Research that finally supports the benefits of a scented pen as a promotional item

In a recent article posted in the Journal of Consumer Research it was noted that people remembered products and product attributes better when they were scented.

In one study, the researchers had 151 participants evaluate pencils that were unscented, scented with pine scent (common), or scented with tea tree scent (uncommon). "We found that the memory for the scented pencils was much greater than memory for the unscented pencils, and that this effect was especially pronounced after a time delay," the authors write. They also found that participants' memory of the uncommonly (tea tree) scented pencils was more resistant to decay.

Excerpts from research: Product Scent and Memory

.....Product scent may be particularly effective at enhancing memory for product information as a function of its ability to enhance a product's distinctiveness within its surrounding context...

.....Our studies show that product scent significantly enhances recall of product information, and that this enhanced memory for product information persists over time—for at least two weeks after the time of exposure.

.....We also find that product scent is more effective than ambient scent at enhancing memory for product information.

We at Scented Pens are thrilled at this research and would like to personally thank the authors for their work:

Aradhna Krishna is the Dwight F. Benton Professor of Marketing at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109‐1234 (aradhna@umich.edu). May O. Lwin is associate professor, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718 (tmaylwin@ntu.edu.sg). Maureen Morrin is professor of marketing, Rutgers University School of Business, 227, Penn St., Camden, NJ 08102 (mmorrin@rutgers.edu).

If you didn't already know, the PhRMA code caused a huge ripple effect in the promotional pen industry by eliminating the use of pens as giveaways to doctors.

Providing items for healthcare professionals’ use that do not advance
disease or treatment education — even if they are practice-related items of
minimal value (such as pens, note pads, mugs and similar “reminder” items
with company or product logos)

    The great news is that a pen that is scented with a fragrance is attracting new customers not previously interested in pens.  Here are some examples of clients who would be interested in a scented pen.

• Starbucks, Seattle's Best, McDonalds-McCafe, Dunkin Donuts, Tim Hortons - Coffee Scent
• Cinnabon, Dunkin Donuts, Hostess, Dolly Madison, Entenmann's - Glazed Cinnamon Donut
• Lowe's, Home Depot, Menard's, Furniture Stores - Fresh Cut Wood
• Tide, Cheer, Bounce, Snuggle, Dawn - Fresh Linen
• Minute Maid, Sunny Delight, Florida's Natural, Tropicana - Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
• Famous Amos, Otis Spunkmeyer, Chip Ahoy, - Cookie Dough
• Red Baron, Wolfgang Puck -  Pizza Fragrance

    I challenge you to walk down any supermarket aisle in America and find a brand that you couldn't associate a fragrance with.  Each and every one of these brands could use a scented pen to help market their product.  The biggest question is why haven't you approached them yet.

    Why when I go into restaurants like Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday's or Applebee's I don't smell any of the food being cooked?  What happened to the delicious aroma of grilled hamburgers and chicken or the smell of onions and garlic being sauteed?

    I had a epiphany while watching Ratatouille, one of my all time favorite movies.  I started thinking about the most recent restaurants I have visited and realized that there was something missing in many of the them.  It was "scent".  In places where the food was cooked behind closed doors or in the recesses of the restaurant, there was no smell.  There were lots of interesting things to look at: pictures of old cars and old movie posters, brightly colored napkins and paintings of Italy.  The wait staff was prompt and pleasant and the food was OK but it was missing the scent of a true restaurant.  

    Being able to smell the food being cooked gives me a sense of anticipation before I've even taken a bite.  It helps me savor and enjoy my food much more then just eating it. 

    I have noticed a different trend in my favorite restaurants.  They tended to be smaller and because of that I was able to smell and sometimes hear the food sizzling.  There was a mixture of scent in the air: vinegar, grilling meat, saffron, basil, garlic, onion, all kinds of great smells.  These places ranged from barbecue to fine dining, and many were small "mom and pop" run restaurants where I could sit right at the counter and smell and see the action on the grill.  This is pure Scent Marketing by simply letting the natural fragrances get to your customers

    Your homework: Next time you're out eating notice what you smell?  Come back here and post it, I'd love to know the scents you detected.

    While I type this post I've been baking fresh cinnamon rolls in the oven.  I can smell the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon being heated.  I don't know how they are going to taste but they smell awesome!

Scented Pens will be attending and exhibiting at the Scent World Expo 2009 in Las Vegas, NV.  We are very excited about this conference because it is the only one of its kind in our industry.  The main focus is Scent Marketing in the world today and it will have attendees from almost every continent.

    The list of speakers is extensive and will cover everything from Signature Scent design to sales and ROI.  One of the topics is listed as "Meat for the King! The Scent of a Royal Burger and other fragrant brand stories"  Could this be about Burger Kings fragrance Flame that came out last year?

    One of the key speakers I'm looking forward is Mark Crames the CEO of Demeter Fragrance. "Demeter's fragrances are inspired by real life everyday objects and experiences-scents that are drawn from memories".  With Fragrances like Jelly Belly and Tootsie Roll extending all the way to luxury fragrances at affordable prices you should remember them when looking for something unique as a gift

    This is going to be a great show for everyone and anyone interested in the world of Scent Marketing.  Please stop by our booth for some FREE Scented Pens , we'd also love to hear about your fragrance and scent marketing experiences.