Perfume boxes were mentioned on them as “for him” and “for her.” This specifies the gender identity of the perfume bottle. It mentions whether it is for men or women. But why do brands and markets need to make this distinction? Do perfume fragrances have genders?

Since when was perfume used to specify a particular gender? Didn’t we think that perfumes are a means of personal attraction? They are used as an expression of your personality.

This blog describes the gender classification of perfume fragrances. It also highlights the difference in perfume packaging for different genders of perfume.

HISTORY OF PERFUME GENDERS

Gender-specific perfumes are the result of modern advertising. Perfume boxes for his and her did not exist before. In ancient times, perfume was considered a symbol of status. It was a luxury that only the rich could afford. Perfume fragrance symbolized high status, and it belonged only to the elite.

People used perfume to mask their body odor. Until the Middle Ages, people from all classes started using perfume. The gender-specific status of perfume rose in the 19th century. The rise of the middle class created stereotypes about specific perfume fragrances for the male and female genders.

Later on, the middle class was transformed by rapid economic growth in later ages. The male gender was the one working for financial means. The females were supposed to stay home. The Middle class had more spending power.

Commercial products like perfumes became more accessible because of modern manufacturing. The Middle Class would spend more on such products. It was because perfumes were believed to copy the lifestyle of the elite. This is how the gender-specific era of perfumes started.

THREE PERFUME GENDERS

The gender identity of perfume fragrances takes inspiration from one’s own beliefs and cultural choices. Perfumes are classified into three genders, which are described below. Brands do this classification to target specific consumers and their interests.

MALE PERFUME

Perfumes targeted at males have an outdoor-inspired aroma. They have scents inspired by leather, tobacco, wood, etc. Male perfumes are harder and muskier. Fragrances targeted at men usually have a more long-lasting impact.

Male fragrances also have a sensual touch to them. This sensual touch is added to attract more women, of course.

Since men have stronger body odors than women, men’s fragrances have harder aromas, too.

FEMALE PERFUME

Fruity and floral fragrances characterize female perfumes. If you smell a perfume with a mandarin, rose, citric, or lily scent, you will instantly think of it as feminine. Such perfumes have distinct perfume boxes as well. The difference between perfume box packaging will be discussed later in this blog.

For ages, brands have marketed female perfumes to attract and sensitize men. However, the latest trends have marked a shift in this school of thought. The present woman wants to be portrayed as independent and strong. Female perfumes targeting the new fashionable lady need to reconsider their role models.

GENDER NEUTRAL PERFUME

For ages, people have believed that a fragrance is not gendered. However, a so-called educated group of individuals has attached gender stereotypes to perfume choices. Still, to please the small, uneducated group, there lies an option for gender-neutral perfume.

As the name implies, gender-neutral perfumes are unrelated to any specific gender. Both male and female consumers can use these.

The classification and use of male, female, or gender-neutral perfumes depend highly upon the geographical region. Certain regions are very specific about gender classifications. Others might not.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GENDER-NEUTRAL, MALE, AND FEMALE PERFUME BOXES

The perfume industry has set different standards for perfume packaging. All three categories of perfumes have distinct packaging as well. By looking at the perfume boxes, one can easily tell if it is a male, female, or gender-neutral perfume.

The table below shows a clear and concise classification of the differences between the perfume packaging of three gender-specific perfume types. The classification is done based on color, shape, and design.

	MALE PERFUME	FEMALE PERFUME	GENDER NEUTRAL PERFUME
COLOR	Male perfume boxes have achromatic colors. Achromatic colors include grey, blue, and black. Certain brands might want to shift towards unpopular color choices, such as pastel colors. However, the market is still more inclined towards associating grey, blue, and black with the male gender.	For ages, soft and subtle colors have been associated with products related to women. Therefore, perfume boxes for women are usually made of pink, mauve, and other soft colors. The fruity and floral scent inside is depicted by bright colors on the packaging of perfume boxes.	Gender-neutral or unisex perfume boxes have generic color preferences. Since they are not targeted at any specific audience, they are free to choose any color. Commonly chosen colors are brown, black, and mauve. They have a broad segment of consumers, so they tend to choose colors that are not targeted to any specific consumer group.
SHAPE	Shapes of perfume boxes play a significant role in telling which gender they belong to. Male perfume boxes have straight-line shapes such as squares and rectangles. The cosmetic industry is very concerned when targeting products to specific consumers.	Round and curved shaped perfume boxes are more common among females. Uniquely shaped bottles with feminine graphics or printed structures attract more women. Women find such things appealing. They like their products to be unique in shape and appearance.	Unisex perfume boxes have general shapes. They can be rectangles, squares, ovals, or hexagonal.
DESIGN	Male perfume boxes have minimalist yet simple designs and graphics. You might have observed that male perfumes commonly have printed workout bodies. This is how they stand out from the rest of the options available.	Compared to simple and minimalistic designs on male perfume boxes, female perfume boxes have appealing and attractive graphics. Of course, graphics are portrayed along with the product details such as name and category. A perfume with jasmine fragrance will have jasmine petals printed on it. The graphics tell a lot about the fragrance inside. Good graphics can play a pivotal role in establishing brand loyalty.	Gender-neutral perfumes have appealing graphics as well. However, they do not have feminine, floral, or masculine graphics printed on them. One can easily differentiate them from the rest.

BENEFITS OF GENDER-SPECIFIC PACKAGING

MORE CUSTOMERS

Gender-specific packaging provides an opportunity for brands to increase their customer database. Brands can attract customers by knowing what type of perfume packaging brings more customers and, therefore, more sales.

TARGETING SPECIFIC CUSTOMERS

Gender-specific perfume is a result of target marketing. By specifying perfumes on the basis of color, shape, and design, marketers easily target consumers based on their interests. Positioning, promoting, and selling specific perfumes to target consumers is easy.

For example, suppose a female perfume brand wants to sell perfume to female consumers. In that case, it will give the perfume boxes a feminine theme. The perfume boxes might have floral graphics in red and pink color. Even the shape of the perfume boxes will have a feminine appeal.

DESIGN COMPLIMENTING THE PERFUME AROMA

When making customized perfume packaging, the perfume boxes’ design complements the perfume’s aroma. With customized perfume packaging comes various benefits. It results in an increase in customer satisfaction.

Customers get a pleasant purchase experience/ Most of all; customization allows brands to experiment. They can experiment with a variety of design and packaging options to complement the trends. Presently, consumers love unique aesthetics and packaging designs.

SYNCHRONIZING GENDER AND PERFUME MARKETING

The perfume marketing industry has synchronized gender with perfumes. Perfume marketers use different marketing strategies to attract customers. The feminine perfume industry revolves around the idea of irrational and seduction desires. The male perfume packaging is more focused on the eroticization of the male body.

Perfume marketers have used these concepts to create and market their products “for him” and “for her.” Even cosmetic shops have separate segments for both male and female cosmetics. Therefore, the link between gender and perfume fragrance has been strengthened by perfume marketers to ease their target marketing.

CONCLUSION

Although it is quite clear that the gender identity of perfumes is just a means to implement the marketing strategy of brands, perfume marketers use stereotypical approaches to sell their products to a specific group of consumers.

However, fashion has some vague lines. The modern consumer is not that much concerned about gender classification. Men don’t mind using floral scents. Similarly, females don’t want to be portrayed as too much feminine.

This led to an increase in interest in gender-neutral perfumes. It depends entirely upon consumer preference if they wish to gender-specific perfumes or gender-neutral perfumes.