There’s a new trend in marketing that is coming up smelling like roses: the use of scent to tap into the consumers’ subconscious mind and create an environment that is pleasing.

We’ve always relied on sight and sound in marketing and branding. Bold logos, haunting photos, memorable jingles and distinct voices are staples of our trade. But move over sight and sound; scents are here!

Why are scents so potent? They trigger an emotional response. Seventy-five percent of the emotions we experience during a typical day are affected by things we smell. It also has a sticking power that beats all the other senses. People can recall scents with 65 percent accuracy after a year.

In a lot of ways, the use of scents has been around for a long time, but it’s finally getting sophisticated. We’re now moving way past used-car sales forces spraying the vehicles with “new car” smell or the bakery cracking open the door so that the scent of freshly baked bread and cookies can waft into the street.

So should you just burn some candles in your store or office and call it done? Hardly. This is not different from any other aspect of our work. We can do it the superficial way and be like 95 percent of marketers out there, or we can do it right.

Doing it right means discovering which scent makes sense. It has to fit. It has to communicate something distinct just like your logo or tagline does. Imagine walking into a coffeehouse and smelling cotton candy. For some product categories, this can be pretty easy. Their product has a distinct smell like coffee, doughnuts or leather. But what about a high-end men’s clothing store? Or a law office?

What does your brand smell like? More next week!

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and the author of “99.3 Random Acts of Marketing.” He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com.