Air Sense News

Brand Channel has posted an interesting piece about Brazil’s use of scent branding, otherwise known as “olfactive” branding. Apparently numerous Brazilian businesses, including spas, gyms, medical facilities, hotels, pharmacies, banks, restaurants and supermarkets, as well as product brands are using “olfactive logos,” or signature scents for brand recall. Olfactive logos are being used in advertising campaigns, including scent-producing ads in movie theatres. According to the article, Brazil is a natural candidate for the use of scent branding because of its culture of human sensuality.

Read more at Brand Channel

For 23 years The Economist has published a lengthy collection of predictions for each coming year. This year, The Economist’s The World in 2009 includes the explosion of scent marketing amongst its business-related predictions. Harrod’s is mentioned as the biggest British example of scent in retail, and it’s predicted  that  at least one large supermaket, several malls and one fast food chain will follow Harrods’ lead. The prediction certainly has a solid foundation. Harrods has led the way before: they introduced the world’s first escalator in 1998. And, according to the Economist, smell is the new frontier. For one, they point out that if you “get the smell right, you can bypass rational thought,” prompting customers to want and to buy without needing a reason. Additionally, in these times when online shopping has seized so much revenue from storefronts, retailers need to engage customers in ways they can’t experience via the internet.

Read more in The Economist