When Marketing Leads Us by the Nose

04/11/2024
Psychology

Géraldine Coppin

Certain scents evoke powerful emotions, much like Proust’s famous madeleine moment. Marketers are well aware that the sense of smell is exceptionally powerful. Brands of all kinds are developing olfactory identities designed to leave a lasting impression on their customers and even encourage spending. How can the sense of smell open the door to our emotions? Dr Géraldine Coppin, professor of psychology at UniDistance Switzerland, decodes this phenomenon in a documentary by RTS (in French).

“He who ruled the scents ruled the hearts of men,” wrote Patrick Süskind. Géraldine Coppin, professor of psychology at UniDistance Switzerland, accompanies and analyses a scent experiment conducted at the Foire du Valais, where participants are asked to smell various scents blindfolded and to associate them with an experience. “We develop memories linked to smells. Olfaction is a highly emotional sense. For example, if we associate the smell of our grandmother with a memory, this representation in our brain is prioritised compared to what we can perceive through sound,” explains Coppin, who specialises in preferences related to smells, tastes, and food.

Watch the documentary À Bon Entendeur