Why Brands Should Use Scent Marketing: What Research Reveals

Your brand has a visual identity. Its atmosphere deserves the same attention.

Scent marketing is the deliberate use of fragrance to complement a business environment and support the customer experience. For hotels, boutiques, spas, and showrooms, it adds another sensory element to the space.

There is research behind the approach

A major review published in the Journal of Marketing analysed 64 articles involving 15,447 participants. It found positive average effects of pleasant ambient scent on customer responses, including evaluations, memory, and behaviour. Results depended on factors such as the fragrance’s suitability, familiarity, and concentration. Research: Roschk and Hosseinpour, 2020

Research also shows why different scent applications matter. In experiments involving scented products, participants remembered more product information, with effects lasting up to two weeks. Those findings concern fragrance applied to products and should not be treated as a promise about scenting an entire store. Research: Krishna, Lwin, and Morrin, 2010

What does this mean for your brand?

The practical opportunity is to choose a fragrance as carefully as you choose lighting, materials, and music. A suitable scent can support the atmosphere you want customers to associate with your business.

At Brent Aroma, the starting point is your brand, your space, and your customers.

Explore a scent identity for your business with Brent Aroma.