Did you know your personal story scent is one of the most defining features of your overall brand personality?
It’s also a powerful tool when it comes to telling others about who you are and what you stand for – and you can often do it without saying a word.
Listen in to Episode 39 to learn more!
Each brand has its own story scent – and this story scent captures what that brand stands for, how it connects with its audience and the impression that lingers long after the first encounter or sales transaction has ended. In essence a brand’s story scent helps prospective and existing customers catch a whiff of what your brand is all about – and helps them decide whether your product, program or service is something that’s worth pursuing.
So did you know that there are actually three layers to every scent? Fragrance chemists -- or perfumers as they’re also known -- will tell you that the three layers of scent are the head note, the heart note and the base note.
And this 3-layered scent approach is how we’re going to examine the essence of your brand’s personality today.
The Head Note (or Top Note)
Head notes are like first impressions, so they’re really important. For instance, if you’re purchasing a perfume in a shop, the head note will be what you smell first after you spray the perfume on your skin. And it can actually help you decide whether or not you like the fragrance. In other words, that head note’s first impression can lead relate directly to a sales success of failure.
The truth is that we only get one chance to make a first impression. So that first few minutes of an initial encounter is crucial. In fact, in the digital world, experts tell us that time is reduced to about one tenth of a second. Because we do have the power to establish a powerful head note for our brand by showing up consistently, authentically and thoughtfully.
The Heart Note or Middle Note
Unlike perfume head notes which disappear after just a few minutes on the skin, heart notes evaporate after about 30 minutes to an hour which means they have the potential to leave a longer-lasting impression.
Think of the heart note as your purpose-driven mission and vision. At the core of your brand is your authentic, emotional connection with your audience. After all, it’s so important that we connect our audience with the purpose of what we do – or our why. When people understand not just WHAT we do, but WHY we do it, we create a more memorable impression. And it helps us stand out from the crowd.
The Base Note
In the perfume world, the base note is the longest lasting. Some notes can linger for up to six hours, long after the others have faded. While the head and heart notes may be the most noticeable initially, the base notes are the underlying aroma throughout the time the perfume is worn.
Those who build a business with a strong values framework are built to last, at least in my opinion. When you take the time to thoughtfully outline what matters most to you, then you’re more likely to launch and build a brand that’s in alignment with your core values and purpose. And when you do, you’re more likely to commit to it for the long-term, rather than responding to all those “get rich quick” ideas that pop up in your social media feeds.
At the end of the day, we all leave a legacy – and when we approach our legacy intentionally by building a brand that’s founded on the core values we believe in most, we’ll not only be proud of what we achieve in our own lifetime, but our story scent will remain long after we’re gone.