In today’s competitive business environment, oftentimes product and service companies find it challenging to effectively build their brands. Some may notice it is easy for competitors to copy or duplicate their offering, making it essential that marketing departments find innovative ways to make their brands stand out from the crowd. Furthermore, advertising is becoming increasingly prominent, with ads using images, sounds, videos, and other methods to make an impression on consumers. However, the sheer volume of advertisements causes consumers to pay less attention to them, resulting in many advertisements having weak impact. To escape today’s intense competition and short-term product promotion tactics, companies must instead focus on building their brands in the minds of consumers. One way to do so is to use a new and highly creative method—to give their brand an olfactive identity.

 In Japan, a company called Promotool Corp. offers devices that emit scents in stores in order to boost sales, especially for food products. For example, the company provided FamilyMart with a coffee scent for their convenience stores, and the chain saw its coffee sales increase by 30%. Similarly, the scent of spices diffused in some sections of supermarkets has contributed to the sales of curry packages, which have increased by 18%, according to the company1. 

In retail stores, a customized scent can play a powerful and significant role in brand building by enhancing the in-store experience. Kenichi Inoue, president of Promotool, said “It’s difficult not to smell something, and it directly sends commands to your brain, so the promotional effect is big”. A diffused scent creates an attractive atmosphere in a clothing store, a hotel or a spa, to convey a relaxed and satisfied feeling. 

Oflactive branding is a relatively new concept, especially in China, yet marketers should seriously consider this unique brand-building tool. Instead of asking “How will I promote my product or service?” marketing professionals can ask, “What does my brand smell like?” in order to build their brand. (Please see our previous articles on Sound Identity and Sensorial Branding.) 

1 http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090707f1.html