Scent marketing has become an important part of the marketing mix today. It involves using strategically selected fragrances to appeal to customers’ emotions to influence their purchasing decisions. Studies show that the global scent market was valued at 18 billion dollars in 2019 and is expected to reach 31 billion by 2023 (Samycia, 2023). Companies such as Starbucks, Abercrombie & Fitch, and burger king are aware of its ability to drive sales and have been using it for years. Although scent-based strategies have been in use for a couple of years now, many businesses still need to learn about their role in driving sales and how they can be implemented. As a marketing director of Concierge Hospice House (CHH), I strongly recommend that the facility examines existing research to gain insights into the possible application of scent marketing in its marketing mix. Specifically, Concierge Hospice House must explore favorable scents and successful application methods to improve customer satisfaction, build value, and attract new customers upon its launch.
Background
Concierge Hospice House, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, will provide care to patients entering their final stages of life. With more than 3 million people, Nevada has the highest elderly growing population in the US (Davidson, 2019). Studies show that over one million people in Nevada are fifty and older, and the growth rate for those eighty-five and above is twice the national rate (US Census Bureau, 2021). In that regard, CHH has a strong potential to acquire a large customer base with the right marketing strategies. It currently has twenty-four beds but plans to focus more on getting clients who need support from home. With a team of hospice physicians, registered nurses, nurse assistants, social workers, and volunteers, the hospice offers various pain management services and medical and specialty care. As it is not always possible to cure some diseases, a hospice helps prolong the lifespan, providing care, comfort, and quality of life to a patient towards the end of life (Wajid et al., 2021). CHH assists in providing personal care, housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, and transport. At the same time, it organizes activities for the members, such as exercises, card games, and bowling. Additionally, it organizes trips to shopping malls, drug stores, tea parties, picnics, and social gatherings.
Research Findings in Medical Context
A good scent experience will give residents a positive perception of their wellness, as scents impact people’s emotions, moods, concentration, and memory. Research shows that the sense of smell impacts a human being 75% more than other senses (Rao & Jetti, 2020). Studies also reveal that a person’s mood improves by 40% when exposed to pleasant scents (Admin,2019). That said, using the right scents can reduce patients’ anxiety and improve sleep quality. Patients with a heightened sense of smell will also experience comfort, as the fragrances can neutralize odors. While the fragrances are good for patients, they are a great marketing tactic for any healthcare setting. When applied tactfully, they will help CHH build value and improve the team’s productivity. Research shows that scent marketing improves the desirability of products, and customers are willing to pay 10% more for the items they desire (Van Niekerk & Goldberg, 2021). Scents will help the facility build value by enabling members to perceive the quality and cleanliness of the services positively. Other studies also found that scent marketing increases customer satisfaction scores by 20% (Keenan, 2021). In that respect, positive perception translates to customer satisfaction, which translates to increased revenue. The employees of CHH will also become more productive as the scents will reduce stress in the work environment. A Japanese study showed that lemon scent reduced stress by 54% in the workplace (Nadine, 2019). As such scents can help promote the wellness of the employees enabling them to provide customers with better services improving customer satisfaction.
Recommendations
The most common types of scent marketing are aroma billboards, thematic smells, and ambient and signature smell. The aroma billboard and signature smell suit businesses that want to associate certain smells with specific brands or locations. On the other hand, thematic and ambient smells are subtle and can be used for any space. Ambient smells are useful in concealing bad smells. CHH aims to provide its residents with maximum comfort at their final stages of life. As such, the hospice can use thematic smells on a normal day and switch to ambient smells when it needs to cover bad smells, such as those from medications and harsh cleaning products. The facility should select soothing scents that calm patients reducing their stress and anxiety. Lemon, lemongrass, and lavender are some scents that can provide this effect. Research on pregnant women showed that lemon and lemon grass aromas cured sleeping disorders(Anggraini et al., 2022). Understanding the patients will also help prepare scents that could benefit the patients needs more. Ginger and orange scents will combat nausea, while vanilla will reduce pain.
A diffuser is an easiest and most effective way of delivering scents in a hospice. While many diffusers are in the market today, such as evaporative, heat, fan-style, and ultrasonic diffusers, nebulizing diffusers are the best option for CHH. These diffusers are preferred for their control and dispersion of essential oils. Unlike most diffusers, they can deliver the oils without diluting, heating, or fractioning them. They can also deliver the scents for a larger area than others. Although they are more effective than other diffusers, some patients may find them noisy. They now have a control button for adjusting the volume and creating on-and-off cycles. They are also more expensive, ranging from 40$ to 50$ depending on the size. However, they are more durable than other types and hence are a great investment as they would help the facility avoid buying again.
As CHH is a small facility, it will begin by acquiring twenty medium-sized diffusers to be placed in the patients’ rooms, doctors’ offices, nurse station, reception desk, Tv room, therapy room, hallways, and bath areas. It will then increase or reduce its number depending on the visitations it receives. CHH will also equip each home with a diffuser to share the experience with the patients that receive care at home. However, they will be retrieved upon completion of the care with other hospice equipment unless the family requests otherwise.
Conclusions
As illustrated above, the strategic use of scent in a hospice and any other healthcare facility significantly improves a client’s experience. Fragrances improve a person’s mood, reduce stress and anxiety, combat nausea, and comfort people with a heightened sense of smell. In that respect, Concierge Hospice House should identify suitable scents and methods of application to improve customer satisfaction, build value perception and attract new customers. Given their effective control, dispersion capability, and durability, it should consider purchasing nebulizing diffusers over other existing models. While equipping the facility with these diffusers might appear costly, the hospice will quickly recover from this cost due to the favorable location that will enable it to receive a large influx of senior clients. Additionally, it will use the fragrances to convince customers that it offers clean and high-quality services building customer loyalty and attracting new customers. Undeniably, scent marketing is the easiest and the best way to make CHH unforgettable when implemented wisely.
References
Samycia, Q. (2023, March 22). Discover the Latest Strategies for Scent Marketing in 2023 – A Comprehensive Guide — The Branded Agency. The Branded Agency. https://www.brandedagency.com/blog/scent-marketing-strategy
US Census Bureau. (2021, October 8). 65 and Older Population Grows Rapidly as Baby Boomers Age. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/65-older-population-grows.html
Admin. (2019, February 27). 5 Reasons Why Scent Will Make Your Workplace More Productive | Reed Pacific Media. Reed Pacific Media. https://reedpacificmedia.com/5-reasons-why-scent-will-make-your-workplace-more-productive/
Van Niekerk, C., & Goldberg, R. H. (2021). The Influence of Scent Marketing on Consumers’ Approach and Avoidance Behaviour in the High-End Fashion Industry. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 12(4), 12. https://doi.org/10.36941/mjss-2021-0024
Nadine. (2019, January 3). 12 Scents to Elevate Mood and Productivity in the workplace. Management 3.0. https://management30.com/blog/12-scents-to-elevate-mood-and-productivity-in-the-workplace/
Keenan, M. (2021, Nov 1). How Scent Marketing Works for Retail Businesses (2022). Shopify. https://www.shopify.com/retail/scent-marketing
Davidson, M. S. (2019, June 20). Nevada growing older, more diverse, Census data shows. Las Vegas Review-Journal. https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/nevada-growing-older-more-diverse-census-data-shows-1691182/
Rao, K. R. M., & Jetti, E. R. (2020). Scent Marketing – Harnessing the Power of Scents in stimulating senses of Organized Retail Consumers and Employees. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt20sep134
Wajid, M., Rajkumar, E., Romate, J., George, A. J., Lakshmi, R., & Simha, S. (2021). Why is hospice care important? An exploration of its benefits for patients with terminal cancer. BMC Palliative Care, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-021-00757-8
Anggraini, F.D., Abidah, S.N., Rahayu, E.P., Nisa, F. 2022. Effect of aromatherapy blend essential oils
(lemongrass and lemon) on sleep quality in pregnant women’s third trimester. Bali Medical Journal 11(3): 1099-1102. DOI:
10.15562/bmj.v11i3.3453
write