How to sell a Fragrance

The Market

As mentioned previously, fragrances have evolved into mass market products that provide prestige for the masses.

In the fragrance industry there are several big umbrella corporations active, each managing more brands of fragrances in different market segments. The corporate branding in the fragrance industry is nevertheless relatively weak compared to other consumer product industries. Because of this, most of the time consumers are even not aware that several brands are managed and marketed by the same company. The manufacturing firm provides mainly central functions that are available for all brands, and so the creative independence per brand is relatively high.

Influencing Factors

There are several factors which are considered by costumers before buying a fragrance. To distinguish their fragrance from the others, brands can diversify in the way they actually execute the implementation of these factors. According to H. Razal, Z. Nas, K. Anwer (2013) the list of factors that influence the purchase of a perfume are:

•        Price of Perfume

•        Brand of Perfume

•        Packaging

•        Bottle Design

•        Fragrance

•        Quality

•        Availability of Perfume

•        Prior Experience with Perfume

•        Recommendations of Friends or Family

•        Total Personal Care Budget

•        Sales Technique of Sales Person

•        Special Offers & Promotion

•        Advertisement

Their study shows that the brand of the perfume, the packaging and the bottle design are very important factors that costumers take into account while purchasing a perfume. However still ‘the ultimate decisive elements are the fragrance and the quality of the perfume’.

Any brand that can create a desirable fragrance and can combine it with the right type of product elements such as the bottle design, will have a high chance of success.

The Packaging and Bottle Design

A perfume is an expressive and experiential good. Sign values are more important than functional values in the communication for consumers. Also, describing of one’s favourite fragrance is for most people impossible to do. It is because of this that perfume packaging defines the product it contains more powerfully than any other product packaging does.

For this reason, the packaging and designing of the bottle of the fragrance is a remarkable business on itself. There actually is a yearly congress taking place in Paris, the Packaging of Perfume Cosmetics & Design Conference (PCD) , to show and see all the new trends that are trending in the packaging industry.

Apart from the trends that differ from time to time, there are several ways in which the designers of fragrance bottles and packages try to project an image and vibe that has to be experienced with the fragrance.

Packaging

First of all there is the use of colour. There are some basic underlying assumptions in the fragrance industry about the meanings of colours. For example the use of the colour gold is still synonymous for luxury, whereas red is like always associated with passion. According to Julia Thrift (editor for Eye Magazine)  ‘we no longer use gold as money, but in perfume packaging, the ancient equation of the two holds good.’

Yves Saint Laurent, Cinéma. The attempt to create a luxurious vibe around the fragrances is done by using the colour gold.

To create a sense of sophistication, subtle patterns and textures are used in the packaging of the fragrance. For example Calvin Klein uses the natural grainy qualities of thick cardboard to appeal to a more minimal and maybe more fashion-conscious costumer.

Calvin Klein, Obsession

Bottle design
The first most common type of bottle used is the square bottle. The squire bottle is a minimalistic bottle, giving the fragrance a solid and uncompromising look. Also, and maybe even more important, the squire bottle gives enough space to state the brand and the name of the fragrance. 

A square bottle of Chanel N.5

The second common type of bottle is the mysterious, organic shape. The idea of mystery that comes with it is essential in the fragrance industry since customers actually do not want to think about fragrances as being mixtures of chemicals cooked up in large vats. Also, the organic shape of a bottle is linked with sensuality and sexuality.

Giorgio Beverly Hills, Wings

The third and last common used type of bottle is the gimmick, which is a bottle that is more than just a bottle containing a perfume. An example of this types of bottle are the fragrance bottles of Jean Paul Gaultier, created as (corsetted) torsos. The main focus for this type of bottles is to stand out from the others and to get noticed by customers.

Jean Paul Gaultier, Parfum Classique

Furthermore, next to the packaging and the designing of the bottles, brands use other tools to express the values of the fragrance and to appeal to their target group.

As mentioned earlier, the aspect of value creation is extremely important in the fragrance industry. Sign values do not only emerge out of the product itself, but also out of the general experience with the brand as a whole. Therefore also advertisements are produced in order to signify specific meaning, including models that appeal to the target segment. This topic will be covered in the following article.

References:

Brands and Branding Geographies (Google eBook), Andy Pike, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011

Eye Magazine, URL<http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/sweet-smell-of-excess>, 02-11-‘14

H. Raza1, Z. Nas, K. Anwer (2013). Factors considered by consumers for purchase of perfumes / fragrances: a case study of consumers in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Asian Journal of Management Sciences and Education. 2 (3)

PCD, URL<http://www.pcd-congress.com/en/>, 02-11-‘14