Russian women apply fragrances almost twice as often as Russian men – 19.4 billion times per year, as opposed to 10.3 billion, according to Canadean’s report, “Consumer Trends Analysis: Understanding Consumer Trends and Drivers of Behavior in the Russian Fragrances Market.”

The research firm says it has identified what motivates Russian women to buy and wear fragrances.

Which brand seems to be doing it right? Oriflame, says Canadean, and its Power fragrance, which launched last year. A well-known Russian television presenter, Tina Kandelaki, stars in the ad campaign, which is shown above.

Masculinity is Appealing

“As more and more Russian women focus on their careers and delay having families, they want fragrances that convey qualities which are traditionally seen as masculine, such as strength and power, alongside femininity,” Canadean states in its report. It continues, “Fragrance notes previously associated with men, such as wood and leather, will be successful in the female fragrance market in Russia.”

Canadean’s analyst, Veronika Zhupanova, explains:

“Women’s attention is no longer only centred on family, but divided between home, professional and personal achievements. This means that women will look for fragrances that communicate a story beyond pure femininity and convey characteristics that were previously seen as exclusively masculine, such as power and stamina.”

Packaging Preferences: Small, Minimal & Luxe is Best

The desire for traditional masculine qualities extends to packaging as well. Modern designs with clear lines will be appealing – not overly decorative, or very feminine packages, according to Canadean’s research. But, image is everything, especially in Russia where it’s strongly associated with status – so fragrances should look prestige.

Canadean’s tips for achieving this look and appealing to Russian women are to use matte glass finishes and elegant shapes. Again, the Power frasgrance is an example. The bottle for Oriflame’s “Power” is designed to resemble ‘the beauty of a crystal chess piece’ and ‘serves to reinforce the symbolism of a woman at the very top of her game.’

Smaller packaging that is more convenient to use on-the-go is also in demand. Zhupanova says, “Travel-sized packaging allows Russian working women to refresh their scents during busy days, after a shower in the gym or before after-work social events. This is especially important for big urban areas, where consumers often don’t have time to go home after work and reapply their fragrances.” Canadean data shows that Russian women apply fragrances 18.8 times per year in urban areas, as opposed to 0.5 billion times in rural areas.

Tell a Story, through the Packaging

To tap into the trend further, Canadean advises marketers to create stories behind products that are inspired by role models that consumers might want to aspire to be, which is what Oriflame has done by partnering with Kandelaki. The symbolism of the bottle design – and association with a chess a game – continues to tell the story of achieving ‘Power’.