The Smell of Memory with scent designer Dawn Goldworm
Jul 30, 2024
auto_awesome
Dawn Goldworm, the innovative Founder and CEO of 12.29, uses scent to forge powerful emotional connections with brands. She discusses how our sense of smell is closely tied to memory, revealing its potential for enhancing customer experiences. Dawn shares insights on scent branding, including the art of crafting unique fragrances for high-profile brands like Lady Gaga and Ferrari. Her thoughts on the comfort of familiar aromas and their role in shaping nostalgia are captivating. Finally, she underscores the importance of scent in creating loyalty and emotional ties with consumers.
Dawn Goldworm emphasizes that scent has a unique ability to evoke emotions and memories, making it a powerful marketing tool.
Businesses frequently overlook the potential of scent branding, focusing instead on visuals and sounds while missing out on deeper emotional connections.
Cultural background significantly influences scent perception, necessitating an understanding of these contexts for effective global branding strategies.
Deep dives
The Power of Scent in Memory
Smell is the sense most intricately linked to memory, far more than sight, sound, touch, or taste. Unlike other senses, scent can activate emotional responses and recall vivid memories almost instantaneously due to its direct connection to the limbic system, the center of emotion and memory in the brain. This deep-rooted connection suggests that scents can evoke feelings that transport individuals back to critical moments in their lives. As a result, businesses can leverage this powerful relationship by incorporating signature scents that resonate with consumers on an emotional level.
Scent as an Overlooked Branding Element
Despite its profound impact on consumer experiences, scent is frequently neglected in business branding strategies. Many businesses focus on visual and auditory elements like logos, packaging, and jingles while overlooking the potential of scent to create lasting emotional connections. By developing unique, memorable scents, companies can enhance customer loyalty and reinforce brand identity, ultimately leading to increased sales and retention. The industry is still in its infancy regarding scent branding, with only a few pioneering companies, making it a significant opportunity for many to explore.
Cultural Influences on Scent Perception
Cultural background plays a crucial role in how individuals perceive and react to different scents. What may evoke feelings of comfort or nostalgia in one culture may elicit indifference or distaste in another due to differing associations formed during childhood. For example, lavender is often used in Western cultures for relaxation, but it may not have the same connotations in other parts of the world. This underscores the importance of understanding cultural contexts when creating scents for global branding to ensure they resonate positively with diverse audiences.
Creating Signature Scents for Brands
The process of developing a signature scent involves understanding the emotions a brand wishes to convey and the target audience's preferences. A perfumer engages in extensive research to identify the correct ingredients that will evoke the desired feelings and associations. For instance, a brand like Nike aimed to replicate the smell of sport, which included combining the scent of grass, sweat, and fresh leather to evoke inspiration among athletes. This tailored approach emphasizes that successful scent branding is not merely about creating a pleasant aroma but about curating an experience that mirrors the brand's identity and ethos.
The Challenge of Scent in Marketing
One of the barriers to integrating scents in marketing strategies is the lack of a universally understood language for describing smells. Unlike visual elements, scents don't have a structured way of being communicated, making it difficult for brands to articulate their olfactory presence. Furthermore, many decision-makers may undervalue scent due to traditional marketing focusing primarily on visual and auditory cues. Overcoming this challenge requires innovative thinking and education to highlight how scent can serve as a vital tool in creating strong emotional brand connections.
Our sense of smell has the deepest tie to emotion and memory. But it's also the most overlooked. In business, that's a giant missed opportunity.
Dawn Goldworm knows how to use scent to evoke emotion and create loyalty. From Lady Gaga to Ferrari to books, Dawn designs signature fragrances that allow customers to connect with brands in a more meaningful way. A perfumer turned entrepreneur, her company 12.29 works with some of the biggest names in hospitality, fashion, automotive, and beyond.
Many years ago, Dawn helped me create the Scent of Optimism. I was excited to talk with her about what it takes to compose a new smell from scratch and why smell has the unique ability to make a brand instantly memorable.
