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The latest trend ( think trick ) in marketing is using scent to influence us to buy more or, more aptly put....make us to pay-thru-the nose!
The use of piped-in aromas to set a mood, promote products or position a brand is known as scent marketing. Its efficacy is uncertain, but the practice is on the rise. Advertising Age named it one of the top 10 trends to watch in 2007; Dave Van Epps, president of ScentAir, a producer of aroma-marketing systems, told me that his business had quadrupled between 2005 and 2006. Harald Vogt, founder of the Scent Marketing Institute, a consulting firm based in Scarsdale, N.Y., estimates that over all, $50 million to $80 million was spent on scent marketing in 2006 and that the figure will surpass $500 million in the next decade......New York Times
What a terrible idea. As a person with allergies, I have immediately walked out of many small stores because of the 'ambient scent' (usually from candles or other products). In fact I did that just two days ago. I stepped into a gift shop and was immediately 'assaulted' by fragrance, so I quickly said to the lady behind the counter "Sorry, the fragrance in here is just too much" and scurried out the door. It was a shame because there were several things in their window display that interested me but there was no way that I could spend any time AT ALL inside the store with all those scents in the air. So they lost a customer permanently since I would not chance going into that shop again.
There are two boutiques that I no longer shop in because they took to burning scented candles for "a more relaxed atmosphere". The scent gets into the clothes they're selling -- sometimes dry cleaning will remove it, but many of their things are not dry cleanable. So I just don't shop in those places anymore.
The only thing 'scent marketing' would do is to make me immediately cross those merchants or products OFF my shopping list permanently! I suspect most others with allergies will do the same.
Leave it to Vegas to come up with money making schemes such as this! But find it fascinating as well, how ingenious. I don't have any allergies, so don't really mind if the scent is subtle. But some places it overwhelms and I do have to leave also! I do love the smell of vanilla, so if that scent is in the store I may just stay longer, buy more, etc. Wow, will have to be more congnizant of this next time....
I use aromatherapy at home myself, and is very enjoyable. My favorite scents are lavendar, orange and anise. But have many others, even tea tree oil is considered aromatherapy! And so I use it in my witch hazel for face, etc. You have to use a transfer oil with them, such as almond or jojoba oil. But am getting off topic!
yel, they can keep me longer in a store if it is vanilla. i don't have allergies either but then some scents can cause me to get a headache, like strong fake perfume. i like lavender also. There are not many scents that would keep me shopping.
yel, they can keep me longer in a store if it is vanilla. i don't have allergies either but then some scents can cause me to get a headache, like strong fake perfume. i like lavender also. There are not many scents that would keep me shopping.
There was a documentary on TV during the last year and the reason they are using scent is because the nazal passages are the closest link to the brain. Maybe we'll all be chipped next, then we would get the message.
I get headache from certain scents too, wonder if the scent brigade have worked out how many good customers they are losing, just like jessaka I'd leave pronto.
I hate perfumes and things. I tend to get a headache from them, so if a store was pumping in something too strong or if one of those ladies says 'try this scent!' I'd just leave. (probably mumbling under my breath)
I do notice the supermarkets tend to waft that bakery smell around! I mean, it's so tempting when you smell muffins or bread baking.
I love to shop at Hollister....but the music is too loud, the lighting too dim and the perfume is too strong. I guess I'm getting old. LOL
I love candles and I love Yankee Candle but cant just hang out in the store..I have to go in and get what I want and get out...I can't stand the combined scents it gives me a major headache. I think its pretty crappy of them to 'scent' the shopping area...they are going to lose alot of business because many ppl can't tolerate scent for medical reasons and some ppl just dont' like them.
The Body Shop has to be the worst offender yet...they always have some oil burner thing going and it's so strong you can smell it down the mall aisle....I refuse to shop there because of that.
My sinuses can't tolerate Yankee Candles - I bought some scented candles of theirs last Christmas and ended up bringing them to work and putting a FREE sign on them. The only candles I can stand burning are unscented ones, or soy candles seem to be tolerable.
Williams-Sonoma always burns some kind of candles here on the West Coast also. But they seem less offensive than the Yankee Candles to me.
It's of concern that the hormone "oxytocin" may be used to take advantage of shoppers.
Oxytocin is released during orgasm in both sexes.
In the brain, oxytocin is involved in social recognition & bonding, and might be involved in the formation of trust between people & generosity.
People who claim to be deeply in love have higher blood levels of oxytocin than others.
It's said to play a significant role in bonding between couples & between mother & baby.
One study showed that sheep who were given an oxytocin inhibitor, rejected their own young,
while virgin sheep who were exposed to oxytocin accepted other sheeps offspring as their own, when they wouldnt have otherwise done so.
Another study showed that a group exposed to oxytocin & then approached by beggers, gave significantly more money than the group exposed to the placebo.
The drug extacy (MDMA) stimulates the pituitary gland into producing high levels of oxytocin.
Many studies confirm that exposure to this hormone causes people to become more trusting than they otherwise would be.
I assume it's already being exploited commercially.
Has anyone left a department store loaded up with everything the salesperson suggested, only to get home & wonder why they wasted their money on all that junk?
Walking by the perfume counters in the dept stores make me sick. I cant stand all the smells. I get the worst headache. I dont like a lot of different smells either. Most of them make me sneeze and start my allergies.
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But find it fascinating as well, how ingenious. I don't have any allergies, so don't really mind if the scent is subtle. But some places it overwhelms and I do have to leave also!
I do love the smell of vanilla, so if that scent is in the store I may just stay longer, buy more, etc.
Wow, will have to be more congnizant of this next time....
scents
