Woody fragrances are especially popular for use in retail scent machines at this time of year as we approach the colder months and the upcoming festive season. They are a diverse range of fragrances characterized by rich earthy aromas that can be at once comforting, luxurious and sensual.
Scent marketing is now considered to be an important part of the branding process, as the strong links between our sense of smell and the way that we process emotions and memories become better understood. Here is a guide to the woody fragrance family and the different ways that they can be used to enhance customer experience.
There are five main fragrance families: citrus; floral; amber; fruity; and woody, although some perfumeries may refine them into further subgroups. Richer and more complex fragrances tend to be made up of combinations of two or more different families, such as citrus and floral, or amber and woody.
The woody family is characterized by earthy and warm fragrances that are obtained from trees, resin, moss, roots, pine cones, and bark. They may also include leaves, herbs and grasses that have a musky or spicy quality, such as patchouli and vetiver.
In the fall when we are particularly aware of the spectacular beauty of woodlands, these scents can feel wonderfully evocative of the great outdoors and the natural world. As the season progresses into winter, woody fragrances can bring a sense of coziness and warmth to indoor environments.
As we approach the Christmas season, woodsy scents such as cedar wood and fraser fir that are extracted from coniferous trees are enduringly popular. They are often combined with herbal or spicy fragrances such as cinnamon, frankincense or myrrh, which have obvious seasonal connotations.
In a commercial retail environment, this resonant fragrance combination can subtly influence the mood of shoppers and nudge them into thinking about buying presents and making other seasonal purchases.
Sandalwood is another popular woody scent that is often combined with other fragrance notes. It’s lighter and smoother than cedarwood, but it has a subtle and rich quality that allows it to linger as a base note and ground other aromas. For example it is frequently combined with or floral citrusy scents to provide a pleasing contrast for top notes.
Woody fragrances are often rounded out with amber notes such as musk, cinnamon, or vanilla to create a certain sensual quality. They are considered to be exotic and sophisticated, and are frequently used in high end retail stores to create that reassuringly expensive atmosphere.
Restaurants and bars also use woody fragrances with smoky or leathery notes that evoke the sense of food cooking on campfires and tempting home cooked food. They are rich and long lasting fragrances that can help to build positive welcoming environments, making a lasting impression on customers and prompting repeat visits.
