• An Australian university is using scents to assist in the diagnosis of several brain disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and obsessive - compulsive disorder. (University of Melbourne, 2006, cited at www.unimelb.edu.au)
• A trial undertaken in a USA casino showed that gambling revenue increased by 48% with the introduction of a pleasant aroma into a test area. The trial concluded that a noticeable scent in the air acts to enhance the mood and intention of patrons, without affecting judgment or exacerbating obsessive gambling behavior. (Hirsch, 1995, Psychology and Marketing)
• In a 1989 trial, customers spent more time browsing at a jewellery counter when a scent was introduced. (Knasko, 1989, cited in The Journal of Marketing, USA)

Academics and marketers have known for more than 20 years that there is a strong link between an aroma and a customer’s lasting feeling of enjoyment from that aroma. Studies show that a pleasurable scent diffused at a noticeable level can validate consumer intentions, improve workplace productivity and assist with health and medical conditions:

• When the aroma of baked bread was released in a US supermarket, sales in the bakery section increased threefold. (Hirsch, 1995, International Journal of Aromatherapy)
• Research in Japan is being undertaken to understand the influence scent and the use of essential oils has on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. (Miyazawa, 2006, Inhibition of Acetyl cholinesterase Activity by Tea Tree Oil & Constituent Terpenoids)
• The diffusion of lavender during breaks at work has been found to prevent the deterioration of work performance. (Sakamoto, et al, 2006, cited at chemse.oxfordjournals.org)