We all know that we rely heavily on our senses for a variety of reasons, whether it is to identify a particular item or complete a particular task. But did you know that our senses are used in many sub-conscious processes? A certain sight, sound or smell can cause you to feel a variety of emotions and bodily sensations such as hunger, revulsion, pleasure, fear and even trigger memories. One sense in particular that can transport us back to a different moment in time is that of smell.
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Our olfactory sense sends numerous messages to our brains and other organs in our body to express how a certain smell is making us feel. For example, the smell of a home cooked roast dinner not only can start the saliva flowing in your mouth, but you may also find that your stomach starts to slowly grumble in anticipation and you may also find yourself wistfully remembering your mum or dad cooking Sunday dinner in the kitchen when you were a child. It is this powerful link between smell and the emotional core of your brain that has seen in recent years a surge in the number of businesses consciously thinking about the benefits smell have in terms of Scent Marketing. When you think of certain brands you will have a smell sub-consciously in mind that reminds you of this brand, this is in essence what scent marketing is all about. For example, if you think of The Body Shop you might think of the fruity smells of some of their products, or if you think of a sports-wear company you might instantly recall the smell of trainers and sports shoes.
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This is something that is not new in the world of Estate Agents who have for years been using homely smells in their bid to help prospective buyers feel at home in the property they are looking around. Some of the most popular smells for this include freshly baked bread and cakes. Other industries are following in the footsteps of Estate Agents and are using aromas in their stores in a bid to produce a favorable feeling in their customers
There have been many surveys conducted that look into the most popular smells. Here are the results of one such poll of the top ten smells:
- The smell of rain
- Freshly baked cookies and cakes
- Vanilla
- Freshly baked bread
- Bacon
- Fresh Ground Coffee
- Cinnamon
- Barbeque
- Sea Air
- Freshly cut grass
Are any of these amongst your favorite smells and what memories do the smells bring back for you?
