I was out of town on business awhile back and was able to sneak in a spa appointment. Now spa appointments are usually always good, but you know it’s going to be REALLY good when you are handed an aromatherapy menu and asked to choose from an assortment of aromatic “recipes”. So to enhance my spa experience, I chose “Here Comes the Sun” not only for the Beatles’ song reference, but for for its promise of a bright, cheery, and general orangey-ness olfactory encounter.
About half way through my appointment as I lay there grinning from ear to ear, I realize my smile wasn’t solely from the amazing massage therapist, but rather the familiar smell of … wait a second … Fruit Stripe gum! The branding, campaign, and multi-colored striped cartoon zebra mascot all come flooding back, making me feel like an 8-year old Priscilla again! Isn’t it fascinating how a particular scent can transport you to a specific memory or feeling, like the smell of freshly-baked cookies can magically transport you back to Grandma’s kitchen? Well, ok, my Grandma never baked cookies, but I remember the look of the entire dashboard of my 1992 convertible Geo Metro which was my first truly new car only because of that new car smell!
That got me wondering what other products (outside of food) have that same effect. One that came to mind was Aveda. I remember years ago when I was in Denver walking downtown and went past a door just as someone came out. Without seeing a logo, knew instantly it was an Aveda store. That aroma conjures up images of freshness, eco-responsibility, and of course, the luxury of someone else doing my hair! All that said, I want a “smell” for Little Bird Marketing. I want to transport clients to a place where they don’t wake up sweating in the middle of the night stressing about their brand and the impact it’s having. Wow … what does that smell like? When I figure that out, I’m piping it in our air system ASAP!
So tell me. What does your brand smell like?
BLOG AUTHORED BY
Priscilla McKinney, CEO of Little Bird Marketing, is a popular keynote speaker, prolific blogger, podcast host, industry innovator and diversity champion. Her two podcasts are Ponderings from the Perch and Digital Transformation Success. Best known for making waves in the digital marketing industry, Priscilla has been featured on numerous podcasts, is the President of American Advertising Federation Heartland and has received numerous design, entrepreneurship and industry awards. Along with her expert team, she developed the SOAR System – a proprietary process designed to create sustainable lead generation for busy leaders so they can have confidence in the growth of their company without losing focus on their other responsibilities. Priscilla personifies creativity, entrepreneurship and authentic leadership – inspiring others to truly carve out their own path of success in her uniquely funny, no-nonsense and slightly irreverent way. Oh, and don’t give her caffeine. She doesn’t need it.
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