Archive for November, 2008
Ambient scenting gets smart
Imagine if your ambient scenting machine had multiple possible scents, could learn to associate a scent with an event by observing how you interact with information sources, and based on its learning it would emit particular scents at relevant times during the day. Industrial designer David Sweeney (Royal College of Art) has designed something like this, which he’s calling “Quale.” Emitters that are best described as a Seuss-like cross between a chemistry beaker and a loudspeaker would be placed around the room like speakers in a kind of “surround smell” fashion. It’s unclear to me how the learning takes place to let the device know what scents to emit and when, but the fact that Sissel Tolaas designed the scents makes me think this device is worth a closer look.
Read more at Yanko Design or David Sweeney’s web site
1 comment November 29, 2008
Scent marketing industry skyrockets in crumbling retail economy
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–While historical declines in US retail sales were reported by the Commerce Department last week, investors in the scent marketing industry welcomed the news as record numbers of retailers increasingly turn to alternative methods of merchandising to boost sales.
According to Harald Vogt, Founder of the Scent Marketing Institute, industry executives are reporting a rush of new inquiries from major retailers from every corner of the retail spectrum. His view is that this activity is directly correlated to the sagging economy, and that retailers and mall operators are gearing up for a competitive holiday shopping season.
Companies already using scent to enhance sales include Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Jimmy Choo, Lane Bryant, Hallmark, Guess? and Abercrombie & Fitch, while a wider variety of specialty retailers are adopting scent strategies. The hardest hit auto industry has also started using scent to attract customers. Some Lexus and Toyota dealerships are using the tactic, and General Motors has rolled out a signature scent for their dealerships, according to Citron Arbel, CEO of Air Aroma America.
“Strategic scents have been proven to increase the shopper’s dwelling time by as much as 40 percent in a retail environment,” affirms C. Russell Brumfield, author of Whiff! The Revolution of Scent Communication in the Information Age. The book reveals dozens of studies conducted on the effects of scent on the consumer. “The science shows that specific scents can increase sales from 20 to over 90 percent in some studies,” states Brumfield. “Since the economy started to tail-spin in recent months, we’ve heard from some very big companies wanting to adopt scent strategies”
Savvy investors have also jumped into the scent marketing game. The Whiff! book covers the biggest industry players. Richard Weening, co-founder and former chairman of Cumulus Media (the nation’s second largest radio station owner) now runs one of the biggest scent marketing companies called Prolitec. Alerion Partners has invested millions in Charlotte-based ScentAir, where digital-media venture capitalist Tom Conroy took the reigns as CEO in June.
Australia-based Air Aroma has distributors in 35 countries. DMX has added strategic scent marketing to its in-store music business, and UK-based $5-billion Rentokill rolled out its newly branded Ambius subsidiary in the US and Europe earlier this year. Private research firms predict that this fledgling market will soar into billions in revenues in the coming years.
Whiff! book author Brumfield sees a golden opportunity for skittish investors in this uncertain economy. Brumfield adds, “Along with real estate, when you see blood on the streets, buy stock in the next big marketing phenomenon—scent.”
Whiff! book author Russell Brumfield is frequently cited source in print and broadcast stories on the scent marketing industry, strategies, and case studies. For more information about the scent marketing industry and scent news, visit www.askthewhiffguys.com . The book Whiff! The Revolution of Scent Communication in the Information Age is available at www.amazon.com.
More info at Yahoo Finance
Add comment November 18, 2008
UK Ministry of Defence trains with scent
In an effort to prepare soldiers for life in a war zone, the UK’s Minstry of Defence is developing a video game training system that incorporates scent. According to the developers, troops reported arriving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and being overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells. The sensory training aims to familiarize the soldiers’ senses with the authentic stimuli they’ll encounter when they’re deployed. The scent machine aspect includes smells like charred rubber, rotting vegetables, spices, sewage, and body odor, each released by the machine at the appropriate times in the video game simulation.
Read more at BBC News
Add comment November 9, 2008
Prolitec Names VP of Finance
Scent-technology leader adds Jesus Torres to management team
MILWAUKEE, WI — October 28, 2008 – Global scent-technology leader Prolitec Inc. announced today the appointment of Jesus Torres as Vice President of Finance. Torres was formerly Vice President of Financial Planning for Technicolor Theatrical Services in Burbank, CA. Prior to his work with TTS, Torres worked with Plumtree Software (now BEA Systems), where he held various financial positions from 2000 to 2007, including Finance Director.
“Jesus has solid and successful experience with high-growth technology companies like Prolitec,” said Richard Weening, CEO. “We feel quite fortunate to have him on our top management team.”
Torres earned a BA in Finance and Business from the University of Notre Dame, graduating cum laude in 1998. He and his family are relocating from Southern California to Milwaukee to start his employment November 3.
Prolitec is a technology company specializing in aerobiology, indoor air quality, odor remediation and the use of scent as a medium of communications in marketing. Prolitec provides products and services to several thousand clients throughout the US, UK, Europe and Australia. Prolitec’s technology is being deployed in retail, hospitality, entertainment and office environments. Established in 1996, Prolitec pioneered the use of scent to market products and enhance business interiors.
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Contact:
Roger Bensinger
rbensinger@prolitec.com
414-615-4630
Add comment November 1, 2008
