Test Marketing Perfume:
Phoney Fragrance Introductions
Test The Waters For Fragrance MarketersBy Philip Goutell
© 2005 Lightyears, Inc.
In 1996, Dutch clothing designers Viktor & Rolf, staged a fake perfume launch as part of a fashion show. In 2005, fantasy became
reality with their launch of a real perfume, Flowerbomb. It
appears that the reception to the phony launch convinced L'Oréal
to take on Viktor & Rolf as a brand and launch a real
perfume — Flowerbomb, developed for L'Oréal by
perfumers at IFF and presented in a bottle designed by Fabien Baron —
a world class, multi-discipline, creative.
The Viktor & Rolf "dry test" (testing without a
product to deliver) was not a unique event among perfume makers
although it was, perhaps, one of the more successful dry tests in
recent perfume marketing history.
The purpose of the dry test is to discover, on the cheap, whether
a project is worth pursuing. If dry testing is done properly, a
marketer can get a very good "read" on whether a product
will or will not be profitable and how profitable (or non-profitable!) it might be.
Results of dry testing are not generally announced to the public
but we can, in retrospect, get some idea of
how successful (or unsuccessful) a project turned out to be. The best
measure of success is longevity. Chanel No. 5 have been on the
market since 1921. Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds has been
on the market since 1991. But look at another story —
Enchantment from ABC soap opera, "All My Children."
"All Of My Perfumes"
Product placements is a growing business. Manufacturers maneuver
to have their products displayed in movies, TV shows, music videos or
whatever. Commonly an exchange of goods or services is involved in
obtaining the placement. In its simplest form, we look at TV game
shows where "winners" carry off booty provided by various
marketers and these marketers are credited at the end of the show.
Today product placements have become increasingly important as traditional advertising media has lost some of its pull. Product placements are a way to "sneak" certain goods into a TV show or whatever, with the implied endorsement
of the characters themselves.
ABC's soap operas go a step farther by creating their own goods
for their own shows and selling them on the TV show's website.
"All My Children" carried a script that involved a perfume company.
The show, for years, has had a large following. So what better way to
test the waters and see if a real "All My Children" perfume might
succeed.
Arrangements were made with Wal-Mart to carry the fragrance.
Depending on who tells the story, Wal-Mart was paid a low,
seven-figure sum to take the fragrance (which did not yet exist and
had no proven market) or Wal-Mart agreed to advertise the
fragrance, or both. The fragrance was to be written into the show's
script in July of 2004. The real perfume would be available in
Wal-Mart in September of 2004.
Now Enchantment, from the start, faced some difficulties.
It was (on the show) to be the brainchild of "Erica Kane,"
played by Susan Lucci. But Susan Lucci's SC Enterprises markets its
own cosmetic and fragrance products, largely through Home Shopping Network but more recently, for her Invitation perfume, through Wal-Mart. Thus, how does Susan Lucci fit into the Enchantment launch which, presumably, will be in competition with her own brand?
ABC answers this question by offering publicity appearances by
other members of the cast — Rebecca Budig ("Greenlee
Symthe du Pres"), Cameron Mathison ("Ryan Lavery") and
Alicia Minshew ("Kendal Hart.") Presumably they have no
licensing conflicts.
ABC — like Viktor & Rolf — is in the position of
being able to test the waters with Enchantment before making a
major financial commitment. Thus, in addition to working it into the show's script, they were able to solicit advance orders at their website — their dry test — to judge the interest in the product.
What happened to Enchantment? By August of 2005 it could be found neither on Wal-Mart's website nor in ABC's
online store, although ABC was still running a web page soliciting orders. We did find one full size bottle of Enchantment for sale on ebay along with a sample that had been distributed at a Walt
Disney event. No mention of Enchantment could be found in Basenotes, nor any other perfumery trade website. It appears that Enchantment had come and gone.
ABC Triumphs!
The good news for "All My Children" — and it is good news —
is that the waters were tested and perhaps found to be too deep. But this was done before big dollars were invested. Perfume marketers know that not all launches succeed. No doubt "All My Children" learned valuable lessons while spending minimal amounts of money.
Dry testing is a valuable tool where you are lucky enough to be able to do it. And now, in 2005, one year later, Perfumer & Flavorist magazine is announcing the second "real-life fragrance" to be launched
by "All My Children." Wal-Mart will have it in October 2005. An August 24th TV episode will announce it.
Perhaps this time there will be a greater financial return, thanks
to the lessons learned through testing.
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