A great label is usually regarded for its visual presence on a crowded shelf. However, labels and packaging can perform a range of functions with life and death ramifications.

Such is the case with Scentisphere’s Scent Activation products, which enables consumers to have a three-dimensional experience with brand messaging. Scent Activation focuses on using the power of scent to create and drive an emotional connection between the consumer and brand. The technology goes beyond candles and laundry detergents, though.

Scentisphere’s products are particularly useful with gas leaks. Natural gas leaks, of course, can be extremely dangerous, making consumer education of the utmost importance before an issue has the chance to become deadly. For natural gas utility companies, the most effective method of customer education is detailing the smell of natural gas. Scentisphere produces a range of scent-based coatings and labels that, when activated, smell exactly like natural gas.

According to Jim Berard, owner and CEO, Scentisphere, utilities often tell their customers that natural gas smells like rotten eggs, which is not necessarily accurate. Plus, he adds, with modern pasteurizing processes the vast majority of people have never smelled a rotten egg.

“By applying our natural gas coating to a mailer or insert or label, not only will the customers know exactly what natural gas smells like, but the process of rubbing or scratching and smelling the scented area will increase customer engagement and recall of the scented warning message, thus greatly improving effectiveness and recall,” says Berard. “And the cost on a per piece of adding natural gas scent to a mailing is extremely nominal.”

This new technology is quite sophisticated, too. There are two components to Scentisphere’s technology.  The first is natural gas odorant itself – generally referred to mercaptan – which is purchased in an extremely concentrated form.  This is the exact odorant used to scent natural gas. The second is microencapsulation.

“On our side, we need to use extreme care in handling this material because just a few spilled drops could trigger major gas leak alerts for miles,” explains Berard. “The other component of our technology is microencapsulation. Microencapsulation enables us to capture the odorant in microcapsules that keep the odorant dormant until it is activated by either rubbing or scratching, which breaks the microcapsules releasing the scent.”

While natural gas Scratch’nSniff products are not new items to hit the market, Scentisphere has taken these capabilities quite a bit further. “What we did was improve the product by using our exclusive polymer-based material to microencapsulate the natural gas odorant,” Berard details.  “This capsule material offers longer shelf life and product stability than competitive products.  We can also spray dry the encapsulation and mix it into an overprint litho varnish, which is exclusive to Scentisphere. And we can encapsulate a range of different gas odorants to emulate the smell of propane or liquid natural gas, etc.”

Scentisphere has also developed these products to not cause confusion in printing plants. For example, a strong odor could give off the impression of a gas leak.

“There will always be some mild prerelease of the natural gas odorant during the printing process, which can easily be mitigated by the printer with proper ventilation,” comments Berard. “But we have heard some stories from printers who’ve had really bad experiences in the past with competitive natural gas coatings that smelled up their plant, causing major issues.  But our natural gas coatings do not give off a strong odor during the printing process. We offer natural gas products in both flexo aqueous coating and offset litho varnish.”