A focused look at shampoo fragrance in the U.S. and Europe.

Fragrance in shampoo is not only important in the eyes of the manufacturer, but it is also an important signal for the consumer. Chart A provides an overview.

As companies move towards established global brands, we see that fragrance often is the universal message carrier.

Similar to the fine fragrance colognes, premium priced brands can travel from country to country more easily than their "value-for-money" counterparts. It is the "value-for-money" market that exhibits cultural idiosyncrasies that need to be taken into consideration when developing shampoo fragrances. The U.S. consumer, as shown on the subsequent pages, continues to demonstrate an interest in freshness and cleanness, while the European consumer is looking for greater sophistication (especially in France and Germany) as well as more hedonism in their fragrances.

The U.S. Shampoo Fragrance Profile

The following comments are based on the study of 220 shampoos, including the leading salon brands. The shampoos can be categorized into 10 olfactive families. The three fragrance families that dominate the U.S. Market are floral, floral-fruity and fruity as indicated …