Fragrance and Product Functionality

In discussing the working relations between marketing and R&D, it probably makes sense to review some of the basic laws of marketing. Since it is critical for product development and perfumery people to understand marketing and its impact on product performance as perceived by the consumer, I would like to quickly review some of Odioso’s Laws, as codified by Dr. Ray Odioso, vice-president of Drackett. These are to be published soon in their entirety in Research Management. Odioso’s first law states:

MS = MD

Loosely translated from the mathematical equation, this becomes Monkey See, Monkey Do. Perhaps the best recent product manifestation of this law are the one hundred or so mousse products on the store shelves in the United States. It seems to follow that if their product sells, mine might also. Terms such as trends, fads and “me too” are monuments to MS = MD, Odioso’s second law is often the source of complete frustration for many product develop ment people:

MI = 1/TF

Marketing Interest is inversely related to Technical Feasibility. If you can make it, no one wants it. A verbal interpretation of this law as stated in Hiller’s Canon--’’All we have around here are Marketing successes and Technical failures.” Finally, I feel a sense of professional obligation to mention Hirsch’s Law of Career Development:

1F> 100S

One Failure outweighs one hundred product Successes so don’t ever—I mean never—be associated with a product failure.

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