AI fragrance advisor | solving the mystery of buying scents online

Fragrance has long been a difficult product to sell online. Buying a scent requires a sense of smell - one a screen can’t transmit! This sensory gap is a massive challenge for fragrance brands, which is why the introduction of an AI fragrance advisor by Jo Malone London recently, is such an exciting new innovation in the digital scent technology space.

This new feature offers highly personalized recommendations to consumers, in an effort to boost digital sales, while eliminating the guesswork behind high return rates in the industry. Fragrance products bought online often face return rates of around 14.3%, with scent mismatch being the reason for return 67% of the time.

Digital scent technology is rapidly rising, with an aim to revolutionize how people will shop and engage with beauty products online. Like virtual try-ons, an AI fragrance advisor is a significant step in breaking down some of the barriers associated with the traditional risks of purchasing new scents online. As dupe culture continues to persist, and the lines between mass, masstige and luxury scents continue to blur, delivering personalized fragrance recommendations online could be an excellent solution - if it’s well received by the consumer.

How does an AI fragrance advisor find a perfect scent?

An AI fragrance advisor doesn’t simply answer questions about fragrance; it’s designed to act as a digital perfumer. Tools like the recent Jo Malone London Scent Advisor, developed by The Estée Lauder Companies using computer intelligence, are leading examples of this innovation. Let’s dive in:

Conversing with a digital perfumer
The biggest breakthrough that Jo Malone’s AI fragrance advisor has achieved is allowing consumers to move beyond rigid questions. It allows consumers to describe their preferences using their own, natural and emotional language. So, instead of a survey asking about citrus or floral notes, the smart advisor accepts conversational inputs like:

• I want a sophisticated scent for a job interview
• I’m looking for a cozy, nostalgic smell that reminds me of Christmas

The system then uses advanced language processing to instantly interpret the feeling and occasion of a request, translating terms like ‘cozy’ or ‘sophisticated’ into detailed scent characteristics. 

Finding a perfect match
Rather than relying on simple filters, a digital advisor is powered by advanced large language models from Google. These are trained on vast global knowledge datasets and must process and cross-reference conversational inputs against millions of proprietary data points. This includes the chemical structures and precise blending ratios of Jo Malone’s unique fragrance library.

This deep analysis is what allows an AI fragrance advisor to generate a highly accurate scent profile. Studies show that consumers who use personalization tools are up to 70% more likely to convert on their first visit. This drastically reduces guesswork and gives consumers confidence in their digital choice - this capability is key for anyone searching for AI tools to find a perfect perfume.

What is digital scent technology? Can I smell fragrance online soon?

If an AI advisor solves the problem of discovering the right scent, the logistical challenge of smelling the scent still remains (no, you can’t smell fragrance online!). Delivering the final physical confirmation that a scent is right for a consumer still remains. This is where precision digital product sampling solutions become crucial.

At SoPost, we’ve pioneered a system that ensures the targeted, data-rich delivery of samples, linking digital intent directly to physical trials and full-sized purchases. By coupling this controlled process with an AI fragrance advisor can, therefore, increase the likelihood of conversion further.

While still in the incredibly early stages of development, digital scent technology aims to revolutionize how we engage with scent online. The current sensory gap - smelling instantly before purchase - has been ‘solved’ by Jo Malone by allowing consumers to perceive their scents virtually. However, digital scent technology actually complements data-driven sampling by combining perception with validated efficacy through trial. Eventually, this emerging technology could complement sampling even further by offering instant, synthetic trials when a physical sample is not immediately available. Imagine that! An advanced digital preview that further validates the recommendation an AI fragrance advisor generated - exciting!

It’s important to remember that digital scent technology is still largely in the research phase, but it does represent the next evolutionary step in the future of fragrance shopping online. 

How will an AI fragrance advisor impact new scents?

The shift towards AI and digital scent technology is incredibly exciting. An AI fragrance advisor provides consumers with high confidence and personalized results, which reduces returns and delivers the best consumer benefit in line with their demands. However, it’s also important to note that these sophisticated systems are also being used to recommend, as well as invent.

Generative AI for fragrance creation analyzes market gaps and user desire maps captured by an AI fragrance advisor to create entirely novel fragrance formulas, tailored to emerging consumer tastes. The speed of innovation here is crucial: AI-assisted development cycles are up to 60% faster than traditional methods, drastically reducing the time-to-market for new scents. This means the future of scent is not just better shopping, but entirely new and personalized scents developed by intelligent systems.