Ambient Scent Tips For Your Business
We all know by now that smell is our most primal sense. Our sense of smell is the only one of our five senses that has a direct route to the brain, making scent very powerful. As we have discussed in a previous blog, smell has deep connection with our emotions and memories. In addition, smell can also influence our behaviour and cognition. For example, have you ever noticed that the citrusy smell of a lemon makes you feel better? This is because lemon is known for its ability to cleanse toxins from the body, making it a quick mood enhancer and energizer.
As a result, you can use scent in your space as a way to improve customers mood, subconsciously influencing their purchasing behaviours. Research shows that by adding scent into a space, you can draw consumers in and increase their dwell time. Customers will stay up to 44% longer in store ‘when surrounded by an attractive scent (American Marketing Association). And when consumers stay longer in your store, they are bound to spend more.
In order to add scent to your business, think about your scenting goals. We have broken down each category below to help you identify what you want to use scent to accomplish in your space. Here are 3 tips on using ambient scent for your space.
1. Where to diffuse your scent?
Perhaps you only want to use scent at the door, only influencing consumers when they enter and exit your space. This can provide a nice welcoming and leaving impression, helping bolster consumer experience. Another technique is using scent at a particular display or shelf to increase the sales of that particular item. Or, you can gently waft throughout the entirety of your space, creating a pleasant ambient scent experience for your consumers.
Learn more about our Ambient Scent Solutions.
2. What scent should you use?
Choosing or creating your own scent is the most important aspect of scented space. Make sure to choose a scent that matches your brand and objectives. Using that lemon scent in a coffee shop is probably not the best idea. However, if your brand projects a clean style, then perhaps lemon is a good choice to include in your space.
3. How strong and how long to use scent?
As a general rule of thumb, less is more when using scent. While Abercrombie & Fitch’s billboard scenting technique works for their young target demographic, it is most definitely not for every brand. Too strong intensity of a scent will only drive away potential consumers. However, too little intensity and people will barely notice it. Trial the right intensity of your scent to match your brand and target audience. In addition, only pumping scent at peak hours can be a more cost-effective strategy to boost sales, versus having the diffusers on all the time.
Conclusion
Scents are powerful in that we associate them with our emotions, memories and experiences. Ambient scent is a great opportunity to unlock scents and drive sales. Match scent to your brand and enhance consumer experience and consumer loyalty.