How do you sell smell? The aspiration of aroma.

How do you sell smell? The aspiration of aroma.

Unless you have smellyvision on your TV what’s the point of perfume advertising?

Every year on the run up to Christmas I’m thoroughly bemused by the big-budget creativity that emanates from the perfumery industry.

“They are selling smells on the telly!” shouts my cynical brain.

“How much are all these glitzy ads costing . . . isn’t that [insert name of A-list celeb which I barely recognise]?

I bet she doesn't come cheap”

Logic brain arrives just in time before the cynical build up of steam blows a gasket. Follow the money, there are large budgets being thrown at selling smells on TV, and it’s not the first time, it’s been like this for years so it must be working and inspiring the minds of the viewers to part with their hard earned cash.

Now you’ve all seen the ads, probably shot in a warehouse on the outskirts of London, sorry, I mean in the romantically light streets of night time Paris with designer clothes & jewellery draped over a catwalk model with perfectly coutured hair and makeup. Throw in an alluring voice over with a Parisian sounding product name and stra pline. Note: Eau de toilette = Toilet water; you can see why they use the former descriptive.

It’s evocative, it’s seductive, it makes you want to part with your money. It’s the aroma which captures that moment which resonates with your heart. That 30 second movie clip takes you on a journey, it tells a story, it lures you in as it coaxes your emotions to offer you something which would make you feel good about yourself. They are selling smell!

Sorry, did that shatter your heightened state of mind and bring you back to a harsh reality.

Now how does that make you think about your business?

Are you taking your customers on a journey?

Are you telling a story which attracts customers to you?

How are you changing their state of mind in favour of your business?

What are you doing to help your customers feel good?

 

 

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