From yesterday’s New York Times:
Now the Royal Mail, the British postal service, which has been hit hard by the effects of the Internet, is trying to stimulate business by appealing to the senses. A new initiative, aimed at marketers who use the mail to reach potential consumers, encourages them to incorporate a scent, taste or sound in their snail mailings.
A shampoo company could add the fragrance of its product. A soft drink maker could include a taste of the cola. A carmaker could demonstrate the sound of an engine.
I suppose smarter direct mail is better direct mail, but I can already imagine advertisers using this “technology” in all sorts of annoying ways.
Last year here in San Francisco, we had some negative experience with olfactory advertising — cookie-scented “Got Milk” ads in bus shelters that were pulled after complaints.
Listen to a related segment on NPR, “Britons Bank on Scents to Boost Junk Mail’s Appeal.”
