Top 3 Reasons Why Singapore Hotels Need Scent Marketing

Hotels face a fiercely competitive market, with new players entering and customers having access to various review platforms such as Twitter and TripAdvisor. Hotels must offer more than just a bed to keep up with the competition. They need to provide a welcoming experience that assures the quality of their brand, especially when customers walk through the front door. 

One way to achieve this is through brand or ambient scenting, which can create an olfactive signal to customers that they have arrived at a high-end establishment. Coupled with other sensory cues such as lighting, design, and music, scenting can convey the luxurious experience that keeps customers returning.

Research shows that smell can affect our feelings, with 75% of our emotions generated by what we smell. Using scenting can address some of the biggest challenges facing the hotel industry today, such as encouraging repeat visits, creating brand affiliation, and providing the highest possible customer experience.

This article will explore everything you need to know about the impact of scent marketing on Singapore hotels.

Increase repeat visits

Most people are aware of smell and prefer pleasant scents in their environment. A study conducted by Premium Scenting found that 91% of respondents would be affected by a pleasant smell in a hotel lobby, with 48% stating that it would make them more likely to return. Scenting is about creating pleasant atmospheres and congruent ones that align with the brand and reassure guests that their expectations will be met.

Using scenting in this way can be highly effective, depending on what the use of scent is trying to achieve. But congruency is essential. For example, hotels that want to convey a sense of relaxation should choose relaxing fragrances that match their colours and music. 

Conversely, hotels that want to convey a sense of fun and positivity should use brighter fragrances that create happiness. A hotel's success relies on its guests' enjoyment of the facilities and grounds, and generating the right atmosphere can set your brand apart.

Create strong brand affiliation

The smell is a powerful memory trigger. With such a strong memory attached to smell, hotels using signature scents can create a strong yet subtle brand affiliation that allows customers to feel like they are part of a brand the minute they enter its premises. A signature scent can also be an incredibly powerful driver for returning guests. 

The Langham chain disperses a brand scent of ginger lily throughout its hotels to enhance guests' arrival experience. When guests return, experiencing the same fragrance reminds them of their last stay and the other sensory experiences associated with it.

Using a scenting solution is also incredibly effective for new and first-time customers. Indeed, 69% of respondents in Premium Scenting's research stated that a pleasant smell in a hotel lobby would improve their perception of the brand. The scent acts as an olfactive cue to tell the brand story when the guest walks through the door. 

As long as the brand scent perfectly aligns with the brand attributes, the early positive perceptions will develop into positive associations. And when consistently congruent with other sensory elements, including music and design, and used widely across different branches of the business, the effect can create a strong and unshakeable affiliation and loyalty with the brand over time.

Offer a total experience

As a hotelier, have you ever considered the impact of your guests' multisensory experience on their loyalty and regard for your brand over time? From the architecture of the building to the level of service, lighting, music, and even the smell, all these elements should be carefully designed to align with your brand story.

However, a study by Premium Scenting showed that 53% of consumers would reconsider checking into a hotel with a strong smell in the lobby. Surprisingly, a strong odour was rated the most off-putting stimulus, even more so than unattractive aesthetics or unacceptable noise levels. This implies that the scent is directly linked to the atmosphere and the overall customer experience. 

To offer a single, holistic experience, experienced hoteliers must now refine their scenting solutions to ensure that the smell is not too strong and that it seamlessly fits in with the brand. The scent is a key factor in guests' enjoyment, and more than indiscriminate use of a pleasant scent is needed. To create a truly experiential multiplier effect, scent marketing must up its game and become part of a multisensory toolbox.

Today, many brands are taking this a step further. W Hotels, St. Regis, Mandarin Oriental and The Langham hotels sell their fragrances in air diffusers, candles and sprays. The importance of this is not just in the sales potential but in creating take-home experiences of the brand bottled up for customers to enjoy. 

In conclusion, hotels today face tough competition and demanding customers who expect a high-quality experience. Hoteliers must use every tool in this environment to create a differentiated, emotional connection with their guests. Ultimately, by creating emotional connections with guests, hotels can increase loyalty and regard for their brand over time, improving the bottom line of their business.