The science of ambient marketing

We are seeing the introduction of curated products labelled "home fragrances"

When you get back from an international trip and step out of the airport, the first thing to assault you is probably the unique odour that seems to permeate any public space in India. Is it the lack of toilets or is it the fact that our toilets are badly maintained or should we lay the blame on the lack of water in our toilets? But I am seeing or should I say smelling that this is slowly changing. The rapid growth of products aimed at masking the smell of our toilets has been astounding to say the least. In the years gone by, the only brand that used to be seen in Indian toilets was the Odonil bar. And they used to have a peculiar smell of their own. In the last five years, there has been a rapid growth in the adoption of air purifying brands and products. Odonil itself has been transformed. There have been numerous new brands, Indian and International, such as Ambi Pur and Godrej Aer that have managed to create smaller-sized products tailor-made for smaller spaces such as toilets and elevators. 

If we are seeing innovative products at the middle or the bottom end of the market, we are also seeing the introduction of curated products labelled “home fragrances”. These are often packaged in exquisitely styled dispenser systems including reed diffusers and oil vaporisers. An ad extolls the virtues thus: “The rejuvenating scents of tangerine, lavender and coral blue are sure to leave your home with a tranquil charm". 

Riding the odour bandwagon are other miscellaneous products such as a “scented” vest that is skin friendly and anti-bacterial. Microbiologist Christopher Callewaert of Ghent University has even made it his mission to understand the various types of body odours, as reported in The Week magazine. He and his colleagues have studied thousands of consumers and have categorised the body odour into specific typologies such as Fishy, Faecal-like, Oniony, Floral and even a bit Soapy. Callewaert says, “... triggers that cause the corynebacterial to flourish include... wearing certain clothes that have their own microbiome and their own bacterial community”. So may be the “scented vest” has a future. 

Getting back to the odour that hits us as we enter a premise, it has been an area of concern for real estate companies. In an article published in Financial Times (June 16, 2018), the writer observes that today, there is the new art of blending custom fragrances for buildings and this has become a delicate science that can bring subtle benefits to the sellers. Smell has for long been a powerful tool for selling property. In what is called “Open Days” when prospective visitors are welcome to take the tour of a home, it is customary to do some fresh baking before the prospective buyers walk in. A freshly baked cookie smell is expected to trigger the saliva glands of a visitor and help him reach for his cheque book that much faster. 

This is now getting a little more evolved. In developed countries, builders are employing specialist perfume designers to create curated smells for a building, so that what reached the nostrils of the prospective buyer is not the smell of cement and sawdust but those of something more interesting, may be sandalwood or lime or more exotic lavender and musk. These are dispersed innocuously through dispenser systems and candles. 

London developers have made this into a fine art to the extent that upper-end home owners are curating their own fragrance, to suit their home environment. Floral for one if their home has a floral theme. More animalistic or musk if the home has a stronger masculine flavour. Or lime and lemon, if the home has a lot of indoor plants and such like. I wonder if this is a trend that is waiting to be tapped in India. 

In an HBR article (March 2015), Science of Sensory Marketing, the authors point out that many industries are missing out on the opportunities to connect with the customers’ senses. The focus till now has been on building expertise on what is obvious such as shape, colour, touch. New research is emerging to suggest that even the ambient temperature can have an influence on consumer behaviour. A wine glass may change the perception about the wine that is poured into it. The smell of cinnamon can make a café that much more welcoming. University of Michigan’s Aradhana Krishna in her book, Customer Sense: How the 5 Senses Influence Buying Behavior calls out industries still focused on visual attributes giving little thought to the other sensory effects. For example, will a bank feel that much more solid if it had aromas of wood and leather? Will a boutique feel that much more welcoming if it smelt of lavender and jasmine? 

The good news is that we are seeing the emergence of ambient fragrance marketing in India too. And as our toilets start losing their bad odour, hopefully our shops and showrooms will start developing their own unique ambient fragrances. 

Smell well to sell well. 
 

The author is an independent brand strategist and founder, Brand-Building.com, ambimgp@brand-building.com