Who nose the customer best?

Time of India

6 days ago

HighlightsStarbucks prioritises the aroma of coffee by ensuring that their outlets' cleaning products are odorless and employees refrain from using personal fragrances. The trend towards no-fragrance products is growing across various categories, including deodorants, paints, and apparel, driven by consumer demand for sensitivity-friendly options. Health-conscious consumers are increasingly avoiding artificial scents in products, leading brands like Hindustan Unilever and Asian Paints to introduce fragrance-free formulations that cater to allergies and sensitivities.
Enter a
Starbucks
outlet and you will invariably find the perfectly curated aroma of coffee wafting towards you.
Starbucks is obsessed with ensuring that nothing comes between you and the aroma of coffee as you sip on your cuppa. This extends to the floor cleaners at its outlets not having any smell, so customers smell the coffee … and nothing else. Employees are also forbidden from using deodorants or perfumes — the smells might produce a confusing mish-mash of aromatic notes when the coffee is being served to customers.
'We bring the story of the world's finest coffee beans to life by exploring flavour notes shaped by geography and altitude and sharing the care our partners put into every step of the journey,' says Mitali Maheshwari, head of product and marketing, Tata Starbucks.
The 'invisible' fragrance
There are enough and more examples of brands creating signature fragrances to lure customers into their hotels, retail outlets, showrooms, etc, but there is also an increasing number saying no to fragrance or odour in any form, thereby creating a unique proposition for themselves.
The categories that have onboarded the no-fragrance bandwagon include deodorants (no, seriously), paints, dishwasher bars, even fashion apparel.
The list of brands that see value in a no-fragrance world include large companies like Hindustan Unilever. The company's Novology, or a range of 'no-fragrance deos', also includes a global range of Dove's 'invisible deodorants'.
In the space of apparel, there are brands like Uniqlo, Turms and so on which eliminate odour — a blessing in tropical countries like India where excessive sweating is a problem.
In many cases, it's also because the consumer is asking for it. Take the case of new-age brand Amiy Naturals. In the testing process, the brand observed that over 37% of its early testers with moderate to severe acne reported some form of sensitivity to fragrance — ranging from mild irritation to full-blown discomfort. 'When we looked closer, there was a clear pattern. People dealing with hormonal imbalances, chronic skin conditions, anxiety, or even migraines, often said that even natural essential oils felt too stimulating or harsh on their systems. It was triggering breakouts, redness, and, in many cases, emotional discomfort,' says Ashmita Venkatesh, founder, Amiy Naturals.
Health benefits
Venkatesh adds that the very thing brands use to elevate a product's fragrance can also alienate the people who need relief and healing the most.
There are other consumer pain points to tackle as well. Take Asian Paints as an example. Under its Royale Luxury Emulsion range, the brand introduced
odourless paints
that, it claims are non-toxic, lead-free, low VOC (volatile organic compounds, which release fumes into the air as paint dries up, causing dizziness or headaches). 'People usually paint homes before a big occasion like a marriage or the arrival of a new-born baby. But the odour that follows the painting is avoidable,' says a senior marketer who's worked for the company.
Another category where residual aroma causes discomfort is in washing utensils. Especially Indian cookware — that bears the brunt of tough smells like onion, garlic, masalas, eggs or fish — is not going to become normal without some serious effort going into it. Which is what HUL's Vim 'anti-smell' bar featuring pudina claims to tackle.
But this trend is not only driven by an increasing awareness of allergens and sensitivities. There is also a general preference for products that don't overpower our senses with artificial scents. 'Today's consumers are increasingly conscious about what they apply to their skin, often debating the pros and cons of fragrance versus fragrance-free formulations,' says Amar Srivastava, CEO and founder of the skincare brand Ace Labs.
It turns out that among this more evolved customer base, doing away with the frills is the real smell of success.