What should a bank smell like?

Call it “scent marketing” or “olfactory branding." Marketers from all industries know that smells influence people in many ways, including having the ability to affect sales. Think: new-car smell.

Bloomberg is reporting that now, financial institutions are trying to capitalize on scent marketing and are working on developing “signature smells.” According to the article, higher-end institutions are exploring scent marketing because it “lends a more luxury feel” for their rich clients.

So what do rich people want their banks to smell like? The beach, apparently. The report states that Americans like “watery, salty smells” that remind them of open space and freedom. Bank clients also go for the smell of popcorn.

Read more from Bloomberg.