Fragrance Media - Large Spaces

Points of Consideration for Environmental Scenting

Here are some questions to help you make an environmental scent plan. Use them to evaluate your intentions and the physical space, and to choose the right scent technology for your needs (many of these questions can also be answered by your supplier).

To Evaluate Your Intentions

• How noticeable do you want the scent to be? What is the intended intensity? Will the scent be immersive, filling the whole environment (full coverage), or be localized to a specific area, such as an entryway or near a specific product or display (POP)?
• At what time intervals do you want the scent to be dispersed? Will it be an integral part of the environment, or will it be dispersed at different periods?
• What are your cost considerations? Which departmental budgets will pay for the scent delivery program?

To Evaluate the Physical Space

• What are the physical dimensions of the environment (square feet and ceiling height—total volume)?
• What are the airflow considerations? Airflow is critical to successfully scenting an environment, ergo: You’ll need to examine your space’s ventilation system, air returns, open doors, windows, and other air-flow factors.
• What are the HVAC considerations? If you will be using your HVAC system to distribute the scent, how is the system configured? Where and how will you need to place the equipment in order to tie-in with the HVAC system? What is the number of air vents and returns—what’s the general system layout?
• Are there competing scents in the environment (including cleaning products, scented products, food, proximity to a kitchen, scent from other businesses, proximity to bathrooms, and so forth)?
• Will the diffusion equipment be hidden, or will you need to incorporate it into your design elements?

To Choose the Scent Delivery System

• Will scent be delivered through an existing HVAC system, or will you use an autonomous stand-alone or portable delivery system? As HVAC systems are typically designed to evenly distribute heated or cold air throughout an indoor environment, they can also be a very effective way to disburse scent. However, smaller environments can be scented with more simple portable stand-alone delivery systems.
• What is the technological method of scent delivery? Does the delivery system use cold air diffusion, evaporation, heat, electric stimulation, or other system? As a general rule, in systems that involve fan propelled, scent-infused polymer beads, gels or other dense media, the scent will diminish in intensity over time. Similar to consumer-based home fresheners and plugins, these technologies deliver stronger concentrations of scent when the cartridge is first installed, with a noticeable reduction in concentration over a 30-day-period. Systems that diffuse scents by drawing directly from a liquid reservoir are more likely to deliver a consistent concentration. (Caution: Systems involving heat elements or flames to disburse the scent are to be cautiously considered due to possible bacteria problems and obvious safety hazards.)
• Is the delivery system portable or can it be wall-mounted? In small environments, or when maximum flexibility is needed, portability may be important for a variety of reasons, including making the best use of air currents to optimize scent dispersion.
• Who will install the equipment? Will there be a cost associated with the installation?
• Does the supplier provide free trials of the system? Will they allow a trial in multiple locations?
• Does the supplier offer a scientific approach to the selection of scent? Do they offer to assist in determining goals and ROI quantifiers, as well as additional assistance in evaluating the trials?
• Service/Maintenance. What procedures are in place to replenish scents and maintain the system in an efficient working order? Will the machine be easily accessible for maintenance and the replacement of cartridges?
• If the system malfunctions, what is the turnaround time for repair or replacement?
• How long is the subscription program, and what does it cost? The standard in the industry is a contractual one-, two-, or three-year subscription program that includes a monthly replacement of the scent cartridge.
• Support. Is there an easy to follow system manual? Is phone support available? Is there a company technician in your immediate area?
• What types of scents can be used with the technology? Can the system deliver essential oils, aroma oils, and differing viscosities of oils?
• Control features. Does the system have controls to set duration and concentration levels?
• User-friendly. How easy is the system to install, operate and maintain?
• Warranty. What are the warranty and support terms of the equipment?
• Coverage. How many cubic feet of coverage can be obtained evenly throughout the space, and at the desired concentration level? Does the supplier guarantee its coverage claims?
• Cartridge shelf life. In accordance with the quoted costs, how long will the scent cartridge last, and will it be replaced if it is depleted in a shorter time than the company claims? Note: Realize that different scents have different consumption rates, according to volatility, accompanying carrier oils, and concentration levels. The industry standard dictates that a cartridge should last about 30 days.