Increasing advertising power via written scent references

Abstract

Olfactory cues in advertisements can evoke positive consumer emotions and product attitudes, yet including real scent in advertising is not always feasible. This study aimed at investigating whether written scent references could produce effects similar to real scents. Participants in online experiment (N=197) evaluated advertisings for two products (a pen and a soap) with or without scent references. The results demonstrated that the written scent reference had positive effects on consumer emotions and attitudes towards both products. These results suggest that including scent reference in advertising may positively influence attitudes towards a product without attracting consumers’ full attention