Did you enter a place and feel luxury? It was probably the scent that did the job
Even before the customer sees the design or receives service, the scent already influences their feelings and memories. Hotels, shops, and even private homes are adopting professional scenting systems that create a unique "scent signature" - and seek to make the fragrance an inseparable part of the experience.
Imagine you are walking into the lobby of a luxury hotel. Even before you have had time to be impressed by the meticulous design or the courteous service, something else already grabs you: a deep and luxurious scent that envelops you and makes you feel right at home immediately. This is not accidental, but part of a process of branding through scent - a field that is gaining momentum and turning businesses and hotels into places that are simply impossible to forget.
"The field of scenting is a very complex field," explains Lior Kahansky, owner of the scenting brand Icon Air. "When a person enters a shop or a hotel, the scent creates an atmosphere. Scent is something that evokes emotion and memory, and greatly influences mood."
Why does scent affect us so much? The science behind the nose
The reason for the power of scent lies in our biology. The sense of smell is closely linked to the limbic system - an area in the brain involved in processing emotions and creating memories. Scent molecules bind, among other things, to the amygdala, which is associated with processing emotions, and the hippocampus, which is involved in creating memories. This connection explains why a certain scent can flood a childhood memory or a feeling that seemed to have been forgotten long ago in seconds - a phenomenon identified with the "Proust effect."
Studies indicate that scent may also have a significant impact on our functioning and behavior. Thus, for example, a Japanese study found that diffusing lemon scent in an office was linked to a decrease in typing errors. Other studies examined the connection between scents like rosemary and memory performance, as well as the influence of pleasant scents on consumer behavior.
The art of choice: how do you tailor a "scent signature" for a brand?
Choosing a scent is not a trivial matter, but a process of characterization and adaptation. Kahansky explains that the process begins with understanding the needs and character of the business.
"We understand what it wants - a sweet, lemony, fresh scent or a perfume. We bring samples, and the client can choose an existing scent or a combination of fragrances," he says.
After choosing the fragrance, the formula undergoes tests in laboratories in France, with the goal of ensuring that it will produce the desired experience.
Hotels also choose the scent according to the character of the place and the environment in which it is located. In some hotels, scents reminiscent of cleanliness and shampoo are used, in others sweet-fresh scents are chosen, while hotels in the desert or in areas with a unique character may combine notes like Oud, which provide a luxurious and local feeling. In resorts by the sea, on the other hand, one can find scents of sea salt, coconut, and jasmine, which are intended to provide a feeling of freedom and vacation.
Technology at the service of the fragrance: the devices and the dosage
To maintain a uniform and pleasant scent, it is not enough to spray a spray from time to time. In the field of professional scenting, electrical systems adapted to the size of the space and its characteristics are used.
At the company Icon Air, they use about ten different types of devices, adapted for diverse spaces - from restrooms to a wide-ranging lobby or gyms. The systems allow for precise timing and control over the intensity of the fragrance.
"This machine knows how to produce a constant scent," says Kahansky. "If the scent is weak, you can increase it, and if it is strong, you can lower it."
The goal is to place the device in strategic points, primarily at the entrance to the place, so that the customer will be exposed to the fragrance from the very first moment and receive the "initial wave" of the experience.
Atmosphere scents versus odor neutralizers: what is the difference?
In the field, there is a distinction between two central needs.
Atmosphere scents (Scent Branding): intended, among other things, for clothing stores, hotels, and commercial spaces. They are mostly based on formulas identified with the world of perfumery and luxury, and their goal is to create an atmosphere and style identified with the brand.
Odor neutralizers: intended for places where strong or unpleasant odors exist, such as restrooms, garbage compactors, or areas where smoking and frying take place. Here the goal is to deal with the existing odor and moderate it.
"In these cases, we will use scents like lemon, bubblegum, or shampoo, which soften the unpleasant odor and overcome it," explains Kahansky.
The man who scents Israel
Kahansky came to the field out of a personal connection to the world of scents and grooming. He received inspiration during the period when he lived in the USA, where he was exposed up close to how a scent in a shop can cause people to stop, enter, and stay for a longer time.
Today he is trying to translate this connection into an Israeli brand that helps businesses create an emotional experience and build a memory for customers.
"Scent is the fastest way to create uniqueness and branding. It is what stays with the guest long after he leaves the place," he concludes.
Not only in hotels: scenting is also entering the home
The scenting trend has long since not been limited to hotels, restaurants, and shops. In recent years, scenting systems have also been entering private homes, and are gradually replacing the scent diffusers and sticks that were common in the past.
The electrical systems diffuse fragrance continuously using oil essences, and today they can be found in restrooms, showers, bedrooms, and open living spaces.
"The idea is that the scent will be part of the house," explains Kahansky. "When you enter the house, you feel it immediately, and sometimes it even reaches the front door."
According to him, the variety of fragrances is especially wide - from lemony and fresh scents, through sweet notes, to musk fragrances. Each of them is intended to create a different atmosphere and experience.
Ultimately, in a world where brands compete for the consumer's attention at almost every moment, it is possible that the way to remain in memory is not always through the eyes or ears. Sometimes, all that is required is one right scent.
