In a peer-reviewed paper published in Cognitive Research Principles and Implications, Procter & Gamble (P&G) representatives as well as scholars alongside Fragrance Creators Association's president and CEO Farah K. Ahmed proposed three factors to explain why people are attracted to scented household products.
In a peer-reviewed paper published in Cognitive Research Principles and Implications, Procter & Gamble (P&G) representatives as well as scholars alongside Fragrance Creators Association's president and CEO Farah K. Ahmed proposed three factors to explain why people are attracted to scented household products.
P&G outlines the three factors below:
1. Functional benefits
- Mitigating malodor
- Covering product base odor
- Freshening air and fabrics
2. In-use experience benefits
- Signaling cleanliness (for example, “this smells clean”)
- Reinforcing efficacy (for example, “if it smells good, it’s still clean”)
- Experiencing pleasant use of the product
3. Emotional benefits
- Increasing confidence
- Boosting mood
- Generating nostalgia
Rafael Trujillo, R&D vice president, Victor Mills Society and master perfumer at P&G and a paper co-author shared, “Scent and fragrance play a huge role in consumer purchasing behaviors. Perhaps, if we can learn more about what people prefer, and why they prefer those elements, we can create even better experiences and products that deliver superior performance.”
Looking Forward
The research doesn't stop there, according to a release by P&G, in addition to conducting consumer surveys and research, the company is investing in technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data processing.
The company is said to also be exploring how AI can suggest the “next best” scent, or other variations for consideration based on chemical and fragrance profile characteristics.
