Aromatic flowers on display in a restaurant entry area (photo by Kenn Stearns)

The scent of fresh flowers is distinctive. The appearance of floral arrangements is pleasing to most which is why they’re featured prominently in weddings, funerals, and to sell products. From marketing a property for sale to adorning hotel lobbies, fresh flowers signal elegance, beauty, love, celebration, devotion, and class. But neuromarketing is not about flowers – it’s about sales.

Last weekend I caught a story about Muzak on one of the morning television news shows. It was about how the 70-year-old company was overcoming adversity, recovering from bankruptcy, changing with the times, and doing everything they could to shake the elevator music stereotype. But what caught my attention was their new scent service.

Turns out Muzak signed a multi-year deal with Charlotte, NC-based ScentAir Technologies to distribute their patented environmental scent systems. The leading provider of aroma marketing solutions teaming up with the leading provider of business music to offer a “myriad of original retail experiences.”

Using Smell To Sell

Retailers use scents and music to affect customer choices. Consumers’ moods can be changed by what they hear and smell.  The Scent Marketing Institute is “the only professional organization dedicated to supporting scent-related marketing strategies.” There’s even a SCENTworld annual conference. Researchers have proven consumers feel as though time moves slower in a scented environment and their mode can be improved. A scent delivery system can prompt customers to feel better, be happier, look longer and be willing to pay a higher price. And that can improve the chances of a sale. So what exactly is the smell of success? That depends on what you’re selling.

Westin Hotels & Resorts scents lobbies with a fragrance named White Tea. NCP in the United Kingdom scents the stairwells in their parking garages and a page of their website is dedicated to the effort.  De Beers uses a scent mix of citrus, floral, and green tea to move more diamonds. Verizon Wireless used the scent of chocolate to market the LG Chocolate phone. Samsung reportedly uses a hint of honeydew melon to stimulate electronics sales in their flagship store in Manhattan. Sony scents their Sony Style stores, shopping bags, and even the hard plastics encasing their products. Yes, there are companies such as ScentSational Technologies that specialize in “retro-nasal olfaction,” adding scents to packaging (cups, closures, bottles, containers, etc.) so products smell, taste, and ultimately sell better.

This adds a whole new dimension to “scratch-n-sniff.” What about that new car smell? The Australian firm Atmosfera provides a “new car smell” product for used-car dealers to spray in vehicles. Or they’ll help create the smell of luxury by providing Scent Diffusers that emit essences of maple, birch, and leather. The smell of talcum powder can make us feel nostalgic and safe. Cedar and leather make us want to spend more. Cucumber makes us think the room is larger but barbecue makes us feel the space is smaller. Peppermint and citrus makes us feel alert.

The next time you make a purchase and later find yourself saying, “What was I thinking?” it may have been more about what you were smelling.