Smell's direct connection to memory and emotion means that it has a great influence over behaviour and this has been utilised successfully in scent marketing.
Have you heard of the scenario when an estate agent shows a prospective buyer around a property they have a pot of coffee brewing or cakes baking in the oven?
The estate agent is using the customer’s familiarity and memories of these scents to build an image of a lifestyle within that house. They are creating an atmosphere that makes the people viewing the property feel at home. Marketing towards the sense of smell means they can imply the house would make a wonderful home without having to say it!
How does this all work? Our olfactory receptor cells - stimulated by air born molecules - send electrical impulses to the brain's limbic system, the most ancient and primitive part of the brain. In addition to our sense of smell, this area of the brain controls long term memory, emotion and behaviour. Marketing towards these three elements through the sense of smell is a brilliant way of enticing your target audience.
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