surprised that in today's age of heightened allergies, marketers are taking this risk. From my limited research on this subject, I've learned that the scientific world has not concluded there is an allergy impact from air scents.
Recently, at a client board meeting in Montreal, I had a not so pleasant experience with a floral scent that was pumped into the meeting room about every hour. By the end of the first day of meetings, more than 1/2 the board had headaches, and one board member was sniffling and sneezing uncontrollably - having a severe allergic response to the smell. What was also interesting was it took us about 1/2 the day to figure out what was causing the problem - the scent was very subtle - until we realized it was there, and then it became overwhelming.
For those of us who attended the WEC in Las Vegas, you may also have noticed the scent in the lobby of THE Hotel - at times it was quite strong.
Scent marketing is a growing industry - and if you Google you will find all sorts of websites and blogs dedicated to the science of scent marketing. Here are just a few:
I'd be interested in knowing if you have noticed an increase in aromas and what you think about it. Please post a comment. Or if you are a venue and you are using scent in your public spaces, what is the feedback from your customers?
Nikki
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