While scented ads are often thought of when selling perfume or cologne, new research shows that they can be just as effective for non-perfume brands. From laundry detergents to air fresheners to even food and beverage products, many industries are using scented ads to subconsciously trigger the memories of their readers. These memories help your readers build an emotional connection with your product, making them more likely to be loyal to your brand.
Scented Ads Capture More Readers
According to Starch Advertising Research, people are drawn to scented ads. In fact, scented ads provide a 19% higher stopping power versus regular print ads. Even though the scents themselves are indeed intriguing, it is still the job of scent marketing companies to make the visual aspect of the advertisement appealing enough to get the reader to stop in the first place. Once that’s accomplished, 17% of readers continue on to activate the Rub’nSmell® feature and take in the smell, making them more likely to become a customer.
Industries That Do the Best with Scented Ads
Of the almost 6,500 non-perfume scented ads that were reviewed for the study done by Starch Research, there were some clear winners when it came to which ones caused the most people to activate the fragrances:
- Febreze Air Fresheners and Candles – 33%
- Airwick Air Fresheners – 26%
- Neutrogena Acne Wash in Pink Grapefruit – 25%
- Dove Go Fresh Body Mist and Antiperspirant – 23%
- Clean & Clear Morning Burst Body Wash – 21%
- Mr. Clean with Febreze All-Purpose Cleaner – 20%
As you can see, products from several different industries do very well with scented ads, but it also depends on the creative of the marketing piece. The scented ads that fared the best were bright, fresh, and clearly encouraged the reader to stop and smell the ads.
Scented Ads Are for More Than Scented Products
So far, we’ve been discussing the effectiveness of scented ads for scented products, like air fresheners and candles, but scent marketing companies are busy working with many more industries that do not have a scented product to sell. These industries—including liquor, food and beverage products, pet food, travel items, and even clothing—are relying on the emotional aspect of scent to draw in their customers and build up their brand loyalty. For example:
- Woman’s Day Magazine infused the smell of fresh-baked gingerbread cookies to the cover of their Christmas edition to encourage sales.
- Fruit-of-the-Loom enhanced their sleek underwear ad with the scent of fresh cut grass, associating their product with the common smell.
- TechnoMarine added a scent strip of suntan lotion to trigger the memories of the beach with their new waterproof Blue Sun watch ad.
When scent marketing companies can create an appealing advertisement and then infuse it with a fragrance, they will be able to capture more readers—no matter what the advertisement is for. If you are ready to increase your print ads’ stopping power, contact Scentisphere today to learn how we can use scented ads to grow your brand.