Short answer: the most common mistakes when choosing a scent logo for a business are picking by personal taste, smelling the fragrance in the bottle instead of on the premises, putting it on top of the smells your business produces, changing it every season, ignoring your staff and leaving no protocol for several sites. You avoid them by testing in the real space and writing things down.
We will not repeat here what a scent logo is (see what a scent logo is: definition and examples) or the full process with timings and cost (see how to create your company's scent logo step by step). This article is about what makes a scent logo that looks right on paper fail in practice.
The most common mistakes when choosing a scent logo
| Mistake | What happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the scent the owner likes | It fits neither the brand nor the customer | Start from three brand adjectives, not from a smell |
| Copying a competitor | You become the second version of someone else | Look for a family that sets you apart |
| Deciding by smelling the bottle | It smells different in the room | Test each candidate on the premises, with the space in use |
| Scenting on top of a bad smell | They mix and the result is worse | Neutralise first, then scent |
| High intensity so it is remembered | It is remembered, but for the wrong reasons | Medium intensity, scheduled by the hour |
| Changing every season | Customers never link it to you | Fixed base profile and occasional touches |
| Not listening to staff | Complaints and diffusers switched off or turned up by hand | Test with the team and adjust zones and schedules |
| Several sites with no protocol | Each site ends up smelling of something different | A shared sheet and units sized to each site |
Choosing by personal taste or copying someone else
This is the starting mistake. The owner picks the fragrance they would use at home, or the one they liked in a hotel on holiday. But the scent logo is not for you: it is for customers to recognise your brand.
Copying a competitor's scent has the opposite problem: customers associate it with them. The way to avoid it is to write three adjectives for how you want your business to be perceived (approachable, sophisticated, energetic, handcrafted) and translate them into scent families. The table of emotions and families is in which scent to choose for your brand.
Deciding by smelling the bottle, not the premises
A fragrance in the bottle or on a strip is nothing like the same fragrance diffused in a room. It changes with temperature, ventilation, materials and people. That is why you shortlist two or three candidates, no more, and test each one on the real premises, at different times and with the space in use.
To smell before deciding there are 5 ml samples: €1.50 or €2.50 depending on the fragrance. The sample is for smelling, not for filling the unit. Once you have a finalist, ideally diffuse it for a few days in the real area before rolling it out.
Smells from your business: a scent logo covers nothing
Cooking, frying, damp, tobacco, sweat in a gym, rubbish in the loading area. If the premises has a background smell, no scent logo will work on top of it. The fragrance mixes with the problem and customers smell both.
The right order is to neutralise first and scent afterwards. The neutraliser goes into the same type of unit as the fragrance:
- Jasmine: food waste, frying, rubbish and drains.
- Aloe Vera: pets, fish, damp and tobacco.
- Cotton Fresh: smoke, burnt smells and sweat.
In areas with their own smell (toilets, staff room, open kitchen) the usual approach is a unit with neutraliser, and the scent logo only at the entrance and in the main room. More detail in how odour neutralisation works.
Seasonal changes: a touch yes, a replacement no
The value of a scent logo lies in repetition. If you switch to cinnamon at Christmas and to something citrus in summer, customers never get to link one smell with your brand.
You can work with the seasons, but as a touch. The base profile stays at the entrance and in the main area all year. If you want a seasonal nod, put it in a specific space for a limited time, without replacing your usual scent.
Staff complaints: intensity, schedules and zones
Customers spend a few minutes on the premises. Your staff spend the whole working day there. If someone dislikes the scent, you end up with a diffuser switched off on the quiet or an intensity that changes depending on who opens up. The opposite happens too: people who work there get used to it, stop noticing it and turn it up, and it reaches customers far too strong.
- Ask the team during the test, separately and without saying which one you prefer.
- Place diffusers away from fixed workstations such as the till or reception.
- Schedule more intensity at the busiest hours and pauses at the quietest.
- Leave the staff room or break area unscented.
- To judge intensity, ask someone who walks in from the street.
A scent logo across several sites: same scent, adjusted intensity
If you have more than one shop or site, the scent logo has to be the same in all of them. A customer walking into your shop in another city should recognise it by smell too. What changes is the intensity and the unit, chosen according to the floor area of each site (the table is in which diffuser you need by square metres).
The typical mistake is writing nothing down. A year later, each manager has adjusted things to their taste and every site smells different. Draw up a shared sheet with the fragrance, the unit in each zone, the intensity and the schedule, and name one person in charge. If one site has a smell problem the others do not, that site neutralises first, but the scent logo stays the same.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my scent logo if I got it wrong?
Yes, and it is better to do it early than to keep a scent that does not fit. What you should avoid is changing every few months. Run the test on the premises again and, once you choose, stick with it.
What do I do if someone on the team dislikes the scent?
Lower the intensity, move the diffuser away from their workstation and schedule pauses. If it still bothers them, consider a softer family before settling on the scent logo.
Can I have a different scent at each site?
You can, but then you do not have a scent logo. If you want customers to recognise the brand, the fragrance must be the same everywhere, with only the intensity and the unit changing.
Does a scent logo cover cooking or damp smells?
No. First you neutralise that smell with a neutraliser and deal with the source. The scent logo comes afterwards, in the areas where customers need to notice it.
How many fragrances should I test before choosing?
Two or three. With more, the decision drags on and your nose gets tired. Order them as a 5 ml sample and smell them on your premises.
If you would like help reviewing your case, write to info@bendis.es and tell us how many sites you have and what activity goes on in each one.
