alpha aromatics®Fragrance has the ability to do many things for an endless array product manufacturers and retail environments.
It can lure unsuspecting consumers; it can seduce customers to recall past memories and, by virtue of that, increase sales; it can help to establish a firm foothold for products in otherwise crowded marketplaces.
Even more, fragrance can also take a product suffering from brand fatigue and dramatically transform its desirability, popularity and revenue potential.
From soaps, detergents, fabric softeners and disinfectant products to facial creams, shaving creams and shampoo brands, discover how the subtle power of fragrance can strategically transform stale brands and rejuvenate lagging sales.
But first, a little on what exactly is brand fatigue (and/or fragrance fatigue), what can cause it, what makes for a healthy brand and then to the good stuff — imparting our own experience with fragrance fatigue and solving the problems of fading brands with scent, along with a list of fragrances we’ve designed specifically to invigorate products from a swath industries.
What Exactly Is Brand Fatigue And Fragrance Fatigue?
If that old adage about familiarity breeding contempt has any validity in marketing, the advertising phenomenon known as brand fatigue is perhaps among its most negative of manifestations.
From a practical sense, brand fatigue occurs when consumers become so saturated with a brand’s advertising that they opt to ignore it, whenever it appears.
From a scent perspective, fragrance fatigue occurs for a number of reasons, but mainly it’s due to shifting market trends and preferences.
In both cases, once it takes hold, there is no longer any point in trying to deliver a message to a once receptive demographic.
They have already separated themselves from both the brand and its communiqué forever. Brand fatigue causes monotony and repetition.
Most people tend to lose interest when they are bombarded consistently with emails about new offers, promotions, special buys and new products from brands they like.
Unwanted messages are like house guests who pop up unannounced, and they serve to turn consumers away from a once favored brand.
Posted messages must also always be pertinent even if that means the quantity of emails will be small.
For example, if a woman buys a certain lipstick or other beauty product from a store, emails about employees of the month or manufacturing insights from that particular establishment are extraneous.
However, a message about new and different shades and fragrances of the same brand of lipstick or beauty product would be relevant news of interest.
What Causes A Fragrance To Fall Out Of Fashion?
1) Trends and and tastes change, so while the notes of a particular scent may have been trendy at one point, it no longer carries an attraction to new generations.
2) Similarly, the rise of unisex fragrances might have made a certain sex-specific scent less desirable.
3) Price hikes and limited availability of essential oils can lead to brand owners altering a fragrance to optimize profit, which consumers inevitably pick up on.
4) The competitive landscape simply dictates the need for new, enticing fragrances.
What Is Brand Health?
Alpha Aromatics is a good example of a brand that is healthy, having maintained the same mission and focus today as it did when it was first established decades ago.
A brand is authentic when it aligns itself with the mission and values of the company it represents.
Success is measured by a collection of metrics, which evaluate the accomplishments of the brand itself. This does not relate to company sales numbers, but rather to its strengths and weaknesses and the need to change or improve current practices, should that be necessary.
Brand metrics provide answers to questions that might otherwise not be so be obvious such as: the connection between improving company reputation and eliminating controversial marketing campaigns and the need to upgrade customer service strategies.
Also, brand familiarity, what customers think about it and how well a trade-marked company fares with competitors are all indicated by these metrics and further measured by traffic on social media (social networks, news sites, blogs, forums).
Discover how Middle Eastern fragrances can define your brand.
A Few Relevant Studies and Statistics
Global research conducted by Momentum Worldwide studied more than 6,500 respondents across nine markets in order to classify their feelings towards well-known brands.
Results indicated that more than half of those surveyed in Britain, Japan and the United States reported indifference and a loss of connection with some of the best-known brands in the market place.
Fifty four percent of those in Britain considered brands as only ‘an acquaintance;’ 55% of Japanese participants felt the same way. In the United States, some 45% were similarly inclined.
The research also revealed a clear waning in brand affection among the millennial generation particularly.
Across the globe, consumers between the ages of 25 and 31 consider brands as a ‘family member’ or ‘significant other.’ This number dropped by five percentage points within the 18 to 24 age bracket.
According to Abigail Comber, head of brands and marketing at British Airways: “The key is to be relevant to your customers, understand them and what they want and need and then you can definitely form that bond with them. It always helps being an open brand that can have a two-way conversation – if that’s what people are looking for from you.”
In the words of Sam Thomson, UK brand and values director at The Body Shop: “Brand fatigue exists, especially when companies just copy and paste the above-the-line marketing campaign into the social sphere and expect it to resonate….The days of top-down brand preaching are extremely numbered; it’s key to be in step with consumers’ lifestyles and ensure that the content at each touch point is relevant to this.”
Reviving Brands Through The Power Of Fragrance
A change of pace and a new coat of paint are terms that indicate change, and if your brand is tired, it needs adjustment desperately.
There are many things companies can do to revive a brand, a number of which we have listed farther down below, but there is nothing like the enduring power of fragrance to spice up your bottom line.
Our master perfumers are often approached by manufacturers looking to energize an otherwise lagging brand. Sometimes it involves a subtle tweak to certain notes of an existing fragrance to liven up its olfactory profile, and other times it involves creating an entirely new scent from scratch.
Below are just a few examples of fragrance categories and actual fragrances created by our master perfumers, that are ideal or have been used to spruce up an otherwise waning brand.
Pomelo Blossom Jasmine
A top note blend of pomelo, melon and berry fuses into a heart note amalgam of night blooming jasmine, orange blossom and neroli. The scent completes with a base note featuring vanilla bean, musk and patchouli.
Bamboo Grass And Ginger
This tropical fragrance is marked by opening elements of bergamot and peach that soon fade into exotic notes of jasmine, bamboo, ginger and tea bud. A base note of sage, musk and amber complete the scent.
Blue Agave And Sea Salt
Inspired by the endless awe of the ocean, this scent opens with top notes of casaba melon, apricot kernel and sea salt. An exotic middle note of ylang, rose, moss, clove and rich blue agave acquiesce to a finishing note of sandalwood, musk and sugary nectar.
Bay Leaf And Bergamot
Notes of bergamot, lemon and orange peel morph into a heart note of bay leaf, camphor, pine and eucalyptus. The scent finishes with woody aspects of cedar, musk and sandalwood.
Cool Mint And Citron
Lemon, bergamot, orange and pear form the top notes of this scent. A middle note of eucalyptus and peppermint surrender to a final note of almonds, cherrywood and white musk.
Guava Blossom Kiwi
Top notes with tropical accents of mango, guava, kiwi, tangerine and passion flower soon give way to floral elements of rose, magnolia, neroli, night blooming jasmine and yiang yiang. A base note of amber, vanilla and sandalwood completes the fragrance.
Beach Kissed Musk
The beach scene is set, so to speak, with top notes of mandarin, grapefruit peel and salt sea air. A middle note of jasmine, honeysuckle and muquet eventually fold into a base note of amber, vanilla musk and sun dried driftwood.
Pink Tangelo Orchid
This inviting fragrance opens with a citrusy top note featuring grapefruit, tangelo and citron which soon melds into a floral heart note of orange blossom, jasmine, rose and orchid. The scent completes with a woody base note characterized by sandalwood, oak moss and musk.
Apple Blossom Teak
Aspects of pear, mango, apple and persimmon open this fruity/floral unisex scent.
Violet, jasmine petal and begonia blossoms form the floral heart note and these elements soon coalesce into a final woody note of rich amber, musk, pine and cedar.
Passionfruit Hibiscus
A sweet and tropical mélange of guava, passionfruit and kiwi comprise the top note of this exotic fragrance. A floral heart note of waterlily, hibiscus, jasmine and creamy gardenia soon follows only to meld into a finishing base note of musk, amber and sandalwood.
Pink Peony Mangosteen
Highly fragrant and tropical, mangosteen pear and tangerine open this scent and soon fade into a floral heart note bouquet of hyacinth, lilac and peony. Enticing elements of vanilla, patchouli and musk are featured in the base note of this alluring fragrance.
Huckleberry Sugar Blossom
This feminine scent evokes feelings of home and hearth. It features pungent huckleberry, which blends with floral, citrus and brown sugar elements and completes with a sweet base note of spice and caramel.
Goji Berry Mango
This aromatic bouquet of goji berry, vanilla and mango tinged with hints of velvety peach and plum offers an olfactory carpet ride to far way shores and dazzling sunsets.
Black Currant Persimmon
Peach, red currant and crisp, lemon open this fragrance and soon fade into a floral bouquet of persimmon, jasmine and geranium. The base note of sensual white musk and sun-dried wood finish this memorable scent.
Vanilla Orchid And Sandalwood
Elements of ocean air and cassaba melon open this lovely fragrance.and soon meld into a floral heart note marked by lush vanilla, orchid and gardenia. The scent completes with a base note of driftwood, amber and sandalwood.
In Conclusion
Brand fatigue is a dangerous hole to fall into and drown.
Alpha Aromatics can extend that proverbial life preserver with both our expertise and our vast array of fragrances that will help to keep your trade mark ever fresh and new.
Call our team today and explore how fragrance can reinvigorate your brand and bottom line.
Photo Credits: Pixabay and Adobe Photo
A Few Bonus Tips To Avoid Brand Fatigue
Brand fatigue can creep up on a business without warning. While far from an exact science, there are ways to avoid it. The following tips represent some serious pitfalls.
Too Much Texting In Ad Format
They say variety is the spice of life, and that is true even in the world of advertising. Too much text and the same type of formatting (videos for example) turns consumers off.
Conversely, introducing a variety of content mediums and types attracts them. Make your brand more exciting by keeping ads fresh and new. Let go of the belief that repeating a brand message over and over will help retain a consumer base.
The Choice Of Topics
Brand marketers must learn to think outside that proverbial box and expand ads to include more than just obvious information about a specific product. (For example, marketing a fragrance created by Alpha Aromatics would be focused both on the uniqueness of that scent and the elements that form its ultimate character.) These expert perfumers understand that information in the form of topics that are related to the product will help keep their ads fresh and original.
Social Posting Schedule
Social media postings can become very predictable especially if they always appear according to a pre-arranged schedule. A varied agenda in addition to a few unexpected and random posts sparks more consumer interest.
Offers and Deals
Special promotions can draw a great deal of attention on social media outlets. They are limited in effect however, unless a brand marketer presents diverse types of promotions.
Dare To Be Different Than Other Advertisements
This also requires out-of-the-box thinking sprinkled with a splash of derring-do. Try to find something different to separate your product from others of its ilk.
For example, a new shampoo may stand out because of the bottle design, benefits to hair care, its color or the recommendations associated with it. Diversification is important and this is the essence of Alpha Aromatics’ enduring success.
Their innovation and research conducted in their 85,000 square foot Technology Center, which is situated in suburban Pittsburgh, PA, encourages constant experimentation. Take the leap and try out one strategy.
If that doesn’t work, try again with another. Think!
Customize Your Advertisements
Brand messages must be unique, with an actual tag/hook that relates to a targeted audience. One size never fits all. A conversational tone usually works well with consumers because it is direct, and if done correctly, personal as well, Repetitive responses will render a brand monotonous and dull.
Speak Directly To Your Audience
As mentioned above, personalizing a brand message is the only way to develop sustainable relationships with consumers. A healthy brand seeks to induce excitement and to encourage customers to perceive value in a company and its products. Speaking directly moves them over to your side. Do the research, engage with your customers, find out what they want and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Don’t Be Intrusive
Annoying consumers will not encourage them to buy a brand’s products.Take control over how a targeted audience views your brand. One way to do this is to either get in front of the music/video or behind it. Do not allow your company’s ads to be used on junk mail websites.
