Jul 8, 2003/ FW/ --- Vertis, a leading provider of technology-based integrated marketing and advertising solutions, today announced the results of its Customer Focus 2003: Fragrance study, which reveals that three-quarters of women now wear perfume and more than two-thirds of men use cologne, showing a significant increase from 2002.

"When it comes to fragrance usage the new survey shows a year-to-year increase of 14 percent among women and nine percent for men," says Thérèse Mulvey, vice president marketing research (see figure 1). "The popularity of wearing a scent waned in 2002, an indication of the general economic and emotional state of the American public a year ago. The good news for fragrance brands and marketers is that perfume and cologne have become more important to consumers."

The Vertis Customer Focus 2003: Fragrance study shows the following additional findings, which provide insight into the differences in consumers' attitudes and actions based upon the individual's gender and age (see figure 2 for generational breakdown):

Women Rely Most on a Fragrance's Scent

• 65 percent of women said they have purchased perfume in the past 12 months compared with 60 percent in 2001 and 55 percent in 2002
• Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomer females are 11-13 percent more likely to buy a fragrance today than they were in 2002
• Senior women are the only generation to show a decline in purchasing behavior, 51 percent in 2002 versus 43 percent in 2003
• Not surprisingly, smell is most important when women are selecting a brand of fragrance, followed by price and brand favorite
• Hispanic women spent $40 more than the average woman on perfume and cologne in the last 12 months

Men Count on Others to Help Them Make a Purchase

• 59 percent of men said they have purchased cologne in the past 12 months compared with 59 percent in 2001 and 47 percent in 2002
• Gen Y men are the only age group to wear less fragrance than they were a year ago, 79 percent in 2003 vs. 75 percent in 2003
• Men are 11 percent more likely than women to allow what others think of a fragrance to influence their purchasing decision

Scented Magazine Advertisements Drive Purchases

• Half of women (50 percent) said that in the past 90 days they had smelled a fragrance advertisement in a magazine, up from 46 percent in 2002
• 69 percent of women and 71 percent of men indicated that scented magazine advertisements are "somewhat" or "very helpful" when deciding which fragrance to buy, an increase of four percent for females and 15 percent for men from 2002