ABSTRACT
Scent present at the time of retrieval appears to play a smaller role. In this way, scent can also be thought of as a "peg" for storing new information into long-term memory banks. This chapter discusses very little drop-off over time in consumers' ability to remember advertised product attribute information as much as two weeks after exposure to scented products. In contrast, there was considerable drop-off in consumers' ability to remember information about unscented products after a two-week delay. However, the effect of scent on improving people's ability to remember aspects of the marketplace depends on how much time has evolved since people were exposed to information in a scented environment. The chapter suggests that scent can indeed improve people's memory, but it may act more like a tortoise than a hare, with its strongest effects emerging over time. It also suggests that information learned in association with a scent is relatively immune to interference from information learned later.
