Fragrance marketing is a rapidly growing trend in the retail sector. Why?
Because customer experience is key in retail, and scents have an incredibly powerful impact on the customer experience. In fact, it is a proven fact that a fresh, pleasant scent makes customers stay in the store longer.
So why do “scents” have such a strong influence on the customer experience, and not music or visual elements?
Because smells are the only sense that directly have a strong influence on our emotions. In doing so, smells cannot possibly be ignored. You cannot choose to “not smell.”
And if scents affect our emotions, they influence our buying behavior and customer experience. This is why scent marketing is enjoying such a rise in retail. Fragrance marketing Belgium is experiencing a huge rise.
Curious about the wonderful world of Fragrance Marketing? Read on.
Scents influence shopping behavior
A store that uses our 5 senses provides a total experience of shopping. In fact, our senses impact our emotions. And those emotions drive the shopping experience, as well as the desire to buy. Because of that reason, the actual goal of scent marketing is to drive our emotions in the store, specifically according to the sense of smell.
“There is no filter between our nose and our brain, therefore you cannot decide not to smell something.”
– Patrick Castelain, managing director and founder of Scents, the first scent marketing company in Belgium
So scent marketing is a way of marketing where scent is subtly used at the point of sale. The more general purpose of marketing with scents is to reinforce brand perception, brand perception or product perception. For example, scent diffusion makes us feel pleasant, positive and relaxed while shopping. Therefore, smelling scent can give our mood a big boost.
However, the principle of scent marketing is not new. In 1973, Kotler introduced the term “atmosphere” as the effort required to trigger emotional effects so that the probability of purchase increases in the purchasing environment. Thus, environmental factors have become important links. Scent marketing Belgium responds to this in the right way.
Our shopping and buying habits are constantly changing. For example, shopping used to be a functional activity and now it is a leisure activity. Now the right shopping atmosphere is one of the most important environmental factors that play a major role in the retail sector.
The importance of choosing the right fragrance
Experiencing a pleasant fragrance, that’s what it’s all about! The unique scent that enhances the experience of the product/brand. A lot of store owners agree that scent experience is a powerful added value. So it is much more than a nice decoration and a pleasant music.
Choosing the right fragrance is very important. It’s all about finding just the fragrance that most appeals to your brand identity and target audience. The right fragrance choice also depends on factors such as your concept, interior, target group, etc.. So it is more than just choosing a fragrance you like!
Each scent has its own individual character. For example, orange makes you happy while lavender has a calming effect. So finding the right scent is not an easy task. Especially not when fragrance compositions use multiple ingredients.
Fragrance consultants can easily help you with this difficult task. They will give you guidelines and estimate which fragrance is most interesting for your store. The message here is to listen carefully to the fragrance consultants and not just rely on your own preferences.
The psychological influence of fragrances
Each fragrance ingredient triggers something different in customers. For example, chocolate scent makes consumers buy more. Scents have a profound effect on our behavior. For example, research by Professor Henk Aarts, a scent psychologist at the University of Utrecht, shows that a lemon scent encourages you to clean and aggressive scents make you think of dirt or even make you angry.
Walking through the market is an excellent example of how to perceive Scent Marketing. You often don’t smell the aroma of a waffle stand, but once you notice it, you start to get hungry. The desire for a waffle is created because of the smell of fresh waffles.
The same goes for the smell of a fresh pot of coffee or fresh bread. It encourages you to buy a pastry faster.
Finding the right scent helps determine the power of Fragrance Marketing!
The impact of Fragrance Marketing Belgium on buying behavior
Scent marketing Belgium is among the strongest trigger that prompts people to buy. It leaves a positive impression on people. The benefits of Scent Marketing are:
Increase perception of product value
A pleasant fragrance in a store has a positive effect on buying behavior. Research shows that product value increases in a scented store.
Smell determines state of mind
The sense of smell is connected to the limbic system through which we feel, remember, covet and from which we become motivated. Smells can elicit positive and emotional responses. This can have a positive effect on irritability, stress, depression and apathy, and can increase positive emotions such as happiness, sensuality, relaxation and stimulation. (Stephen Warrenburg and Gary E. Schwartz)
Higher customer satisfaction
By scenting a space and making the scent experience central, customers feel more comfortable which automatically results in longer visits. In the long run, customers are more likely to return to the perfumed store.
Scent encourages spontaneous purchase decisions
Scent marketing subtly plays into customers’ minds. Supermarkets use the smell of fresh bread to increase cravings for pastries.
Fragrance marketing Belgium increases your sales
Several studies show that Scent Marketing Belgium can increase sales by 5 to 10%.
Fragrance diffusion brings you the right atmosphere
A pleasant fragrance puts customers at ease. In a peaceful environment, customers stay longer and also come back faster.
Conclusion
Fragrance Marketing Belgium opens a lot of doors in Retail. Unconsciously, customers come into contact with scents that remind you of positive emotions. Creating the right atmosphere strengthens the customer and brand experience, resulting in an increase in sales. Also curious about the impact of a scent machine in your store?
Interesting articles:
Fragrance marketing everything you need to know
The Commercial Impact of Fragrance Marketing in Retail Spaces.
What is a Fragrance Machine? And what is it used for?
Written by Eveline Rylant