Olfactory marketing vs. sensory marketing: what are the differences?

ECO.FRENCH.LAB
Jan 8
3 min read

The difference between olfactory marketing and sensory marketing lies in their scope. Sensory marketing engages all five senses to create a holistic experience, while olfactory marketing focuses exclusively on the sense of smell to create a unique, emotional, and lasting olfactory signature for a brand or place.

Le marketing olfactif et marketing sensoriel et comment une signature olfactive sur mesure renforce l’expérience de marque.

Sensory marketing: a holistic approach to customer experience

Sensory marketing is based on a simple idea: our decisions are not solely rational; they are deeply emotional and sensory.

This strategy involves activating multiple senses simultaneously in order to:

Strengthen brand identity,
Create a consistent atmosphere,
Foster emotional customer attachment.

In a retail outlet, hotel, or professional space, this translates to:

A refined visual design,
A suitable sound environment,
Materials that are pleasant to the touch,
Sometimes taste experiences,
And a carefully controlled olfactory atmosphere.

Sensory marketing thus creates an immersive experience, conceived in its entirety.

Scent marketing: a powerful and targeted emotional lever

Scent marketing is a discipline in its own right, focused exclusively on the sense of smell.

At Eco French Lab, this involves:

designing bespoke ambient fragrances,
creating an olfactory signature true to the brand's DNA,
diffusing the fragrance in a controlled and responsible manner.

Smell is the sense most directly linked to emotional memory. A scent can evoke a memory, a sensation, or an emotion in seconds, often unconsciously. This is what makes scent marketing a particularly effective tool for:

differentiating a brand,
extending the time spent in a place,
strengthening brand recognition and memorability.

Olfactory marketing and sensory marketing: what are the concrete differences?

Criterion	Olfactory marketing	Sensory marketing
Senses engaged	Smell only	All five senses
Objective	To create a signature scent	To create a complete experience
Approach	Targeted, emotional, and memorial	Cross-cutting and immersive
Implementation	Custom fragrance, diffusion	Design, sound, fragrance, materials
Impact	Strong and lasting	Global and consistent

Why integrate olfactory marketing into a sensory strategy?

Rather than viewing them as opposing forces, it's essential to understand that olfactory marketing naturally complements sensory marketing.

A well-crafted olfactory signature:

Reinforces the consistency of the customer experience,
Supports the visual and auditory identity,
Creates a unique emotional connection.

In hotels, boutiques, offices or reception areas, fragrance becomes an invisible but powerful marker, capable of transforming a place into a true brand experience.

A responsible and tailored approach

At Eco French Lab, olfactory marketing is part of an approach that is:

eco-responsible,
respectful of spaces and people,
based on bespoke creation.

Each project is designed to integrate harmoniously into the brand's universe, without over-stimulation, by prioritizing balance, subtlety and sustainability.

👉 Discover our guide to olfactory marketing

FAQ – Olfactory Marketing & Sensory Marketing

What is olfactory marketing?

Olfactory marketing is a strategy that uses the sense of smell to influence emotions and brand perception, notably through the diffusion of ambient fragrances or the creation of bespoke olfactory signatures.

Is olfactory marketing part of sensory marketing?

Yes. Olfactory marketing is a component of sensory marketing, which encompasses all five senses to create a comprehensive customer experience.

What are the advantages of olfactory marketing?

Olfactory marketing improves brand recall, enhances the customer experience, creates a lasting emotional connection, and enables strong differentiation from the competition.