Walking into a Disney Park is a transformative experience.
“Did you know Disneyland actually brainwashes you every time you visit? Have you ever walked by a building with a bunch of speakers on it but no sound is coming out?” Do you ever smell the churros first before seeing them?
These “speakers” are actually a device called “Smellitizers” that pump various scents, designed to elicit emotional responses from Guests, into all Disney theme park properties.
In a 2017 Fast Company interview, Jody Jean Dryer — a 30-year veteran of Disney Parks and The Walt Disney Company — shared details about how scents provide a “complete experience” in Disney theme parks:
“It’s the combination of all these things that trigger your mind to let you go places, either positive or negative,” says Dreyer, noting that Disney understands that every single piece of an experience must be tended to. “It’s being mindful that people are using all their senses.”
Think back to your favorite Disney ride. Maybe it’s the dusty rock-filled Indiana Jones Adventure, or the rickety, open-air Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Whatever your attraction of choice, your memory of it might include a smell: the stuffy, musty attic air of the Haunted Mansion or the leathery dampness of the Pirates of the Caribbean, with just a hint of gunpowder and sea salt.
Although Disney may not ACTUALLY brainwash its guests when they step into parks around the world, the company certainly understands that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory and uses that fact to its advantage — every time you notice an aroma that reminds you of your favorite Disney Parks shop or attraction, you’re that much more likely to want to return to The Happiest Place on Earth!
How about you?
Knowing that the sense of smell is the most powerful sense when it comes to memory, how can you use that to your advantage?
In my carpet cleaning business, I forbid the use of cologne or perfume and require excellent hygiene from the employees. While you may love the smell of AXE or Aqua Velva in the morning, your clients may not. Nothing worse than your eyes burning from the combination of body odor and Chanel #5.
I also forbid smoking.
My techs have to go into peoples homes. Smelling like you just came out of the gutter is not going to win you points with a client, nor is it likely that the client will have you back.
On the positive side, my cleaning products have little to no odor, leaving a home smelling fresh and clean. We do not hose the place down so it will smell like a pina colada.
My friend and dentist, Charlie Martin bakes chocolate chip cookies in his office. The place smells heavenly, not antiseptic.
How can you use this in your business?
