Stephanie Daly

I used to just shrug and chuckle when I'd see various attempts at point-of-sale marketing tactics. Though I have to admit that a few years back, I gave in and purchased a Febreze that was called Brazilian Carnival, not entirely sure how that event’s aroma could be captured in the can of deodorizing mist, but yes, I bought it. I also highly doubt that the research and development team at Proctor & Gamble was able to innovate a technology to trap in the scent of Brazilian Carnival or the newer New Zealand Springs into a bottle in order to emulate the settings with just one spray. The list of interesting scents goes on and on! They include the likes of Hawaiian Aloha, Mediterranean Lavender, New Zealand Springs and even Thai Dragon Fruit!

It’s understandable when a scent is named after what it’s imitating, e.g. Citrus, Fresh Laundry, Vanilla, Apples, etc. But how do Thai natives feel about Proctor & Gamble’s effort in recreating the scent of fruits from their specific region? This goes for Brazilians, New Zealanders, and anyone from the Mediterranean as well, because everyone knows that Mediterranean Lavender is the crème de la crème, right?

I would really love to conduct a survey and/or taste test of sorts (but obviously not tasting, but smelling rather) of ordinarily named products as opposed to these products that have specialty names and see which ones are more popular among consumers. For instance, the survey could consist of various different types of products such as food, cleaning supplies, office and home products, and so on. One good example would asking whether or not a consumer would prefer to purchase a bag of Regular Variety, OR would they prefer to purchase a bag of Rainforest Espresso? Another example would be choosing between All’s Original Scent laundry detergent OR one called Secret Garden This could provide a lot of insight into these specific industries in which variations and flavors exist in their product lines. Creativity in this department could potentially add competitive edge.

I like to add variety to my life and try new things. If I’m tired of buying the same old types of products that will accomplish the same or similar things as the newer ones, then I’ll try out a new one. But it’s definitely an interesting topic to do research on – a consumer’s inclination to purchase products with more sophisticated or creative names.

How do names affect your choice of products?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal