Short answer: creating your company's odotype takes five steps: a briefing covering your spaces and what you want to convey, sample tests in the actual premises, a decision with your team, rollout with devices sized to the square metres, and a protocol to keep it consistent. With catalogue fragrances, it takes a few weeks and starts at €29.90 + VAT per month per device.
If you are not yet sure what an odotype is, start with what is an odotype. Here we focus on the practical side: how it is set up in a real company, how long it takes and what it costs.
Step 1. Odotype briefing: what you need to define
The briefing is not a nice piece of writing. It is a checklist covering what you need to get both the fragrance and the devices right:
- What you want to convey. Two or three feelings, not smells: approachability, energy, calm, exclusivity.
- What spaces there are. Reception, sales floor, offices, toilets, changing rooms. With approximate square metres and ceiling height.
- How many locations. And whether they are similar or very different.
- Opening hours. How many hours a day people are inside.
- Sources of odour. Kitchen, damp, rubbish, pets, tobacco. These are dealt with first using a neutraliser.
- Air conditioning. If there is central ducted air conditioning, the type of device you can use changes.
- Who decides. One person or a small group. A committee of ten ends up choosing whatever bothers nobody.
To turn those feelings into an olfactory family and specific fragrances, use the table in how to choose your brand scent.
Step 2. Sample tests in your space
A fragrance in a bottle does not smell the same as when it is diffused in a room. Temperature, ventilation and materials change it. That is why you test it on site.
- Shortlist two or three fragrances. With more, the decision stalls.
- Order the 5 ml sample of each one: €1.50 for the basic line and €2.50 for the numbered fragrances and neutralisers.
- Smell them in the premises, at different times of day, while the space is in use.
- Write down what each one conveys, with the briefing words in front of you.
The sample is for smelling, not for filling the device. Once you have a finalist, ideally test it diffused for a few days before extending it to every location.
Step 3. Choosing and validating
Ask three or four people on your team and, if possible, a regular customer. You are not looking for everyone to love it, you are looking for clear rejections. If several people find a fragrance heavy, drop it.
Two typical mistakes at this stage: picking the one the owner likes even if it does not fit the brand, and picking the most intense one thinking it will be more memorable. It will be remembered, but for the wrong reasons. There are more mistakes when choosing a business odotype worth reviewing before you settle on one.
Step 4. Rollout across locations
The odotype must be the same fragrance in every location. What changes is the device and the intensity, depending on the square metres. Quick reference for the range:
| Space | Suggested device | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Office, consulting room, small reception | SENSE or LUME | 80 to 100 m² |
| Shop or medium-sized room | FLOW | 120 m² |
| Restaurant, gym, floor open to the public | ORBIT (standalone) | 600 m² |
| Office or building with ducted air conditioning | ATMOS (HVAC connection) | 600 m² |
| Lobby or large area | HALO, WAVE or NOVA | 800 to 1,600 m² |
In partitioned premises, several small devices work better than forcing one large one. If you are unsure about sizing, see the diffuser buying guide. And if there are odour sources, those areas need a neutraliser first: how neutralisation works.
Step 5. A protocol so it does not get lost
An odotype that each location adjusts in its own way stops being one. Put in writing:
- The fragrance name.
- Device and intensity in each area.
- Operating hours (it is usual to switch it on a little before opening).
- Who refills the fragrance and who cleans the nebuliser, which is due every 3 months.
That way, whoever opens the shop two years from now will keep it exactly the same.
Rough timelines
| Phase | What takes time |
|---|---|
| Briefing | One meeting with the checklist above |
| Samples | Shipping the order |
| Tests | A few days per fragrance, in the premises and while in use |
| Decision | However long your team takes to validate |
| Rollout | Shipping the devices; they are placed without building work, except for connection to air conditioning ducts |
Most of the time goes into testing and deciding. With catalogue fragrances, the whole process is usually measured in weeks, not months.
How much it costs to create your company's odotype
- Samples: €1.50 or €2.50 each.
- Scenting subscription: from €29.90 to €94.90 + VAT per month per device, depending on the model. Device and fragrance included, no minimum term, with 30 days' notice to cancel. Available in Spain and Portugal. More in scenting subscription.
- Buying the device: from €59.99 (ROAM) to €389.99 (NOVA), VAT included. Refills cost from €24.99 (150 ml) in the NATURAL line and €29.99 (150 ml) for the numbered fragrances and neutralisers; in 250 ml, €29.99 and €34.99.
- Exclusive fragrance: if your project needs one, get in touch and we will tell you what is feasible.
All prices, organised, are in the scenting price index. If the odotype is part of a refurbishment or a new site, share the scent and interior design guide with your design studio.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to create an odotype?
With catalogue fragrances, a few weeks. What takes longest is testing the samples in the premises and reaching agreement. Rolling out the devices is quick because most need no building work.
Can I have a custom-made fragrance for my company?
Our service is based on the fragrances in our catalogue. If your project needs something exclusive, write to info@bendis.es and we will assess it with you.
Does it have to be the same in every location?
The fragrance, yes. Intensity and device are adjusted to the size of each site so it is perceived the same way.
What about people who are sensitive to smells?
Work at low intensity, which is what most reduces discomfort, and leave scent-free any areas where someone spends many hours if they ask.
Can I change fragrance later?
Yes, with the subscription you just change the refill. But if you want it to work as an odotype, it is best to keep the same one for as long as possible.
Shall we look at it together? Write to info@bendis.es or call 911 09 70 50. More information on our business service.
