Why Fragrance Is the New Front Door to Brand Identity
Fragrance is having a big year – not just on vanities, but in boardrooms. Brands and retailers alike are rethinking the role of scent, not just as a product category but as a powerful emotional entry point. Sephora’s playbook says it all: a sharpened focus on mid-tier exclusives like Kayali, Glossier, Boy Smells, and Phlur, paired with pricing that encourages discovery (under $100 for full-size, under $30 for travel). It’s an impulse buy that feels intimate. A luxury that doesn’t need explaining.
But let’s zoom out. This moment isn’t just about sales; it’s about storytelling. And for a lot of brands, fragrance is becoming the first and most expressive way to tell theirs.
Fragrance Isn’t a Product. It’s a Portal.
Scent sits in a category of its own: invisible, emotional, and intimate. That makes it uniquely suited to carry a brand’s identity. On TikTok, creators aren’t reviewing perfume, they’re narrating it like a short film: “It’s like walking barefoot on warm earth after a long summer day” . These aren’t just product endorsements. They’re portals to mood, memory, and self-perception. That kind of connection? Hard to beat.
And that’s exactly what’s driving this shift. Consumers want brands that feel like something. Fragrance gets you there faster than almost anything else.
The Phlur Effect
No case study hits harder than Phlur’s “Missing Person.” Launched under influencer Chriselle Lim’s creative direction, it was meant to capture the scent of longing, intimacy, and absence and inspired by a challenging time in Lim’s personal life. TikTok lit up. Users cried. Descriptions like “this smells like my ex-boyfriend’s hoodie” flooded FYPs. The fragrance sold out in five hours and built a waitlist 200,000 deep.
It wasn’t just a viral moment. It was a masterclass in emotional brand storytelling, product-market timing, and what happens when a scent speaks louder than copy ever could.
Why Now?
Fragrance is the ideal product for this moment:
- It’s sensorial and emotional – at a time when people want to feel more than scroll.
- It’s universal: no sizing, no shame, no barrier to entry.
- It’s culturally fluid: able to live in beauty, fashion, wellness, even tech.
And unlike skincare or apparel, it doesn’t need a 10-step routine or a style guide. It works in a moment. It says who you are, without having to say a word.
What Brands Should Take Away
Fragrance isn’t just a product category, but a brand asset. A soft power tool that tells people what you stand for before they even process it. If you’re a fashion label, fragrance can extend your aesthetic into lived experience. If you’re in skincare or wellness, it becomes your signature. If you’re none of the above, it’s your first emotional handshake.
Here’s where the opportunity lies:
- Anchor identity. Use scent to make your brand felt – not just seen or heard.
- Fuel discovery. Trial-sized formats and travel sprays are more than price plays; they’re invitations to fall in love.
- Tell better stories. Partner with creators who know how to translate notes into narrative. Mood sells more than molecule breakdowns.
- Think system, not SKU. This isn’t about adding product. It’s about deepening your world.
Looking Ahead
The brands that win in culture are the ones that feel the most human. Fragrance by design is intimate, emotional, and lingering. It’s the only part of your brand that can literally follow someone around.
So the question isn’t should you invest in fragrance. It’s: what story do you want people to carry with them?