scentdriven

Scentdriven is a term used to describe approaches, products, or environments that are designed around the sense of smell to influence perception, emotion, and behavior. In practice, scentdriven design integrates deliberate fragrance cues into spaces, products, and experiences to evoke specific moods, support brand recall, or guide consumer interactions.

The concept is common in marketing, interior design, hospitality, and consumer products. It relies on olfactory branding, where distinctive scents become part of a brand’s identity, as well as on ambient diffusion, scented packaging, and product inserts.

Mechanisms include the link between odors and emotion and memory, mediated by brain regions such as the limbic system. Effective scentdriven strategies aim for coherence—matching fragrance profiles to the context and to the desired user journey. Tactics range from signature scents in stores to scent-enhanced packaging and digital experiences using scent diffusers at points of sale.

Effectiveness varies across contexts and individuals. Benefits noted in some studies include increased dwell time, improved recall, and enhanced perceived quality, but effects are difficult to quantify and susceptible to habituation, scent fatigue, or cultural differences. Ethical considerations include consent, allergy risk, and the potential for manipulation, requiring transparent disclosure and opt-out mechanisms.

See also olfactory marketing, fragrance branding, scent branding.