People expect a spa to smell good. In fact, “spa” and “pleasant aroma” are seemingly synonymous, so much so that you can even find general spa-scented products on the market. What spa professionals may not realize is just how powerful scent is for the customer’s overall experience, influencing everything from time spent on-site to purchasing decisions. By harnessing the power of scent and scent branding, spas can take their business from generically “spa-scented” to something much more impactful.
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People expect a spa to smell good. In fact, “spa” and “pleasant aroma” are seemingly synonymous, so much so that you can even find general spa-scented products on the market. What spa professionals may not realize is just how powerful scent is for the customer’s overall experience, influencing everything from time spent on-site to purchasing decisions. By harnessing the power of scent and scent branding, spas can take their business from generically “spa-scented” to something much more impactful.
The Power of The Nose
Scent is an incredibly powerful tool in a business’ branding toolbox. Research indicates that smell plays a major role in memory because the many scent receptors located in the nose connect directly to areas of the brain responsible for memory and emotions (the limbic system). It’s so powerful, in fact, that the nose is believed to impact 75% of our daily emotions, therefore altering our moods more than any other sense.
This association between scent and emotion is explained by the fact that scents are processed more directly in the limbic system than other sensory neurons. This makes scent a more emotional sense, as opposed to the cognitive senses like seeing and hearing. When our sensory neurons pick up a smell, the signal makes its way to the brain where the information is transformed into something we recognize such as coffee, roses or, less pleasantly, dirty socks.
Scent Branding 101
Scent branding is the strategic application and curation of a purposeful signature scent associated with a business. It is not just about filling a space with a nice fragrance, but rather the deliberate use of unique scent combinations to evoke a subconscious emotional response and create a specific experience for customers and employees.
A branded scent can also be used to promote certain products, as part of an event marketing strategy or even for safety reasons. An aroma becomes an extension of the brand, because it has the same effect on people as a logo or packaging does. Scent branding is your business’ olfactory logo.
Dispersing a branded scent in your spa can produce the ideal ambiance for your guests, and the uniqueness of the scent creates a strong connection to your business. Scent can calm anxiety, change perception, improve recall, increase learning and trigger memory and desire. By using aromas that stimulate your customers in a way that is strategic to your spa business, you can ultimately persuade their senses and create an atmosphere that they can’t experience anywhere else.
In addition, scenting a business with a custom, curated aroma can increase the intent to purchase by more than 80%. Developing and diffusing a signature scent can increase brand loyalty, sales volume and product confidence.
Custom scented environments have also been shown to improve the perception of product quality, increase purchase intent, increase the duration of a visit among customers, and boost customers’ willingness to pay more for a product.
Aromachologist Overview
The process of developing and creating a scent identity is detailed and personal, as no two brands or businesses are the same. Working with an aromachologist is the best way to create a unique branded scent for your spa business.
Trained aromachologists take the time to learn a business’ history, customers, goals and the desired emotional response before embarking on a scent creation. From there, all the information is interpreted and translated into a unique scent that best fits their brand’s individual identity.
Aromachologists work to build a comprehensive scent profile for the brand that is distinctive, hits the right emotion and mood desired for their customers, and details when and how to disperse the scent in a way that breaks through any auditory and visual overload in a space. These scenting experts then further work with the spa to incorporate their scent into a multitude of facets for a well-rounded customer experience.
The more touch points that incorporate the scent, the more the customer is exposed to the brand. This strengthens their connection to the spa brand, ultimately resulting in loyalty and increased revenue.
Ashley Sarnicola is a scenting expert at Aroma360, a leader in scent marketing and solutions that helps businesses like wellness spas capitalize on scent branding.
