Despite scent being an obvious by-product of fast food, there has been little research on its role in the meaning-making of fast food brands. Previous studies have typically focused on scents as cues for brand recognition, brand recall and triggering behaviors. The meaningful autobiographical memories that a scent elicits and its role in branding remain relatively unexplored. This study explores how the Proustian phenomenon (odor-evoked autobiographical memories) allows consumers to form meanings and relate to brands in personal and endearing ways. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with 10 participants who were exposed beforehand to the scent of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Thematic analysis was used to determine the autobiographical memories evoked and the meanings attached to the brand's scent. The findings revealed that the scent associated with a fast-food brand carries deep-seated memories and meanings attached to personal experiences that consumers associate with the brand. The study confirmed that the Proustian phenomenon triggered by a fast-food brand’s scent can be leveraged in brand building. The findings suggest that the scent of a brand offers semiotic properties that can be used to evoke consumers’ personal and emotional relationship with the brand, thus allowing the brand to communicate with consumers in more meaningful ways.
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