Surveys on Scent Marketing

Scent marketing is becoming an incredible tool as brands discover the role scent plays in connecting with customers on an emotional level. But it is not some new hype but proven by many scientific studies around the world. We collected some of the most speaking examples for you.

When the aroma of baked bread was released in a US supermarket, sales in the bakery section increased threefold.
(Hirsch, 1995, International Journal of Aromatherapy)

In order to determine what are the effects of scents on people, more specifically in a bar or club environment, the effects have been investigated during 5 weeks in three clubs in the Netherlands (in Delft, Leiden en Utrecht), in cooperation with the Delft University of Technology.
During this investigation, 850 visitors were questioned, the visitors were counted and the dancing activity was observed. Diffusing scents turned out to have some advantages compared to not diffusing scents:
- Increase of revenue of up to 20%
- Increased duration of stay of the visitors
- Improved mood (visitors felt more cheerful)
- Better evaluation of the evening and the environment
- More dancing activity
Previous studies concerning the effects of scents on human behaviour has shown that people tend to stay longer in environments where the smell is pleasant, and the willingness to buy was increased by 15%. A recent Finnish study has shown that 78% of the visitors were not satisfied about the current smell in clubs.
The results thus seem to imply that difusing pleasant fragrances opens a lot of opportunities for club, bar and restaurant owners. They can get rid of the nasty smells, while differentiating from the large offer of other clubs and bars, in such a way that the nightlife experience of the visitors will be enhanced, and the visitors will have more enjoyment during the night.

Maureen Morrin of the school of business at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in Camden and colleagues tested the effects of smell on the spending habits of mall shoppers. They pumped a ‘pleasant citrus’ odor throughout a mall in Montreal, Canada, then intercepted shoppers on their way out of the mall and quizzed them on their spending. They divided the shoppers into two categories: the ‘contemplative’ ones who said they normally only purchased planned items and the ‘impulsive’ purchasers, who claimed to be more whimsical in their spending. Morrin was surprised to find that the light, pleasant odor had no impact on the impulse buyer, but it did boost the spending of the contemplative shoppers by about 14 per cent compared to others who browsed without the scent. While the result was not dramatic, marketers viewed it as a positive trend.
(Journal of Service Research, vol 8, p 181).

Research in Japan is being undertaken to understand the influence scent and the use of essential oils has on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
(Miyazawa, 2006, Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase Activity by Tea Tree Oil & Constituent Terpenoids)

The diffusion of lavender during breaks at work has been found to prevent the deterioration of work performance.
(Sakamoto, et al, 2006, cited at http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org)

An Australian university is using scents to assist in the diagnosis of several brain disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
(University of Melbourne, 2006, cited at http://www.unimelb.edu.au/)

A trial undertaken in a USA casino showed that gambling revenue increased by 48% with the introduction of a pleasant aroma into a test area. The trial concluded that a noticeable scent in the air acts to enhance the mood and intention of patrons, without affecting judgement or exacerbating obsessive gambling behaviour.
(Hirsch, 1995, Psychology and Marketing)

In a 1989 trial, customers spent more time browsing at a jewellery counter when a scent was introduced.
(Knasko, 1989, cited in The Journal of Marketing, USA)