Did you know that men and women notice scents differently? When you stop to think about it, this explains why some fragrances are more popular with men and others are more captivating for women.
It is vital to understand these differences when putting together your perfume branding plan. Knowing how scents affect your target audience will help you choose the signature scent that will best align with your product or service.
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the role of gender in scent perception, common scent preferences, and the implications for scent marketing.
Gender Differences
There are several factors that influence how men and women perceive smells, including:
- Biological Factors: Hormonal variations influence how sensitive a person is to smells. Women even show fluctuations in their perception of scents during different phases in their cycle, sometimes showing heightened sensitivity to certain scents.
- Psychological & Cultural Factors: Social norms and cultural backgrounds play a huge role in scent associations. For example, think of how floral scents are associated with femininity and delicacy, while woody and leathery scents are linked to masculinity, ruggedness, and strength.
- Evolutionary Factors: Historically, scents played a role in mate selection and survival strategies. And today, while we might not think about it much, scents still shape our preferences.
Implications For Scent Marketing
Successful scent marketing and perfume branding rely on a thorough understanding of how scents affect different audiences. When we know that men and women experience scents differently, we can incorporate this knowledge into the design and development of brand-specific signature scents.
Key considerations for a successful campaign include:
- Targeting a specific segment of the market, population group or consumer group with customised scents that appeal to the desired gender audience.
- Recognising the growing demand for inclusivity by creating unisex or gender-neutral fragrances that appeal to a broad range of consumers.
- Focusing on signature scents that are memorable and arouse the right kind of emotions that you want to be associated with your brand.
Need help creating your brand’s signature scent? Let our perfume branding team help you take advantage of the knowledge that scents are perceived differently by men and women. Connect with us to discover a scent that will best appeal to your target audience, whether they are male, female, or both.
