Extra, extra! Smell all about it...

We all know that since the advent and growth of the Internet, traditional print publications like newspapers and magazines have seen declining advertising dollars and escalating business failures. Printing, when compared to online media, is expensive, requires costly distribution and is slow to update. But it now has something that so far cannot be replicated by “new media” – the ability to convey scent along with printed text and graphics.

KA Aroma, a Finland based company, has developed a patent-pending technology to inexpensively infuse aroma into paper. Thanks to the company’s Smell Me (TM) Aroma-lock system, print publications can now include coffee ads that smell of coffee, travel ads with a whiff of tropical flowers and salt air, and feature articles with relevant scents.

The new technology is only 30% more expensive than regular, non-scented printing, putting it within reach for publications looking for a distinguishing benefit for their advertisers and readers. Previous scent impregnation was many times more expensive, making it impractical. Smell Me (TM) also has photo-electric slow release for longer lasting scent.

It is well established that using scent in marketing communication is uniquely effective in establishing a strong emotional bond in consumers’ minds, setting a mood and improving brand recall. Scented print ads could potentially reach huge numbers of people, resulting in a  windfall for advertisers.