What is an olfactory logo for sensory marketing?

Sensory experiences are a tried-and-true component of strategies to attract new and loyal customers. By creating an emotional bond with guests in your store or hotel, one that leaves them with good feelings about their visit, developing an olfactory logo (also called olfactory signature or signature scent) can do a great deal to promote your brand or plan future campaigns.

An olfactory logo is an integral part of sensory marketing, allowing customers to easily identify a brand through senses other than sight and hearing. The concept of using scents to help build brand loyalty by generating positive emotions in consumers has been studied since the early 1970s. In essence, an olfactory logo works the same way as a visual logo, conveying the principles, values and even the positioning of a brand through the sense of smell.

One of the best illustrations of the impact an olfactory identity can have comes from Cadillac. In 2003, as its sales were plummeting, the carmaker invited car owners to blind test new models. The one that had the “Nuance” fragrance inside earned the most votes. Once it started using the scent in all the vehicles it produced and thus creating a new olfactory brand image, the company gradually got back on its feet and began to see a surge in sales.

An olfactory logo taps into cognitive biases deeply ingrained in consumers. Of all the senses, olfaction is the most closely linked with memories and memory. Smelling a note they know can trigger a positive response in customers, and that emotional connection can make them likelier to spend money.

In sum, an olfactory logo becomes an integral part of a brand’s overall identity, allowing it to set itself apart even in a highly competitive industry. Adopting one is clearly an aspect of a growth strategy that should not be overlooked.

Developing an olfactory identity is a process that should not be taken lightly. Serious thought must go into it to ensure that the note selected matches the brand’s universe, its positioning, its vision, and its target audience. Getting it right requires an understanding of the key steps in the process.

The first step is a critical one: working with the brand to define the typology of its customers so the project can align olfactorily with the target audience. It is perfectly possible to identify a persona that can be recreated in the room fragrance.

When designing an olfactory identity, the goal is to tell a story through an exclusive note. It might call to mind a place or an atmosphere, represent a person, or suggest a universe. The note must support the values held by the brand or the products(s)/service(s) it offers and be consistent with the overall brand image. For instance, it is a fact that customers in a wine and spirits shop are likelier to look at vintage wines when they hear classical music than if a regular radio station is playing. The right scent can also steer customers in the right direction.

Considering the visual identity of the brand as expressed through its logo, and the location where the scent will be diffused, also provides information to help select the best family of notes. The olfactory preferences of company leadership should be taken into account as well during the kickoff meeting.

In sum, creating an olfactory logo that is pertinent and effective requires gathering input from multiple stakeholders beforehand. The result of that process is then corroborated by an expert perfumer who knows how to capture the brand’s preferences and transcribe its values into a unique olfactory signature that can forge a real bond with the customers targeted, all while preserving the brand’s image and good positioning. Ideally, olfactory marketing should also involve using the best fragrance diffusers available so the scent is always diffused properly into shops, hotels or trade shows.

Creating an olfactory logo requires careful thought. Only when the planning process is successful can the scent be used successfully in advertising campaigns and commercial settings. Below are three examples – two of success, one of failure – that illustrate this point.

• Burger King. The US-based fast-food chain used an olfactory brand image to do something smart: make its customers feel hungry. It piped a scent calling to mind one of its flagship burgers, The Whopper, through the air vents into its restaurants. The company later reused the technique to diffuse the same scent at bus shelters, next to a photo of a grill. Also shown were directions to the nearest Burger King restaurant. Both scent marketing campaigns were hailed as successful.
• Nike. Seeking to test the importance of olfactory logos, the sporting goods brand diffused a pleasant scent through professional fragrance diffusers into one of its stores but not another. The results were telling. Most customers who visited the store into which the olfactory signature was diffused were willing to spend an additional €10. And 84% envisaged buying a pair of sneakers.

Not all experiences with olfactory signatures have a happy ending. Below is an example of a failed sensory marketing campaign that demonstrates how personalized support can ensure a brand’s communications are well received.

• Got Milk? The California Milk Processor Board had the idea of placing strips diffusing the smell of fresh cookies at five bus stops in San Francisco. But the scent did not have the intended effect of making passersby want to eat cookies with milk. Instead, it made them worry about their health. The olfactory campaign ended after just two days due to numerous complaints.

With its two decades of expertise in room fragrance diffusion, Scentys can help you realize your olfactory marketing plans, from creating a note based on a clear understanding of your goals and needs, to diffusing it during events or in your stores or hotels. Your olfactory brand identity will emerge stronger, in turn boosting customer loyalty.

The solutions Scentys offers for diffusing olfactory logos combine innovation, diffusion quality and ease of maintenance. They will help make your marketing campaigns truly successful by generating only positive emotions via an olfactory identity consistent with your brand image. Contact us today to discuss your future olfactory signature and sensory marketing projects.