The Smell of Memory with scent designer Dawn Goldworm | A Bit of Optimism Podcast
Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Simon Sinek's conversation with scent designer Dawn Goldworm about how smell shapes our memories, emotions, and brand experiences.
1. The connection between smell and memory
Our sense of smell has the most direct connection to memory among all our senses. Unlike other sensory inputs that need to travel through multiple neural pathways to reach the brain, odor molecules have a direct route. They enter our nose and immediately reach the limbic system, where emotion and memory are processed.
This creates a powerful link between smells and emotional experiences, especially during our formative years. Every scent we encounter from birth to around age ten becomes connected to the feelings we experience at that moment. These connections remain throughout our lives, which is why certain smells can instantly transport us back to specific memories and emotions from our past.
2. Cultural and generational conditioning of scent
Our perception of scents is heavily influenced by our cultural background, generation, and living environment. Dawn Goldworm explains that what smells pleasant or unpleasant is largely conditioned rather than innate. For example, while lavender is widely associated with relaxation in parts of Europe and America, it doesn't evoke the same response in Asian cultures where it isn't traditionally used in baby products.
Similarly, generational differences in scent perception exist because products change over time. People who grew up before the 1940s might associate childhood with wooden toys, whereas later generations might connect to the smell of plastic. Urban and rural dwellers also have different reactions to smells like animal manure or city garbage based on their living environments and what they've been conditioned to consider normal.
3. Vanilla as the universally appealing scent
According to Dawn Goldworm, vanilla is the only scent in the world that is universally liked by people across all cultures. This widespread appeal has a fascinating biological basis. Vanilla is chemically similar to vanillin, a compound present in breast milk. Whether through natural breastfeeding or formula, which replicates this scent, babies associate vanilla with comfort, safety, and nourishment.
This early positive association with vanilla creates a deep emotional connection that persists throughout life. It reminds people of being cuddled, feeling secure, and experiencing maternal care. This universal positive association makes vanilla an exceptionally safe choice for products and gifts intended for people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
4. The decaying human body as universally repulsive
The only smell that is universally disliked across all cultures and environments is the scent of a decaying human body. Even people who work with strong odors daily, like those in meat factories or sewage workers, have a visceral negative reaction to this particular smell. This aversion is so strong that military personnel must undergo specific training to overcome this natural response.
The unique chemical signature of decomposing human remains differs from that of other animals and creates an instinctive repulsion. This response is so reliable that militaries have historically used simulations of this scent as weapons to disorient enemies. The universal negative reaction to this smell transcends cultural conditioning, suggesting it may serve an evolutionary protective function.
5. Creating brand identity through scent
Brands can establish powerful emotional connections with customers by developing signature scents. Dawn Goldworm described creating Nike's signature scent by combining elements from the brand's sporting environment: the smell of soccer cleats in dirt, oily basketballs, the specific scent released when sneakers squeak on a basketball court, and the distinctive aroma of new Air Force One sneakers.
What makes these brand scents effective is how they're constructed with "accords" – combinations of scent notes that work together harmoniously. The process is comparable to creating music or visual art, where simple elements combine to form complex experiences. When properly executed, these scents become immediately recognizable and associated exclusively with the brand, reinforcing brand identity and consumer loyalty in ways visual logos alone cannot achieve.
6. The color-scent connection
Dawn Goldworm discovered through global research that people associate specific scents with colors with remarkable consistency. Approximately 97% of people worldwide will identify the same color when smelling a particular scent. This association transcends cultural, generational, and environmental conditioning that typically influences other aspects of scent perception.
This universal color-scent connection provides a powerful tool for brand development. When designing a signature scent, Goldworm often begins by asking about the brand's associated color. For example, when creating the "smell of optimism" for Simon Sinek's book, she started with the color orange, which Sinek associated with confidence and brightness. From there, she developed scent notes that aligned with both the color and the emotional qualities desired.
7. The limited vocabulary for smell
Unlike our other senses, we have a severely limited vocabulary to describe smells. The parts of our brain that process language are not well-connected to the regions that process smell. This disconnect makes it difficult for people to articulate scent experiences accurately or to communicate about them effectively.
This linguistic limitation contributes to the underutilization of scent in branding and marketing. Executives, particularly men according to Goldworm, often overlook the power of smell because they lack the vocabulary to discuss it meaningfully. Yet everyone is "fully scented" through everyday products like laundry detergent, hair products, and oral care items, whether they recognize it or not.
8. The technology of capturing and recreating scents
The podcast reveals fascinating technical aspects of scent design, including "headspace" technology. This process involves placing a glass or plastic bell over an object, inserting a needle to record the volatile molecules surrounding it, and then synthetically recreating those molecules in a laboratory. This allows scent designers to capture and reproduce smells from objects that aren't traditionally extracted for perfumes.
Dawn Goldworm described using this technology to analyze the actual smell of money. Rather than simply capturing the expected scent of ink and paper, the analysis revealed traces of marijuana, cocaine, human sweat, and minimal ink and paper. This scientific approach to scent capture demonstrates how modern technology enables precise recreation of specific environmental scents for various applications.
9. The structure and composition of fragrances
Creating a signature scent involves building complex combinations called "accords." Similar to musical chords, these are small formulations of several ingredients that work together to create a specific impression. A complete fragrance may contain anywhere from three to over 200 ingredients, with multiple accords layered together to create a cohesive sensory experience.
Goldworm compares this layering process to how a painter like Monet combines colors to create depth and nuance in artwork. The parallel extends to other creative fields – just as a symphony arranges musical notes and an artist mixes primary colors, a scent designer combines various notes and accords to create something that transcends its individual components. This sophisticated combination creates scent experiences that feel natural, distinctive, and emotionally resonant.
10. Scent as an underutilized marketing tool
Despite scent being our most powerful sense for creating emotional memories and loyalty, it remains vastly underutilized in marketing and branding. Companies routinely invest in visual elements like logos, colors, and fonts, and sometimes in sonic branding, but rarely in olfactory identity. This oversight represents a missed opportunity for creating deeper emotional connections with customers.
The neglect of scent in branding stems partly from linguistic limitations and partly from gender dynamics in corporate settings. Goldworm observes that women tend to intuitively understand the importance of smell due to their comfort with emotional and intuitive thinking, while male-dominated boardrooms often dismiss scent as unnecessary emotionality. However, brands that do invest in scent experience enhanced customer loyalty and stronger emotional associations with their products and spaces.