Scent as an element of brand equity: How to measure its real impact on the brand

Scent can be a conscious, measurable component of brand equity, just as real as a logo, visual identity, or customer service experience. In an era of visual sensory overload, scent is increasingly the factor that determines whether a brand will be remembered or fade into the background.

Why does scent matter in brand equity at all?

For years, brand equity was built primarily through:

• visual identity (logo, colors, typography),

• communication (tone of voice, narrative, storytelling),

• customer service experience (standards, procedures, organizational culture).

For a long time, scent functioned on the margins as a "nice extra" in the form of an air freshener or a scented candle. Meanwhile, our experience in scent marketing shows that scent can be just as strategic as a key visual, and its impact on brand equity is unique in many ways.

If you manage a brand, an event, a commercial space, or a small e-commerce business, scent stops being a "pretty addition" and becomes a potential asset that can be designed, optimized, and measured.

If you manage a brand, an event, a commercial space, or a small e-commerce business, scent stops being a 'pretty addition' and becomes a potential asset that can be designed, optimized, and measured.

Mechanisms: why smell holds a privileged position in brand building

To understand how scent works for brand equity, it is worth briefly looking at neurobiology, without unnecessary jargon.

Olfactory stimuli have a direct connection to the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions, memory, and motivation. In practice, this means that scent:

• triggers an emotion faster than a picture or sound,

• bypasses part of the logical filters, operating more subconsciously,

• connects very strongly with episodic memory (specific memories).

Hence the effect:

• one specific scent can immediately recall a memory of childhood, a vacation, or a beloved cafe,

• we remember scents significantly better than visual elements,

• a well-designed scent becomes a mental shortcut to the entire brand experience.

Smell is an emotional sense, which is why scent:

• reinforces the perception of quality (aesthetics, cleanliness, attention to detail),

• influences the assessment of atmosphere ("it is pleasant here," "it feels heavy here," "it feels sterile here"),

• can support loyalty: a customer returns to where they felt good, even if they cannot explicitly state that it was about the scent.

Scent in the brand equity model: 4 pillars

Instead of treating scent as something on the side, it is worth integrating it into the structure of brand equity. A simple four-pillar model of scent brand equity is helpful here:

1. Awareness & recall

The goal is for the brand to have its signature scent: a distinctive, recognizable composition that appears consistently across various touchpoints: in physical stores, the office, showroom, at events, or inside e-commerce packages. The more frequently the consumer experiences the same note, the more strongly the scent attaches to the brand and makes it easier to recall from memory.

2. Consistency

The scent must align with the brand's identity. A luxury boutique will smell different from a local cafe concept, a medical clinic, a sports store, or a tech office. The scent should:

• reinforce key brand attributes (e.g., elegance, freshness, lightness, safety),

• be selected for the target audience and context,

• change seasonally or occasionally in a controlled manner (e.g., variations on a theme rather than a complete revolution).

3. Experience

Scent directly influences the customer experience in a space:

• improves mood,

• increases the feeling of comfort,

• can reduce stress (e.g., in a waiting room),

• builds the impression of pampered details.

This is the pillar where event managers, PR and communications professionals, and local business owners will be particularly interested, because this is where you see the most emotion in the here and now.

4. Loyalty

If a scent is consistent, pleasant, and distinctive, it begins to work for retention:

• customers are more eager to return to places they associate with a pleasant experience,

• affection for the brand develops more easily,

• a scent present consistently across different channels (store, event, package, showroom) reinforces positive memories.

Scent then becomes not a decoration, but a part of brand equity that genuinely affects customer choices and business results.

What to measure specifically: quantitative metrics

Scent as an element of brand equity can be measured much more concretely than it might seem at first glance. Below is a set of key metrics you can use.

1. Spatial behavior metrics

For a brand manager, local business owner, investment officer, or event manager, these will be key:

• Dwell time in the space

  • Compare:

    • average dwell time before implementing scent branding,

    • average time after implementation.

  • Longer stays usually translate to:

    • more contact with display items,

    • higher chance of purchase,

    • better perception of the atmosphere.

• Foot traffic and interaction with zones

  • Measured observationally or via analytics systems:

    • number of visited zones (e.g., additional display areas, lounge),

    • time spent in scent-designed zones (e.g., relaxation area, VIP, showroom),

    • number of interactions with staff (talk time, frequency of questions).

• Conversion (Entry → Purchase / Sign-up / Contact)

  • Scent is not a marketing tool like a push notification or lead magnet, but if:

    • the percentage of people making a transaction after entering increases,

    • the percentage of people leaving contact details, signing up for newsletters, or booking consultations increases,

  • you can evaluate the real impact of the designed atmosphere, including scent, on final decisions.

2. Sales metrics

Scent is an investment. To prove it, it is worth monitoring:

• Average Transaction Value (ATV)

  • After introducing the company scent, does:

    • the average receipt value increase?

    • the number of products per basket grow?

• Frequency of visits / purchases

  • Compare:

    • number of repeat client visits (for physical venues and salons),

    • frequency of repeat purchases (for e-commerce),

    • before and after introducing scent branding.

• Repeat customer rate

  • In POS systems or e-commerce analytics, you can track:

    • what percentage of customers visit the place again,

    • what percentage of orders come from returning customers.

If scent is part of a broader experience revamp (e.g., a new concept or space redesign), it helps to clearly note when it was implemented and what other factors might have influenced the results.

3. Brand perception metrics

Survey research, simple online questionnaires, and short paper surveys in physical spaces work well here.

You can measure:

• Atmosphere rating

  • Questions like: "How would you rate the atmosphere in our location/office/showroom?"

  • Scale 1 to 5 or 1 to 10, with space to specify what they like most.

• Perceived quality of the brand / space

  • Questions:

    • "How would you rate the overall quality of our space / service / experience?"

    • "How strongly do you associate our brand with: [adjectives] (e.g., professional, friendly, innovative, luxurious)?"

• NPS (Net Promoter Score)

  • Question: "How likely are you to recommend our location / brand to friends?" with a space for comments: "What influenced your score the most?" Here, spontaneous mentions of atmosphere, scent, or mood frequently appear.

4. Operational metrics (for scent branding)

For those responsible for scent projects and investments, it is worth tracking:

• scent coverage: which zones are covered by diffusion and where the scent is perceptible,

• intensity: whether it matches the scenario (e.g., stronger in the entrance area, more subtle in meeting rooms),

• number of brand touchpoints where the scent appears (locations, receptions, conference rooms, events, e-commerce packages).

This allows you to connect "hard" data (sales, behavior) with information on how consistently the brand applies its scent branding.

How to design a simple A/B experiment with scent

If you want data that is as clean as possible, treat scent like any other strategy element and plan a small experiment.

Step 1: Define the goal

Example goals:

• extending average dwell time in the space,

• increasing entry-to-purchase conversion,

• improving atmosphere and comfort ratings,

• increasing the repeat customer rate.

The goal should be clearly defined, measurable, and realistic over a period of a few weeks or months.

Step 2: Plan comparison conditions

The simplest options:

• compare two periods in the same venue:

  • "scent-free" period (baseline),

  • "scented" period (after implementing scent branding),

• or compare two similar locations:

  • Location A with scent,

  • Location B without scent.

In both cases, ensure that:

• the scope of marketing communications is similar (do not run huge promotions in only one location at the same time),

• product display and customer service remain comparable,

• seasonality does not distort results (e.g., compare similar days of the week or similar months).

Step 3: Determine what data to collect

For physical spaces:

• POS system data (number of transactions, basket value),

• door counter data (if available),

• simple surveys regarding atmosphere and space ratings,

• observational data: dwell time, visited zones.

For small e-commerce:

• Google Analytics / sales platform data,

• return rates,

• post-purchase surveys asking about the unboxing experience (including scent).

Step 4: Analyze results

Compare:

• whether differences in results between the scented and unscented period/location are distinct,

• whether other major changes occurred simultaneously (e.g., campaign, price promotion, offer change),

• whether customer feedback (surveys, reviews, comments) points to scent as a positive experience element.

This is not a scientific experiment in the strict sense, but even a simple structure like this helps:

• separate a mere feeling that things are better from actual data,

• make an informed decision on whether to scale scent branding to other locations or channels.

Qualitative methods: capturing emotions and associations

Numbers are one side of the coin. The other consists of emotions, impressions, and associations. Scent plays precisely on this level, so measuring qualitatively is equally valuable.

Individual depth interviews (IDI) with customers

A short conversation with selected customers (in-store, post-event, online) can reveal:

• what emotions accompanied them in the space,

• whether they noticed the scent,

• whether the scent matched their expectations of the brand,

• what they associate the fragrance composition with (e.g., home, luxury, freshness, nature).

This provides invaluable material for refining scent branding.

Scent-to-brand fit surveys

Sample questions:

• "Does the scent in our space fit your perception of our brand?" (Scale 1 to 5),

• "What three words come to mind when you think of the scent in our location / package / showroom?",

• "Does the scent encourage you to stay longer or visit us again?"

These can be woven into:

• post-visit satisfaction surveys,

• short online forms,

• post-order follow-ups (for e-commerce).

Ethnographic observation

For event managers, local business owners, or investment leads, observational notes can be useful:

• guest reactions upon entry (relaxation, smiles, comments),

• whether they pause in scented zones,

• how they describe the place to friends ("it feels so nice here," "it smells like...").

Such data does not go into Excel, but it helps you understand whether the scent truly supports the intended brand character.

Sample scenarios

To see how measuring scent's impact on brand equity works in practice, let us walk through a few scenarios.

1. Retail chain brand manager

• Premise: The chain has several locations and implements a signature scent in a select group of them.

• What to measure: Comparison of average transaction value between scented and unscented stores, differences in atmosphere ratings (surveys), and differences in repeat customer counts.

• Outcome: If scented stores record higher results and better atmosphere ratings, the brand manager has a clear argument to roll out scent branding across the entire network.

2. Event manager / PR manager

• Premise: A conference, gala, or brand event features a scent designed for the VIP area, lounge, or main foyer.

• What to measure: Event ratings (post-event surveys), willingness to recommend the event (NPS), time spent in scented areas, and spontaneous mentions of atmosphere and vibe.

• Outcome: If attendees rate the atmosphere as consistent with the brand, pleasant, and well-cared-for, scent becomes a tangible element of the event's brand experience rather than just a decoration.

3. Local business: cafe, beauty studio, showroom

• Premise: A small space where the owner is the face of the brand uses a signature scent tailored to the concept (e.g., relaxation, energy, warmth).

• What to measure: Average receipt value before and after scent implementation, frequency of regular customer visits, and online reviews (mentions of vibe, atmosphere, scent).

• Outcome: Scent becomes a key differentiator alongside service quality and supports building a local community around the business.

4. Small e-commerce

• Premise: A shop sends products with a scented touchpoint (e.g., a perfumed insert, card, or lightly scented packaging) using a composition aligned with brand identity (e.g., fresh, minimalist, natural).

• What to measure: Product reviews mentioning the package and scent, post-purchase survey responses ("Did the scent of the package affect your impression?"), and repeat purchase rates.

• Outcome: The customer emotionally connects with a package that smells like the brand. The scent becomes part of an experience that drives loyalty and repeat buys.

Scent as a measurable brand asset

Scent is not a decor expense, but an investment in brand equity, provided it is treated as a deliberate strategy component rather than a random background smell. You can:

• design it around brand identity and target audience expectations,

• apply it consistently across key touchpoints,

• measure how it affects behavior, sales, and perception.

For brand managers, event managers, communications specialists, local business owners, and small e-commerce founders, this means one thing: scent can become a highly effective ally in building a competitive edge.

If you want your brand to be not only seen and heard, but also remembered, reach out to work with us!