Marketing Manager / Brand Management / Global & regional experience / Travel Retail / local markets / luxury / FMCG
💌 Which personal story would you tell about your fragrance 😍? Under the inspiring lead of Arnaud Guggenbuhl, Givaudan has been sharing lately its creative vision for the future and investigating how to translate olfactively Gen Z perception of love. Based on their insights, ELLE France has released a fascinating article* about Gen Z approach to fragrance. A few take aways: 👃 Gen Z (30% of the worldwide population) is currently leading a major olfactive revolution. 📈 In the US market in 2022, Gen Z’s usage of fragrances expanded up 5 percentage points to 83%**, and is leading the growth of total fragrance usage. 📱 As the go to social platform of the hyperconnected Gen Z, TikTok is leading this revolution (check the viral #perfumetok !). Gen Z is much more interested by raw emotions shared around fragrances, rather than traditional media and egeries. With very personal reviews and storytelling, TikTok influencers are creating the buzz around several juices (Missing Person from Phlur, Baccarat Rouge 450 from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Delina from Parfums de Marly…) 👵 Vintage juices are facing their come-back ! Classics such as Chanel n°19, Shalimar… are perceived as more authentic than blockbusters. 👗 Gen Z is not loyal to one signature scent, but rather building a “fragrance wardrobe” to be worn according to their mood or looks. 💲 This generation is looking for both olfactive uniqueness and interesting value for money: perfume dupes are widely shared on TikTok, while “access niche” is becoming a category as such (illustrated by the success of brands such as L'ATELIER PARFUM or ESSENTIAL PARFUMS). As a millennial, I’m super excited about the next generation being sensitive to the unique, original promise of olfaction : experiencing a meaningful, uplifting emotion. As long as Gen Z’s can, of course, relate to those fragrances in a personal way – and not fall into pure influencing, as it’s often the case when luxury products face a viral hype. Fragrance is one of the last luxury sector which has to lead its digital transformation and brands will definitely have to make drastic changes to make Gen Z fall in love with them. Exciting challenge ahead ! Can you relate to those Gen Z behaviours ? What’s your own emotion about your key fragrance(s) ? *Elle France November 23 Issue, article by Vitoria Moura Guimaraes **Circana’s Fragrance Consumer Report 2023
