Imagine you are sitting in a cozy armchair in front of your TV set, and you suddenly see a commercial about your favorite brand’s new collection of scented candles. You hear a velvety voice in the commercial that tells you the new offerings, and then a subtle smell of a scented candle emanates from your television. Or you have on a pair of VR Goggles and are visiting a bakery store in the Metaverse. Your gaze falls upon chocolate chip cookies, and like a miracle, you actually smell the cookies!
Are we entering a world where ‘smell’ becomes a major contributor to the marketer’s toolbox? Watch this video about Google Nose Beta to get a glimpse of the future.
This well-produced video was created by Google as an April Fools’ Day prank. However, in many jokes, there may be an element of the truth. Thanks to the latest technological advancements, such as the Internet of Senses, 5G, and artificial intelligence, we may soon witness the dawn of digital smells, e-noses and innovative marketing through scent.
What Is Scent Marketing?
Scent marketing has traditionally been the practice of subtly diffusing aromas in retail spaces to foster a pleasant ambiance. Some of the examples of companies that have benefited from utilizing this subtle technique are Nike, Apple and Starbucks. What these brands do is disperse formulated scents throughout their stores to trigger certain positive emotional reactions in customers. Additionally, having a distinct scent that customers can easily recognize and attach to a particular brand is one of the possible pathways to building brand image.
Why Does Scent Marketing Work?
Among all the five senses, scent is considered one of the strongest as it is closely tied to memory and emotions. According to a study reported by the Marketing Society, approximately 75% of all the emotions we experience are generated by what people smell rather than what they hear or see. Being directly connected to the limbic system that controls memory and emotions is what makes our sense of smell so powerful. Research further suggests that, on average, people are capable of recognizing approximately 10,000 odours. While people have the capacity to recall scents with about 65% accuracy, the ability to recall images is noticeably lower, staying at around 50%. These findings corroborate the fact that visual marketing cues may not be as effective as olfactory cues.
Past Efforts at Using Scent in Business and Marketing
Over the years, many industries have tried to incorporate scent marketing. For example, movie theatres experimented with the concept of augmenting people’s audio-visual experiences with Smell-O-Vision. Outdoor advertising and billboards companies have continued this exploration with research into the smelling screen. Cyrano, developed by Harvard Professor David Edwards in collaboration with perfumers, is another innovative gadget that resembles a digital scent speaker connected to a phone. The ‘oPhone’ is presented as a device that will let someone send up to 365 different smells to a fellow user’s device. Lastly, a device called Scentee was introduced that adds an external device to a smart phone that can emit smells.
The devices above never caught on for mass market adoption or broad use by marketers, due to limits in technology. However, in just the past few years the emergence of two branches of technological innovation is pushing the field further ahead. One field is focused on digital detection and analysis of scents, while the other is focusing on the digital transmission of scents. When more fully developed, these technologies have the potential to enhance the way customers shop and engage with brands.
The Internet of Senses
Readers are likely aware of Internet of Things, where billions of physical devices around the world are digitally connected. A new stage called the Internet of Senses may be emerging. According to the Ericsson Consumer Trends Report, by 2030, the Internet of Senses will have digitized all of the human senses, blurring the line between a physical and digital experience.
Powered by AI, 5G and automation, the Internet of Senses will strive to deliver multisensory experiences where consumers are able to virtually feel the world around them through all five senses with their Internet connected devices. In the ‘Internet of Senses’, smell would allow for a deeper immersion and emotional connection with the experience, product, or brand.
The Future of Digital Smell
In recent years, scientists and engineers have made significant progress in manufacturing scent-generating devices. In the near future, companies may one day be able to create comprehensive databases of smells that could be integrated into our devices to emit scents from a smartphone, laptop and other connected devices. The use of big data analytics may further enable mobile devices to record, store and use scent data collected about the user to identify customer behaviour and personalize future product recommendations.
In the retail world, digital signage or smart shelves in retail stores may give off smells that will nudge shoppers to take immediate action. For instance, digital billboards in a mall may lure customers inside when they catch the smell of a freshly cooked item emitted from the sign. Integrated with eye-tracking sensors and scent-generating chips, smart shelves in grocery stores may be able to track which product a customer directs their gaze and emit the smell of that product to have a greater impact on purchasing. Companies like Japanese based Aromajoin are making quick advancements in this area with product like their ‘Aroma Shooter’. Olorama is pioneering voice activated scent technology that will insert scents into virtual reality or videogame experiences.
Digital Scent in the Metaverse
Another application that will likely gain prominence in the sensory marketing landscape is aroma producing hardware embedded in virtual reality headsets. This will allow consumers to experience smells while in the Metaverse. So, if someone visits a bakery in the metaverse, smells of a freshly apple pie would come from the headset. Or, if they visit a Metaverse car showroom, the headset might deliver that ‘new car smell’ that many people like. This may sound like science fiction, but virtual headset companies like FeelReal, and OVR already offer olfactory experiences.
Conclusion
Despite current limitations of technology, electronic scents are gradually making headway to the marketing arena. Scent is one of the most powerful senses and has the ability to transport people back to cherished memories and emotions. Though the Internet of Senses, AI and virtual reality headsets in the metaverse, marketers may be on the cusp of powerful new methods to connect consumers and brands.
Written by:
Anastasia Filimonenko
On-Air Promotions Coordinator, Corus Entertainment
Professor David Rice
Schulich School of Business, York University
Executive Director, Future of Marketing Institute