Spence and colleagues report on recent attempts, primarily by business people, to develop sound-scent links. The researchers state that “Auditory branding is undoubtedly becoming more important across a range of sectors. One area, in particular, that has recently seen significant growth concerns the introduction of music and soundscapes that have been specifically designed to match a particular scent (what one might think of as ‘audio scents’ or ‘sonic scents’). . . . shoppers are not able to smell the scents marketed online. However, a perfume brand can certainly play the appropriate jingle (perhaps heard via computer or smartphone), which may help to guide the shopper to the right scent for them.”
Charles Spence, Nicola Di Stefano, Felipe Reinoso-Carvalho, and Carlos Velasco. 2024. “Marketing Sonified Fragrance: Designing Soundscapes for Scent.” i-Perception. https://doi.org/10.1177/20416695241259714