Here’s a great piece from TriedTestedLoved about how your fragrance can be a powerful branding tool. Be Inspired. 

One of the most stylish people asked me how to find her new signature scent.

“Why? Are you looking for a totally different smell or are you just bored with your old ones?” I asked.

“I want a perfume from an indie brand no one has heard of, so I have a story to tell when someone asks me!” was her reply.

I was thinking about florals and Orientals and she was all about branding and fashion.

I had to laugh, but on reflection, this was a wonderful insight.  Because my Glamazon is right, your fragrance makes a statement and announces your arrival without saying a word. The brand you select can speak volumes too.

Just like designer fashion, your scent is a powerful branding tool.

In sensory analysis, the term “hedonics” is being used to describe aspects of a fragrance or flavour related to how much we LIKE or DISLIKE it. This is a highly subjective and can vary wildly depending on the olfactory type and the geography, preferences and habits of the people involved.

The branding, imagery, shape of the bottle, colour of the packaging and even the celebrity endorsing a product can all heavily influence a perfume’s “hedonics”. Each of these factors has a subliminal effect on whether we “like” the product enough to buy it or not.

Brands do a lot of research on this area. A fragrance may not score highly for hedonics when presented in a blank bottle and no packaging. If you then repeat this test with full branding and packaging however, the hedonic scores may well change.

A bestselling perfume has to hit that “sweet spot” of good timing, the right hedonics, being a “cool” brand and a certain je ne sais quoi which, you cannot define or predict.

Furthermore, if the brand itself seems edgy, unique, exciting or different, this can permeate into the brand narrative, attracting fashionable and image-conscious consumers.

I’ve often asked consumers “Which perfumes do you wear?”, and they answer “I wear Chanel/Tom Ford, Creed/ Versace…”. Often, but not always, they mention a brand but not the fragrance itself, which is revealing.

So here’s to all fashion forward fragrance lovers, seeking perfumes with delicious smells and fabulous stories.

Including my stylish Glamazon!