You know that a trend has transitioned to a standard once consumers expect it. Some clever marketer or entrepreneur introduces a new bonus or amenity and soon everyone follows suit. We train our customers to expect more. If you’ve ever stayed at a budget hotel you’ve experienced one of the quintessential examples of this phenomenon.
It was in the mid-1990s that the “breakfast wars” between hotels broke out. Lower-priced hotels couldn’t reduce their room prices without cutting into already low-profit margins, so instead, they started increasing value by offering a continental breakfast at no charge. Soon other hotels began expanding their offerings to compete. Ten years ago the Ypartnership/Harrison Group 2010 Portrait of American Travelers reported 70% of US leisure travelers considered a free breakfast extremely influential when selecting a hotel. Ten years later, a free breakfast isn’t considered a perk. It comes with the price of the room.
Auto parts stores used to only sell auto parts and supplies, period. In response to increased competition, they now do free diagnostic checks, loan tools, change wiper blades and install new car batteries. It’s all about creating the kind of customer experience that differentiates them from their competition. Welcome to the world of experience marketing.
Sensory-based marketing is simply the natural by-product of an ever-increasingly competitive marketplace. Everything we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell plays a vital role in determining whether or not we want to relive a specific experience. And no other sense is as influential as smell.
What helps your customers remember you?
A 2014 study showed that humans can distinguish at least 1 trillion different scents. A fragrance is so memorable that we’re not even aware of the power that scent has on us. Smell happens under the radar of our consciousness. In layman’s terms, smell is processed directly to the areas of the brain that arouse emotions and memories without awareness. THAT’s why scent marketing is incredibly effective in influencing consumers.
From hotels to fashion boutiques, coffee shops to grocery stores, day spas, gyms and more, consumers are responding to scent marketing. With today’s advance diffusing technology, safe scents and variety of fragrances, scent marketing has taken the lead in the sensory marketing arena. Science has proven that our sense of smell is 100 times more effective than sight or hearing when it comes to retaining and identifying memories. Customers identify you with a particular scent that becomes an indelible memory. It’s not just another scent…it’s your scent, your brand. It’s 100 times more memorable than the color of your walls or the music you play. Your customers expect to enjoy everything about their visit to your business, but they’ll remember the scent more than anything else.
Scentfinity has the fragrances and advanced diffusing equipment necessary to perfectly scent your business. Never too much and never too little, scentfinity creates a perfectly fragranced ambiance that becomes a delightful memory for your customer. Increase your business with scent marketing by calling scentfinity at 732.795.6300 or by emailing us at info@scentfinity.com.
