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Have you ever smelled a scent that instantly transported you to another time and place? The perfume your mother used when you were a child, the smell of wet earth or the aroma of your grandmother's kitchen. Behind this powerful evocation lies a mystery: olfactory memory.
Today on The Aroma Trace blog we will tell you why scents have such a strong impact on our emotions and how they can be used to provide sensory experiences to our customers.
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Before defining the concept of olfactory memory, you should know a little about the limbic system of the brain. This system is a network of structures including the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, and other areas that are responsible for processing emotions and the physiological response to them.
The limbic system plays a very important role in the formation and storage of memory and memories, especially those related to emotions. At the same time, it receives information from the nerves, including the olfactory nerve, which helps regulate hunger, identify environmental dangers or people in a group.
When an odor is perceived by the nose, the information travels directly to the olfactory bulb and from there to the limbic system, particularly the hippocampus and amygdala, where it is processed and linked to stored information. Thus, it is common to evoke vivid memories and intense emotions instantaneously. This is known as olfactory memory.
Olfactory memory is a complex and dynamic system in which aromas are stored as part of a broad neural network, in which they are associated with other senses, memories and emotions.
Humans have between ten and twenty million neurons that send nerve impulses to the olfactory bulb located in the front of the brain, where odors are processed and encoded.
Olfactory neurons contain a type of receptor that recognizes odors, and although it is not known which receptor each odorant binds to, these receptors can recognize molecules of the same type or with similar characteristics. The simultaneous stimulation of the receptors is what makes it possible to perceive different odors, which produce a kind of activation map that sends the information to the cerebral cortex.
Smell is related to both emotions and taste perception. Therefore, when we perceive the aroma of food, we exhale so that the air penetrates the nostrils, allowing the aromatic molecules of the food to stimulate the olfactory receptors.
From birth we are exposed to various aromas with which we create emotional bonds marked by experiences. In this olfactory memory formation, the limbic system intervenes to classify and regulate the functioning of the olfactory bulb.
A curious fact is that the neurons found in the olfactory epithelium have an average lifespan of 60 days. When these neurons die, they are replaced by others that recreate synaptic connections for cell replacement. However, with their death, memories do not disappear and cell replacement keeps memories alive. For this reason, the memory of a smell can last between six months, but if we smell it again after many years we will remember it together with the associated experience.
For this reason, olfactory memory has a characteristic of immediacy and long-term at the same time: that is: smells trigger emotions immediately and are stored in long-term memory, so they can evoke memories and emotions several years later by simply perceiving the same scent again.
Now that we have talked about the cerebral process, it is important to know how odors go from being only aromatic molecules to memories that generate emotions. The cognitive process of olfactory memory consists of:
- Perception of odorous stimuli
- Association of odors with the sensations they arouse.
- Qualification of aroma as pleasant or unpleasant
- Creation of a mental image in long-term memory
- Recollection of the image related to a fragrance
- Association of odors with specific people or situations
By this process, olfactory memory has the ability to transport us for an instant to another moment, a memory of happy days or the evocation of a loved one who is not with us, so it can change our mood immediately.
Olfactory memory transports us to moments in the past through aromas linked to our experiences. However, despite being a subjective experience, there are some universal applications that can be used to provide sensory experiences:
- Scent of freshly baked bread. The smell of bread awakens the appetite, evokes childhood memories and improves mood.
- Cinnamon apple scent. An intense fragrance, which masks bad smells and has the characteristic of relaxing, relieving emotional conflicts and combating insomnia.
- Sea breeze scent. The smell of the sea evokes nature, the freshness of the beach, the tranquility of the water and the fun of summer vacations.
- Vanilla scent. One of the best known scents, found in foods, perfumes, creams, air fresheners and many products because it relaxes the nerves, stimulates the appetite and improves conversation.
These and many other scents are used to create a pleasant atmosphere in all kinds of stores and physical establishments, as well as in the aromatization of specific products to increase sales.
People emit and perceive odors unconsciously, and these odors influence many areas of social interaction: when eating, in the home, in religion, in personal care, among others.
Scents have been part of socialization since the beginning of humanity and the most ancient civilizations. But how have the meanings of scents been constructed, or are there universal meanings of scents?
Smells can represent status, be associated with warning signals, stimulate appetite or physical attraction to another person. For example, culturally, writers and artists have used the sense of smell to create atmospheres, evoke emotions or associate key characters and moments.
Nowadays, smells play a key role in our lives: clothes should not only look clean, they should smell clean; a new car is not new if it doesn't smell new. Beauty is associated with the smell of flowers, while elegance is associated with Channel 5.
Colors, textures, sounds, tastes... none of the other senses hold on to memories as much as olfactory memory. Even a smell can remind us of an image, a sound or a taste because of the neurological connections between smell and the creation of memories.
The unique ability of olfactory memory to evoke emotions has become a powerful tool in the marketing world. By understanding and leveraging this sense, brands create more memorable and meaningful experiences for their customers.
Olfactory memory is more than a biological function. Modern brands use fragrances to stimulate consumers' emotions and build loyalty, stimulate their buying impulses or provide them with positive, memorable sensory experiences that create a deeper connection with their favorite brands.
In addition, in a market so saturated with stimuli, smell is a sense that is underutilized by other brands as a key differentiator. Brands that use an olfactory logo manage to stand out from their competitors, connect with their customers and win their preference.
Start taking advantage of the potential of olfactory memory in your brand or company.
The Aroma Trace works with leading perfumers who create unique fragrances for each client and scents for businesses, including office scents, scents for retail stores and aroma hotel scent. Contact us to have a consultation with our sensory architects, experts in olfactory marketing and live a unique experience.
Contact us today and discover the potential of olfactory memory for your business.
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