I Love the Way This Brand Smells
Originally published October 31, 2013 here.
MiN and 12.29 are both in the business of creating proprietary scents for their clients’ businesses to enhance the consumer experience. Signature scents associated with a specific brand — whether it be a product, a retail store, a hotel — are the latest tactic in the race for brand differentiation and recall. While reading through the upscale examples cited, I couldn’t help but think about Subway — the decidedly not upscale sandwich shop. You know you’re walking past a Subway because you smell it before you see it. It’s the “artificial, slightly chemical, yet mostly pleasant” scent of wannabe fresh baked bread. It primes you for the encounter. Smell is closely connected to taste so it specifically and very intentionally primes your stomach for the encounter.
In the food world, scent matters because it’s an integral part of the entire experience of eating or drinking and the satisfaction that comes with it. The idea of unique scents is a great one for retailers as long as the scent truly embodies the brand’s spirit and is appealing to the vast majority of its clientele. Brands may even decide to sell their scents, for example a hotel may allow you to take signature scented candles home with you so you can bring the hotel home.
Scent is akin to music in the sense that both can evoke strong, sometimes visceral reactions in a positive or negative way, triggering memories of experiences and subconscious emotions. If done right, I predict we’ll be smelling more and more signature scents for brands in the marketplace. Music and scents, just like colors, fonts, and imagery, are two powerful levers that can further strengthen a complete brand platform.
