Scent Marketing for Employee Wellness

Have you ever smelled the scent of baking cookies and been transported, via memory, back to your grandma’s kitchen? Or inhaled the scent of fresh lilac blossoms wafting through the air and realized spring has finally sprung? Or developed a stuffy nose and realized just how much you rely on your sense of smell? If any of these ring true, you may have experienced naturally occurring scent marketing.

Scents permeate our daily lives, and the impact they have is enormous. As one of our primary five senses, the ability to experience the world around us through smell has profound effects. Numerous studies have shown that our sense of smell can excite emotions and bring to the surface memories long dormant. Scents can affect our behavior, as well.

The link between scents and emotions is a powerful one, and there’s a good reason for that. Unlike our other senses, our sense of smell relays data straight to the limbic system, which is our brain’s center for emotion and mood regulation. Because they’re processed in the same part of the brain, scents and emotions are inextricably intertwined. That’s why scent experience is so powerful, triggering buried memories, bringing forth unforeseen emotions, and even influencing how we act in significant ways.

There are countless scents in the world around us. However, data from many scientific studies suggest that certain scents have specific impacts, such as on our cognitive functioning. Lemon, orange, and other citrus scents, for example, are known to increase awareness and improve concentration. Peppermint, too, is beneficial, having been shown to enhance accuracy and promote focus.

Many scents have also been shown to improve mood and well-being; we need look no further than our fond childhood memories when the smell of grandma’s fresh-baked cookies brought us running. Though it’s easy to forget, this phenomenon goes well beyond the home. Today, scent marketing is becoming increasingly popular in workplaces, where the regular dispersal of pleasant scents has been shown to create a more positive environment by reducing stress and fatigue. The resulting increase in employee wellness can also lead to an increase in productivity.

Americans spend roughly 1,800 to 2,000 hours a year in their workplaces. Those environments have evolved dramatically over the years, from grim factory settings for mass production to anonymous cubicle farms with phones and computers. And as they’ve changed, so have the smells within them.

By their nature, larger organizations employing hundreds of workers have had to look beyond the individual. From the mid-twentieth century to the early 2000s, much of scent marketing in offices was geared toward combating things like body odor, stinky bathrooms, and cigarette smoke. Since the turn of the century, as smoking has been banned in public places and offices, the role of smells in the workplace has continued to evolve.

Today, cutting-edge companies attract talent and increase productivity by creating innovative spaces with game rooms, snack bars, and all sorts of perks. To keep their talent in-house, more and more businesses are incorporating fragrance into the workplace to provide a fun, positive, yet focused atmosphere.

When it comes to branding, scent marketing is a powerful tool. An often-overlooked market for your company is your own employees. They can provide important feedback on new products, help guide the company’s efforts internally, and fine-tune the details before going to market. When done right, improving employee wellness also increases the chances of customers making a positive purchasing decision.

There are other scientifically proven benefits, too:

Jasmine – Exotic and sweet, Jasmine’s aroma has been shown to lift mood, energy, and thought. Also shown to encourage confidence and promote well-being. [SOURCE]

Eucalyptus – With its fresh, cool scent, eucalyptus promotes focus and clarity, especially during times of stress and/or headaches. [SOURCE]

Peppermint – A popular choice around the holidays, peppermint has benefits that extend year-round. Its awakening, rejuvenating scent helps with focus and alertness, stimulating a sense of mental clarity that’s perfect for working or studying. [SOURCE]

Lavender – When anxiety is in the air, lavender should be too! Fresh and floral, this scent promotes inner peace and a sense of well-being by mitigating stress and encouraging relaxation. [SOURCE] [SOURCE]

Vanilla – Comfortable and calming, this sweet scent is an all-time favorite with benefits beyond the bakery. Vanilla is revered for promoting well-being and washing away stress. [SOURCE]

Scent marketing harnesses the power of fragrance to influence mood, well-being, and consumer behavior. Employed with skill and nuance, it can help reduce stress and boost morale in the workplace. It’s no wonder modern companies are incorporating employee wellness through scent marketing into their branding strategies and plans for talent retention.

Research has shown that when our sense of smell is more fully engaged, our brains are more receptive. In the workplace, strategically dispersed scents help create a positive, comfortable, inviting environment. As such, scent marketing in the office can help put a damper on unproductive discussions and general negativity.

Scent and productivity go hand-in-hand. Studies show that, on average, employees working in purposely scented areas are more efficient. That goes for their own self-efficiency, as well as their willingness to learn better ways to do the work. In today’s business environment, where talent is hard to attract and even harder to keep, the strategic use of scent is one more way to get a leg up on the competition.