» Conferences

Prolitec Named ‘Scent Marketer of the Year’ for Its Retail Innovations

airsense — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:32:03 +0000

Prolitec, Inc., the global provider of ambient-scenting technology and services, along with Abercrombie & Fitch, the internationally known fashion retailer, were named “Scent Marketers of the Year” at the 2011 ScentWorld Expo, a major international conference sponsored by the Scarsdale, N.Y.-based Scent Marketing Institute (SMI).

The conference was held Dec. 7-9 at the Gansevoort Hotel in Miami Beach. In a statement following the announcement, SMI said it jointly gave the award to Prolitec and Abercrombie in order to recognize the two companies for their “ground-breaking in-store scenting program” and “as acknowledgement of their leadership in the use of scent in merchandising and in-store communications.”

“When it comes to using scent in merchandising, Abercrombie is a true pioneer,” said Prolitec CEO Richard Weening. “Abercrombie’s CEO Mike Jeffries and his leadership team are superstars in retail merchandising and masters of the art of engaging all the senses in the store. They are key contributors to ambient scenting’s emergence as one of the hottest trends in retailing.”

From MarketWatch

For further reporting on ScentWorld Expo, check out the NY Times: Scent Makers Sweeten the Smell of Commerce

Tagged: Abercrombie & Fitch, Ambient Scenting, Awards, Branding, Conferences, Marketing, People and Companies, Prolitec, Retail, Scent Marketing Institute, ScentWorld Expo

Electric shock improves odor perception

airsense — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:32:08 +0000

It sure seems like we’re discovering an exponential number of fascinating new things about the olfactory system these days. An article that came out of the recent Symposium on Olfaction and Taste has been forwarded to me at least a dozen times already, because it’s so filled with interesting true tales and cliff bits. Check out the studies presented by Dr. Jay Gottfried. In one, humans exposed to just one floral odor for about three minutes markedly improved their abilities to tell families of flower odors apart from one another. Then there’s the one where the people learned to discern “undetectable” differences between an herbal smell and its mirror-image molecular twin. How’d they do that? Electric shock as punishment for the wrong answer! Makes me wish I’d gone to that symposium.

Olfactometer debuts in SF this week

airsense — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:25:53 +0000

If you’re in San Francisco this week, stop by the International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste. While you’re there, check out the “olfactometer” to find out whether your sniffer is up to snuff. It takes 12 minutes to smell 40 difference scents, after which you’ll get a printed profile of your sense of smell. Designed by neuroscientist Lloyd Hastings, the olfactometer is making its debut this week. Hastings hopes to sell the machine to medical labs and specialty clinics.

Read more in the San Francisco Chronicle

Scent marketing winners announced

airsense — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:06:21 +0000

Winners of the 2008 SMItty awards were announced at SCENTworld earlier this month. Presented by the Scent Marketing Institute, the awards honor innovative people and companies in the scent marketing industry.

Honored this year:

Best New Proven Technology: Steven M. Landau of ScentSational Technologies, for development of unique aroma-enhanced packaging.

Best New Concept: Juan Miguel Antonanzas de Toledo of A de Aroma, for building a European network of “scent system operators” who can share resources that help grow the industry.

Most Unique Implementation: Clément Jeanjean of Presensia, for development of a scent-emitting digital flat screen for use in retail settings.

Public space scenting: Is it safe? Is it green?

airsense — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:48:58 +0000

Ambient scenting companies tackled questions about ecological and human safety at SCENTworld, the scent marketing expo and conference held recently in New York. According to Richard Weening, CEO of environmental-services and scent-marketing company Prolitec, “Scent safety for humans and the environment is relatively easy to insure, because it depends entirely on the ingredients and the quantity used to create the scent effect. Great fragrance can be produced from ingredients that are safe for humans, in the quantity needed for successful ambient scenting, and have no negative environmental consequences.”

Several conference participants pointed out that traditional methods of scenting, such as candles, oil burners, plug-ins, and other methods that rely on evaporation cannot be finely controlled. Weening agreed, saying “It’s worse than you imagine. Scented candles burn fragrance oil to create scent, aerosols use propellants and alcohol, which are harmful VOCs, unsafe for both humans and the environment.”

The answer for safe scenting in public spaces, according to Weening, is “scent delivery systems that can control quantity and have the technology to produce a good scent effect with ultra low quantities of human safe ingredients. The technology for controlled delivery is available and is being used now.”

AdAge reports from ScentWorld

airsense — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:38:38 +0000

AdvertisingAge interviewed C. Russell Brumfield, author of the recently-released book “Whiff,” at the recent ScentWorld conference in New York.

Link: AdAge video footage from ScentWorld

Scent increases investment returns, panel says

airsense — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:06:00 +0000

Women’s Wear Daily reported on the scent marketing panel at GlobalShop 2008, the branding conference and trade show that took place in Chicago earlier this month. The panel included Russel Brumfield, chairman and CEO of marketing company Whiff Solutions, Christine Belich of Sony, who is using a proprietary scent in 41 of its Sony Style stores, and Richard Weening, president and CEO of ambient scenting provider Prolitec.

Weening discussed research of scent’s impact on retail investment returns. One study he cited showed that customers interviewed after visiting unscented stores overestimated the length of their stays by at least 20 percent, whereas those interviewed after visiting scent-enhanced stores consistently underestimated their stays. Fascinating! Weening referred to this as scent’s “time compression” impact. According to panelist Brumfield, research shows that scent keeps customers in stores up to 40% longer.

My favorite quote from the panel comes from Brumfield, who makes the point that all environments have a smell, it’s a matter of whether you control it or not. Touché, Mr. Brumfield. Who could argue with that?

ScentWorld Expo hits NYC this summer

airsense — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:57:00 +0000

It’s about time. The non-wearable scenting industry finally got its very own conference. Sponsored by New York’s Scent Marketing Institute, SCENTworld Conference & Expo is the first-ever conference focused solely on the use of scent in marketing, branding, and ambiance. The conference has four seminar tracks: one for ad execs and creative directors, one for scent developers, one for commercial real estate pros, and one for scent marketing professionals. There’s also a full-day program called “Scent Marketing University,” industry-related exhibits, and plenty of opportunities for networking.

SCENTworld takes place June 29 – July 1 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in Manhattan, NYC. Find out more at scentworldexpo.com

Society of Sensory Professionals to hold inaugural conference

airsense — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:31:00 +0000

The Society of Sensory Professionals (SSP) is announcing their Inaugural Conference, which will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) November 5-7, 2008. The conference’s theme is “Creating the Future,” which “builds on the mission of advancing the field of sensory evaluation and consumer research.” The society’s purpose is to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and to mentor and educate sensory professionals.

Abstracts are being accepted now. See the conference web site.

Sensory and consumer researchers to gather at EuroSense 2008

airsense — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:50:00 +0000

EuroSense 2008, the Third European Conference on Sensory and Consumer Research, will take place from 7th – 10th September, 2008 at the University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany. The conference is currently seeking presenters for the following topics: New Aspects in Sensory Perception, New Aspects in Sensory and Consumer Evaluation, Implementation of Sensory in Industry, New Aspects in Psychophysics, Sensory in the interface of Marketing and R&D, New Mega-trends in Sensory and Consumer Research, Neurobiological processing of Perceptions, and Parcours of Senses. Read more at EuroSense