I can smell the Abercrombie shop from 3 blocks away in Downtown. By the time I get close to the store that scent is actually making me nauseous.

As Bob L always says, we live in an era of "permission". You should always be asking permission to reach out to your customers. Not shoving it down their throats.

There is a fine line between drawing attention and shouting at your potential customer. A & F crosses that line for me.

Crafting a brand scent is not, by any means, simple. Nor is crafting brand feel, sight or sound. Building brand is not, as it has seemingly been taught in real estate, simple.
It requires a deep analysis of who you are and what your brand means. As it often happens, when our firm performs a brand analysis, the client is often surprises to learn that their brand means something a little different that what they originally thought.

In any event, the best scent you can have is actually one that triggers a positive memory long after the initial interaction. For you Karen it could be a clean, fresh aroma. For others, well, the fun is in sniffing out what that could be.

That said, I would beware of trying to brand yourself or your office by scents.

I had to LOL @ Coldwell Banker – I'm familiar with CB branch that's definitely known for its scent – or, rather, stench – of cigarettes.

Anyway, many people are actually allergic to perfumes and scents, and what is pleasing to one is gross to another (guarantee if I like the scent of a particular lotion or perfume, my husband will grimace and state he hates it.)

the best scent you can have is a CLEAN FRESH SCENT – clean clothes, clean hair, clean car, clean office – says you're careful about your appearance. Perfumes make people wonder what you're trying to mask.

Very compelling post!

A&F – these guys know their customers inside and out.

I can smell the Abercrombie shop from 3 blocks away in Downtown. By the time I get close to the store that scent is actually making me nauseous.

As Bob L always says, we live in an era of "permission". You should always be asking permission to reach out to your customers. Not shoving it down their throats.

There is a fine line between drawing attention and shouting at your potential customer. A & F crosses that line for me.

Scent marketing is not new. This was a basic tenet of study way back when I studied it in college as we dissected products from moth balls to Crayola to lemon scented furniture polish.

None of these products needed scent to work but they needed them to bridge an emotional connection. This is age old stuff.

As many of us keep harping on the power of Web 2.0, I want readers to know that there are many other facets to marketing and brand building that extend beyond technical, web based solutions.

Real estate is still a real life business. Despite the fact that it may begin on line, it ends in person. And the power of something like developing a brand scent allows that experience to linger long after. Maybe a lifetime.

There is a seriously grand opportunity here for a brand to do something no other brand has every done in real estate.

http://tinyurl.com/4n9yqp