Elevate Your Business Environment with Odor Control and Scent Services
Bad smells attract pests. Good smells attract people.
You might not expect to hear the words “signature scent” from a pest control provider. With more than 125 years of experience serving businesses like yours, we know that commercial odor control and air freshening services not only help create a pleasant environment for your employees and customers, but can also be a factor in preventing pest problems.
That’s because stink tends to indicate sanitation issues, such as rot, decay, mildew and waste. These are all unpleasant to your staff and customers, but they smell great to pests. You can learn more about how reducing bad smells can help you stay proactive against pests.
On the other hand (or in this case, nostril), good smells, like the options available to you in commercial air fresheners, have some unexpected benefits for your business. While there are a variety of other factors that attract pests, don’t let foul odors be one of them.
What Is a Signature Scent?
A signature scent is a distinct fragrance a business intentionally uses to shape its atmosphere, influence customer emotions and strengthen brand recall. It creates a consistent, memorable experience that helps customers associate your brand with positive feelings — and can even help support pest prevention efforts by masking odors that attract pests.
In short, it’s a simple way to reinforce your brand identity through the power of scent.
5 Reasons to Have a Signature Scent in Your Business
A signature scent does more than make your space smell pleasant — it can support operations, influence behavior and shape how customers remember your brand. Here are five reasons it can be a powerful asset for your business.
1. It Supports Your Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Efforts.
Ensure your IPM plan is in place with a proactive approach and customized treatments to help prevent areas in your business from smelling like the gross, stinky things that draw flies, roaches, rodents and more.
A consistent scent program helps mask odors that pests seek out, giving your IPM strategy additional support.
2. Scent Is Connected to Memory.
People can remember 35% of what they smell compared to only 5% of what they see. This means a signature scent can dramatically strengthen brand recall and help customers remember their experience with your business long after they leave.
3. Scent Can Evoke the Emotions You Want.
Both our sense of smell and our emotions are related to our brain’s limbic system, allowing scents to trigger strong emotional responses. Use this to help guests relax, feel welcomed or associate your space with positive memories.
4. Scent is Linked to Motivation.
A study by a major shoe brand found that customers were motivated to pay up to 10% more for shoes in a pleasantly scented store, while invigorating scents have been shown to impact worker productivity. Certain fragrances (especially citrus) can help energize teams and support higher productivity.
5. Scent Can Keep Customers Browsing and Spending.
Studies of environments from electronics stores to casinos have demonstrated that people linger longer and visit more product categories in scented environments. For one particular casino, it added up to 45% more in revenue!
Benefits for Consumer-Facing Businesses
Scent services aren’t just about creating a pleasant environment — they support customer satisfaction, brand perception and overall experience. Here’s how signature scent programs can benefit the industries Orkin serves most.
1. Retail Stores Scent Service
Retail spaces rely heavily on atmosphere, and scent plays a direct role in shaping how customers perceive your brand.
Retailers can see improvements such as:
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Increased browsing time and dwell time
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Enhanced perception of product freshness and quality
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Encouraged purchase behavior through a more inviting shopping environment
2. Hotels & Hospitality Scent Service
From lobbies to guest rooms, scent supports a memorable guest experience and reinforces cleanliness standards.
Scent supports guest satisfaction by:
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Creating signature guest experiences that feel upscale and intentional
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Improving guest satisfaction scores and perceived cleanliness
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Supporting brand identity across multiple property locations
3. Restaurants & Cafés Scent Service
In foodservice environments, scent helps set the tone and influence how guests perceive their experience.
Foodservice spaces gain advantages such as:
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Establishing the right atmosphere from the moment customers walk in
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Influencing appetite and enhancing the dining environment with curated scents
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Reinforcing the perception of cleanliness
4. Healthcare Facilities Scent Service
Healthcare settings need calm, reassuring environments that support patient comfort and reduce stress.
Healthcare environments can improve through:
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Creating soothing, welcoming spaces for patients and visitors
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Helping reduce perceived wait times and anxiety
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Supporting a cleaner, more reassuring clinical environment
Benefits for Corporate and Office Environments
Whether your organization serves the government, office property, or education sector, signature scent programs can support employee well-being, productivity, and perceptions of workplace cleanliness in modern office environments.
Here’s how Orkin’s scent services support today’s office spaces.
Employee Well-Being
A well-designed scent program can positively influence employee comfort throughout the workday.
These programs support employee well-being by:
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Reducing stress levels and improving moods
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Enhancing focus and mental clarity
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Offering a more uplifting work environment overall
Positive Workplace Culture
The right scent contributes to a cohesive, modern environment that employees enjoy returning to.
Scent services can support employees by:
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Creating a welcoming, contemporary workplace
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Enhancing employee satisfaction and retention
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Supporting consistent experience across departments or floors
Health & Air Quality Improvements
Odors can negatively influence perceived cleanliness and productivity.
Scent services help elevate your indoor environment by:
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Integrating with existing air purification or HVAC systems
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Reducing perceived stale air in enclosed office spaces
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Supporting wellness programs through aromatherapy-inspired fragrances
Reinforcing Company Values and Culture
Fragrances can communicate brand personality just as clearly as design or décor.
How so? By:
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Aligning fragrances to brand identity (fresh, calm, energized and professional)
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Selecting scents that enhance comfort and maintain a welcoming atmosphere in shared spaces
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Demonstrating investment in employee comfort and workplace well-being
Enhancing Meeting Environments
Meetings — whether internal or client-facing — benefit from an environment that feels fresh and focused.
Scent supports better meetings by:
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Promoting alertness and mental focus with light, energizing fragrances
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Creating a polished, professional ambience for presentations and client conversations
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Reducing tension and easing stress during high-stakes or extended sessions
How to Find Your Signature Scent for Your Business
At this point, you may be thinking that good scents make great sense for protecting and increasing your business. But how do you nail the perfect scent for creating the best emotional connections and brand memories for your customers or employees? Just ask yourself these questions.
Who do I want to attract?
Businesses leverage the connection between scent and emotion to appeal to their target audience. Luxury brands often use warm, indulgent scents, while businesses wanting broader appeal may choose fresh, clean fragrances like Apple or Conifer & Laurel.
How do I want them to feel?
Consider the emotional response you want your space to evoke — whether that’s calm, focus, energy or comfort. Studies show that ambient scent can positively influence mood and well-being, helping reinforce the intended experience of an interior environment.
For example, healthcare settings often use calming scents like Green Tea & Thyme or White Tea & Ginger to help ease anxiety, reinforcing how intentional scent design can shape how people feel within a space.
What do I want them to do?
Scent influences behavior as well as mood. If you want customers to browse longer, choose warm, inviting scents. If you want to energize your team, consider our citrus-based options like Sunny Citrus or Crushed Lime Mint, which have been shown to increase productivity.
And while you only need one scent during the workday, a study in Frontiers in Neuroscience found that exposure to rotating pleasant aromas led to a 226% improvement in memory and learning — a reminder of how powerfully scent can support focus.
Explore Orkin® Scent Services
In commercial spaces, it takes more than a spray bottle or home plug-in to create a consistent scent that delights without overpowering. If you’re wondering about the best way to start scent services in your business, we can help.
Why AirSpa™ Works for Commercial Spaces:
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Converts liquid scent into a dry vapor for even distribution
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Covers large open areas or integrates with HVAC
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Controlled easily from a mobile device
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Offers a wide library of signature scent options
Our customers tell us they love the fresh signature scent options and how convenient it is to control through their phones.
We’d love to help you smell the difference for yourself. Schedule a free consultation with an Orkin Pro today to experience how the right scent can elevate your space and support a cleaner, more welcoming environment.
FAQ About Choosing the Right Scent for Your Business
What is a signature scent for a business?
A signature scent is a fragrance a business uses consistently to create a memorable, branded atmosphere and influence how customers feel in the space.
Does scent help with pest control?
Yes. While scent alone doesn’t eliminate pests, it can help mask the odors that attract them, supporting your overall IPM strategy.
How do I choose the right scent?
Consider who you want to attract, how you want them to feel and what actions you want to encourage, such as relaxation or productivity.
What industries benefit most from signature scents?
Hospitality, retail, healthcare, property management, office environments and wellness spaces often see strong results.
Have more scent services questions? Check out: 10 Common Questions About Commercial Scent Services
