The Power of Smell in Branding

Smell plays a crucial yet often overlooked role in branding, possessing a unique capacity to foster loyalty and evoke memories. While companies widely invest in logos, colors, and sounds, they neglect the significant emotional connections that odors can create. The development of the sense of smell begins in the womb and influences taste preferences, linking scents to emotions even before birth. Unlike the other senses, there is no linguistic framework for discussing smell, which leads brands to ignore its potential for differentiation and communication. Women tend to intuitively understand the emotional impact of smells, often reflecting on their personal experiences with scents, while men may dismiss their importance, preferring data or case studies. This disconnect results in many brands failing to utilize scent as an emotional touchpoint, despite its fundamental role in creating grounding experiences and reinforcing brand identities.