2007 May Be "The Year of the Scent"

Consumers groups on behalf of individuals with diabetes, allergies to chocolate and obesity, quashed a Got Milk? outdoor ad campaign that released the scent of chocolate chip cookies around bus shelters. The Metropolitan Transit Commission yesterday ordered the scent strips removed.

While reading about this,I found some interesting facts and figures. Did you know that currently 83 percent of all commercial communication appeals only to one sense--our eyes, but 75 percent of our emotions are influenced by what we smell.

According to AdAge:

Mars has recently used scent technology to spread the aroma of chocolate around its M&M's World retail outlets and put Pedigree dog-food-scented stickers in front of supermarkets and pet stores. Pepsi spread the smell of black-cherry vanilla with People magazine inserts and store displays for Diet Pepsi Jazz.

According to Wired Blog, Table of Malcontents:

Digiscents, Inc. is developing the iSmell Personal Scent Synthesizer, a device that will let smells be transmitted through the Internet, and consequently allow us all to finally smell Goatse.cx or Tubgirl. And the Aroma Geur lets you smell the radio... including Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern and Tom Bell.

According to ScentAndrea, marketers are using scent to differentiate their brand and help sell more product. ScentAndrea predicts that 2007 will be the Year of the Scent.

Since scent is the closest sense linked to memory, people recall smell with up to 64% accuracy after one year. TodayÂ’s consumers are more likely to buy a product that has a scent attribute that is familiar and pleasing. In a recent vending machine test 60% more chocolate was purchased when scent was used. And it sold out in 24 hours!

Past uses of scent technology include:

• Chocolatine consists of a . . . chocolate, vanilla and orange fragrance and with a jar lid that actually encapsulates and disperses a scent identical to that of the cream.
  
  
• Last Valentines' Day, the Australia Post released a scratch and sniff stamp featuring a rose for cards and letters. The stamp bears the image of a classic red rose in full bloom, and when scratched it gives off a sweet rose scent.
  
  
• To promote the second season of Weeds, Showtime placed a scent-strip ad in the August 24 issue of Rolling Stone that smelled like marijuana. Seems like it was a toss up between Patchouli or ganga scent.
  
  
• Scent strips had never been used for a laundry brand. Using them for Snuggle was so unexpected that it caused readers to do a double take and question their own judgment.
  
  
• The aroma of fresh baked CinnaPretzel will permeate the air from SnackWorks'tradeshow booth at ShoWest. SnackWorks is using a revolutionary new scent dispensing technology by ScentAir Technologies.
  
  
• Hasbro bottled fresh, just-out-of-the-can, eau de PLAY-DOH aroma into a limited-edition fragrance as part of a year-long celebration of Play-Doh's 50th birthday.

So, if you want to be successful at marketing, add the sense of smell to your marketing. Just be careful what you use. Make sure it is organically grown, with no additives or preservatives. The scent of chocholate, nuts, shellfish or milk should not be used. All items must be kosher. You would not want to cause an allergic reaction in one of your potential customers.

I can visualize it now, dodging around atomizers, slipping under scent triggers, hoping to be able to remain scent-free just long enough to get to the deodorant in the back of the drug store.

Now cheating husbands have an excuse: "Honey, I just went to the drug store..."

What about the poor dieter, walking past all the smells: hot dogs, chocolate, popcorn, pizza. It would be dieting HELL.

I think I will pass on scent marketing. We are assulated from every angle with advertising: tv, radio, magazines, cell phone, Internet, email, billboards, bus stops...

Let it stop here. Leave one sense inviolate, forever. LOL

Tags: Year of the Scent, Scent Technology, leading consumer by the nose