How Scented Direct Mail Can Increase Response Rates

The human sense of smell is extremely powerful.

Our sense of smell is the most powerful trigger of memory, even above sight and sound. A scent can instantly transport you back in time you to your mom’s kitchen when you were young, or maybe to your favorite beach vacation spot.

Last year a study by New York’s Rockefeller University found that we remember 35% of what we smell, compared to only 5% of what we see (and only 2% of what we hear).

Why is our sense of smell so powerful? One reason is that our olfactory system is located close to the part of the brain that deals with emotions, memory, and creativity. Since that part also processes what we smell, it interacts with nearby brain regions responsible for storing our memories.

Scented Direct Mail: The Process

The power of scent in driving an emotional reaction is a compelling reason to add scent embellishment to your next direct mail campaign.

What should you consider in the creation of your scented direct mail? Here are a few things to start with:

Identify the message

As with any piece of marketing collateral, have a clear idea of the message to be communicated. The presentation of the message, copywriting, and creative execution will be based on customer segmentation, taking into account your company/product/service positioning, branding, and tone-of-voice.

Identify the emotion

What emotional reaction is the piece designed to evoke? Customers buy for many reasons – both positive and negative. The presentation and design of the mailer will be partly dictated by the emotional – and therefore behavioral – outcome you’re looking to achieve.

Create the call to action

What response are you looking for the mailer recipient to perform? Perhaps you want them to scan a QR code that takes them to a landing page, or maybe the mailer features a unique promo code.

Create the scent

Scientists believe we can distinguish between over 10,000 smells. While the range of scent embellishments for direct mail doesn’t extend as far as that, there is a wide range of options to choose from.

CWP: You Know It Makes Scents

Continental Web has been producing scented direct mail pieces for years and we partner with a company that can create a scent that enhances your campaign. Contact us to find out ways that scented print can augment your products.