Sensory marketing is part of the same approach as emotional marketing, it is a question of detaching the target from the intrinsic qualities of the product by offering consumers extrinsic characteristics favorable to the act of purchase.
The term sensory marketing encompasses Visual Marketing, Auditory Marketing, Taste Marketing, Tactile Marketing and Olfactory Marketing.
In 1973, Philipp KOTLER already defended the fact, in an avant-garde article, that a positive sales atmosphere engendered affective, cognitive and behavioral responses in the consumer. A positive sales atmosphere therefore results in a tenfold increase in the probability of purchase.
In 2002, Patrick HETZEL in his book entitled "Planète Conso: experiential marketing and new consumer universes" demonstrated that sensory marketing could be included in experiential marketing. Indeed, sensory stimulation aims to create an experience that is as memorable as possible around the act of purchase. Since then, the theorization around sensory marketing has continued to develop.
The 5 senses are in the spotlight in terms of sensory marketing, but what about olfactory marketing in particular?
Some memories buried deep in our memory can resurface with the help of an olfactory signature. This proves that there is an intimate link between our memories, our emotions and smells.
Moreover, some odors have their own cognitive interactions. Vanilla or cinnamon will inspire comfort or warmth, while a citrus scent will be perceived as invigorating. From the beginnings of scent marketing to today, the numbers have had time to prove the effectiveness of the practice. According to the Journal of Marketing, experiments show that thanks to a pleasant air freshener spread in the air of a supermarket, "the design of this one can be judged 21% more attractive than if it does not was not present, 30% more colored than in the absence of scent. Similarly, a product presented in such conditions will appear 22% more adequate, 14% better quality, and cheaper (5%). »
As consumers and customers are exposed to hundreds of advertising messages daily, companies capture their attention by stimulating instinctual areas of the brain.
The use of olfactory marketing allows the identity reinforcement of a product, a brand or a place of sale, and ultimately an attachment and customer loyalty.