Sensory Marketing: Smells Like Profits

Sensory Marketing

Smells Like Profits

Michael R. Solomon

Odors can stir emotions or create a calming feeling. They can invoke memories or relieve stress. One study found that consumers who viewed ads for either flowers or chocolate and who also were exposed to flowery or chocolaty odors spent more time processing the product information and were more likely to try different alternatives within each product category.¹

Many consumers are getting aggressive about controlling the odors in their environments. This olfactory vigilance has spawned a lot of new products since Glade marketed the first air freshener to suburban families in 1956. Today, younger people are at the forefront of scented air as they take advantage of plug-ins, fragrance fans, ...