This is why I will no longer sniff test products in the future

Kevin Hofer

31/12/2021

Translation: machine translated

I am a product sniffer. I experience new things olfactorily. That's not always good. That's why I'm making a resolution to stop smelling my review products.

Wonderful, the postman delivers my latest extra-large mouse mat. I tear open the package and sniff the part. It stinks. No wonder, it has just made a journey from China to my office. The mat smells new and old at the same time. A contrast that doesn't add up for my sense of smell. It sends shivers down my spine. Actually, I like the subject with the Chinese fishing village on the lake, the mountains in the background and the cherry blossoms in the foreground. But the stench. I'll never forget that one and it will shape my attitude towards Deskmat forever. I shouldn't always stick my nose into things.

The first impression counts

Every time I open a new product, the first thing I have to do is smell it. I don't just do that with deskmats, but also with monitors, graphics cards and co. Why? I use the smell to decide whether or not I like someone or something. I have always done it that way. If something smells intense, it is suspicious to me. I then always think that there is something to hide - or it simply stinks.

Scents stay

Smells are processed by the olfactory bulb. That structure in the front part of the brain that sends information to the other areas of the body's central nervous system for further processing. Smells go directly to the limbic system - amygdala and hippocampus included. In other words, those regions that have to do with emotions and memory. It is not without reason that manufacturers have long since discovered olfactory marketing for themselves. Fragrances are supposed to influence buying behavior.

What I smell stays. Usually for a long time - if not forever. This is also called involuntary autobiographical memory. When I come across a fragrance in everyday life, it evokes memories of the past without my conscious effort. Early on, the French writer Marcel Proust described involuntary memory in his novel "In Search of Lost Time."

Proust describes a scene in which he consumes cakes and tea. He is reminded of his childhood home by their taste. A positive memory. The smell of my Deskmat triggers an unpleasant feeling, that of stench. If I were to write a review about the part, it would be negatively affected by it. Just because of the smell. On the other hand, olfactory marketing can trigger positive feelings. So if the Deskmat smelled subtly like summer thunderstorms - my favorite smell - I'd be more likely to give it a positive review.

It sniffed out

So the smell can subconsciously influence my opinion. I want to prevent that as much as possible in the future. That's why my resolution for the new review year: I'll stop sniffing test products - at least until I'm done with them.

Kevin Hofer

Senior Editor

kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.ch

From big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.

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