Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Scented Products’ Category

The Nose Knows: It’s not just laundry…Now it’s Anti-Aging for clothes

Posted in Fabric Care, Product Trends, Scented Products, tagged , on April 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »

In a bow to consumers’ new-found thrifty behavior, fabric care manufacturers are appealing to the value-conscious by positioning some of their brands as substitutes for dry-cleaning, or as ‘fabric protectors’ that extend the life of a garment.

In March 2009, Woolite launched an online manual – “Find the Look, Keep the Look” – with style advice from Stacy London, fashion guru on the popular “What Not to Wear” TV show.  The manual also dispenses tips on how to care for your new clothes for maximum wear-ability.

At a price 60% higher than traditional Tide, P&G’s Tide Total Care uses an anti-aging strategy borrowed from that of its Olay skin care brand, promising to preserve clothing’s integrity and helping to “reveal the 7 signs of beautiful clothes…including softness, shape and finish.”   Wall Street Journal, 3/11/09.

The anti-aging, clothes-preserving message is a way to justify having a premium price point, and is also a way to differentiate a laundry product from similar products, by touting a value-added message: our product doesn’t just “clean your clothes”; it makes them last longer, thus saving you money in the long run. 

This strategy also taps into our emotional connection with clothing, especially pieces we are particularly fond of — and the impact we feel when they’re damaged by improper laundering.

To further strengthen their products’ fashion-conscious ties, “Woolite has teamed with 10 independent apparel boutiques across the U.S, that will feature a print version of its fabric-care manual in their stores”.  Meanwhile, Tide Total Care has formed partnerships with The Limited and Ann Taylor Loft stores, which will feature the product prominently as the product of choice to care for the apparel chains’ fashions.

Is this the beginning of a new era of cross-branding?  How will this new positioning statement influence fragrance trends for the category?  Stay tuned to see how this trend shapes the fabric care market…

Read Full Post »

The Nose Knows: Value is “the new Luxury”

Posted in Fragrance Marketing, Fragrance Trends, Product Trends, Scented Products, tagged , , , on April 12, 2009| 6 Comments »

In today’s challenging economic climate, consumers have been forced to modify their purchasing habits in order to accommodate changes in their employment and economic status. 

Traditionally considered a recession-proof category, in the past fine fragrances would successfully ride out difficult economic conditions because consumers would buy into the “affordable luxury” that they promised.    The fragrance industry continues to take steps to keep consumers interested in new fragrance product launches by offering new scent themes that promise to deliver on the luxurious and pampering lifestyles consumers have come to expect, while still remaining relevant and true to the economic realities of today’s world, where a premium is placed on a product’s perceived “value”.

Until recently, fragrances interpreted “luxury” via the use of exquisite and rare ingredients, heady floral notes, exotic woods and spices that were combined in complex interpretations that reverberated with movement, texture and intoxicating scent!

Today, luxury is communicated using escapism themes inspired by global destinations and ingredients; a fragrant stay-cation, if you will.   Also via unique ingredients with a perceived benefit – usually health-related – and particularly those associated with superfoods.  Once-unknown fruits such as the acai berry, pomegranate, lychee and noni have now gone mainstream, as consumers increasingly pursue health and wellness to enrich and improve their lives; a well-lived healthy life is a luxury, after all! 

Yet another interpretation of luxury is achieved with fragrances that are increasingly natural and fresh with a focus on authenticity of character and “transparency of the ingredients’ provenance”.   Today’s consumers are savvy and sophisticated, and they understand the premium value of a fragrance that – unlike scents from the past with multi-layered structures that made big, bold statements- prefers to be luxuriously understated in its use of high quality fragrance notes that smell authentic…as nature intended, and its use of unique ingredients that don’t upset nature’s perfect balance. 

Undoubtedly, consumers perceive real value in fragrances that can fulfill their continued desire for aesthetic beauty and fantasy, but in the tempered manner that is more in sync with our times.

Read Full Post »

The Nose Knows: Product Scent = Aesthetics + Functionality

Posted in Fragrance Marketing, Marketing Consulting, Scented Products, tagged , , , , on April 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

 

Although perhaps taken for granted by the average person, connoisseurs in the fragrance industry never overlook the importance of a product’s fragrance to its overall commercial success.

The team of perfumers, scent evaluators and marketers behind the fragrance development process for personal care, fine fragrances, fabric care and air care products understand that scent needs to be fully integrated into a product’s positioning, functionality and image.

Fragrance’s driving purpose is to effectively communicate the whole product concept:  its positioning, its target market, the featured product attributes and/or benefits.

The scent for a premium priced body cream claiming emollient and anti-aging properties will be much different than that of an anti-oxidant body lotion containing botanical ingredients.  The former product calls for a luxurious floral scent with oriental, woody or creamy touches for added depth, warmth and softness, hence delivering the richly “nourishing & caring” aspects of the product.

In contrast, the lighter body lotion product with a “well-being” positioning calls for a scent that communicates its own distinctive message.  The fragrance story should be built around a fresher & lighter “green” aspect that communicates the botanical positioning, with exotic fruity accents (anti-oxidant benefits) and sheer woods in the background to add texture and help deliver a “natural“  feeling.

Similarly, fragrance selections for a men’s shampoo will be vastly different than those used in a kid’s shampoo; prestige differs from mass, etc.  Get the picture?

So you see, a product’s scent isn’t just a pretty accessory that is added as an afterthought once a product’s basic chemical formulation has been developed.  Quite opposite… Fragrance designers recognize the integral role that scent plays in establishing a product on the path towards commercial success as a key driver of sales.   Hence the importance of aligning yourself with a fragrance marketing professional that knows how to let your fragrance tell its story…

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts