Fragrance Project: Analysis of the project in the Real World

My survey results were obtained from ten of my male followers on Instagram. After posting a picture on my own Instagram, asking for male volunteers to take my quick survey about fragrances, I analyzed the first ten responses. Again, I only invited men to take this survey because I wanted to obtain consumer insight among male fragrance buyers. (Side note: when it came to developing the questions for my survey, I made sure to only ask important questions that would give me valuable insight.) As a result, I was able to come to specific conclusions, rather than a generic understanding.

My first question was, “Do you believe using cologne makes you more attractive?” The results were 8/10 guys marked yes. This could mean that most men believe that physical grooming is important. In addition, it shows that appearance is factor that most men care/think about.

Another question was, “Are you more likely to purchase new cologne if your favorite celebrity/athlete endorsed the product?” The results were 6/10 guys marked yes. We live in a culture that is heavily influenced by famous people. If I were to develop a new fragrance, I would want a famous name attached to it because he/she can influence the sales of the cologne.

Another question was, “Why do you apply cologne?” Obviously, I needed to include this question to find out the reason why most men use cologne. The results are not surprising. I predicted that most men use cologne to smell good and to maintain good hygiene. Guys do not like to smell bad; at least, most guys do not like to be smelly.

One of my most important questions was, “Finish the sentence: Out of all the colognes I’ve ever owned…” This question was very important because I wanted to know if most guys brought their own fragrances or if other people bought fragrances for them. The results were 8/10 guys marked “I bought less than half of them myself”; this really surprised me because I had no idea. I was shocked to see that most fragrances are given as gifts. This information is definitely helpful because it will direct the way I market my own fragrance; it could mean the difference of including a man or woman in my advertisements.

I had to include a question about packaging. The question was, “Are you likely to purchase cologne with unique bottle packaging?” I had to ask this question because after doing some research, successful colognes are successful because they look “cool”. My results supported that concept because 8/10 guys said that they are more likely to buy cologne with unique bottle packaging. This means that I need to not only develop a great scent, but I also need to develop an awesome bottle and packaging.

With the results of my survey, I concluded to develop a new fragrance that most men will enjoy. There will be some guys who absolutely hate my fragrance, but I won’t market to them. I need to come up with a marketing plan that targets women who buy cologne as gifts for the men in their lives, but at the same time, I can not alienate the men who buy cologne for themselves. Other important factors include celebrity endorsement and attractive packaging.