Why Fragrance Matters in Product Development

OK, so when you’re picking out a new perfume, you’re led by your nose, but how much does fragrance really affect your other purchases? If you’re choosing a new moisturiser or shampoo, you might suspect that smell takes a back seat to other factors, like performance and feel. In fact, the fragrance of products may have a much bigger impact on your choices than you realise, and this brief guide explains how.

The science behind what you smell

Pick up your favourite pot of lip balm and breathe in its aromas, or have a sniff of your shower gel. What do you get? Perhaps floral notes fill your nose, or maybe you pick up a whiff of summer fruits. These fragrances may seem relatively simple, but in fact some highly complex science goes into creating them. Companies often blend precise combinations of natural and synthetic ingredients to replicate these scents, and they use extensive product testing methods to make sure they are a hit with their customers.

Many brands rely on distinctive fragrances to help set themselves apart from their competitors. They might choose a variety of scents across their products ranges that complement each other but differ, or they might keep a signature smell that carries across their entire collections.

How scent influences your choices

It’s easy to overlook how much of an impact scent has on the things we choose to buy, but pay attention next time you’re on the lookout for some new cosmetics. Chances are, one of the first things you do when you pick up a product is pop open the lid and inhale the aromas. If you don’t like the fragrance that greets you, would you be prepared to splash your cash anyway? The chances are you wouldn’t. Scent is a highly evocative sense and it’s the one that’s most closely related to memory. The right fragrance can instantly fill your mind with happy memories and positive associations.  

Experts even suggest that smell can affect our perception of product performance. So, if you think the smell of a cosmetic is spot on, you might be more inclined to think it will do a good job.

Far from fading into the background when we’re selecting cosmetics and other products, smell is often at the forefront of our decisions, even if we don’t realise it. It’s no surprise then that firms pay such close attention to this issue when they’re developing new goods.

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