How to Market Perfume

An attractive package sells your perfume.

Making perfume is an old art, traceable to ancient Egypt, Rome and Mesopotamia. Once considered the domain of alchemists, the makers of perfume were both feared and revered. Today’s perfume market is a massive industry with cosmetic giants vying for top billing for their fragrance line. However, even with all the competition at the upper levels, there is still room for the small perfume maker to market his or her fragrance. Read on to learn how to market perfume.

Instructions

1. Develop your marketing plan to suit your financial resources. Establishing a niche in the perfume market takes patience and money but your first concern should be making the most of your marketing dollar. Even if your finances are limited, there are ways you can start small and expand your base as your product sells.

2. Package your product with a well-developed theme. For instance, an earthy fragrance that you’ve named “Cowgirl Nights,” will attract more buyers when tucked into a box with a lacy western design and a tiny silver lasso that adorns the bottle. The outside of the package will attract a first-time buyer; a quality fragrance will bring buyers back to purchase more.

3. Visit with small independent boutiques and ask if you can sell your perfume on commission in their shop. Large franchises will usually decline, but a sole proprietor may be willing to put a few bottles out for her customers.

4. Offer bulk discounts to retailers who purchase your perfume to resell in their stores. The price you think is fair for your product on the open market is not the price a store owner will pay. Retailers are in business to make a profit and you must sell your perfume to them at a wholesale price.

5. Take samples of your perfume to leading hair salons and day spas in your area. Speak with the owner and ask to put a bottle on the reception counter for her clients to sample. Call back in a couple of weeks and ask for feedback about your product. If the spa owner heard good comments, she will be more willing to buy some to resell in her business.

6. Market your perfume online with your own website featuring a shopping cart where buyers can easily make a purchase and check out. List your product online in auctions, like eBay and put a link to your website so wholesale buyers can contact you.

7. Hire a perfume marketing firm to handle the promotion of your fragrance if the thought of doing the footwork yourself overwhelms you and you have the financial means to do so. Unlike you, marketing firms have contacts in the industry and can get their foot in otherwise closed doors. A perfume marketing firm has an established customer base so you won’t have to wait for marketing results. See the Resources section for a link.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Perfume marketing agency