Color and scent influence consumers

A new study commissioned by Arylessence has shown that color and scent work together to influence consumers’ buying decisions. According to the researchers, the color of products and their packaging set the expectations of how the product should smell. Women in the study said that they could describe the scent of specific colors, and the emotions associated with the color closely mirrored those associated with the scent.

Previous research had found that scent becomes ineffective when paired with elements (color or music) that seem incongruent to the consumer. For example, a mulled cider scent might not work well with a pastel decor, and a floral fragrance would feel wrong with a grunge look and punk rock blaring from the speakers.

The key is to evaluate all of the sensory elements of a particular brand and ensure that they all work in harmony with each other. This full sensory approach provides a strong, undiluted emotional message to the consumer, and can lead to initial sales, repeat sales, as well as customer advocacy and loyalty.

For more information on how to harness the power of color and scent for your brand’s success, come to ScentWorld Expo 2011. One of our speakers is Simon Harrop, from the famed sensory branding agency BRAND Sense. He will be speaking about full sensory marketing campaigns and branding. We will also be featuring Kate Smith, an expert on using color effectively for marketing, branding, packaging and store design. You won’t want to miss these and other amazing speakers! Find out more at ScentWorld Expo, December 7-9 at the Gansevoort Hotel in Miami Beach. Register now to reserve your seat.