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Olfactory Marketing Strategy and Customer Engagement in Fast food

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International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals
International
ISSN: 5741-3792 | Volume 8, Issue 1 | Academic
Pages 86-Journal of Management
102 |February, 2022 & Marketing Annals
Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal
www.accexgate.com
papers@accexgate.com

Olfactory Marketing Strategy and Customer Engagement in

Fast food Restaurants in Rivers State
Nwachukwu, Darlington, Ph.D & Origbo, Henry, Ph.D

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which olfactory marketing strategy
relates to customers’ engagement in fast food restaurants in Rivers State. The problem which calls for
this study was the failure of fast food restaurants managements in Rivers State to engage their customers
through the use of olfactory cues such as utilizing the aroma emanating from their kitchen as sensory cue
to attract customers’ patronage. One marketing strategy that addresses the sense of smell is the olfactory
marketing strategy. Hence, this study suggested olfactory marketing strategy as a way out of these
challenges. The population of the study was made up of all the customers of registered and operational
fast food restaurants in Rivers State which was noted to be an infinite population. Using Godden formula
for sampling infinite population, we generated a sample size of 384 customers which serves as our data
base. Three hundred fifty five (355) copies of questionnaire out of the distributed 384 were valid and used
for the study. The data collection instruments were validated through expert checking while Cronbach
Alpha Test was used to check for its reliability. The study utilized a quantitative research design method,
and Pearson moment correlation coefficient was used to test the earlier stated hypotheses. The study
found that olfactory marketing strategy has significant positive relationships with the measures of
customer engagement (customer patronage, repeat purchase, and referral). The study concludes that
olfactory marketing strategies significantly influences customers’ engagement in fast food restaurants.
Therefore, this study recommends that management of fast food restaurants should position their kitchen
at a strategic location where the aroma emanating from the kitchen can serve as an olfactory cue to
customers and passerby, whereby encouraging them to engage with fast food restaurant. Also, that
management of the fast food restaurants should adopt the use of air fresheners and other signature scents
to generate a scented environment for the restaurant which sooths and appeals to customers’ emotions.

Keywords: Customer Engagement, Olfactory Marketing Strategy

1.1 Introduction
Human beings as a social animal engage and interact with one another in other to survive. The
philosopher Martin Heidegger (1927/1996 as cited in Ηatzithomas et al., 2016) asserts that the
human existence takes place through the ongoing, active and practical engagement with other
people, things and the world as a whole; and to be human is to be engaged with other beings in
the world. This vital role which engagement has played in human consciousness and life has
attracted the interest of academic scholars from diverse disciplines (Hollebeek, 2011). Even
businesses live to generate customers’ engagement since their money pays the bills for the
organization. Customer engagement is very vital for business survival because it enables them to
recoup return on investment and profit. It is not just beneficial to businesses alone but to the
government and the society at large since the profit generated from customers engagement by

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 International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals

businesses enables them pay their taxes which the government then use to execute social projects
such as road construction, building of hospitals and other social amenities that benefits the
society at large. Fast food restaurants in Port Harcourt are not left out because they as well
clamor for customer engagement.
Customers’ engagement according to McEachern (2019) is all about interactions between your
customer and your brand. Paul Greenberg defines customer engagement as the ongoing
interactions between company and customer, offered by the company, chosen by the customer
(Hussain, 2019). While Peterson (2016) defines customer engagement as an estimate of the
degree and depth of visitor interaction against a clearly defined set of goals. There are several
marketing strategies which fast food restaurants in Rivers State could use to generate customers
engagement. This study considers the use of olfactory marketing strategy, and how this strategy
could help the fast food management in Rivers State to generate customers’ engagement.
Olfactory marketing according to Winter (2012) is defined as the use of a scent in a particular
environment to stimulate the senses of a person. Scented environments according to Minsky
(2018) have been proven to reduce errors in office workers; enhance how product quality is
being perceived; improve intention to purchase, average unit of sales, and time duration of a visit
to a retail store or stay among consumers; and enhance the willingness of buyers to pay more for
a product.

Several studies on olfactory marketing (Fiore et al., 2000; Chebat & Michon, 2003; Parsons,
2009; Fenko & Loock, 2014) considers the use fragrance to generate a scented environment in
order to appeal to customers emotions, but within the context of Rivers State in Nigeria, there
exist scarce empirical research work which dwells on utilizing the aroma emanating from the
kitchen of fast food restaurants as an olfactory cue to engage customers’ patronage rather than
just fragrance to appeal to the sense of smell of the customers. This creates a lacuna in literature
which this study tries to empirically fill.

1.2 Aim of the Study

The aim of the study was to empirically investigate the extent of relationship between olfactory
marketing strategies and customers engagement in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.
1.3 Research Question
Based on the aim of the study, the following research question was formulated:
1. To what extent does olfactory marketing strategy relates to customers engagement in fast food
restaurants in Rivers state?
1.4 Research Hypotheses
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer
patronage in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and repeat
purchase in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.

Ho3: There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and referral in fast
food restaurants in Rivers state.

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 International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals

2.0 Review of Related Literature

2.1 Theoretical Foundation
The theoretical underpinning of this study is the Stimuli, Organism and Response Model by
Mehrabhian and Russell (1974) which proves how an individual responds to environmental
stimulus, and this theory was adopted from the environmental psychology theory. Environmental
psychology states that emotional response to the environment moderates the relationship
between the environment and one’s behavior (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974; Wu, et al., 2008). The
Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) illustrates how the environment serves as stimulus (S),
which is made up of a group of signals that causes an individual (O) to internally evaluate the
cues and then generate a response (R) (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974).
We employ the S-O-R model by Mehrabian & Russell (1974) because it better explain that
organisms such as the customers responds or behaves in a certain way such as engaging with a
fast food restaurant based on the stimulus they come in contact with which in our case is the
aroma emanating from the fast food restaurants kitchen (olfactory cue). This model of S-O-R
proves that customers’ emotions play a vital role in their response to the exposed cues and
stimulus from the environment (Mowen & Minor, 2002). Donovan (1982, as cited in Hetharie et
al., 2019) claims that this model also suggests that conscious and unconscious perceptions and
environmental interpretations influence what someone feels.
2.2 Olfactory Marketing Strategy
Olfactory marketing looks at the use of the sense of smell to appeal to the customers of fast food
restaurant to encourage them to engage with the business. You can close your eyes, cover your
ears, refrain from touch, and reject taste, but smell is a part of the air we breathe. (Lindström,
2005). Stevens (2006, cited in Bradford & Desrochers, 2009) argues that “each person breathes
around 20,000 times a day being able to recognize 10,000 different scents, according to the
Sense of Smell Institute, which makes that each time a person breathes, creates an opportunity to
feel the scent of some type of product.
Olfactory marketing could be seen as scent marketing and according to Winter (2012) is defined
as “the use of a scent in a particular environment to stimulate the senses of a person.” While
Bradford and Desrochers (2009) define olfactory marketing as ambient scents which are defined
as general odors that do not emanate from a product but are present as part of the retail
environment. Scentair (n.d.) defined it as the use of a strategically chosen fragrance diffused
at customer touch points and the right fragrance and strategy will communicate a clear,
likable brand identity. While Marques (2013) defined olfactory marketing as using scents
within in a business to alter the mood or improve the experience of both customers and
employees. The views of theses authors about olfactory definition is limited to artificial smell
alone (ambient fragrance) but there exists natural smell (such as aroma from the kitchen) when it
comes to fast food restaurants which could be used as a sensory cue to attract customers.
Rieunier (2000) supports the fact that the components of olfactory factor include natural and
artificial smells. Within the fast food restaurants, natural smells looks at good aroma from the
fries and cooking emanating from the kitchen. This aroma in most cases is appealing and
stimulates the customers of these fast food restaurants or food vendors to engage in impulse
purchase, since most of the customers will be tempted to have a taste of the food with the aroma.
Within the context of Rivers state, a good example of this is the sweet smelling aroma of baked

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 International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals

breads emanating from a nearby bakery, or the sweet smelling aroma of afang soup coming out
of a restaurant. These natural aroma can be used as olfactory strategy to attract customers but fast
food restaurants in Rivers state have failed to use this as a sensory marketing strategy, whereby
creating a gap.
Talking about the artificial smell, we are looking at pleasant scented environment and signature
scents which businesses uses as a means of making the ambient of their business premises to be
inviting. Most businesses with different branches use a particular signature scent in their business
premises to distinguish their stores from that of competitors. Businesses and marketers started
using scent when they discovered the impact smell has on our brain functioning. According to
Prachi (2017), Pam Scholder Ellen, a marketing professor at Georgia State University points out
that in the case of scent marketing the ‘brain responds before you think’ and since smell
generates 75% of emotions, this powerful quality combined with not having to bypass a logical
brain makes scent a strong tool in terms of marketing. Marketers today have discovered the
important role sent can play in appealing to customers. That is why Bradford and Desrochers
(2009) states that over the last few years consumers have been increasingly influenced by scents
as marketers become more aware of the potential usefulness of this sense.
More and more businesses are looking up to utilizing scent to appeal to their customers and
distinguish their business from that of competitors. Hence, Dowdey (2008) asserts that retailers,
hotels, and restaurants are investing in the hope that distinctive, carefully considered smells will
help amplify consumer spending, attract customers, and create memorable brands. To prove how
powerful sent and odor is, the Sense of Smell Institute states that the average human being is able
to recognize approximately 10,000 different odors, because first, smell is one of our most primal
and deeply rooted senses and functions as our chemical alert system (Bradford & Desrochers,
2009). When a person smells something, the odor receptors produce an immediate, instinctive
reaction (Vlahos, 2007; Zaltman, 2003).
“The sense of smell is considered to be the most closely related to emotional reactions (Bradford
& Desrochers, 2009) and the olfactory bulb is directly connected to the limbic system in the
brain, which is the system related to immediate emotion in humans (Wilkie, 1995), while 75% of
emotions are generated by smell (Bell & Bell, 2007).” Hence smell whether pleasing or bad from
marketing perspective has an instant influence on consumers’ emotion and determines if they
buy or not. That is why Bradford and Desrochers (2009) argues that smell has an instantaneous
good or bad effect on our emotional state which, as some research has shown, ultimately affects
our shopping and spending behavior.
Considering how marketers utilize scent as a strategy to lure customer, one could see it from
three forms according to Bradford and Desrochers (2009) and these include marketers scent,
product scent and ambient scent. While Scentair (n.d.) listed ambient scent and sent branding as
the two types of sent marketing strategies. The marketer scent is a sort of promotional technique
organizations uses on their newly produced goods and could be perceived on new products such
as brand new cars from dealers, brand new shoes, brand new clots etcetera each producer with
his or her unique scent to differentiate his product from competition. Scentair (n.d.) saw this as
sent branding whereby a company uses a particular sent to differentiate its product from that of
competitors where by customers without seeing the company logo but perceives the scent of the
product will recall its brand name. And this is because memories about scent are time resistant
and can be easy to recall.

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The next strategy marketers uses when it comes to scent is product scent. In this strategy, the
product sold is the scent itself. Bradford and Desrochers (2009) suggests that this category
includes perfumes, air fresheners, and similar items and in addition, Duncan (2007) also said that
consumers can purchase small scent-dispensing machines to disperse favorable scents in their
homes, cars, or offices to disguise odors or to create a preferred scent. Looking at Ambient
scent, Bradford and Desrochers (2009) asserts that it is a general odor which does not emanate
from a product but is present as part of the retail environment. Scentair (n.d.) went ahead to
explain that ambient scenting with a scent marketing system allows you to direct customers
in a gentle yet impactful way, and by putting customers in the right mindset, you can
enhance customer experience and help to mitigate stress and anxiety during tough
customer interactions.
The better part of sensory marketing strategies such as the use of smell (olfactory) is that
customers are ignorant of the fact that these strategies are being used as a mechanism to lure
them to engage with the business concern. That is why Longley (2019) states that if the smell of
pumpkin spices in October makes you think of Starbucks, it's no accident. Also, Krishna (2011)
added that many upscale hotel chains have adopted signature scents with the hope that the scents
will helps their customers better remember other features of their hotel that they loved, and bring
them back, for instance, the Westin hotel chain has the signature scent of white tea with
geranium and Freesia.
Observing the great impact smell has on customers have caused several fast food restaurants in
Port Harcourt to position their kitchen at strategic points close to the walk way where the aroma
from their fries and bakery will entice the passerby to branch and patronize the business. These
aromas in most cases remembers passerby of hunger and the need to eat at that time. Next to be
discussed is the sensory marketing strategy of taste which is termed gustative marketing strategy.

2.3 Concept of Customers Engagement

Engagement and interactions are key attributes of humans, who as a social animal engage and
interact with one another in other to survive. Martin Heidegger (1996 cited in Ηatzithomas et al.,
2016) states that the human existence takes place through the ongoing, active and practical
engagement with other people, things and the world as a whole; and to be human is to be
engaged with other beings in the world. This vital role which engagement has played in human
consciousness and life has attracted the interest of academic scholars from diverse disciplines
(Hollebeek, 2011).
Paul Greenberg defines customer engagement as the ongoing interactions between company and
customer, offered by the company, chosen by the customer (Hussain, 2019). While McEachern
(2019) saw customers’ engagement as the interactions between your customer and your brand.
Peterson (2016) on his own account defined customer engagement as an estimate of the degree
and depth of visitor interaction against a clearly defined set of goals. From the definitions above,
the key thing about customer engagement is the interaction between the business and the
customer. Therefore, in this study we align with the definition given by McEachern (2019) and
define customer engagement as customers’ interaction with a business concern such as the fast
food restaurant.

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 International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals

2.4 Measures of Customers Engagement

Measures have being developed for customer engagement in several studies. In the work of
Venkatesan and Bowers (2018), they measured offline customer engagement using word-of-
mouth referral, reviews and referrals. Solomon (2015) used customer loyalty, customer
patronage, customer based profit and customer ambassadorship for your brand as measures of
customer engagement. Barbier (2019) measured customer engagement with: sum of a customer’s
product usage, involvement with services, feelings towards brand, and repeat purchase. In this
study, we selected customer patronage, repeat purchase and referral as our measures for
customer engagement due to their relevance to our study variable within the offline context of
customer engagement in fast food restaurant. Defining our customer engagement variable based
on the context of our study which is offline customer engagement with fast food restaurants is in
line with Brodie et al. (2011b); Dessart et al. (2016) who argues that defining customer
engagement should be based on the context of usage.

2.4.1 Customer Patronage

There has been wide study about consumer behaviors within and outside marketing discipline.
One of the major attribute of consumer behavior is patronage. Customer patronage according to
Simons (2016) is the support or approval made available by customers with regards to a specific
brand. While Raji et al. (2020) states that patronage could be assumed to mean the material aid
and motivation offered by a patron, in this case the patron could be seen to be a customer in an
exchange transaction. Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2008, as cited in Adiele et al., 2015),
asserts that the word customer patronage signifies an individual or thing that uses something or
someone who buys goods and services for personal use. In the case of Dictionary.com, patronage
was defined as the financial aid or business given to a hotel, store or the like, by clients,
customers or paying guests. In this study, we define customer patronage as the act of a customer
engaging with a business concern so as to buy a product or services.

2.4.2 Repeat Purchase

There is a popular adage in Igbo land which says that when a road is good, it is being repeatedly
used by people, so also a product or services that satisfy consumers’ needs and want will be
repurchased by them when the need arises. Repeat purchase according to Tardi (2019) can
defined as purchases that customers make to replace the same items or services that they had
bought and consumed previously. Leonard (2019) saw repeat purchase as the purchase by a
consumer of a same-brand product as bought on a previous occasion. It is where consumers
regularly purchase a brand (Hfonfe, 2012). ActiveDemand (2014) defined repeat purchase as the
purchase by a consumer of a same-brand product as bought on a previous occasion. While
BusinessDictionary.com defines repeat purchase as the buying of a product by a consumer of the
same brand name previously bought on another occasion.
Customer engagement can be shown through their repeat purchase behavior. That is why
McCandless (2018) states that the rate of repeat purchase gives you a clearer snapshot of the
effectiveness of your entire retention strategy because it tells you how many customers are
engaged enough to make more than one purchase at your store.

2.4.3 Referral
Referral according to dictionary.cambridge.org is the act of directing someone to a different
place or person for information. Tax et al., (1993, as cited in Helm, 2003) defined referral as

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 International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals

informal communication, both positive and negative, between consumers about characteristics of
a business and/or its goods and services. Also, Wheiler (1987, as cited in Helm, 2003) defined
referral to represents one form of favorable word of mouth that is passed on by a customer about
a certain product or service. Ardnt (as cited in Wirtz et al., 2013) defined WOM referral as an
oral, person to person communication between a perceived non-commercial communication and
a receiver concerning a brand, a product or a service, offered for sale. Askoy et al. (2011) argues
that there are many reasons why consumers are motivated to engage in WOM activity which a
few examples include (a) helping others, (b) sharing experiences and promoting self-concept,
and (c) product involvement.
2.5 Olfactory Marketing Strategy and Customers Engagement
The demonstration of various studies (Chebat & Michon, 2003; Fenko & Loock, 2014) have
proven that olfactory marketing cues such as scent significantly influences customers perception
and engagement in businesses such as the fast food restaurants. Scent is very important when a
customer wants to perceives or create the feeling of high quality for a product or services and
this increases their spending within such business area (Chebat & Michon, 2003). When
consumers’ tries perceiving quality for instance, olfactory or scent cues can either have positive
influence which means making customers approach the business or negative influence when it
puts off the customers (Parsons, 2009).
Most empirical research works have proven the influence of olfactory elements such as smell and
scent on consumers’ emotions which motivates them to behave in a particular manner such as
engaging with businesses in one way or the other. Take for instance the study by Fiore et al.
(2000) on “the influence of a product display and environmental fragrancing on approach
responses and pleasurable experiences”, which utilized a sample size of 109 females randomly
assigned to one of four treatment used in the study. Pearson moment correlation coefficient was
used to test the stated hypotheses and the study discovered that intangible store elements, such as
scents or fragrance, can also stimulate one’s emotional state and mental imagination. It
discovered that the right fragranced display got the most positive impact on approach responses
in terms of customer patronage and pleasurable experiences. This is in tandem with the study of
Chebat and Michon (2003) in which they carried out a study on a shopping mall at Montreal in
Canada to test the effect of ambient scent. Using Chi-square statistical tool found out that odor
directly influences buyers’ impression and has a significant impact on customers’ behaviors’.
Also, Roschk et al. (2017) conducted an empirical study on a meta-analysis of the atmospheric
effects of music, scent, and color on shopping outcomes. With a total sample of 15,621
respondents selected for the study and using student t-test, the results reveal that environments in
which scent are present yield higher pleasure, satisfaction, and customer engagement behavioral
intention when compared alongside with environments where there is an absence of such
conditions. These findings both from Fiore, et al. (2000); Chebat and Michon (2003) and
Roschk et al. (2017) serves as a pointer to the fact both pleasant aroma from the kitchen of fast
food restaurants and the ambient scent of the store environment significantly influences
customers emotions and intention to patronize, repeat purchase and refer a fast food restaurant to
others.
On the account of Biswan and Szocs, (2019), they investigated the impact of food-related
ambient scents on adults and children’s food choices/purchases. The research actually evaluated

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the impact ambient scents has on customers choices between unhealthy and healthy options A
sample size of 61 customers was selected for a field studies at a middle school cafeteria and a
supermarket. Pearson correlation was used to analyze data retrieved. And the study discovered
that a prolonged exposure of the customer to the cookie ambient scent led to the customers
making lower choice for unhealthy options. Whereas a brief exposure to the scent led to the
customers making higher choice for unhealthy options. This findings is presumed to be so due to
the fact that one sensory modality influences another (cross modal) whereby exposing a
customer to a longer scent of indulgent food (scent of unhealthy food like cookies) brings about
pleasure in the reward area of the brain which will reduce their desire to actually consume the
unhealthy food. Unlike when the exposure was brief which will make their mouth watery and
desire the food even if it’s unhealthy. Yeomans (2006) argued that this happens because a short
term exposure scent that is related to food tends to wet the customers’ appetite and induce
salivation. For example, Seo et al. (2010) discovered that when exposed to the scent of coffee for
three seconds, participants fixated longer on a congruent product images (for example, pictures
of coffee) than on the images of products that are incongruent (e.g., wine, beer, milk).
Vega-Gómez et al. (2020) conducted an empirical study aimed at providing empirical answers in
relationship to the influence smell has on customers of nonprofit service behavior and evaluation,
specifically the customers of González Santana public museum located in Olivenza, Spain. A
sample of two hundred and thirty four (234) observations were generated from three rooms in the
museum which were filled with scent, separately on two different floors in order to prevent the
three scents from mixing up with each other. Using the MANCOVA analysis, the findings
showed that scent significantly influences customers’ evaluations and perceptions, as well as
their intentions to revisit the institution.
In the case of Marques (2013), he conducted an empirical study on the influence which olfactory
marketing has on clients’ loyalty in Zara home stores in Portugal. The population of the study
consists of individuals who resides in Portugal and have bought a product already from the Zara
Home store chain. The statistical formula was used to reduce the population size to a sample of
385 individuals, and online survey copies of questionnaire were administered to them. Using
Principal component analysis (PCA) the study discovered that Olfactory Marketing has a
significant positive influence on both repeat purchase and word of mouth referral.”

Table 2.1 Summary of Empirical Studies on Olfactory Marketing Strategy

Author(s)/ Year Area of Study Analytical tool Findings
used
Vega-Gómez et al. The scent of art. MANCOVA analysis Scent significantly influences
(2020) perception, evaluation, & customers’ evaluations and
behavior in a museum in perceptions, as well as their
response to olfactory intentions to revisit the institution.
marketing.
Biswan & Szocs, the impact of food-related Pearson moment 1) A prolonged exposure of the
(2019) ambient scents on adults correlation customer to the cookie ambient
and children’s food coefficient. scent led to the customers making
choices/purchases. lower choice for unhealthy options.
2) Whereas a brief exposure to
the scent led to the customers
making higher choice for unhealthy
options.

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Roschk et al. (2017) A meta-analysis of the Student t-test environments in which scent are
atmospheric effects of present yield higher pleasure,
music, scent, and color on satisfaction, and customer
shopping outcomes. engagement behavioral intention
when compared alongside with
environments where there is an
absence of such conditions.
Marques (2013) The influence of olfactory Principal component Olfactory Marketing has a significant
marketing on clients’ analysis (PCA) positive influence on both repeat
loyalty in Zara home purchase and word of mouth referral
stores in Portugal.
Chebat & Michon Impact of ambient odors Chi-square statistical Odor directly influences buyers’
(2003) on mall shoppers' impression and has a significant
emotions, cognition, and impact on customers’ behaviors’.
spending
Fiore et al. (2000) the influence of a product Pearson moment 1) Intangible store elements,
display and environmental correlation such as scents or fragrance
fragrancing on approach coefficient. stimulate one’s emotional state and
responses and pleasurable mental imagination.
experiences 2) The right fragranced display
got the most positive impact on
approach responses in terms of
customer patronage and pleasurable
experiences.
Source: Researchers Desktop from Literature Review

Based on these assertions and findings, we formulate our next set of hypotheses:
Ho1 There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer
patronage in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.
Ho2 There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer
repeat purchase in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.
Ho3 There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer
referral in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.
2.6 Operational Conceptual Framework

OLFACTORY CUSTOMERS
MARKETING STRATEGY ENGAGEMENT (CE)
(OMS)

H01
Customer Patronage
H02 (CP)

H03 Repeat Purchase (RP)

Referral (R)

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Figure 2.1: Operational Conceptual Framework for the Relationship between Olfactory
Marketing Strategy and Customers Engagement.

Source: Author’s Conceptualization (2022) as adapted from Manenti (2013); Iqbal (2011); Randhir et al.
(2016); Maškarić (2018), Barbier (2019), Dodamgoda & Amarasinghe (2019)..

3.1 Research Methodology

In this study, our philosophical stands assume a realist viewpoint and a positivist epistemology.
Hence, we adopted the quantitative research design method thereby applying a cross-sectional
survey research design. The target population for the study comprised of all the customers of 52
registered fast food restaurants in Rivers State as listed in Rivers State Yellow Page Directory,
and all those who visit the fast food restaurants which include the leisure customers, working
crowd, couples, students and others who visit for dining and take-away, relaxation, studying,
working and other purposes in Rivers State, South – South Nigeria. This population is an infinite
population; hence we deployed the Godden (2004) infinite sampling technique which gave us a
sample size of 384. Out of 384 copies of questionnaire administered, only 355 were valid and
was used in conducting our analysis.

The study utilized both primary and secondary data collection method, and the main research
instrument which is the copies of questionnaire was validated via an expert checking. While
Cronbach’s Alpha technique was used to check for its reliability. The reliability coefficients of
our constructs were above 0.70 benchmark recommended by Nunnally (1978).

Table 3.1 Reliability Statistics

S/N Construct No of items Cronbach’s Alpha
1. Olfactory Marketing Strategy 3 0.873
2. Customer Patronage 3 0.801
3. Repeat Purchase 3 0.836
4. Referral 3 0.843
Source: SPSS Result

4.1 Analyses of Data

4.1.1 Results
A total of 384 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the selected customers of identified
registered functional fast food restaurants in Rivers State. From each of the 52 registered and
functional fast food restaurants in Rivers, a frame of seven (7) respondents state were
purposively adopted for administration convenient purposes. 22 copies of questionnaire
accounting for 6% were dropped due to incomplete responses and mistakes, while 7 copies
representing 2% were lost in transit. Therefore, a total of 355 representing 92% response formed
the basis of our analysis. Pearson moment correlation coefficient was used to analyze our data set
with the aid of SPSS version 23. Tables 4.1-4.3 show the tests of the hypotheses, and the
decision rule states that: we should reject the null hypothesis (H0) and accept its alternative (Ha)
if p-value < 0.05 for 2 – tailed test and conclude that significant relationship exists.

Test of Hypothesis 1
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer
patronage in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.

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Ha1: There is a significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer
patronage in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.

Table 4.1: Correlations Analysis of Olfactory Marketing Strategy and Customer Patronage

Correlations
Olfactory
Marketing Customer
Strategy (OMS) Patronage (CP)
Olfactory Pearson Correlation 1 .909**
Marketing Strategy Sig. (2-tailed) .000
(OMS)
N 355 355
Customer Pearson Correlation .909** 1
Patronage (CP) Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 355 355
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Source: SPSS Output (based on 2022 Field Survey Data)

Table 4.1 above reports on the relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer
patronage. It shows that the correlation coefficient (r) is 0.909. This implies that there is a strong
relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer patronage. The sign of the
estimated value of (r) is positive while the p-value is 0.000 < 0.05. Therefore, we reject the null
hypothesis and conclude that there is a significant positive relationship between olfactory
marketing strategy and customer patronage.

Test of Hypothesis 2
Ho2: There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and repeat
purchase in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.
Ha2: There is a significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and repeat
purchase in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.

Table 4.2: Correlations Analysis of Olfactory Marketing Strategy and Repeat Purchase

Correlations
Olfactory
Marketing Repeat Purchase
Strategy (OMS) (RP)
Olfactory Pearson Correlation 1 .581**
Marketing Strategy Sig. (2-tailed) .000
(OMS)
N 355 355
Repeat Purchase Pearson Correlation .581** 1
(RP) Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 355 355
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Source: SPSS Output (based on 2021 Field Survey Data)

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 International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals

The correlation analysis above was conducted to examine whether olfactory marketing strategy
is associated with repeat purchase. The results revealed a significant and positive association (r =
0.581, N = 355, p-value = 0.00). Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected, while its alternative
was accepted. The correlation was moderate in strength. Higher levels of olfactory marketing
strategy were associated with moderate levels of repeat purchase.

Test of Hypothesis 3
Ho3: There is no significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customers’
referral in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.
Ha3: There is a significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customers’
referral in fast food restaurants in Rivers state.

Table 4.3: Correlations Analysis of Olfactory Marketing Strategy and Referral

Correlations
Olfactory
Marketing
Strategy (OMS) Referral (R)
Olfactory Pearson Correlation 1 .525**
Marketing Strategy Sig. (2-tailed) .000
(OMS)
N 355 355
Referral (R) Pearson Correlation .525** 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 355 355
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Source: SPSS Output (based on 2021 Field Survey Data)
Table 4.3 above indicates that the correlation coefficient (r) = 0.525**. This suggests that a
moderate relationship exists between olfactory marketing strategy and referral. The direction of
the relationship as indicated by the sign of the correlation coefficient is positive, suggesting that
the more fast food restaurants utilizes scenting their business premises with nice fragrance and
positioning their kitchen so that their fries and baking could be perceived by the customers and
passerby, the more the customers will be able to talk about their business and referrer them to
others. Also, the probability value (p-value) = 0.000 < 0.05, therefore, we conclude that there is a
significant relationship between olfactory marketing strategy and customer referral.
Table 4.4 Summary of Test Hypotheses
S/N HYPOTHESES (r) P – VALUE DIRECTIO Magnitude DECISION CONCLUSION
N
HO1: There is no significant relationship 0.909** 0.00 +VE Moderate Reject Significant
between olfactory marketing strategy and
customer patronage

HO2: There is no significant relationship 0.581** 0.00 +VE Very high Reject Significant
between olfactory marketing strategy and
repeat purchase

HO3: There is no significant relationship 0.525** 0.00 +VE Very high Reject Significant
between olfactory marketing strategy and
customers’ referral

Source: Research Findings Based on SPSS Output

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 International Academic Journal of Management & Marketing Annals

4.2 Discussion of Findings

This study sought to examine the extent to which olfactory marketing strategy relates to
customers’ engagement. Olfactory marketing strategy has a significant relationship with the
measures of customers’ engagement. This finding resulted from the findings of the statistical test
of hypotheses H01, H02 and H03. In testing H01, olfactory marketing strategy attracted significant
positive correlation coefficient (0.909, p-value < 0.05) implying strong positive relationship
between olfactory marketing strategy and customer patronage. In terms of H 02, the result shows
that olfactory marketing strategy attracts a significant moderate relationship as indicated by
significant correlation coefficient (0.581, p-value < 0.05). Thus, an increase in olfactory
marketing strategy within a particular fast food restaurant will command a moderate increase in
repeat purchasing by the customers. The test of H03 also reveals a significant moderate
correlation coefficient (0.525, p-value < 0.05). This confirms that a significant moderate
relationship exists between olfactory marketing strategy and customers’ referral.
Our findings as revealed by testing H01, H02 and H03 which affirms that a positive significant
relationship exist between olfactory marketing strategy and customers’ engagement is in
agreement with popular views in literature. In an empirical study conducted by Krishna, Lwin,
and Morrin (2010), they found out that within a long-term, the impact of smell brings about more
romantic memory and an object with fragrant is much gorgeous than the one without it. In
another research by Chebat and Michon (2003) conducted in a shopping center, they discovered
that sent directly affect the impression of consumers and has a significant influence on buyers’
behaviors. Also, Roschk, et al. (2017) conducted an empirical study on a meta-analysis of the
atmospheric effects of music, scent, and color on shopping outcomes using student t-test, the
results reveal that environments in which scent are present yield higher pleasure, satisfaction,
and behavioral intention ratings when compared with environments in which such conditions are
absent.
From this discussion we conclude that olfactory marketing has a significant positive impact on
customers’ engagement.

5.1 Conclusion, Recommendations and Contribution to knowledge

Based on the result of our data analyses, we were led to conclude that olfactory marketing
strategy has significant positive impact on customers’ engagement in fast food restaurants in
Rivers State. The findings as seen from the results of the hypotheses are believed to be premised
on the fact that olfactory marketing strategies such as aroma from kitchen, pleasant scented
environment and signature scent influences customers’ engagement behaviors. Therefore, this
study recommends that management of fast food restaurants should position their kitchen at a
strategic location where the aroma emanating from the kitchen can serve as an olfactory cue to
customers and passerby, whereby encouraging them to engage with fast food restaurant. Also,
that management of the fast food restaurants should adopt the use of air fresheners and other
signature scents to generate a scented environment for the restaurant which sooths and appeals to
customers’ emotions. The study using heuristic model provided an empirical evidence supporting
the link between olfactory marketing strategy and customers’ engagement in fast food restaurant
in Rivers State.

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