This Element is an excerpt from The Truth About What Customers Want (9780137142262) by Michael R. Solomon. Available in print and digital formats.

Fully exploit the powerful human sense your marketing has overlooked for too long: scent.

As scientists continue to discover the powerful effects of smell on behavior, marketers are coming up with ingenious ways to exploit these connections. Ad companies spend about $80 million per year on scent marketing; the Scent Marketing Institute estimates that number will reach more than $500 million by 2016. Sensory marketing is taking fascinating turns....