| |
|
USING SCENTS TO EARN MORE DOLLARS |
|
|
The New Paper on Sunday, Hedy
Khoo
June 2009 |
| |
He believes smells & sounds can be used in branding
WILL smelling something nice put you in the mood to spend? Brand
consultant Simon Faure-Field, 38, of Equal Strategy is a firm
believer that smells and other sensory experiences can influence
consumer buying decisions, so much so that his business is centred
around this idea.
"Smell is a tool which businesses can use for branding purposes,"
said Mr Faure-Field, who creates custom scents for clients to use
on their customers.
He explained that the purpose is for consumers to form an
emotional connection to a brand and to remember it better.
Smells are just one aspect of a new trend called multisensory
marketing, in which companies engage consumers through all five
senses.
Luxury boutique hotel Naumi at Seah Street engaged Mr Faure-Field's
firm to produce a signature scent of ginger and lime to fill its
lobby and to provide programmed music to create an ambience in
line with the image of the hotel.
Mr Faure-Field, who was trained in interior design, has also
studied marketing. His charges vary according to the size of the
space and can start from $20 a day for scents or music.
He works with perfume and scent companies to produce scents
specially for filling environments.
By using vials of specially concocted fragrances installed in
air-conditioning units, it is possible to control the intensity
level of the scent.
Naumi hotel manager Hament Rai, 37, said: "We wanted to project a
unique and chic image that is outstanding and different from other
hotels."
And it seems to work. According to Mr Hament, guests comment on
the pleasant fragrance of the lobby and lounge area daily.
Hotel guest Manish Law, 34, on a visit from Kuwait, said the scent
had made an impression on him.
"I noticed it when I walked in. The smell lends character to the
place and helps me remember my experience here. The lounge music
also matches the surroundings," he said.
"I won't choose a hotel just because it smells nice, but it
definitely adds to the overall package."
Multi-sensory
At the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Alexandra, part of the business
strategy is to make car-buying a multi-sensory experience on its
own.
Said Miss Dawn Pan, 33, a senior marketing manager at
Mercedes-Benz: "We want to give our clients an extraordinary
experience rather than being another premium car showroom.
"When the client feels relaxed in our environment, he is more
willing to test drive more cars and maybe buy a higher-end model."
They also engaged Mr Faure-Field to provide the music selection
for their showroom. The songs are not played at random.
Said Mr Faure-Field: "In the morning, more low tempo music is
played. In the late afternoon, more up-tempo music can be played
to keep the mood upbeat."
Said Ms Cynthia Lim, a sales manager: "The ambience and music made
me feel good. I felt I was buying a lifestyle projected by the
image of the showroom."
Assistant professor of marketing Jane Wang at the Singapore
Management University said there has been limited research on the
effect of sensory branding on consumer choice.
Despite this, she said using sensory stimulants such as music and
fragrance to enhance the environment in which consumers make
purchase decisions has a wide appeal.
Brand consultant Jorg Dietzel, 47, who also lectures at the Lee
Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management
University and the National University of Singapore School of
Business, said:
"Appealing to the senses of the consumer with the use of scents
and music is a serious part of branding and something that
businesses in Europe and the US have been using for 10 years," he
said.
According to him, this trend has also caught on in Asia over the
last five years. |
|
|
|
