How to Market Fragrances to those who View Perfume as Art
We continue to explore what resonates with different segments of niche fragrance consumers. Today, the spotlight is on those who see perfume as an art form.
If a brand is targeted at consumers who appreciate perfume as a form of art, it makes sense to employ tactics similar to those used in the art industry:
create limited editions,
establish a presence in cities with the most thriving art scene,
collaborate with other artists and personalities from the underground scene,
host events and performances that bring magic into reality,
rely on word of mouth and organic rather than sponsored content,
engage curators/experts, etc.
But niche fragrance brands have already been doing all of this for a while. The question is: what tactics used in the art business have been underutilized in perfumery and can be successfully adopted? To find an answer, let’s first reflect on what high-level principles apply to the art space.
On a practical level, art is not something one consumes repeatedly. You experience it once (e.g., at an exhibition), you may post about it on social media, you may purchase and exhibit it to your guests in your living room. In any case, it’s a limited number of interactions.
If we apply this principle to perfume, the concept of fragrance wearability and craveability will be irrelevant, as repeated purchases won’t be the goal (in contrast with the sensory category, where repeat purchases are the goal). Instead, brand owners/marketers should employ an acquisition strategy and aim for horizontal growth. This can be achieved by engaging not only the core segment of fragrance buyers but also non-buyers who are interested in different forms of art, but not necessarily in perfume – by adjusting the promotion strategy and targeting parameters accordingly. Brand owners should also plan for a large regional footprint from the very beginning and account for this in formulas, labels, naming, and digital strategy.
Art is also much more about being intriguing and provocative than about being pleasant. Its value lies more on the intellectual rather than sensorial side. It’s not the tangible item, but the emotion that is being sold, and this emotion should be strong enough to make the purchase worthwhile even despite the limited interactions and limited practical use. So, when perfume is positioned as art, it makes sense to:
motivate interest by promising an unusual experience (but discreetly, in a tasteful, subtle manner, as with most attempts to stand out, there is a risk of being perceived as too gimmicky – e.g., include “fantasy accords” sparingly, hone in on experimental approach to formulation rather than extravagant notes, etc.),
if any sniff testing is done, focus on evaluating the ability of the juice to evoke interesting associations/images (and inspire interesting reviews) vs. its sensory qualities or how well-blended it is,
limit sample distribution to the minimum needed to collect a critical mass of reviews; choose sample recipients carefully to yield provocative (rather than positive) reviews; refrain from partnering with decanting online stores, as they attract a different audience that a) isn’t the right target for this category, b) tends to evaluate fragrances differently and leave reviews that may harm or dilute the brand,
make bottle packaging an integral part of the experience, making blind purchasing of the full bottle logical and desirable (for this category, using stock bottles or emphatically minimalist designs is a big no, even if the juice or other elements of the product are artistic and unique),
invest in stability testing and packaging that will withstand long-term storage.
Another nuance of the art industry that can be translated to perfumery is promoting the artist rather than the art itself. In the case of artistic perfumes, associating a brand with an eccentric person with an interesting background can go a long way.
From a practical standpoint, this category is quite risky as the ROI may be low. The market for it is quite small, and it is difficult to get target consumers to try a new brand as they tend to keep smaller collections than typical fragrance aficionados. It is also a category with a very subjective value, which makes it hard to sell. If the concept doesn’t resonate, it will cost the owner a lot as this category also requires higher-than-usual upfront investments. At the same time, if it does resonate, the consumer may exhibit higher than usual brand loyalty. Brand loyalty (don’t confuse it with loyalty to a specific perfume) will in turn enable high margins, a steady ROI in the long term and sometimes – even cult following.
