There is a lot more to scent branding than just creating a pleasant aroma, or transmitting the aroma of a product. Research tells us that the sense of smell affects about 75% of our daily emotions, and plays a significant role in memory. The sense of smell is different from the other senses because it is processed first by the limbic system, the same part of the brain responsible for memory, perceptions, and emotions. The other senses are first directed through the analytical part of the brain, before indirectly reaching the emotional sphere. So scent is a more primitive sense, and science is discovering that scent plays a much larger part in influencing our emotions and decisions.

Scent Marketing is a growing trend in advertising, and it is becoming more and more successful because companies start to realize that our senses play a vital and complex role in forming our mood, thoughts, and behaviors. Businesses are spending millions of dollars to stand out and catch our attention, yet 83 percent of commercial communication presently revolves around visual and auditory stimuli. Scent marketing offers an avenue that is different from traditional branding strategies, and although it has not been yet fully discovered by companies, it is making a tremendous impact on those who use it. Scent marketing revolves around the fact that a human brain is most receptive and most likely to form, retain, revisit and reinterpret memory when all five senses are engaged. By influencing more than one sense, brands can establish a stronger and longer lasting emotional connection with the customer and finally be memorable.

Savvy businesses of tomorrow will create a powerhouse brand that will go beyond the realm of traditional TV and print ads. Those brands will engage their customers in a multi-sensory experience creating an environment that caters to all of the five senses and becomes unique.