Boost sales by showing your product's scent

Selling something that smells amazing? Then it’s time to let your customers smell it—without them even being there. Crazy, right? But this simple trick works.

TL;DR 🎯

Got a product with a scent? Put an image of that scent—like a lemon, rose, or lavender—on your packaging, ads, and product pages. Why? Because people are way more likely to pick your product and even like it more when they can imagine how it smells. Think of it as a digital scratch-and-sniff without the need to scratch. Just show it, and let their brains do the rest.

Here’s the proof: In studies, people rated products 4.5% higher when there was a scent image. And 61% of folks picked a hand soap with a pear on it versus one without. So yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

But why does this work? 🤔

It’s all in your head—literally. When people see a picture of a scent, their brains start imagining the smell. This isn’t just some vague idea--your visual cortex teams up with your smell receptors, making the experience feel real. That lemon-scented soap? It suddenly seems fresher. That rose lotion? More luxurious. And all because their brain thinks it can actually smell it.

What to watch out for ⚠️

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. If your product’s job is to mask bad smells, showing an image of what you’re masking (like a gross fish) can backfire. Stick to showcasing the fresh scent your product provides instead. Also, this trick works best for products where the scent is key—like soaps, candles, or cleaners. Don’t go adding scent images to things like electronics or software. That’ll just confuse people.

How to nail it ✅

Here’s how you make this magic happen:

1. Show the scent: Add a simple, recognizable image of the scent to your product packaging, ads, and websites. Think lemon, rose—anything that’s easy to picture and smell.
2. Keep it clean: Your design, that is. Don’t overcrowd it. A straightforward, simple design with a strong scent image can increase appeal by up to 24.6%.
3. Ditch the bad stuff: If your product is about masking bad smells, don’t show what you’re masking. Focus on the good smell your product brings.

And there you go—turn your products into olfactory wonders with just a picture. Make your packaging smell like roses (or lemons), and watch the sales roll in.

Want to learn more? 🤓

If you want to learn more about this topic, you can dig into the nerdy details in the original marketing study.

Quote of the week 💬

"Good marketing is like a great scent—subtle, but it lingers."