The Smell of Money
For many years large supermarkets have been encouraging us to spend money by pumping the smell of freshly-baked bread into their stories. Now Dale Air, a leading firm of aroma (香气) consultants, has been approached by Barclay"s Bank to develop suitable artificial smells for their banks. Researchers have suggested that surrounding customers with the "smell of money" will encourage them to feel relaxed and optimistic and give them added confidence in the bank"s security and professionalism.
But before a smell can be manufactured and introduced into banks" air conditioning systems. It must be identified and chemically yzed, and this has proved to be difficult. The problem is that banknotes-and coins tend to pick up the smell of their surroundings. So cash that has been sitting in a cash register at a fishmonger"s (鱼贩) will smell of fish, and banknotes used to pay for meals in restaurants will tend to smell of food.
It may be a challenge, but aroma experts have little doubt that the use of, artificial smells can be an effective form of subconscious advertising. Lunn Poly, a British travel company, introduced the smell of coconuts (椰子) into its travel agencies and saw a big increase in spending by holiday makers. Many cafes now have electric dispensers (自动售货机) that release the smell of freshly roasted coffee near their entrances, subtly encouraging customers to come in and have a drink or snack. Even prestigious car maker Rolls-Royce has been spraying the inside of its cars to enhance the smell of the leather seats.
"The sense of smell is probably the most basic and primitive of all human senses," explains researcher Jim O"Rordan. "There is a direct pathway from the olfactory (嗅觉的) organs in the nose to the brain." It is certainly true that most people find certain smells incredibly strong, stringing memories and feelings in a way that few other stimulants (刺激物) can rival. It is a phenomenon marketing consultants have long recognized, but until recently have been unable to harness . "We"ve made great progress but the technology of odour production is still in its infancy," says O"Riordan, "Who knows where it will take us." The Smell of MoneyharnessThe word "harness" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.