THE APPLICATION OF OLFACTORY MARKETING AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSVERSAL SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES WITHIN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Introduction: Sensory marketing applied to Tourism seeks to provide novelty and value through the design of experiences based on the use and empowerment of the senses. In the present study, an investigation is carried out focused on the analysis of a fragrance with the aim of motivating students, their creativity and inducing critical thinking. Through the study, students are proposed to reflect on the perceptions and memories evoked and their application in the labor market. Methodology: From a positivist paradigm, it tries to explain the reality of the participating subjects and describe the importance of the influence of sensations and memories associated with an olfactory experience within the transversality of a subject. Through the use of a mixed research methodology, the great influence of sociodemographic variables and the association of memories with the fragrance are evident, arousing the interest and motivation of the students. Results: Exposure to an olfactory stimulus complements the learning of the content, and the development of transversal skills and competences in students of different higher education degrees. A notable influence of olfactory perception on different sociodemographic variables is evident. Discussion: The experiential learning of the feelings and memories associated with a fragrance helps the development of critical thinking in students for its application in the labor market. Conclusions: This innovative activity allows the development of skills helping to understand the subjective perception of individuals and the importance of olfactory experiences as communication tools at a professional level within the field of Tourism and Marketing.