A Lot of What You Think You Know About Marketing Is Wrong

Traditional marketing is based on certain assumptions about the way people take in information and make decisions. For example, that consumers need to pay attention to a message for it to make a difference or that buyers make decisions based on rational thought. As scent marketing experts, we’ve been saying for years that people don’t necessarily operate that way. Now brain science has even more evidence that we are right.

A book published in 2019, “Intuitive Marketing: What Marketers Can Learn from Brain Science,” highlights eight brain science findings that form the basis of intuitive marketing.

8 Brain Science Takeaways

We Sense and Respond to Signals Around Us Even When We’re Not Paying Attention

Scent marketing is effective even when the intensity of the scent is below the level of conscious awareness.

We Infer Value and Meaning From Ease of Processing

This is why simpler, familiar scents tend to be more effective in a retail setting. Overly complex fragrances make the brain work too hard to figure out what it is smelling and distract from buying.

Our Preferences Are Largely Constructed in the Moment

Atmospherics like ambient scent have a measurable effect on consumer behavior, perceptions and sales. If logic were the underpinning of buying, nothing would make a difference. People would buy solely based on product features and price.

Our Behavior Is Heavily Dependent on Automatic Emotional Reactions That Occur Outside Our Conscious Awareness

This is where the majority of scent marketing works its magic. Scent makes people feel more relaxed, more trusting, happier and encourages social interaction.

We Pursue Goals We Don’t Know We’re Pursuing

Many times, our rational brain makes up justifications for our decisions after the fact. Now it seems that our unconscious self may have an agenda of its own.

Much of What We Learn Is Acquired Implicitly, Effortlessly, and Without Conscious Awareness

Nothing illustrates this more than the way fragrance is processed in the brain. In fact, we react to smells before we even realize what we are smelling.

Overt Persuasion Often Fails to Change Our Behavior

This is even more true now than in the past as we are bombarded with more and more marketing messages. We put up thick filters to any information that seems like it is trying to sell us something. The brain does not consider scent to be persuasive. Therefore, it is not filtered, making it a uniquely effective strategy.

Our Choices Are Shaped by Context More Than We Realize

By creating a pleasant shopping experience for consumers, you can influence buying behavior as well as intent to return.

Contact your Air Esscentials rep to find out how you can put these brain science findings to work for you.

This post is based on an article on Medium.com. Read the full article here.