We live in a day and age, where we are bombarded with brands and advertising messages. To stand out in the crowd, your brand needs to be more than a visual icon or an audio message; it needs to transform into a sensory experience that evokes emotion.
So how do you create a sensory experience with your brand? It starts by engaging the different senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste – in a way that represents and aligns to your brand. To help you explore this further, we’re going to focus on one of the most powerful and influential, yet underrated senses, in my opinion – the sense of smell.
What is aromatic branding?
Aromatic branding, also known as scent marketing, is the practice of using a pleasant aroma to improve customer experience, enhance your brand image and ultimately increase sales. It’s a practice that many of the top brands are utilising across many industries, including retail, hotels, airlines and more.
It’s ingenious, really. After all, scents can elevate your mood, sharpen your mind, make you happy, alleviate stress, help you feel energised and even induce hunger.
The nose knows
Did you know, your nose has 10 million smell receptors and can distinguish 10 trillion scents? These smells are processed through the olfactory bulb, which has a direct connection to the limbic system – the part of the brain that is linked to emotion and memory.
This is why smell, more than any other sense, can trigger emotion and memory so quickly. They can instantly take us back to a time, place and experience. So much so that you’re more likely to remember something you’ve smelt, than something you see. Imagine, then, how powerful it could be if you could trigger positive memories and emotions with a scent that is associated with your brand.
How do you go about creating a signature scent for your brand?
As an aromatherapist, I’ve long known the power of scent and the benefits it can provide, particularly for your health. But it didn’t take long to realise the benefit of scent from a branding point of view either.
By 2005 I started working with a six-star hotel to create their signature scent. Since then, I’ve gone on to create many exclusive and emotive scents for private airlines, luxury hotels, luxury skincare and perfume companies, private yachts charters and even the real estate industry.
To start creating a signature scent it comes down to one key question – how do you want your customer to feel? Then we work back from there to create a blend that is uniquely you.
Want to create a highly personal, emotive, memory-making experience for your customers? Contact me today, and let’s chat about turning your brand into a multi-sensory experience.
