TOKYO, JAPAN - NTT Communications (NTT Com) announced today that beginning on August 26 the company will launch Japan's first service offering digital signs equipped with aroma-emitting devices to strengthen the impact of marketing communications. NTT Com believes this type of interactive signage could become a highly effective marketing tool.

NTT Com's signs, branded as Kaoru Signage (aroma signage), combine the company's Spot Media digital signage solution and Kaori Tsushin (fragrance communication) online service, which instructs specified Web-connected devices to emit mood-heightening aromas. Through the service, the images and sounds are transmitted from the sign, while the fragrance is emitted from the Kaori Tsushin device through an online connection.

The Spot Media Web-connected signs are being used for marketing communications and customer services by financial institutions, medical facilities, public offices, retail stores and other enterprises. The latter service is being used in venues such as retail stores, cafés and movie theaters, reflecting the growing trend to use aroma to strengthen the impact of marketing communications and enhance customer satisfaction.

The company engaged in several feasibility studies last year, in which NTT Com confirmed the sign's effectiveness as a marketing tool. The company believes that aromas will improve the chances that passersby will see the sign and remember the product being advertised. In the study, a leading cosmetic manufacturer used a digital sign to emit the aroma of roses at the east exit of Shinjuku Station of the Odakyu Electric Railway Co, Ltd., and gauged that awareness of the sign was double that of signs that did not emit aromas.

Kaoru Signage also appears to stimulate customer purchases by gaining their attention. In a store attached to a spa facility operated by GOKURAKUYU, LTD. in Wako city just north of Tokyo, a sign emitting the aroma of vanilla ice cream resulted in sales of soft ice cream some 1.3 times higher than in cases where signs without any aroma-emitting function were used.

Kaoru Signage also works as a tool to create new environmental ambience. When used in hotels or showrooms, it will enhance the relaxation or concentration of customers due to its aroma-emitting function. In the Daikoku Parking Area of Metropolitan expressway Company Limited, a study showed that 80% of those passing by felt more relaxed by the aromas being emitted.

The fee for the service starts at 157,500 yen (including tax) for an aroma-emitting device (for small-area use) and its dedicated software. However, actual prices vary depending on transmission conditions. The strength of the fragrance can be adjusted, and depending on the scale of the environment, two different Kaori Tsushin aroma-emitting devices (for either small-area or large-area use) can be selected. Using a broadband connection service, content for the video, sound and fragrance settings can be transmitted to multiple locations nationwide. The fragrance is based on basic aroma components commonly found in fragrances, and are not specialized aromas that suggest food or beverages.

NTT Com is now accepting applications for the Kaoru Signage service from companies involved in the advertising, marketing and promotion industries.

About NTT Communications Corporation
NTT Com delivers high-quality voice, data and IP services to customers around the world. The company is renowned for its diverse information and communication services, expertise in managed networks, hosting and IP networking services, and industry leadership in IPv6 transit technology. The company’s extensive global infrastructure includes Arcstar™ private networks and a Tier 1 IP backbone (connected with major ISPs worldwide), both reaching more than 150 countries, as well as secure data centers in Asia, North America and Europe. NTT Com is the wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, one of the world's largest telecoms with listings on the Tokyo, London and New York stock exchanges. Please visit www.ntt.com.