This packaging trend might be right under your nose: scent marketing! Take a whiff of some ideas for incorporating smell into your unboxing experience:
First impressions count, so when it comes to your packaging design, the colour, shape, feel, and unboxing style can make a huge impact on the senses… but what about scent?
Smell is one of the most powerful senses, yet it is not commonly considered in terms of packaging design. As expert packaging designers, we say, “Why snot?” (Sorry.)
The power of scent
Think about how you react when you open a box of freshly baked cookies – now imagine that your brand’s packaging came with an unexpected aroma that aroused the senses for your customers. Scentsational!
Scent is one of the strongest senses in terms of memory and emotion, and a simple smell can influence a person’s mood and even behaviour. Nostalgia is often associated with smells – have you ever remembered a friend from long ago when you caught a sniff of their perfume? What about a childhood recipe or treat that you loved?
So, how can that be incorporated into your packaging strategy?
Eau de package
Obviously, brands that offer a fragrant product can already benefit from scent marketing, since the smell is part of their product offering. Industries that already feature scent as an emotional buying power include food and beverage, cosmetics, home goods and cleaning supplies, personal care, and more.
If your brand already has its own aroma, make sure to consider the scent as part of the unboxing experience. To amplify this, you could include a note with a narrative to enchant the other senses along with smell or choose a packaging design that highlights and enhances the fragrant unboxing experience.
Packaging Perfume
If you want to introduce scent into your packaging design, here are some ideas for making your customers stop and smell the boxes:
- Collaborate with another brand that sells fragrant accompaniments to your offering. For example, if you sell pocket scarves, include a cologne that customers can spray directly on the fabric to create an emotive experience.
- Include a sachet of herbs, flowers, or spices that complement your product.
- Create a hamper style box with your product and a food item that evokes positive emotions. Pair sleep apparel with chamomile tea or Christmas items with gingerbread.
- Choose exotic packaging inserts that enhance the scent, like this grass that highlights the plant-based ingredients of the box’s product!
Packaging Design and Scent
If you are looking to add scent to your marketing mix, make sure that the smell matches the design of the packaging!
Think soft, floral scents with pastels and flowers, bold dark tones with strong elegant aromas, or fresh, fruity smells with bright colours.
Stop and smell the boxes
Although scent marketing is not exactly our speciality, we are skilled at finding the most elaborate and original packaging designs for our clients.
So, if you are looking to nose out the competition, get in touch to discuss how you’d like to incorporate scent into your box design!
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