1 minute read
Follow your nose 81
by iKnow
81
FOLLOW YOUR NOSE
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At school we learn that we have fi ve senses, but actually we have many more. There’s a sense of pain, acceleration, fear, proprioception (where our limbs are in relation to our torso), around 16 – 27 that scientists have identifi ed at the time of writing, although there are disagreements about which ones are suffi ciently independent of the others to be named.
The sense of smell is the most direct. Smell receptors leads straight into the oldest emotional part of the brain are the only ones with no protection from the air by skin or other membranes. That’s why we can feel and emotion that a scent triggers before we can name what we are smelling. The part of the brain that recognises language developed later.
Smells trigger memories, good or bad, which is why companies like SLS Hotels aim to place good smells in nice places. Some organisations just smell the way they do, like biscuit factories, breweries and coffee roasters.
The idea Lush shops, despite speculations to the contrary, do not pump their scent out onto the high street. But the company, who handmake their cosmetics using their own blends of essential oils and safe synthetics, use generous concentrations of perfumes in their fresh products. As they sell all their solid products unpackaged, the scent escapes of its own accord.
This means that whenever you’re within a few hundred metres of a Lush shop, less when you’re downwind of one, you can fi nd it by following your nose. Like Marmite, you either love it or hate it, but the smell has certainly made its distinctive.
In practice • If your brand has a scent, let it out. (But don’t persecute people with it. Department store scent salespeople armed with atomisers can be terrifying.) • Fragrance companies can create synthetic scents to match whatever atmosphere you wish to create, from new cars to barbecues to libraries. • You can also commission and natural perfume made with plant essential oils and absolutes, which is a pleasantly environmentally friendly way to give your brand its own lovely smell.
