After reading a blog post by Khadija Zeeshan called Ralph Lauren Rocks and also discussing Rihanna’s latest perfume called Reb’l Fleur I began thinking more and more about the fragrance industry, specifically the ones made by celebrities. Khadija made a great point by using Kotler’s model to say that marketers must connect the core values of their product to the personality traits of the individual wearing it.
Personally, I never buy a perfume just because it smells nice, there are many other factors to consider like the warmth, intensity, notes, and spices. Maybe I overcomplicate it but I think what a person smells like says a lot about who they are. I am someone who is sweet, funny, compassionate, and full of life and what I want is for my perfume to represent the brand that is Naz, so my current perfume is Flower bomb by Viktor and Rofl because it represented me the best.
It’s description is: “Creamy, balmy notes reveal a sensuous, almost “tactile” perfume. The amber in the base note is enriched by a pure vanilla absolute and benzoin, giving the strength of a powerful elixir.”
Despite the fact that a lot of people may use it as well, I believe this scent to be my own. Even my friends say it suits me perfectly! 🙂
So what does any of this have to do with Rihanna’s perfume ad? Well when I first saw the interactive video I thought it was a very cool and unique idea; however, I knew right away that I would never buy it. I am not a Rihanna hater but I am also not her biggest fan; i’m indifferent to her. Conversely, one of my friends, who recently bought this perfume, is a huge fan and constantly talks about how beautiful and successful she is. I wonder if she thinks buying Reb’l Fleur will make her more beautiful and successful like Rihanna….
Like I said before, there is so much more to marketing a perfume that simply “it smells good”, and I think that celebrity scents are especially difficult to promote. They may have target markets and be geared to people with a specific style but unless that person likes that celebrity then I don’t think they will buy it. My scent is a part of my style, it is what my friends recognize me by, and it’s a small taste of my personality. A smell can bring on a flood of memories and even influence people’s moods so why would I buy something that constantly reminds me of a celebrity I don’t particularly care for?
In the words of Christine Dior ” A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting”.