We have all heard of the tactics employed by estate agents, to help sell a property: baking fresh bread in the oven or brewing a fresh pot of coffee on the stove. But marketing assaults on peoples’ senses go far beyond a simple house sale.

Global brands have become increasingly aware of the power of sight, smell, touch and sound to influence purchasing behaviour, and scent marketing in particular, is on the rise. The sense of smell is most directly connected to the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions; (the limbic system), so when you smell something, it triggers an immediate emotional response, whereas all the other senses have to be processed first.

From a marketing standpoint, the emotional power of scent can help a business establish enduring emotional connections with its customers, whilst adding ambience to the retail experience, which is important in an age where companies need to do as much as they can to stand out.

Due to significant improvements in ‘nebulisation technology’ – through which fragranced oil is converted into a dry vapour – scent marketing has become more commercially viable, and a growing number of brands are experimenting with the technology and reaping the benefits.

So, how are brands using scent marketing today?

One great example of scent marketing is Match.com’s ‘Bark in the Park’ campaign. The dating website launched a programme of social activities for singles in the UK over the summer, starting with a meet up for dog owners in Battersea Park. They advertised the event with posters at eye-level for both owners and their dogs. Posters for the dogs were scented with a “beefy dog food aroma” to catch their attention.

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By essentially marketing to dogs, Match indirectly reached their owners in a bid to attract more singles to its match-making service.

Another clever scented campaign was that of McCain, in 2012. The frozen food manufacturer fitted six-sheets with 3D fibreglass jacket potatoes and placed them at 10 bus stops around the country. On the press of a button, the potatoes ‘heated up’ and emitted the smell of an oven-cooked jacket potato.

The six-sheets also dispensed money-off vouchers, to encourage people to try the product.

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The campaign was a huge success. Throughout the chilly month of February, the warm, fresh-baked smell of jacket potatoes put smiles on the faces of commuters across the country and McCain saw a huge spike in sales. It added a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘try before you buy’.

Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442 or email us on info@hotcow.co.uk.