Smell me
New York City is a notoriously smelly city. In such a densely populated area, you can pretty much expect to walk down the street and become subject to odors ranging the gamut from gourmet food to day-old rotting waste. That being said, the other day, some coworkers and I were overwhelmed on our way to lunch by the incredibly strong odors wafting out of some of the restaurants we passed. This got me to thinking – do restaurants intentionally use “smell branding” to draw crowds in off the street, or are those the scents that naturally waft off the food? I also wondered – how do consumers feel about companies that use scents to attract customers?
When using a scent as part of a brand, companies take an extreme risk that can have wide reaching impact. Yes, you can smell a Subway sandwich shop from two blocks away, but does that make it appetizing? For a brand to gain value from scent, it must be able to conjure the right mood at the right time. I decided to do a bit of research on three companies’ approach to scent branding (Subway, Westin Hotels, and Abercrombie & Fitch) to see how consumers perceive them through brandtags.net. I looked for the top scent- and taste-related tags to see if their use of scent branding enhances or detracts from their brand by looking at the keywords.
The first company I wanted to investigate was Subway. Unlike some other restaurants and shops, it’s hard to walk past a Subway and not notice what you’re passing. I checked out Subway’s slogan “Eat Fresh”, which is resonated by the freshly baked bread at each location as well as the counters stuffed with freshly cut vegetables. The smell is definitely unique but can sometimes be overwhelming. Brandtags.net told me that the top keywords consumers associate with Subway sandwich shops are: fresh, bread, tasty, and delicious. The tags all give off a positive feel that their scent branding adds strength to the brand through the public’s eye.
I chose Westin Hotels because I remembered that they use a scent called ‘White Tea’ at all of their locations, presumably to soothe and relax their guests. I remember the scent being quite refreshing from the last time I stayed at a Westin and checked the web to see what people thought about it. I was surprised when I found out that the scent has been so successful, that their guests wanted to bring the ‘Westin Experience’ home. So, Westin created the “Westin at Home” brand, which allows customers to subscribe to a yearly service, which allows consumers to feel the same luxurious relaxation that they felt while staying at the hotel. When I checked out Brandtag.net Westin’s keywords were: heavenly, clean, smells good, and white tea. These keywords show that the smell branding is having a positive impact for the brand and is something that the customers definitely enjoy.
The last company I wanted to check out was Abercrombie & Fitch, which also uses a distinct propriety scent in their locations. A&F branded perfume and cologne fills the air of each retail location to emulate the feeling of promiscuity and beauty that their brand is built around. The brandtag.net keywords include: too much cologne, overdose in perfume in the shops, smells nice, and cologne. In this case it seems to have both a negative and a positive effect on the customers. Some think that the scent is too overwhelming while others enjoy it. This is a prime example of scent branding deterring potential customers by taking away from the brand’s other strengths.
Scent branding can be a powerful tool used to build brand value, as was demonstrated in the cases of Subway and Westin, but there is also a huge risk in using it. Companies must take care to find the correct scent to reflect their brands’ strengths without overpowering the consumers’ senses and negatively impacting brand value. In the case of Abercrombie & Fitch, when a smell becomes overwhelming, it can make you not want to come back.
If confronted with the prospect of smell branding, ask yourself: could this brand experience be elevated by a scent, or will the smell drive people away to other stores where the brand experiences are less dependent on scent? Personally, I find that subtle smells are more soothing and enjoyable than overpowering ones. I’d much rather go to a sandwich shop where I can smell fresh basil and prosciutto than be overwhelmed by the faux smell of “fresh bread” in a Subway. The same goes with Abercrombie & Fitch - they make nice clothing but I avoid going to their stores because I’m too sensitive to the cologne that they spray. Even entering the store gives me a major headache and makes me feel sick. My advice to the brands out there is the same advice I got from a fortune cookie: everything in moderation, even moderation.
(Scott Eichengrun)