Short answer
Scientific research supports the idea that pleasant ambient scents can influence mood, evaluations, memory, intentions and behaviour. The effects are positive on average, but not universal. Scent choice, intensity, context, expectation and congruence help determine whether scent marketing works.
What does a meta-analysis show?
A meta-analysis from the Journal of Marketing combined results from a large number of studies on pleasant ambient scents. On average, positive effects were found on, among other things, mood, evaluation, memory, intentions and behaviour.
That is more relevant than one spectacular experiment, because a meta-analysis brings together results from multiple studies. At the same time, an average positive effect does not mean that every individual application will be a success.
Congruence is important
A recurring theme in research is congruence: does the scent suit the context?
A scent that logically matches the brand, the space or the product category can be processed more easily and feel more positive. When scent, music, interior and brand positioning contradict each other, the experience can actually become less coherent.
That is why a professional scent strategy doesn't simply choose the scent that gets the most votes internally. The question is which olfactory direction supports the brand story.
Research also finds zero and negative effects
Serious communication about scent marketing should also mention studies that found no increase in sales. In a field study by Schifferstein and Blok, pleasant ambient scents did not increase total sales. Research on consumer scepticism also shows that a scent can backfire when visitors get the feeling that a retailer is trying to influence them too conspicuously.
That supports an important practical rule: scent must not feel manipulative or dominant.
Scent and memory
Outside retail science, the relationship between scent, emotion and memory is well documented. Scents can be powerful cues for autobiographical memories and emotionally charged experiences. Olfactory processing has close connections with brain areas involved in emotion and memory.
For branding, the associative side is particularly interesting. When the same scent is repeatedly experienced together with a brand context, that scent can become part of the memory surrounding that experience.
What can we not promise scientifically?
We cannot generally state that scent marketing:
- makes every customer stay longer;
- increases turnover by a fixed percentage;
- automatically makes people buy more;
- evokes the same emotion in everyone;
- compensates for weak service or a poor interior.
Individual scent associations differ. Culture, previous experiences and personal preference also play a role.
The strongest application is systemic
Science therefore actually argues for a mature form of scent marketing. Not a "scent trick", but a controlled sensory layer that matches the brand, environment and target group.
The question is not whether scent works magically in itself. The question is whether a relevant, pleasant and well-dosed scent can make the overall experience stronger and more consistent. For that, the scientific evidence is much more convincing.