DISCUSSION
Will Albertsons smell success with its Philadelphia Cream Cheese promo?
Written by Tom Ryan
Photo: Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Select Albertsons-owned stores in Chicago and New Jersey are testing the use of scented diffusers that pump in the aroma of freshly baked cheesecake in dairy aisles near designated coolers filled with Philadelphia Cream Cheese to inspire baking over the Easter season.
According to a release from Philadelphia Cream Cheese’s parent, Kraft Heinz, about 500,000 cheesecakes with Philadelphia Cream Cheese are made during the Easter season (running this year from April 17 to June 5).
The test at the Jewel-Osco and Acme locations will determine a broader rollout.
“We want to show consumers how our immersive experience goes beyond just taste, and we saw this sensory activation as an exciting opportunity to bring that idea to life in a retail environment,” Keenan White, senior brand manager for Philadelphia Cream Cheese, told Advertising Age. “This is a first of its kind test for the brand as we think of new and interesting ways to invite consumers to dive into Philadelphia’s multisensorial brand experience.”
Kraft Heinz’s statement noted that sensory experience marketing tends to be more common in non-food retailer locations and restaurants.
Research finds that humans are 100 times more likely to remember something that they smell than something that they see, hear or touch as the sense of smell is more closely linked to emotional recollection. A pleasing smell can also uplift a person’s mood.
McKinney, the ad agency, listed sensory marketing among its top food trends for 2022. The firm wrote in its study, “Food brands, particularly in the QSR space, are finding fun and creative ways to bring their brand experiences to the nose. Today, a PR stunt, but tomorrow this could be the next form of branding beyond sight or sound.”
Starbucks, Cinnabon, Pandora, Samsung and Bloomingdale’s are among those cited for employing scent marketing, but its use appears rare for grocers. Abercrombie & Fitch reportedly still infuses its stores with its Fierce scent, despite undergoing an extensive makeover in recent years and past complaints of the aroma being overwhelming.
- Albertsons Taps Scent Marketing as Multi-Sensory Experiences Drive Retail Sales – PYMNTS
- Why Kraft's Philadelphia is pumping cheesecake scent into stores – Advertising Age
- 2022 Food Trends – McKinney
- What Perfume to Wear to Channel and Balance Your Emotions, According to a Neuroscientist – Well + Good
- Who is using Scent Marketing? – BrandScents
- SCENT AND COGNITION – Mood Media
- The teens who hated Abercrombie are the adults shopping there now — and they can’t believe it either – The Washington Post