Order of Scent: Does the Sequence of Sampling Products Influence Consumer Preference?

Marketing theory and practice are increasingly interested in the role of olfactory sense; however, critical questions remain about its role in influencing purchase preference. This research investigated how and why the order of olfaction sensory sampling of products influenced consumer preference. Specifically, this research explored the moderating role of cognitive cues and familiarity principle on order effect. Through three experimental studies, we found that: (1) When consumers sampled three or up to five scents sequentially, they preferred the first sampled scent. (2) When consumers were informed that a certain scent was the last sample of a sequence of products, consumer preference for the last sampled scent was enhanced. (3) when consumers sampled familiar and unfamiliar scents sequentially, they preferred the familiar scent.