In a world saturated with visual and auditory stimuli, brands are constantly searching for new ways to stand out and forge deeper emotional ties with their audiences. While digital displays, immersive storytelling and personalized content strategies have become essential, there is another sense that remains underused yet incredibly powerful: smell. The rise of olfactory marketing for companies is redefining how brands communicate, influence purchase decisions and create memorable experiences.

The sense of smell is directly linked to the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for memory and emotion. This unique connection makes scent a potent tool for building brand loyalty and strengthening recognition in ways that visual communication alone cannot achieve. Today, companies across industries are embracing scent branding, aroma oils, and even aromatherapy for businesses as part of a multisensory strategy—what some call the puro sentido approach: connecting through pure senses.

Below, we explore how smell shapes brand perception, why scent is key for emotional bonding, and what success cases demonstrate the power of a well-designed olfactory identity.

Olfactory marketing for companies

Olfactory marketing has evolved from being a niche concept to a strategic pillar for companies seeking to enhance customer experience. This discipline focuses on using scent in commercial, corporate or hospitality environments to influence emotions, guide behavior and strengthen brand presence.

Brands can diffuse custom-made aroma oils aligned with their identity, or incorporate functional scents based on aromatherapy for businesses—designed to reduce stress, increase comfort or boost productivity depending on the context.

In retail, scent can encourage longer browsing time or highlight specific collections. In restaurants and cafés, it enhances appetite and emotional comfort. In offices, it improves mood and increases employee engagement. Combining scent with atmospheric elements such as music, lighting and digital displays produces deeply immersive environments that leave a lasting impression.

This is the my way of modern experiential marketing: crafting unique sensory journeys that reflect the personality and purpose of a brand.

Why scent is key for emotional connection

Smell is the only sense with a direct and immediate connection to the emotional center of the brain. Unlike visual or auditory messages, which go through cognitive interpretation, scents bypass rational filters and trigger memories automatically.

This is why scent is key for emotional connection:

• It increases brand recall. People remember smells with far greater accuracy than images or sounds.
  
  

• It evokes memories instantly. A fragrance can transport someone to a moment or feeling within seconds.
  
  

• It shapes perception subconsciously. Customers may not consciously identify a scent, but they will “feel” the environment differently because of it.
  
  

• It influences mood and behavior. Pleasant scents can reduce stress, elevate mood and encourage people to remain longer in a space.
  
  

• It personalizes atmosphere. A tailored olfactory environment tells a story without words.
  
  

When a brand implements olfactory marketing for companies strategically, scent becomes a silent ambassador, one that communicates values, emotional tones and expectations. Whether warm and comforting, fresh and energetic or elegant and premium, the fragrance becomes a key element of brand personality.

This emotional influence explains why many brands today integrate aroma oils as part of their core identity, using subtle diffusion technology that blends seamlessly with lighting and visual content.

know more: Scents for everyday life: from living rooms to offices

Scent branding as a powerful marketing tool

Scent branding, also known as olfactory identity, goes beyond simply making a space smell pleasant. It involves creating a signature scent aligned with brand values and desired customer perception. Much like a sonic logo or visual identity, the scent becomes a recognizable element that strengthens cohesion across all brand touchpoints.

A professional scent branding process often follows these principles:

1. Understanding the brand personality. Does the brand want to feel energetic, sophisticated, comforting, youthful or luxurious?
   
   

2. Defining the emotional intention. Should the fragrance create relaxation, excitement, appetite, curiosity or trust?
   
   

3. Selecting the right notes and aroma oils. Essential oils, natural extracts and designer fragrances come together to form a unique olfactory palette.
   
   

4. Testing in real environments. Lighting, temperature, materials and ventilation influence how scent is perceived.
   
   

5. Integrating with multisensory elements. Combining scent with visuals, music and digital displays enhances immersion.
   
   

Scent branding helps companies:

• Differentiate themselves in competitive markets.
  
  

• Build consistent sensory identity across locations.
  
  

• Improve customer satisfaction and emotional bonding.
  
  

• Increase dwell time and conversion rates.
  
  

• Enhance perceived quality and service.
  
  

For companies embracing the puro sentido philosophy, scent becomes a strategic asset capable of elevating every interaction, whether in retail stores, hotels, restaurants, offices or corporate events.

Success cases of companies using olfactory identity

Many global companies have integrated scent as part of their branding, with powerful results. These success stories illustrate the potential of olfactory marketing for companies when applied thoughtfully.

Hospitality: creating comfort and loyalty

Hotels are pioneers in scent branding. Chains like Westin, Marriott and Shangri-La use bespoke fragrances in lobbies, rooms and common areas to create a consistent sensory experience. Their signature scents are so iconic that many guests purchase candles or diffusers to take the hotel experience home—an example of brand connection at its finest.

Their aromas, based on delicate aroma oils such as green tea, white tea, cedarwood or vanilla, create emotional signatures that immediately trigger memories of comfort and luxury.

Retail: influencing purchase decisions

Retail brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and IKEA use olfactory marketing to guide behavior. Fresh, energetic, woody or gourmand fragrances help customers feel more at ease, more engaged or more inspired to explore. Research shows that pleasant scent environments increase time spent in store and enhance the perceived value of products.

When combined with digital displays, these retailers create immersive atmospheres where visuals, sound and scent tell one coherent story—my way of building emotional brand power.

Food and beverage: enhancing appetite and ambience

Restaurants, cafés and bakeries use strategic scents to stimulate appetite or highlight certain flavors. Even global coffee chains use aroma diffusion to guarantee consistency in smell across locations, regardless of external factors.

Olfactory identity in the F&B sector is not only about attracting customers, but also about reinforcing emotions such as comfort, warmth and familiarity—the core of customer loyalty.

Corporate spaces: boosting wellbeing and productivity

Offices are increasingly implementing aromatherapy for businesses, using essential oils like lavender, rosemary, peppermint and citrus blends to improve employee focus, reduce stress and enhance the overall atmosphere. Corporate scent strategies help create environments where people feel more motivated and connected to the company culture.

This trend is particularly effective when combined with ambient music and digital displays that communicate internal messages in visually compelling ways.

The future of branding is multisensory, and scent is emerging as one of the most influential tools for creating emotional impact. Through olfactory marketing, signature aroma oils, sensory design and aromatherapy for businesses, companies can build deeper, more meaningful relationships with customers and employees.

Scent branding is no longer a luxury or an add-on; it is a strategic asset that elevates experience, strengthens recognition and shapes perception. Whether in retail, hospitality, restaurants or corporate environments, an olfactory identity can become a defining element of a brand its invisible yet unforgettable voice.