Guest Post: Author Dina Rae. Halo of the Nephilim

Scent Branding: It’s Nothing to Sneeze at by Dina Rae

Love the woody smell inside of Abercrombie and Fitch stores?  What about the fig, jasmine, and freesia smell of the Sheraton Hotel chain?  These are some of the examples of scent branding also known as ambient scenting.  This marketing strategy proves to be big business. 

Prolitec, a leading scent marketing company, continues to expand by creating signature scents and air technology that disperses the scent throughout stores, hotels, and companies.  Colleges have caught on to the importance of the field and offer master degree programs for scent design.

Pascal Gaurin, a leading scent designer, created a scent for Samsung.  Surveyed customers equated the unique smell with excellence and spent 20-30% more time inspecting the electronics.  The owner of Bloom Grocery store in Salisbury, NC, erected a billboard emitting a charcoal smell on highway, giving hungry drivers an idea of stopping at their store. 

Why is scent branding so popular?  Besides more sales, the unique smell causes the customer to associate certain products with their emotions.  The scent stays deep inside of one’s memory.  But how can that be?  The Olfactory Bulb (sense of smell) and Brain’s Limbic system (memory) account for 75% of our emotions.  Therefore, smell is a more powerful sense than sight.  Makes scents, right?  Ask any bloodhound or shark what they would rather use.  Besides the afore mentioned, some other giants hopping on the scent branding wagon include Guess, Credit Suisse, De Beers, Westin, Ashley Furniture, Jimmy Choo, Bloomingdale’s, Hugo Boss, Lexus, Victoria’s Secrets, Fiat, and Juicy Couture. 

Sounds like an effective way to advertise.  But is it ethical?  In the Bronx, New York, the Sister Thomas Apartments have been partaking in an experiment since 2010.  Hypothesis that borders on fact claims that smell has the power to make you feel good and make you feel bad.  The tenants that live in the housing project are the guinea pigs for leading scent designers Bruno Jovanovic (Abercrombie) and Pascal Gaurin (Samsung).  Through observation and statistics within housing projects they intend to prove that smell will make you happy, and thus act happy.  Sound like mind control? 

Besides the controversy, the fragrance industry doesn’t have many standards.  Their secret ingredients could easily contain toxins that are known allergens and hormone disrupters.  Other ingredients that might not be legal to ingest but legal to breathe in could also be used.  No one seems to know.  Something smells funny.  Is scent branding a right or wrong way to do business?  Post a comment and let me know what you think.  Halo of the Nephilim explores the use of scent branding for diabolical purposes.
 

Title:  Halo Of The Nephilim
Author:  Dina Rae
Genre: Paranormal Fiction/Horror
Series:  Follows Halo of the Damned
Number of Pages: 244
Publisher: Eternal Press

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes and Noble |


Synopsis:

Can a fallen angel, his band of broken souls, and his nephilim children change the world?
Armaros the Cursed, Satan’s favorite of the Fallen, falls once again after breaking the rules. Fearing an eternity of punishment, he desperately attempts to save himself by sending a bird to his island. The SOS message is received by his beloved congregation. They prepare the great Armaros’ kingdom for his return. Can his loyal worshipers rescue him from the pit?

Halo of the Nephilim is the sequel to Halo of the Damned. The story begins with Armaros’ arrest. Reporters are duped into believing he was gunned down while awaiting trial. Declared dead, his only known surviving daughter, Joanna Easterhouse, proves her relation and inherits everything. She catapults her career from an entry-level advertising assistant to the head of Armaros’ advertising empire. Life couldn’t be better: a windfall inheritance, real power within a major industry, a loving relationship with a former demon, and a baby on the way. She should be on top of the world, but knows everything good must come to an end.

Joanna’s sister, Kim Easterhouse, becomes Kim Slattery after marrying Sean, her dead mother’s probate lawyer. Joanna generously includes them as key players in her advertising chain. They, too, have much to smile about, but a string of events leads them back to old family secrets.

Wickedness looms over the Easterhouse family once more, forcing them into an unlikely showdown filled with page-turning excitement. Like Halo of the Damned, Halo of the Nephilim is filled with conspiracy and angel lore taken directly from scripture and other ancient writings. Nephilim meander the earth in confusion, constantly questioning who they are and where they stand in terms of good and evil. More mind control themes top off this tale of doom. Dina Rae delivers the darkness in the most entertaining light.


Author Bio:

Dina Rae is a new author that is here to stay. As a teacher, she brings an academic element to her work. Her research on the Yezidi religion and love of art inspired her story telling for Halo of the Damned. Halo of the Nephilim and Halo of the Madonna are new to the angel series.

Her second novel, The Last Degree, is a fictionalized account of the Freemason’s role in the New World Order. Dina's grandfather was the Most Worshipful of his lodge. The subject has always held a personal interest.

Bad Juju, is about an old Haitian bokor who mentors two teens in the dark arts. A unique blend of horror, romance, and literary fiction meant for adults and mature teens.

Dina lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside of Chicago. She is an avid reader, tennis player, movie buff, and self-proclaimed expert on conspiracy theories. She has appeared in several literary blogs, newspapers, e-zines, and radio shows as a guest.