The esscents of a brand

There's much more to branding than the eye can see, said best-selling author Martin Lindstrom as he sprayed the room at PharmaBrand Europe with the recognisable scent of a Singapore Airlines 747 cabin.

"They trademarked that smell," he noted, revealing also that the intriguing odour found inside a new car is a synthetic creation applied to the interior just before a vehicle leaves the factory.

German sports car manufacturer Porsche has trademarked its own 'new Porsche' scent, aiming to give buyers a reassuring sense of quality and performance just by sitting in the driver's seat. For buyers new to the marque, the smell inside a Porsche cabin adds to the holistic experience of discovery; it invites emotion where a buyer may otherwise be thinking solely about price and performance - facts and figures, staid information.

When returning to the car in the showroom, immediately the prospective buyer is transported back to the mesmerising test drive they had the day before. Already the car is familiar and linked inextricably in the mind with pleasure; which is useful as it helps them forget about the price. For established buyers, the trademarked scent is like an old friend with whom they have shared great times; sitting in the cabin of the new model is like shaking hands with an acquaintance whose company they enjoy.

"Smell affects emotion up to 75 per more than any of the other senses," explained Lindstrom of Brand Sense.