Throughout the years, celebrity endorsements in fragrance products have created the opportunity to expand and strengthen branding for both the celebrity and the fragrance. In recent years, only 7% of U.S. consumers purchased a fragrance because it was endorsed by a celebrity. The research firm also found that only 5% of consumers in the UK purchased endorsed products - a noticable shift from the late 1990s and early 2000s when the markets were strong in both the US and UK.
Although Mintel Research has seen that interest in celebrity fragrance has declined, reinventing the market through high quality ingredient formulation and rebranding into a luxury line may prove to revive consumer attention.
Celebrities have high marketing impacts and a large social media following, while consumers are looking for personable and transparent products. Combining consumer demands and branding together could shift the perspective of celebrity endorsed fragrances into a more positive light:
- Subtle marketing strategies: By implementing the use of social media marketing, celebrities can promote their fragrance themselves, providing a more personal approach to reach consumers.
- Be more than a name: This is an opportunity for celebrities to become part of the process by assisting in the formulation of the scents and overall design of the product, and again bridging the gap between branding and consumer.
- Celebrity brands are important: Linking a fragrance to a celebrity’s already-established brand offers a more viable appeal for consumers.
- High-quality products: Creating products with quality ingredients can be placed in the luxury fragrance category to offer a distinguished branding for a celebrity.