Immersion and emotional reactions to the ambiance of a multiservice space: The role of perceived congruence between odor and brand image

This research project contributes to the literature by investigating olfactory congruence to understand why the perceived consistency between odors and brand image may induce consumers to approach (or avoid) spaces and products. The results of this study will be useful for managers, who strive to create an olfactory ambiance consistent with the brand image they want to convey to their target market. Our contribution is to show that olfactory congruence with branding helps to improve the consumer immersion experience (i.e., the intense state of activity experienced by the consumer when fully accessing the experience (Fornerino et al., 2006)) in the sales space. Finally, the originality of the experimental store (brand specializing in the provision of multiservice spaces) and the cultural context (French target consumers of the AntiCafe brand) studied here differentiate the present research from previous works. From this point of view, this research is complementary to previous studies. The remainder of the article is divided into three parts: part 1 discusses the theoretical framework and hypotheses, part 2 describes the methodology, and finally part considers the results and implications of the study.