Fall in Love with Fragrance Again

It’s time for the fragrance industry to re-energize, re-focus and re-think the way we do business.

WRITTEN BY: Rochelle Bloom, president of The Fragrance Foundation

Every few decades, an industry with a long tradition needs to re-invent itself to respond to the tastes and lifestyle of new generations, new consumers, new buying trends. That doesn’t mean to say that everything that went before gets thrown out. That doesn’t mean to say that the heritage of a brand should be destroyed. What it means is that the industry, in this case, the fragrance industry, takes a long hard look at itself to re-adjust, re-balance and go forward with a re-calibrated mindset.

For those of you who know me, you know I speak my mind! I always like to think of the glass half full, but no matter how you spin it, facts are facts. The fragrance industry has been in decline for the past three years. The economy, the consumer confusion, the amazing race to launch new, new, new without time to nurture, nourish and flourish has contributed to this decline. Of course there are many other factors including, I would venture to suggest: the stockpiles of gift boxes that are piled up on counters during holiday seasons past, the lack of any romance, mystery and story that is conveyed to consumers and certainly the absence of warm, caring, knowledgeable customer service. An overall loss of passion, you might say.

On the subject of packaging, let me applaud the eco-forward brands who look to recycle, refill and sustain. Let me applaud the gorgeous bottles that are works of art in their own right and beautiful enough to be displayed and admired in any downtown gallery or uptown museum.

The most incredible creative and business minds in the world work in the fragrance industry and they need to come up with a plan of action to turn this corner. To lure and entice consumers back to the counter with the magic and mystery of fragrance. The One Drop Changes Everything campaign was the result of an industry think-tank. It’s a call to action for both manufacturers and consumers. It helps remind us that fragrance is a pleasure, an affordable fashion accessory, a little bit of luxury or a style-vibe from a favorite designer. Just one drop of fragrance can make you feel fabulous. That’s a simple message. The whole idea behind the campaign was to rally the industry as one and engage with consumers that fragrance is fun.

We can certainly all look to the classic brands to learn a lesson in longevity and how to do it right. Chanel, Dior and Estée Lauder prove that continuity, nurturing and understanding the DNA of a brand does work over the long term.

And what about celebrity fragrances? Without a doubt, we owe them a debt of gratitude for adding glamour, excitement and visibility to our industry when they put their name to a bottle. Store appearances of Beyonce or Usher, Sara Jessica Parker or Sean John get the cash registers ringing and send the media into a frenzy. It’s showbiz! It’s theatre. It’s fun.

Clearly, we need to re-energize, re-focus and re-think the way we do business so that the creativity shines through, the consumers are bewitched and beguiled back to the counters and fragrance brands are rewarded by increased sales for their commitment to excellence.