There is a portion of your brain, the olfactory bulb, that “lights up” when you encounter specific scents. It could be the smell of your long-lost grandmother’s favorite perfume or a musky scent that brings you back to your childhood basement, but regardless of the aroma or odor, there is an emotional response that some marketing experts are using to capture the attention of consumers.
Specifically, marketers for McDonald’s have unveiled billboards in the Netherlands that emit the iconic smell of the fast food chain’s fries. In those billboards, natural and artificial fragrance oils are methodically released from the billboards when sensors detect a passersby. In other billboards, actual French fries are loaded into compartments where their scent can be held and then diffused through ventilators.
Rather than adorning the billboards with McDonald’s logos, they are painted yellow or red and placed within 650 feet of a McDonald’s restaurant. According to videos covering the innovative marketing technique, “Everyone knows the smell of McDonald’s,” so when people get a whiff as they pass one of the billboards, they might suddenly decide it’s time to eat.
The Power of Aromas
It is estimated that 10,000 or more unique scents can trigger olfactory recall. Some call it olfactory branding while others prefer scent branding, but regardless of the name, marketers are leaning into the power of scent to form “powerful emotional connections with customers.”
Scent branding is nothing new, as Hyatt Place has used fresh blueberry, light floral, warm vanilla and musk scents in its establishments since 2007. Guests say the scents provide a more welcoming experience that enhances their stay and increase brand memorability.
Marketing for Effect
Innovative marketing techniques may fall flat with some audiences, but staying ahead of the competition requires experimenting with different marketing strategies, developing, modifying and improving them until you land on something that works.
At SJC Marketing, we have a team of marketing experts who take a custom approach to developing marketing strategies for our clients. No two target audiences are alike, which is why we take the time to research the wants and needs of your audience and create content that matters to them specifically.
Contact us today and let’s talk about new and innovative ways to create a larger audience for your brand.