Is Fragrances Still a Woman's Game?

For years designer fragrances where the realm of women with the vast majority of modern scents designed with them in mind. It was the case that there was this overwhelming perception that fragrances should be designed primarily for one very simple reason. That is where the market for fragrances was deemed to reside and manufacturers didn't seem to think that there was a viable market selling specifically to men.

In recent years however this perception appears to have been dashed as it has become more apparent that there is a large market in producing scents exclusively for men. Obviously there has always been a market for aftershave, but it is only recently that it has been marketed to the same scale as women's in a variety of areas.

Television advertising is possibly the strongest media outlet for fragrance companies. They spend copious amounts of money on prime time adverts featuring a string of well known celebrities. While we still mostly see adverts for feminine fragrances, there are a growing number of ads such as Davidoff's Adventure featuring Ewan McGregor and a variety of ads catering for both sexes.

The range of fragrances itself shows the rapid transition into this being an ever market for men and women. Walking around any retailer, you will find that there are a great deal more aftershaves available than there used to be as shops know that they will be able to move large amounts of stock directed at men. Partly due to the fact that the percentage of men receiving aftershave as gifts has shot up in recent years.

It is not just at the sale end of the spectrum that manufacturers have started gearing towards men. The production process is not often a strong area for male involvement. Many male celebrities have taken on the role of the face of their fragrance or even been involved from the design stage. Sean John (or P Diddy) is a clear example of male advertised aftershave success. While a Jade Goody perfume would have come as little surprise, a David Beckham aftershave was clearly less expected.

It is becoming more and more apparent that the world of fragrance production is becoming a more evenly divided market. While female fragrances will likely always be popular, it is the male scents which are in the ascendancy.

About The Author Sam Qam likes a gift of aftershave as much as the next guy and recently bought jade goody perfume for his wife.