This blog takes a look at the link between scent, memory and behaviour – and how premium scenting from Ambius can improve your business.
Did you know that smell is the most powerful of our five senses?
It’s thought that up to 75% of the emotions we generate on a daily basis are affected by smell.
Smell influences memory and perception
Since smell bypasses mental judgement and interpretation, it’s also the most influential of our senses. The memories we recall through scent are significantly more emotional than those recalled by auditory or visual triggers.
Studies have shown that people can remember a scent with 65% accuracy after one year. In contrast – visual memory drops to 50% after only a few months. The smells we experience also play a crucial role in how we associate with memories and places.
Smell influences behaviour
Different smells also prompt different reactions. Many people experience the smell of something comforting – such as freshly baked bread or clean laundry – as welcoming. (That’s why estate agents always tell you to do some baking before a show house!)
On the other hand, a bad smell can be very off-putting. Initial research into air care in 2019 found that customers are highly unlikely to return to premises that smell bad.
Board-certified neurologist and smell and taste expert, Dr. Alan Hirsch, has conducted countless research studies that explore the ways in which smell affects human behavior.
In one of the studies, 20 separate participants were exposed to scents of baby powder, coffee, and nothing at all. While the coffee aroma produced a reduced perception of time, the baby powder aroma produced a longer perception of time.
Scenting impacts customers buying behaviours
Pleasurable fragrances have been shown to increase “dwell-time” in stores, increasing the likelihood of customers making purchases. Vanilla, for example, is a scent that appeals to women. When diffused in a clothing store it has been proven to prolong customer dwell time – and therefore increase customer spend.
Scented retail environments have been shown to improve the perception of product quality and boost the willingness of consumers to pay more for a product. You can read more about how
Smell and productivity
Our sense of smell can even affect productivity in office environments. Specific smells have been found to increase alertness which in turn results in higher productivity rates.
One study found that when lemon oil was diffused throughout a Japanese office building, productivity among data entry operators increased by 54%. Scents can also be used to ward off mid-afternoon brain fog by revving your concentration levels.
Ambient scenting
Ambient scenting works on the senses in a subtle way, and has a unique ability to form immediate, powerful, and differentiated emotional connections with customers.
This is because a unique scent can spark the memory of an associated product or event, even for an incident dating back to one’s childhood. And olfactory recall can extend to 10,000 different scents, if not more.
Premium scenting from Ambius
So whether you want customers to stay longer, spend more, or just connect with your brand in a different way, Ambius can help. Our scenting experts will work closely with you to choose a scent, and then will survey the premises to find the best diffusion solution; testing airflow, measuring space and paying attention to any air handling solutions currently in place.
Ambius uses a unique diagnostic tool to decide on the most suitable unit, scent setting levels and programme times. A customised scenting program will then be tailor-made for the premise to enhance the brand to its greatest potential.
Safe and sustainable
Premium Scenting from Ambius is safe and sustainable. Significantly less fragrance is needed to scent a given area due to the fact that the micro droplets of fragrance are lighter and remain in the air longer than any other air fragrance solution.
These micro droplets are on average just 1 micron in size or 1/50th the diameter of a human hair. All the fragrance ingredients have been rigorously checked, and certified safe for human inhalation. And all fragrances are tested according to UK and EU standards, IFRA and SDS. Safety sheets are available for every scent.
Let Ambius harness the power of scenting in your business
As you can see, smell can be incredibly influential in our everyday lives. To harness the power of scent in your business, contact one of our experts today.
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