Scent and Fragrance Chemical Branding with Sean Kemper

Did you know that scents can trigger good memories in the minds of your customers? Branding your business with a signature scent that your customers can always relate to is a smart move. 

In this episode, we have Sean Kemper explain how to improve guest experience through scents and fragrances in your rental property or hotel. Sean is the owner of ETI Solutions, a company with a deeper vision to help educate and train short-term rental companies while continuing to bring innovative equipment, cleaning, and disinfecting products to the industry.

Listen in to learn how hotels and rental properties are triggering memories by expertly applying and matching scents and fragrances. 

What You Will Discover: 

·         [3:35] Sean talks about his interest and intrigue in scents and fragrances. 

·         [5:00] The psychology of scents – how scents can trigger good memories.

·         [7:04] How hotels and rental properties apply and match their fragrances. 

·         [8:06] Why nursing homes are not a great market for fragrances. 

·         [10:03] He shares the main customers for fragrances besides rentals. 

·         [13:56] Why the fragrance business is easier when sold directly to consumers. 

·         [16:00] Sean on what’s new for rental properties. 

Relevant Links:

·         ETI Solutions Website: https://etisolutions.co/ 

·         ETI Solutions Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETISolutionsChemistryCleaningCustomerSatisfaction

·         Sean’s Website: www.hospitalitycleaning101.com 

·         Email: sean@etisolutions.co 

Different Sites Below
https://direct.me/jerrybauer

Jerry Bauer
Hospitality Cleaning 101
Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com

Transcript

Jerry Bauer:Hi, and welcome to “Cleaning Processes with Jerry”. My podcast is dedicated to building an online community of like-minded individuals in businesses in the chemical cleaning industry. We're going to share some ideas, tips, solutions, and even stories to solve problems and to expand our markets. I work for ChemStation of Boston and I'm based out of New England. I also run the blog Hospitality Cleaning 101. If you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to me, and we will answer them on a future podcast if you so desire. At the end of the show, you'll have my contact information as well as my guest. Also at the end today's show, we're going to be giving away gifts. Today, I'm with Sean Kemper who runs Kemper industries, and assists helping vacation in short term Reynolds understand the cleaning process. Sean, are you there?

Sean Kemper:I'm here. How's it going dude?

Jerry Bauer:Great. Thanks for joining me today. I will tell the listeners who are with us today. I had met you through LinkedIn like many people do. We had some common interests, some of the same groups that we belong to. Also, you would work for Ecolab, I had worked for Ecolab. It's not uncommon for a lot of people in this industry to start their career out on with Ecolab. So thanks for joining me, but have you been busy traveling this week? Did you go to the ISSA?

Sean Kemper:No, I didn't go to that. I'm flying out next Saturday for a make Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA).

Jerry Bauer:Is that the speech you're giving in Las Vegas? 

Sean Kemper:Yes, sir.

Jerry Bauer:I'm gonna go ahead and ask, what's that speech on?

Sean Kemper:That's going to be the art of clean. 

Jerry Bauer:I love it. 

Sean Kemper:And understanding your cleaning products. I'm going to really dig deep in their form on some chemistry sort of surfactants and emulsifiers. And as well as why your products do what they do, acids Alkalyn really just give them a serious crash course. 

Jerry Bauer:Now how long are you speaking?

Sean Kemper:At the 45 minute session.

Jerry Bauer:And then I got how many people will be in attendance?

Sean Kemper:It could be couple of 100. It could be 50. My sessions at 4:30 in the afternoon is the very last one. 

Jerry Bauer: So that's how I suspect your operator bangs there.

Sean Kemper:And these are partiers with these vacation rental people. It's gonna be crazy. And then there's a big party Sunday night. They're having a one of the big guys Matt Landau is doing a like a reality Netflix show and it's called “Home Runners”. And they're spotlighting a couple of the big dogs in the industry. And they're going to have a premiere showing Sunday night. 

Jerry Bauer: Well, that's great. 

Sean Kemper:There's a couple 1000 people that attend this. 

Jerry Bauer: Have you been before? 

Sean Kemper:Oh yeah, I go every year I have. 

Jerry Bauer: So thanks for joining me today. And you came to me with such a great topic that I know very little about even and I've been selling chemicals for a long time. And that's the one reason possibly why I did this podcast was to teach myself because I'm learning everybody I speak to learn a whole lot more. And I'm in my 60s, there's people in their 60s go, I know enough, I'm not gonna learn anymore, but I enjoy this. I really do. So today we're going to talk about scents and fragrances, am I correct? 

Sean Kemper:Yeah, different scent branding. 

Jerry Bauer: Tell me how long you've been involved in this project.

Sean Kemper:Obviously, with our cleaning chemicals, you pick certain fragrances and scents and I got a really good working relationship with “Air Lessons”, one of our fragrance companies, and she would bring unique scents to us or let's do this, let's blend this, you know, what industry? Who are you selling to? We've done some custom blends with our Odor Eliminator over the years. So that's always intrigued me up. And then we'll get this whole complete. I've got a freaking handout here that breaks down into the scents and it's insane of the big guys like cougars and hard rock and certain fragrances that they use and there's just so much psychology to it, which really intrigued me is this scent will bring your grandmother back to when she was a kid or . And they're talking about nursing homes were smelling apple pie or chocolate chip cookies, just get to the brain go and again, it helps people with asthma they say, there's some really unique studies going on.

Jerry Bauer: Break it down to as if I'm a fifth grader because there's a difference between they're more than two levels. And by two levels, there's their sense that is just a scent and then there's odor eliminators. I'm looking at two levels. Tell me, is there two or possibly five levels to this that I'm not aware of because I only know the two, is there a big difference between the two?

Sean Kemper:It's a huge difference basically. You got to pump in a fragrance into a property, or you're getting to add the elimination chemical into that. So you will eliminate the smokes and odors and other things like that.

Jerry Bauer: Okay. So this goes back to more of the sense where we're trying to change their attitude that might not be the right word, but put them in a different place, which tell me more?

Sean Kemper:I mean, that's the biggest thing you think about Las Vegas. And when you go on to any of those casinos out there, I don't know if it's a proprietary probably is that they all have a special blend of something that they want. I remember years and years and years ago, I went out to the Venetian. And it was a Musk kind of smell. But it was also somewhat as a feminine, but just a little bit sensitive. So I didn't like it at first. But then as I was there a couple of days, I really started to like that. And then years ago, or a couple years back, I went back to the Venetian, when you walk in, you're just like, it brings you back in time to that moment. So the casinos are really big to try and paint that picture of good times and a memory you got it. And so in the vacation rental, that's what I'm trying to do with them is have your property smell like something so you can always remember when your guests smells that it'll bring them back to that vacation that fun time they had.

Jerry Bauer: Most definitely, especially for a rental or a hotel room itself. Because when they haven't done anything you can tell, it actually turns you off. Because you might think is this odor that I'm smelling? And even though it's not an odor, it's stale air something like that. How much does a hotel, let's just say a 200 room hotel, how much do they buy of a product like this? I mean, are they getting it in a concentrate, putting in spray bottles, or how is most people buying the different fragrances?

Sean Kemper:I'll use Holiday Inn as an example, they buy a machine. I can't think of the name of that company. Anyways, they buy a machine as soon as you go in there in that lobby, it's going to smell like green tea something or other. And basically, that machine is just a cartridge, just like your typical air fresheners in a bathroom. So basically after that 30 days or 90 days, whatever they say the longevity of his that fragrance cartridge will pop into the new one. 

Jerry Bauer: Now, what about the actual guest’s rooms? Because they should be using something in there as well, correct?

Sean Kemper:Yeah, a lot of times, they'll try to match up a fragrance close to that scent in the lobby. So then it they just have a synergy. They're not deal with green tea, and then cherry and lemon and whatever else might be in there. So they try to. And that's what we do as formulators as well will match a fragrance with the machine.

Jerry Bauer: Now, imagine nursing homes themselves would be a large market. I would think the largest market, am I correct?

Sean Kemper: It can be, but a lot of these fragrances too are not as a dangerous, but they have some VOCs, obviously. So you got to be careful with asthma and sensitive things. So that's when you look to more maybe other essential oils or something a little more natural.

Jerry Bauer: So in the nursing homes, am I correct at one time and I imagine it goes state by state. If not municipality, you couldn't put up different air fresheners that were metered. Are you seeing some of that? Is that still going on, or would that be more of a geographic question I should be asking?

Sean Kemper: That's probably geographic. But a lot of them are more concerned with carpet cleaning and doing some other elimination that way with some good bacteria for the carpet for urine and fecal and other odors. But that's an interesting point that you don't really seek. Someone will do some machines. I think I've seen some in Florida. But it's probably a geographical thing, state by state.

Jerry Bauer: I just remember one day that I was in the nursing home, and they had three different scents or fragrances throughout. It was kind of like one wing had another, another wing had another. And it wasn't one of my customers. It was actually offensive. And the maintenance man gave me a tour. And lastly, he said but you've got to admit. You really liked the way our home smells. And I just wanted to say you're masking the problem now. You have a much bigger problem and I wish you spent as much money on cleaning as you did on masking. So some of the scents can be offensive and three within one nursing home, it was way too offensive.

Sean Kemper: Competing and like you said they're just covering something up.

Jerry Bauer: Do you have the knowledge on all of this besides your rentals, who do you sell a lot to? Is it the hotels, or is it to the nursing homes?

Sean Kemper: Definitely hotels, casinos, I've got a buddy that does this too. He does some stuff with Chick-fil-A's in their little play area. And to keep it a little sweaty odors down and things like that, too. I mean, department stores are using it now. So many people are really starting to get on the bandwagon with it and bring that whole guest experience to the customer.

Jerry Bauer: And I'm sure some sense will stimulate people being hungry. I mean, somebody put apple pie. A smell like that would definitely put people hungry.

Sean Kemper: It's funny you say that because I know you and I have Ecolab on our resume. But when I was with K-Chemical division, we used to sell to Baskin Robbins. And they wanted because we had air fresheners for them in their bathrooms, but they wanted it to smell like waffles. So you walked in there and you get that nice sweet smell of the waffle kind of you want to eat.

Jerry Bauer: Which has nothing to do with selling a product. I think it's either Costco or Sam's. They don't vent out their bakery. So the smell from the bakery goes throughout the whole building on purpose. And you can be bakeries on one corner up the other corner, you're smelling cinnamon rolls. Well, what are you going to do you? You're going to go over and try some of their cinnamon rolls for sure before you leave.

Sean Kemper: I mean, Disney World and those parts like that, they say they're pumping popcorn or cotton candy or there's some kind of trigger coming out of the bushes or off a building or something that people will smell.

Jerry Bauer: And that's what I'm thinking of within a movie theater inside there, you can already smell the popcorn, but I'm sure they do other things to stimulate. Yes, you're correct. We both were Ecolab, all they did was tell us about the different scents that they had which were very limited actually. How did you get involved in something like this? Did one of the vendors come to you who represents all these fragrances?

Sean Kemper: Yes, it was years and years ago getting into the casino because it's a big business for them. And they tap into their age back system. And it's a pretty large box, it has a smart box. It will have an alarm and it'll could go off every 10 minutes it can go off every 20 minutes. It just depends on how strong they want that fragrance to be. But a lot of times they just use like you said that fragrance they just masked the smoke so you get a smoky fruity tropical flavor, which isn't good. So I tried to pitch the odor elimination quality in it and go that way but the casinos are huge with that. They love it to smell like and try to help eliminate the smoke and others that are in there.

Jerry Bauer: So what's the most unusual request you had? Was it for a food item or I'm sure you get some special request?

Sean Kemper: Yeah, Margaritaville over there. They want a Pina Colada or suntan lotion. You know that's what they're going for.

Jerry Bauer: Suntan lotion is definitely.

Sean Kemper: A Hawaiian Tropic type smell. I mean, I love the coconut kind of Pina Colada.

Jerry Bauer: That really takes you back because you live closer, I live close the ocean as well but you have closer to the beaches. And to smell the Pina Colada, to smell the suntan oil just puts you in and makes you feel younger many ways because it was in our youth is when we probably spent more time at the beach.

Sean Kemper: Yeah, see this pretty girl sunbathing and smell that.

Jerry Bauer: I wanted to say that, but it's true because you smell it. It takes you back to a time in your life, when possibly things were much simpler and it was more fun. As before I worked full time. Let's put it that way. So you do all this through all your distributors? Or do you sell this on a direct basis as well some of these products?

Sean Kemper: That's usually a direct basis just because you got to go install the equipment, put the machine in, it's a little bit trickier. You got to monitor it, it's something you just can't really push to distribute. I guess you could train them. I mean, it could be a distribution thing too. 

Jerry Bauer: Do all the manufacturers that dispensaries are they assisting you with coming up with dispensers for all of this? 

Sean Kemper: Yeah, there's a couple of people that you can network with. There's one company in Florida that they do fragrances and the machines, but I've always found that fragrances are 200% higher than what I could get from one of our fragrance companies. But then you can find machines anywhere that you can find the people that come in, even if you get going in and out like it's just an atomizer. It just takes that liquid and just does a fine-fine mist that allows it to just float through the HVAC system and just carries wherever the airflow goes.

Jerry Bauer: Now do you have some of this actually on your website where people could look at it?

Sean Kemper: No, I need to. It’s a good point. We haven't really market. It's almost like an under the radar kind of thing.

Jerry Bauer: Well, when you came to me you piqued my interest because no one. It's not something that somebody's pushing. But I do know that it's out there and probably people are looking for more and more each day.

Sean Kemper: It's neighbor of mine living in Tennessee. She made one year old air fresheners they can go rent like the cab, but she formulated a very unique scent. And she put all of those it's like a cabin. And it's a neat little air freshener that hangs up in your car or wherever. So her and I've been talking about trying to do that into an odor eliminator and maybe a mopping chemical or something.

Jerry Bauer: So Shawn, how would people get a hold of you to get more information on this?

Sean Kemper: Definitely, it's on sean@etisolutions.co, just remember .co.

Jerry Bauer: Not .com. I know that a lot of your business, today we're supposed to talk about fragrances and scents. But tell me what's new on the marketplace and in the rental business? Anything new coming out?

Sean Kemper: You know, you're always looking for better products, different products. We've been playing with one at Kemper industries where you could treat the glass in the shower, and it prevents it from fogging and allows the water to shut down so it doesn't get the soap scum and the calcium and the mineral buildup traditionally, so you'll help protect that glass longer.

Jerry Bauer: That's great. Well, Shawn, I appreciate the time we spent today. You've opened up my eyes to something that for years I really never paid attention to. But it's great talking to you. I love talking to you. And please stay in touch. And I'll put a little write up with this and give the contact information at the bottom of it.

Sean Kemper: Awesome. Good seeing you too, Jerry. Now when you walk into a building, you're going to smell something.

Jerry Bauer: I'm looking for it. Sean, you have a great day and a fantastic weekend. 

Sean Kemper: You too, thank you. 

Jerry Bauer: Bye.

Jerry Bauer: I want to thank, Sean, for being here today. You really exemplifies what we're trying to do. There's a gentleman that was a company manufacturing, and he went out and found a new marketplace by honing in on going after the short term rentals and vacation properties throughout the South. Done a great job with that. I also wished today to thank you the listeners for joining because we're slowly add subscribers to our show. Currently we're on most podcast apps now including iTunes. If you have time, please like and share any of our episodes. Also, I promise you something special if you hung around. If you one of the first people who sign up today at Hospitality Cleaning 101, Sign up for my newsletter. I will send you a $10 gift certificate to Amazon. No strings attached. If you go to the site Hospitality Cleaning 101 within 10 or 15 seconds, a pop up will come up. Just sign up, not selling anything, not selling your name. What we're trying to do is build up a list so that I can give you advanced warning when new podcasts are coming out, or new things are added, new blogs on to my website. I hope you have a great day. Continue to wash your hands. Stay safe and thank you.