Some brands stink. Literally. You should make sure that your brand is properly represented through all of your customers’ senses. We tend to play the most attention to sight and a lot less to smell and sound. One Operations Manager at KFC once suggested, only half jokingly, that we should pipe the scent of KFC’s unique 11 herbs and spices through vents, on to the street, to get people to salivate and follow the smell.
The Scent Institute suggests 10 scents that have a recognized impact on our emotions:
- Talcum powder – safe secure and nostalgic
- Alertness – peppermint and citrus
- Relaxation – lavender, vanilla, chamomile
- Perceive a room as smaller – barbecue smoke
- Perceive a room as bigger – apple, cucumber
- Purchase expensive furniture – cedar, leather
- Purchase a house – fresh baked goods
- Browse longer and spend more – Tailored floral/ citrus scents
- Get road rage – unpleasant smells such as rotting and rubbish
- Become sexually aroused: For men: pumpkin pie/lavender For women: the sweat of nursing mothers
A brand that does the scent and sound branding well is Mode Alive on Frederick Street. They use relaxing incense and World Music to give their store the feel of an open market that makes you feel you are in a Souk in Morroco.
Savvy brands create a coherent voice by bringing their audio identity to a wide variety of touch points: websites, on-hold music, sales videos, advertising, retail outlets, app opening sounds, and even ringtones.
If your brand is suppose to be helpful, does it smell and sound helpful?
