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

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

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.

# # #

Contact:
Roger Bensinger
rbensinger@prolitec.com
414-615-4630

When I think of the scent of a baseball stadium, what immediately comes to mind are hotdogs (or bratwurst) and beer. Beer especially is the passive scent branding tool of all of Milwaukee, where I grew up. And some might say that oranges are the passive scent branding of Florida. Well, Tropicana Field baseball stadium has made a move in favor of the oranges. This month’s World Series is seeing the launch of their new “citrus burst” signature scent. Home to the Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field is the first Major League Baseball stadium to use active scent branding.

Read more at Ask the Whiff Guys

The Royal Institution of Great Britain presents:

“The science of scent: a feast for the nose.”

Location: 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS
The allure of perfume has existed for generations. Whilst many people may wear perfume, few probably know about the fascinating science inside the bottle.

This event will begin with an introductory talk in the theatre on olfactory science and perfume. How do we smell? Where do perfume ingredients come from and how has this changed throughout the ages, as science and technology have advanced? How many scented materials are there in the world and how many of them do we remember?

And what about the highly skilled people who concoct these amazing scents and potions? Are perfumers born with better noses than the rest of us?

Later on in the evening there will be an opportunity to sample different perfumery ingredients, accords and perfumes, experiencing first-hand their composition under the watchful guidance of an experienced perfumer.

The event includes odour evaluation, so please refrain from wearing strong scent

TIckets available via The Royal Institution’s web site

You may recall that ambient scenting had a role at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last January. Now Central Europe’s economic forum is incorporating scent, too. “Scent support” was used at the Eastern Institute’s 18th Economic Forum, held in the southern Polish town of Krynica. The concept for the use of scent at the meeting was developed by Warsaw company ad*aroma, and was delivered in the form of flavored/scented coffee, which was served between meetings.

Read more in ScentTrends

The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is offering a workshop about Allergy Prevalence in Fragrance in Brussels, Belgium on November 4, 2008. Topics addressed will include a clinical epidemiology survey of fragrance allergies, a presentation on the EDEN epidemiological study, the EU Commission’s approach to the regulations of allergens, and industry self regulation.

More info: IFRA

“Church Marketing Sucks,” a web site/blog devoted to helping improve marketing for churches, has a poll going this week about scent branding.

“Does branding your church with a specific scent take branding a step too far?”

Hop on over there to take the poll.

Link: churchmarketingsucks.com

MIT researchers report they’ve finally mass produced olfactory receptor proteins — molecules that can smell. Many researchers across the world have been working on e-noses, but the MIT research is based in the biology of the human nose. Previous efforts to make large numbers of artificial receptors have failed because the protein’s structure breaks down when it’s removed from the mucus membrane. The MIT team developed a protective detergent solution that allowed mass production of the molecules. Possible applications for artificial nose technology include sniffing for disease, environmental pollutants, and bacteria.

Read more in BBC

In an effort to please customers, European car makers Fiat, Peugeot, and Citroen have incorporated scenting technology into the ventilation systems of their vehicles. Scent plays no small part in the driving experience, as we know from the popularity of “new car scent” in auto air fresheners. Opel (a brand of GM Europe) is looking into creating an “aroma organ” that would distribute different aromas to different parts of the vehicle. On the flip side, Audi apparently has a team of “sniffers” that approve every part of a car before it enters production, in an attempt to minimize bad smells from chemicals that are a normal part of the production process.

Read more in the Earth Times.