What’s Actually Happening When Businesses Add a “Signature Scent”
Most of us have had the same reaction at some point. You walk past a school boy who has clearly discovered cologne and applied it with enthusiasm. It is impossible not to notice. Your attention shifts instantly. You may feel amused or overwhelmed. Whatever the reaction, one thing is certain. The scent has taken over the moment.
That example is easy to laugh about, but it points to something more important. Aroma does not sit quietly in the background. It actively shapes how we feel, think, and behave, often without us realising it.
This matters far beyond teenage boys. It matters in workplaces, foyers, shops, clinics, hotels, and any space where people are expected to stay, decide, or return.
Aroma is not neutral
Smell is processed differently to most other sensory inputs. It has a direct line to brain areas involved in emotion, memory, and threat detection. This is why scent can trigger nostalgia, comfort, or aversion so quickly and so personally.¹
The key point for businesses is this. Aroma is never neutral.
Even when people are not consciously aware of a smell, their nervous system is registering it. That registration takes energy. It adds to the background mental work people are already doing when they enter a space.
When scent becomes cognitive load
Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort required to process what is happening around us. Light, noise, movement, layout, and unpredictability all contribute, as does aroma.
A strong or constant scent may compete for attention, even when it is pleasant. The brain has to decide whether the smell is relevant, safe, ignorable, or important. That decision-making happens repeatedly in the background.
For some people, this is barely noticeable. For others, especially those who are sensory sensitive, fatigued, stressed, or unwell, it can quietly shorten patience, dwell time, or tolerance.
This is where good intentions can misfire.
What research suggests about scent and time spent in spaces
Research examining ambient scent in retail and service environments consistently shows that the relationship between scent and behaviour is not linear.²
Large-scale analyses and systematic reviews have found that:
spaces with a single, simple ambient scent, used subtly and congruently, can create conditions associated with longer dwell time and more positive evaluations
spaces with stronger or more complex scent combinations tend to reduce time spent and increase signs of distraction²³
In other words, if a scent is quite noticeable and demands attention, its benefits can diminish.
This pattern has been observed across different environments and helps explain why some scented spaces feel easy to stay in, while others quietly push people out.²³
The problem with “signature scents”
Many businesses diffuse scent because they have been told it creates identity, memorability, or emotional connection. In some cases, it does. In others, it introduces friction without anyone realising why.
The issue is not that scent is bad. The issue is assuming it works the same way for everyone.
A signature scent may:
feel comforting to one customer
feel distracting to another
trigger headaches for someone else
create a sense of pressure or artificiality rather than warmth for some
None of these responses show up in customer feedback forms. People simply leave earlier, return less often, or feel subtly relieved when they exit.
What most businesses miss
The most important question is not:
“What scent should we use?”
It is:
“What scent is already here, and how hard is it working on people?”
Cleaning products, coffee, food, building materials, air fresheners, personal fragrance, and outdoor air all contribute to a space’s aromatic profile. Adding another layer without understanding the baseline can tip the balance from supportive to overwhelming.
Sometimes the most commercially effective decision is not adding scent, but reducing it.
A practical interpretation for everyday spaces
Across studies and real-world observation, one principle shows up repeatedly.
Scent seems to work best when it is barely identifiable.²
Spaces described as “fresh”, “clean”, or “neutral” tend to support longer stays than spaces where the scent can be named or noticed on entry.²³
This does not mean all scent should be removed, but it does imply that an aroma’s intensity and complexity matter more than originality.
For many businesses, the most effective starting point is not a diffuser, but an audit of what is already present.
Aroma in context
When aroma supports a space, it does so quietly. It helps people settle rather than react. It supports attention rather than pulling focus. It becomes part of the atmosphere rather than the feature.
For businesses focused on customer retention, comfort, and repeat visits, aroma can affect consumer and client buying patterns. ²
Finding the right approach though requires restraint and awareness, not branding theatrics.
A useful pause for business owners
Before investing in diffusers or fragrances, it is worth standing still in your own space and asking:
Is the scent overwhelmingly noticeable?
How different is customer behaviour during times when the scent is used and when it is not?
In terms of customer experience, the goal is not to impress the senses. It is to reduce unnecessary sensory effort so people can focus, assess, and shop with ease.
Sometimes less really does do more.
References
Herz, R.S. (2026) Smell Is Emotion. Brain Science, 16 59. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16010059
Roschk, H., & Hosseinpour, M. (2019). Pleasant Ambient Scents: A Meta-Analysis of Customer Responses and Situational Contingencies. Journal of Marketing, 84(1), 125–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242919881137
Giacalone, D., et al. (2021). Aromachology and Customer Behavior in Retail Stores: A Systematic Review. Applied Sciences, 11(13), 6195. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136195