Article2020

What’s in a name? Scent brand names, olfactory imagery, and purchase intention

Hua Meng · César Zamudio · Robert D. Jewell

17 citations0/0 files storedJournal of Product & Brand Management

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Consumer Retail Behavior Studies Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine how olfactory imagery, triggered by scent brand names prior to smelling, influences scented-product purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach Five studies were conducted. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict likelihood of olfactory imagery formation. ANOVA and t-test analyses were used for scent brand name group comparisons, and serial mediation analysis was used to test how scent brand names impact purchase intention through olfactory imagery vividness and the (dis)confirmation between imagined (i.e. expected) and experienced scents. Findings Scent name familiarity stimulates olfactory imagery formation. Scent brand name specificity (e.g. “Lavender Bouquet” vs. “Floral Bouquet”) influences purchase intention, with specific names leading to lower purchase intention, because they generate vivid olfactory imagery and induce a disconfirmation between imagined and experienced scents. Practical implications Branding scents on products should be a strategic product design decision. Surprisingly, although specific scent brand names trigger vivid olfactory imagery and precise scent expectations, they mitigate purchase intention and thus are riskier. General scent brand names are safer. Originality/value This research contributes by extending the literature on the effect of verbal cues on scent perception by considering the role of scent brand name specificity on purchase intent. It also adds to work on how olfactory imagery influences purchase intention by incorporating olfactory imagery vividness. Finally, it proposes and tests an underlying cognitive mechanism to explain the relationship between scent brand names and purchase intention.

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References

1980A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions 1987Dimensions of Consumer Expertise 1977Effect of expectation and disconfirmation on postexposure product evaluations: An alternative interpretation.1987The Role of Imagery in Information Processing: Review and Extensions 1973Consumer Dissatisfaction: The Effect of Disconfirmed Expectancy on Perceived Product Performance 1989Equity and Disconfirmation Perceptions as Influences on Merchant and Product Satisfaction 1997Eye‐movements and visual imagery: A working memory approach to the treatment of post‐traumatic stress disorder 2002The Effects of Ingredient Branding Strategies on Host Brand Extendibility

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