3. Brand Overview
Based in Paris, Parfums Christian Dior is an internationally renowned company owned by
French luxury conglomerate LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), accounting for 30% of its
fragrances and beauty sales (Datamonitor 2012). Though Parfums Christian Dior remains among
the market leaders in France, the company’s market share isn’t as strong in North America where it
has declined from 0.9% in 2009 to 0.8% in 2010 (Euromonitor 2011) - a significant decline in this
highly fragmented industry. This provided us with an opportunity to discover a solution to remedy
this issue. Performing an audit of J’adore is not only driven by career motives, but also because of
the intriguing brand equity drivers in the fragrance industry, in which the brand plays an utmost
importance in the consumers’ purchasing decision. This audit will aim to compare Dior’s J’adore
to Trésor by Lancôme, another French perfume brand with a comparably decreasing market share
in the North-American market, from 1.2% in 2009 to 1.1% in 2010 (Euromonitor 2011).
Brand Inventory
Brand Hierarchy
Dior J’adore’s parent company, LVMH, identifies three main pillars of its product lines:
Sexy-Make-up, Beauty-Skincare and Dream-Fragrance (Datamonitor 2012). As appendix A
shows, eight Dior perfume brands fall under women’s fragrances with J’adore as the signature
fragrance. Dior’s portfolio is consistent and confusion between products is minimal; most of the
perfume brands carry the parent name, Dior, except for the three oldest brand names Dolce Vita,
Poison & Dune, which may explain their lack of popularity.
Lancôme specializes in four categories: skin care, fragrances, make-up and male cosmetics.
Lancôme’s fragrance line carries six different names, excluding all the extensions (Appendix B).
The message behind the Trésor line encompasses love, romance and elegance, with the three sub-
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4. brands ranging on different scales of ‘sexiness’ (Lancôme.com).
Brand Line-Up (Appendix A and B)
The Dior J’adore brand encompasses a full array of fragrances and cosmetic products. The
fragrance line is available in different perfume intensity levels, such as “Eau de Toilette” and
“Essence de Parfum,” while the cosmetics line includes products such as “Hair mist” and “Silky
Soap” (Dior.com). Similarly, Trésor includes a range of “Parfum” and “Eau de Parfum” sprays, as
well as a perfumed “Shower Gel” and “Body Lotion” (Lancôme.com). They have also extended
their Trésor line to target a younger segment of females, through the launch of “Trésor Midnight
Rose,” featuring Emma Watson as their spokes-model and Trésor in Love.
Brand Elements
Dior J’adore
Name: The perfume name J’adore is French, translated into English as “I Love”. Its name J’adore
is strongly associated with feelings of adoration and love.
Logo: The golden J’adore logo is simply the name written in a golden adaptation of the 1913
Cochin font, inspired by Charles-Nicolas Cochin, a French engraver from the 18th century.
(Appendix C). The gold color is a major brand element, setting undertones of luxury and
extravagance. Both the color and the font are in line with the haute couture image of the brand.
Packaging: J’adore is sold in a simple, elegant white box with the gold logo and the Christian Dior
emblem printed on the front. Sketches of Dior gowns and models inspire the bottles shape, while
the jewel neck is an adaptation of traditional Maasai necklaces, showcasing femininity and
sensuality (Appendix D).
Scent: J’adore’s scent is trademarked and encompasses the Ylang Ylang tree from the Comoros,
Damask Roses, undertones of Sambac Jasmine and a touch of Sandalwood (Dior.com).
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5. Slogan: J’adore’s slogan, “J’adore Dior”, is translated into English as “I Love Dior,” making it
consistent with the feelings of adoration and femininity that the other brand elements portray.
Spokesmodel: In 2004, Dior replaced Estonian model Tiiu Kiuk with Charlize Theron as the new
face of J’adore. Theron is featured in numerous print ad campaigns and two commercials, and
embodies the elegance, femininity and sophistication of the J’adore woman (Appendix E).
Trésor by Lancôme
Name: Translated into English, “trésor” means treasure, attaching meaning to the ownership of
Trésor through its name. Similar to J’adore, the French roots of Trésor associates the perfume with
characteristics such as elegance, love and sophistication.
Logo: The Trésor logo is written in elegant black cursive writing and underlined with a thin black
line (Appendix F). The use of the colour black makes the logo stand out, while the cursive writing
gives the box a feminine feel.
Packaging: Trésor is sold in a box that is the same peach color as the actual fragrance. The logo is
printed on the upper front and “Lancôme Paris” is printed at the bottom. The transparent glass
bottle is shaped to resemble an inverted crystal pyramid, with a diamond-shaped cap that resembles
a jewel (Appendix G).
Scent: Trésor is a trademarked blend of several notes: peach, apricot blossom, muguet, lilac and
rose are a few of the important scents that characterize the fragrance (Lancôme.com).
Slogan: Trésor’s slogan, “Love is a treasure”, is consistent with the previously mentioned brand
elements. It attaches the brand to feelings of love, exclusivity, and a precious possession.
Spokesmodel: Kate Winslet has been the face of Trésor since 2007, appearing in print campaigns
and a television commercial. Winslet accepted the position of ambassador to Trésor to convey to
women the importance of being confident and self-assured. The brand values are portrayed
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6. accurately through Winslet, who is perceived as a demure, romantic and successful woman.
Secondary Associations
Dior’s main secondary associations stems from its country of origin: France. It is often
connoted to a specific “art de vivre” that includes fashion, haute couture, beauty, tradition, luxury,
and elegance. The French name of the perfume “J’adore” only amplifies the above associations,
alongside with the luxurious packaging. Lancôme’s secondary associations are also connected to
France, since Lancôme always has “Paris” written underneath. However, Lancome’s French
associations leans towards images of romance, love, sweet, floral and a fragile femininity, whereas
Dior’s French associations are more aggressively sexy, fiercely fashionable, and luxurious.
Marketing Strategy
Product: J’adore aims to be an “incarnation of absolute femininity” (Dior.com), through
positioning itself as a luxurious, sophisticated and glamorous product. The perfume was named
after Mr. Dior’s tendency to joyfully exclaim, “J’adore!” when particularly inspired, and is an
important historical contributing factor to J’adore’s brand image. J’adore itself is composed of
three layers: YlangYlang flowers, Damask Rose and Sambac Jasminse (Dior.com).
Trésor has a peachy, amber color, which reinforces its top notes of apricot blossom and rose. Its
other notes include lilac, iris, amber, sandalwood, musk, and vanilla. It is positioned as a sweet and
romantic product, emphasizing its motto of “love is a treasure” (Lancôme.com).
Price: J’adore follows a premium pricing strategy, setting the official retail price at $60 for 1 oz,
$77 for 1.7 oz, $98 for 3.4 oz (Dior.com). Other retailers carrying J’adore closely adhere to this
pricing scheme. For example, a 1.7 ounce bottle is $66-70 at Amazon.com, $80 at Sephora, and
$92 at The Bay. These prices are considered ‘average’ among high-end, designer perfumes, and
contribute credibility to the quality of the product. Trésor is priced quite similarly to J’adore. A 1
5
7. oz bottle is around $50-$65, while the larger 3.4 oz bottle is around $70-$115, marking a wider
margin of prices for retailers to work from (Lancôme.com).
Distribution: J’adore uses a selective distribution strategy to preserve an air of exclusivity, as it is
available for purchase through its official website, high-end department stores, select
beauty/fragrance outlets, and online retailers such as Ebay and Amazon. In Montreal alone there
are 23 “Dior Boutiques” - a term that lends an air of class to their official distribution points.
Trésor operates under the same selective distribution mentality as J’adore, by maintaining
distribution in largely high-end retail locations. Also similar to J’adore, Tresor is the most
prominently featured perfume of its parent brand.
Promotion -J’adore: The promotion strategies heavily reinforce the overall brand image and
essence of J’adore, featuring spokes-model Charlize Theron in television and print ads (Appendix
E). The parallel between the gold curves of the bottle and Theron’s portrayal in ads is meant to
create an association between the essence of femininity and sensuality, and J’adore. The Dior
website also includes a ‘mini-website’ dedicated purely to J’adore, and provides pages of
information, photography, and video recounting the J’adore history, creation, and inspirations.
Trésor is similarly promoted in magazines, other forms of print, and television ads, featuring
current spokeswoman Kate Winslet (Appendix H). The print ads simply show the models face with
the perfume on the left and a light peach-pink backdrop, while their newest television ad features
Winslet and an unknown man running across a bridge in Paris to meet in the middle. This is the
same style of commercial they have used since the early 1990s.
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8. Brand Exploratory: Methodology
Focus Group: We organized two focus groups composed of a total of twelve participants in order
to acquire insights into consumer knowledge. Our focus groups were composed of females
between the ages of 20 and 25, including McGill students and working young professionals. The
focus group was divided into three parts: a blind smell test was conducted comparing J’adore,
Trésor, and two other fragrances, a questionnaire pack for participants to write down their answers
to various questions (Appendix I) and, following this, questions were asked by the facilitators in
order to foster discussion and gain additional insights. Our intention was primarily to assess our
participants’ perception of both brands and levels of awareness (Appendix J).
Personal Interview: We conducted a one-on-one interviews with an ‘expert’ in the perfume
industry: an employee of Louis Vuitton Moet-Hennessy (LVMH) whose position entails
overseeing the Dior J’Adore perfume, and who formerly worked at L’Oreal Paris managing the
Armani brand perfume lines. Our intention was to gain an understanding of how those who
contribute to the brand generally perceive its image, and to use our focus groups to see if that
message was consistent among the target market.
Survey: The survey conducted was created using Qualtrics and was distributed through social
media, mainly Facebook. 56 responses were counted out of 63 due to response errors. The
questionnaire followed a funnel approach; at the beginning questions were asked to gain insight
into the respondents general perfume knowledge. The survey then progressed with more specific
questions about J’adore and Trésor, and then ended with demographic questions (Appendix K).
Fieldwork: Numerous sales associates were spoken to, and customers were observed over two
separate periods at the Bay in downtown Montreal, and the Bay in Hamilton, Ontario.
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9. Brand Exploratory: Awareness
Recall
In-Depth Interview: Our interviewee’s top-of-mind perfume brand associations were first Chanel
No. 5, with Dior coming in second. She believes both these brands encapsulate a classic, timeless
and enduring brand image that will never go out of style, hence her initial associations.
Focus Group: Incredibly varying answers were recorded for what top perfume brands came to
mind (unaided recall). The most commonly identified brands were Chanel (9), Burberry (5), and
Dior (2), although the range even included much lower-priced brands such as Abercrombie and Ed
Hardy. Dior was never the first perfume thought of, meaning the association is less strong. When
the questions shifted to ‘French perfume brands’ (aided recall) the results slightly shifted in both
Dior and Lancôme’s favor, with four participants recalling Dior, and two participants recalling
Lancôme, however Chanel was still the number one answer. This clearly shows how the link
between perfume and the respective brands needs to be strengthened to achieve higher recall
comparable to brands such as Chanel.
Survey: The recall test reconfirmed the highly fragmented nature of the perfume industry, as
respondents named more than fifty different brands overall. The leader was Chanel, being recalled
by 68% of respondents, followed closely by Dior at 57%. Surprisingly, not one single respondent
was able to recall Lancôme.
Recognition
Bottle Recognition Test: Interview and Focus Group: To test how recognizable the bottles were,
participants were shown multiple perfumes and asked to identify the bottle. The interviewee was
able to recognize both bottles. From the focus groups, 10/12 of the participants were able to
identify the J’adore bottle, while only 5/12 participants could identify the Lancôme bottle. This
8
10. exercise was followed by a discussion, whereby one participant noted that she could “recognize the
[J’adore] bottle instantly. When I see an ad with the shape, I know immediately it’s for Dior,”
thereby pointing to the generalization that J’adore is a more recognizable brand.
Survey: Our survey findings confirmed the similar, 56% of respondents were able to identify the
teardrop as the shape of the J’adore bottle, while only 29% were able to identify ‘upside-down
pyramid with a square top’ as the shape of the Trésor bottle.
Blind Smell Test
Focus Group: The results of the blind smell test were in J’adore’s favor; although only three
people recognized the scent, and only two of the three correctly identified it as J’adore. In
comparison, only one participant was able to identify the Lancome scent. Clearly, both brands
lacked recognition based on scent alone.
Brand Name Recognition
Survey: Respondents were presented with a list of perfume brands and asked to identify the ones
they had heard of. 100% of respondents recognized “J’adore,” compared to about two thirds (61%)
for “Trésor.”
Perceptually Degraded Logo Recognition
Survey: Respondents were presented with two perceptually degraded logos and asked to recognize
which brand they belonged to. Once again, J’adore scored higher, with 58% of respondents
identifying the brand correctly, compared to only 40% for Trésor.
Spokesperson
Survey: Respondents were asked to identify the models associated with each brand, with about
three quarters (73%) of respondents correctly identifying Charlize Theron as J’adore’s
spokesperson, while only one quarter (27%) correctly identified Kate Winslet as Trésor’s
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11. spokesperson. Moreover, it is interesting to note that 19% of respondents associated Trésor with
Penelope Cruz, the brand’s previous spokesperson. J’adore therefore is more consistent and
effective than Trésor in associating itself with a celebrity.
Color
Survey: Upon testing for color recognition about three quarters (73%) of survey respondents
correctly identified “gold” as the color associated with J’adore, while only 41% correctly
identified “peach and black” as the colors identified with Trésor. Overall, J’adore was much more
recognizable with regards to scent, bottle shape, color, and spokesperson in both the focus groups
and survey.
Free Associations
In-Depth Interview: Using the trigger word “perfume”, our interviewee’s free associations
included “identity, values, couture and the final touch of getting dressed,” demonstrating that a
woman’s choice of perfume is a intimate matter that is a reflection of their personality. In terms of
specific associations with J’adore, she linked it to their trademark “gold” color, as well as “luxury,
self-confidence, haute-couture, triumphant femininity, and Charlize,” while Trésor was associated
with “timidity, tenderness, moments and fragile femininity.” From this we can infer that J’adore
projects a more high-end image of empowerment and self-confidence, whereas Trésor is more
focused on capturing the feeling of love and innocence.
Focus Group: We prompted our participants with the word ‘perfume’, which yielded the words
femininity, scent, and seduction. Next, free associations with J’adore when shown the bottle
resulted in the words ‘luxury, feminine, and notably liquid gold’. The words were generally very
strong (repeated often and first in order), very favorable (words such as luxury present a positive
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12. image of the perfume), while only moderately unique (words such as luxury and feminine can be
associated with many different perfumes, while liquid gold is very unique to J’adore).
The free associations with Trésor did not fare as well. The strongest associations included
old/mature, special occasions, and musky/strong. Some of the associations were very unfavorable,
including words such as repulsive, boring, and one person describing the perfume as “Sunday,
because nobody likes Sunday”. A minority of the associations were more favorable and unique,
including words such as ‘signature scent’ and ‘treasure’, probably due to its name.
Intentions
In-Depth Interview: Despite enjoying the scent of J’adore, our interviewee stated she does not
wear and would not buy it, given that she does not identify with the message of sexuality and its
emphasis placed on the female body, as opposed to personality or intelligence.
Focus group: One third of participants said they would consider purchasing J’adore (4), with an
additional two remaining neutral. When asked to choose between the two perfumes to purchase
given the same price and size, every person chose J’adore. Over a third of participants (5) noted
that they would definitely recommend the brand to a friend; one stated, “It’s Dior, I mean, who
doesn’t love Dior.” This illustrates the importance of the Dior brand name to select people.
The results were very different for Trésor with zero participants stating that they would
consider purchasing the perfume. When probed as to why not, reasons included the smell, as well
as it “just doesn’t fit my image.” However, one person said she might consider it “when I’m 40.”
The respondents overwhelmingly would not recommend it to a friend, however, many would
consider recommending it to their parents friends or bosses.
The importance of brand name over smell was also demonstrated through the decision-
making factors that affected purchase intentions. Eight participants (three quarters) identify brand
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13. name as the number one factor in perfume selection, with only three (one quarter) saying smell was
the key component. This finding favors J’adore over Trésor, due to J’adore’s strong ties to Dior
and its ensuing secondary associations.
Survey: Survey results illustrated slightly different findings, with about three quarters (73%) of
respondents considering purchasing Dior, about two thirds (61%) of respondents would consider
purchasing Lancôme. A quarter (24%) of respondents ‘agreed’ that they would recommend
J’adore to a friend, while for Trésor, only 7% agreed that they would.
Brand Exploratory: Image
Projective Techniques
In-Depth Interview: Despite identifying J’adore’s theoretical job as a “model” and its magazine as
“Elle”- both glamorous and youthful associations- in the eyes of our perfume expert Dior’s sexual
image does not have traction with the younger set due to its associations with sophistication and
successful career women, which younger women may not yet identify with.
Focus group: Participants were asked to describe each perfume if they were a job, magazine,
location, and era. Dior’s choices were often described as young and hip, yet professional, including
jobs such as VP for a fashion magazine. Very fashion-forward locations were used to describe the
perfume such as the New York fashion show. Almost all of the other elements chosen are very
fashion conscious, trendy, and young - attributes that Dior is trying to resonate.
In contrast, Trésor’s chosen profession was often related to more boring jobs such as a
librarian, translator, or accountant. One participant noted that it would probably be a
“businesswoman, but not very successful though”. During the discussion, other group members
agreed that Trésor would most likely be stuck in middle management for life. Trésor experienced
very negative location projections with two general categories being identified; boring
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14. conservative places like Ottawa and Utah, and places where old people retire like Florida and Palm
Springs. Overall, the choices made were found to be much more conservative, boring, and aimed at
a much older clientele.
Blind Smell Test
The women in the focus group described J’adore as an ‘empowering’ and ‘fierce’ scent,
while also maintaining an element of ‘subtlety’ and ‘sophistication.’ About a quarter of the
participants did not like the smell calling it too ‘generic’ and ‘a little girl’s perfume’. Surprisingly,
one participant thought it smelled too ‘masculine’. The reactions to Trésor were almost
unanimously negative. Participants related the smell to ‘rubbing alcohol’,’ too strong’, ‘bleach-y’,
and overall ‘unpleasant.’ Two participants remained neutral, stating that the smell did not appeal
to them, but would be suited for someone with a ‘very strong personality’ or who was ‘less
fashion-forward.’ None of the participants showed any signs of liking Trésor.
Brand Relationships
Interview & Focus group: When asked about the relationship with their favorite perfume, answers
ranged from ‘committed marriage’ because “we’re perfect together” to ‘secret affair’ because “I
don’t want to admit which perfume I wear, but it smells really good.” Generally, people were
either married or seriously dating their favorite perfume. When asked about their relationship with
J’adore, participants generally responded they would “consider dating” or have a “fling” with it.
The generalization can be reached that although some people considered themselves in a
committed relationship with their current perfumes, they would be open to trying J’adore but need
some form of enticement or push in order to do so.
The answers were much different for Trésor and can be divided into two major categories;
the first included those that would consider dating it much later in life. One person described it as a
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15. “future relationship” stating “ I’ll try it again when I’m older.” The second group included those
that either have not met Trésor and those that wanted nothing to do with it. One person went as far
as getting a ‘restraining order’ because she disliked the smell so much.
Brand Personality
In-Depth Interview: J’adore is viewed as being the accessory of a woman who is an “icon of
sexuality,” similar to the image of Marilyn Monroe. Users project the notion of wealth and power
and are self-assured and confident. This is in contrast with Trésor, which our interviewee identified
under a ‘negative light’; users are of the innocent and love-struck type, and lack the greater
emotional depth of the Dior woman. Whereas the Dior woman takes charge, our interviewee
identified the Lancôme woman as “timid, too innocent and apathetic.”
Focus group: To personify the brands, our participants were provided with an exercise to associate
a family member with each perfume and to describe them (Appendix J). Participants’ answers for
J’adore could be grouped into two major categories: the hot older sister/cousin and the hot
mom/`cougar` who uses the perfume to stay young. We can generalize that J’adore is strongly
associated with sexuality and confidence, or used as a tool to tap into one’s youth, giving it appeal
to both young and old demographics of women.
Trésor is more associated with the “older sister/mother/aunt/grandmother” who is ‘old
fashioned’ and wears perfume to impress her family. The Trésor woman is “conscious of how she
presents herself,” but “doesn’t really know how to go about it.” Trésor is the “kind, but bland”
suburban mother or older woman who leads a “quiet life” and has “settled down.” She lacks the
excitement and glamor of the life of the Dior woman.
In terms of the most representative user of J’adore and Trésor (Appendix J), the findings
confirm the “family member” exercise; she is a woman who is “envied” and leads a “glamorous”
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16. and “fast-paced lifestyle,” while being highly “intelligent,” and “a good friend.” Her activities were
marked by “going out to fancy restaurants, spending money on looking good,” while also
maintaining “career ambition.” The descriptors and associations were overwhelmingly favorable,
with participants describing “their ideal life and woman.”
The Trésor findings also confirmed that Lancôme woman was undoubtedly older (40s and
50s) and led a “quiet” but “happy” life, with her children as the main priority in her life and a
preference to shopping at The Bay, a conservative but fashion friendly place. Our group of young
professionals described this woman with disdain; none of them wanted the life of the Trésor
woman in their future, whereas the J’adore woman combined the elements of a glamorous,
adventurous, high-powered and balanced life that many sought for themselves.
A final test involved asking participants to choose a few women from a collage of thirty
women varying in age, attire, and physical looks (Appendix I). J’adore was most often associated
with three women: the runway model, the ‘sexy’ businesswomen, and the professional
businesswomen, lending an interesting emphasis on young women who have chosen to posses
strong careers yet have a strong feminine aura. The main women that were chosen for Trésor were
much different: Oprah, the older female, and the sad woman were selected most often. Participants
identified Oprah because she was powerful, age appropriate, and a “safe choice, sorta like oatmeal.
People like it, but nobody really loves it.” Oatmeal is a generic, even bland, product that appeals to
the general public, but is nothing special, whereas J’adore has an inspirational quality to it.
Packaging
Focus group: Overall, 10 of the 12 participants had positive comments to say about the J’adore
bottle. Many participants noted that they liked it because it was unique and recognizable with one
15
17. participant noting “I hadn’t seen it before. Its shape is something I won’t forget.” As mentioned
before, J’adore’s bottle was easily recognized, making it a very important brand element.
The Trésor bottle received numerous positive remarks with three quarters of the
participants approving of the bottle. Comments included liking the ‘diamond’ and ‘jewel’ theme,
and making the ‘perfect gift’. However, some participants felt that the bottle was too generic, with
one noting that it was almost ‘cartoonish.’ An interesting insight was that one participant liked the
bottle, yet hated the smell so much that she claimed it was like ‘false advertising’.
Commercial Advertisement
Focus group: Words used describe the Dior commercial (Youtube, 2010) included glamorous,
golden, and rich -all words employed in word associations, thereby strengthening the favorable
relationships. Most participants felt Theron was conveyed in a sexy, confident way and she fit the
commercial very well. A participant discussed how the commercial was “spot on”, and many of
the associations were found to help reinforce Dior’s image of the sophisticated, fashion forward
choice of perfume.
While participants felt that Lancôme Trésor had a simpler message (Youtube, 2009), many
agreed it was more emotional. Some described the commercial as a “short French romance” film
from the 1950s, others described it as matching the perfume in a ‘classic’ and ‘feminine’ sense,
with one noting the “black and white color scheme would really catch my attention”. The focus
groups agreed Kate Winslet was a great choice because of the feminine, romantic roles she is
portrayed in.
Internet Exploration
We began by typing J’adore into the Google search bar, and within the first three letters the
dropdown menu provided numerous J’adore Dior options to choose from (Appendix L). However,
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18. when searching Trésor, it was not recognized as a Lancôme beauty product and no relevant search
suggestions were given (Appendix M). When the partial term “J’adore” is searched there are links
to the Christian Dior website, commercials, and the Dior fashion line, whereas “Trésor” primarily
yields results pertaining to a German disco club. This is an advantage to J’adore because its more
pervasive web presence can serve to increase awareness, availability, and ultimately favorability.
We used two online perfume review websites - Frangratica.com and Basenotes.com - to
assess the sentiments of users, fans, and owners of J’adore and Trésor. The website comment
sections are a rich collection of opinions by fragrance enthusiasts (self-proclaimed “fragrancistas”).
Approximately 100 comments for each J’adore and Trésor were examined and coded (Appendix
N). The top five adjectives used for J’adore were: love (21), elegant (12), sophisticated (12), classy
(12), and feminine (12), strong words that are favorable while only moderately unique. The top
five adjectives used for Trésor were: sweet (26), mature (18), love (17), hate (14), and reminds one
of her mother (12), strong words with some having highly unfavorable sentiments.
Using Twitter Sentiment website, a search of “Dior perfume” yielded the results of 14
positive (64%) and 8 negative (36%) tweets in the past seven days, however 7 of the negative
tweets were improperly coded as negative (Appendix O). In using TweetTronics it was concluded
that consumer sentiments were “mildly positive”, with an average of 27 tweets per day mentioning
J’adore (Appendix P). This information indicates that J’adore enjoys much more popularity than
Trésor on the Internet, however, the bulk of its consumer sentiments are neutral.
Lancôme’s Trésor experiences lower levels of consumer sentiments and feedback online. A
search of “Lancôme Trésor” yielded two positive tweets and one neutral tweet (Appendix Q). A
search of “Lancôme perfume” yielded zero results. This indicates that Lancôme Trésor’s consumer
base is entirely offline, or Trésor wearers do not feel strongly enough to engage in online activity.
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19. Purchase Observation Behavior
Speaking to both Dior and Lancôme representatives at the Bay shed light on the different
attitudes customers experienced with the perfumes. The Dior sales associate noted that many
customers are aware of the Dior brand name and spokesperson, but not the J’adore line in
particular. She elaborated that the Dior section of the Bay attracted consumers of all ages because
of the ‘chic’ and ‘cool’ appeal of the brand. However, it was the smell of the perfume that “married
customers to the J’adore Dior line.” Indeed, the Dior booth was found to be busy during the
observation period with customers ranging in age from 20-50 smelling the different perfumes. Of
the twenty-two customers that were observed, three purchased J’adore and three customers
purchased other Dior perfumes. All purchasing customers smelled the different product lines
before deciding, making the generalization that customers are drawn to the Dior name and sold on
the perfume by its smell.
The Lancôme representative spoke about how the Trésor line was unique compared to
other perfumes; oftentimes young girls would steal a spray of their mother’s perfume, once they
were a bit older, they would purchase their own bottle and would remain loyal to Trésor. The
Lancôme booth was not as busy during the observation period, however, what was noted was that
the two thirty year old customers that purchased Trésor went directly to the sales desk to make
their purchase. The nine customers that did not make a purchase smelled the different lines before
leaving. Although the sample observed was small, the major generalization is that customers
purchase based on past purchases and brand image as opposed to smell alone.
Brand Positioning
Perceptual Map
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20. We created two perceptual maps to visualize the two different types of attributes of
fragrances. The first is of physical attributes and compares J’adore and Trésor along the
dimensions of smell (unpleasant vs. pleasant) and bottle design (dislike vs. like). The second map
is of abstract sentiments and compares the dimensions of perceived versatility versus limited
wearability, and maturity versus sexiness (Appendix R).
Multidimensional Scaling
Survey: We aimed to rate each perfume brand on a multidimensional scaling model. The scale
allowed respondents to assess each brand based on seven dimensions: Smell, Youthfulness, Style,
Modernity, Exclusivity, Sexiness, and Fun (Appendix K).
J’adore scored highest on sexiness, style, and smell. Its lowest scoring dimensions, on the
other side, were youthfulness and fun. The other dimensions were mostly ranked as neutral.
Trésor’s results were harder to analyze, as most respondents attributed neutral scores to the brand
on many dimensions. Respondents perhaps viewed the brand as average on most of these
dimensions. Another possible explanation could be that since the brand scored lower than J’adore
in awareness, most respondent may have been unfamiliar with it and unable to judge it based on
the aforementioned dimensions (Appendix S).
Points of parity
We identified three necessary elements designer perfumes such as J’adore and Tresor must
employ to be successful. First, the scent of the perfume itself must be pleasant to smell, and consist
of top notes, core notes, and base notes. The composition of scent must also be compatible with the
majority of wearers’ body PH, meaning how the perfume reacts to each individuals body
chemistry. Secondly, the perfume must be packaged in an aesthetically pleasing glass bottle, and
19
21. finally, a successful perfume usually employs a spokes-model that is consistent with the
fragrances’ image. Without these three points of parity consumers will perceive a perfume as cheap
or low-quality.
Points of difference
We identified four main points of difference between J’adore and Trésor. To begin with,
parent company credibility is influential, as in our focus groups it was revealed that women
associated a perfume from Dior to be perceived as coming straight from the luxury fashion House
of Dior, while a perfume from Lancôme was linked to L’Oréal, and associated with pharmacy
cosmetics such as Maybelline.
The second significant point of difference is the bottle design. The ultra-feminine figure-8
J’adore bottle and the the jewel-shaped “treasure” of Trésor were specifically designed to further
each fragrances’ image. However, an analysis of focus group responses and an Internet exploration
reveals that the J’adore bottle has reached an iconic status in the perfume world, while the Trésor
bottle is largely unrecognizable and unmemorable. “Fragrancistas” online were four times more
likely to compliment the J’adore bottle than the Trésor bottle.
The third point of difference is the versatility of each perfume, meaning the range of social
contexts, seasons, places, or times a woman feels she can wear a certain scent. Through the Internet
exploration it was apparent that women perceived J’adore to be very versatile, with eight
reviewers commenting on it’s easy wearability. In contrast, Trésor seems to be much less versatile,
with zero reviewers reporting on versatility, four mentioning that Trésor can only be worn in
Autumn/Winter seasons, and three writing that it is only for special occasions.
The final point of difference is consumer’s perceptions of at what age a woman should
wear each scent. Dior J’adore enjoys a younger image, with focus group participants placing the
20
22. J’adore woman to be aged 30-45 years old, while Trésor is perceived to be an “older lady”
perfume, with focus group respondents placing the Trésor wearer at 40-50+ years. We see similar
results from the Internet exploration, with eighteen reviewers describing Trésor as a “womanly” or
“mature” scent, while J’adore received zero of these comments. Trésor comments also included
twelve references to mothers and three references to grandmothers.
Brand Values
J’adore’s brand values consist of: gold, versatility, sensuality, Charlize Theron and the
figure-8 bottle. The color gold not only represents luxury and prestige, but is also highly correlated
with the perfume. Whether it is in the ads or the bottle itself, when consumers see the color gold
they generally match it with J’adore. Throughout the primary research, it became evident that
consumers saw J’adore as a perfume not only for a woman’s everyday professional career but also
for the special nights out when they want to feel sexy and sophisticated. It could be used to impress
and just as easily be used to fit in -it is versatile. What makes this perfume unique is the sense of
sensuality it evokes: the bottle is in a the shape of a women’s body, the ads are sexually
provocative, suggesting that woman will feel this way with use. The smell itself evokes a sense of
sophistication and elegance, something a fashionista would wear. Charlize Theron re-enforces this
image as she drapes herself in gold in her many recognizable ads. Lastly, the unique figure-8 bottle
is highly recognizable and unforgettable while maintaining a sense of elegance and suggestiveness.
The main brand values that were identified for Trésor include: maturity, professional,
predictability, and femininity. Many of the participants in our primary research saw Trésor as a
perfume for an older clientele who want a stronger, distinguished smell. Trésor is also very
predictable, to be worn by a woman who leads a routine driven life, and lacking spontaneity. It is
almost conservative, a safe choice that is reliable and associated with ‘bland’ jobs such as
21
23. accountants and bank tellers. The perfume also evokes a feeling of femininity, whether it is from
its jewel shaped bottle or the use of Kate Winslet in its ads.
Summary and Conclusions
Through our primary and secondary research, we were able to discover a critical problem
of J’adore’s North American presence: in the target segment of women aged 25-35, product users
are experiencing contradicting pulls -older users feel the product is too young, while younger
females identify the product as being too mature. J’adore had relatively high levels of brand
awareness, given the highly fragmented and saturated perfume market, and especially in
comparison to Trésor. Despite strong, unique and favorable associations with the brand’s image
through its representation in advertisements, packaging, and spokesperson Charlize Theron,
participants did not feel that J’adore represented them at this point in their lives, though
participants did not feel that Trésor would soon become a representation of their ideal self. A
notable advantage for J’adore in the perfume realm is its secondary associations with high fashion
and haute couture, given parent brand Christian Dior. However, actions must be taken to remedy
the disconnect in this segment of aspiring young professionals.
22
24. BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Tresor." Lancome Paris. N.p., 2012. Web. 27 Feb 2012.
<http://www.lancome.ca/Tresor/072025,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=fragrance-tresor>.
"J'adore Fragrance for Women." Dior. N.p., 2012. Web. 27 Feb 2012.
<http://www.dior.com/beauty/int/en/test/womenfragrance/jadore/ljadorefpl.html>.
"Fragrances - US." Euromonitor International: Category Breifing May 2011. 1-10. Euromonitor.
Web. 27 Feb 2012.
"LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA." Datamonitor: Company Profile 16 Feb 2012. 1-28.
Datamonitor. Web. 27 Feb 2012.
TweetTronics. 2008-2012. Graphs. n.p. Web. 26 Feb 2012. <https://www.tweettronics.com>.
Twitter Sentiment. 2010. Graphs. http://twittersentiment.appspot.com, Stanford University. Web.
27 Feb 2012. <http://twittersentiment.appspot.com/search?query="j>.
"Frangrantica.com Perfumes Magazine." 2006-2011. Frangrantica LLC, Online Posting to
Frangrantica. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. <http://www.fragrantica.com/>.
"Basenotes.net." 1999-2011. N.p., Online Posting toBasenotes. Web. 27 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.basenotes.net/>.
Youtube, 2010. "PUB-2010- DIOR - J'ADORE - [HD] - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast
Yourself. Web. 27 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2di2c0wWXY&feature=related>.
23
39. Appendix J - Focus Group Transcripts
When you think of perfume brands, which come to mind? (in order) Recall unaided
Focus group 1. Olga Chanel No. 5, Dior, D&G (L’amoureux), Nina Ricci
1: (Les belles de Guerlain), Guerlain
2. Ava David Beckham, Chanel, Ed Hardy, Gucci, A&F
3. Alana Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Burberry
4. Jing Yi Chanel No. 5, Burberry, Chloe
5. Roxane Chloe, Chanel, Ralph Lauren Romance
6. Lucie Armani Code, Burberry, Chanel
7. Marion Miss Chanel, Viktor & Rolf, Love in Black (Creed)
Focus Group 1. Sarah Chanel, Dior, Calvin Klein
2: 2. Rachel Marc Jacobs, YSL, Prada
3. Tiffany Vera Wang, D&G, Chanel No. 5, Giorgio Armani Aqua
di Gio
4. Janelle Lola – Marc Jacobs, Burberry Beat, Lacoste (Woman)
5. Stacy Burberry Weekend, Green Tea, Guerlain (Cherry
Blossom)
When you think of French perfume brands, which come to mind? (in order) Recall aided
Focus group 1. Olga Chanel, Dior, Nina Ricci
1: 2. Ava Chanel, YSL, Lacoste
3. Alana Chanel
4. Jing Yi Cartier, Balmain, Lancome
5. Roxane Lacoste, Chanel, Cartier
6. Lucie Christine Lacroix,
7. Marion Dior, Chanel, Hermes
Focus Group 1. Sarah Jean Paul Gautier, Chanel, YSL
2: 2. Rachel YSL, Lancome, Hermes
3. Tiffany Chanel, Dior, Cartier
4. Janelle Lacoste, Chanel
5. Stacy Dior, YSL, Guerlain
38
40. Blind smell test: recognition
Hyponse – J’adore Dior D&G Blue Tresor
Lancome light Lancome
Focus 1. Olga No Yes – wrong No Yes
group 1: though
2. Ava No No No No
3. Alana No No No No
4. Jing Yi No No No No
5. Roxane No No Yes Yes
6. Lucie No No No No
7. Marion No Yes No No
Focus 1. Sarah No No No No
Group 2: 2. Rachel No No No No
3. Tiffany No Yes No No
4. Janelle No No No No
5. Stacy No No No No
Total: 0/12 3/12 1/12 1/12
39
41. Blind Smell test: image
Do you like the perfume? What does it smell like to you?
J’adore Dior
Focus 1. Olga Yes - It smells really nice, like spring!
group 1: 2. Ava Yes – It smells so recognizable, I can’t quite put my finger
on it though
3. Alana Yes – It’s elegant, sophisticated. I would say it’s for middle
class women
4. Jing Yi No – I would see a fashionista wearing it, an upper east
side New Yorker, definitely not for me though
5. Roxane Yes – The perfume has a really nice floral scent
6. Lucie Yes – It smells like summer, so flowery and fruity
7. Marion No – It smells so like, generic. Not at all.
Focus 1. Sarah No – “Rawr”, its super masculine
Group 2: 2. Rachel Neutral – it’s something an egocentric person would wear
3. Tiffany Yes – I kinda like it, it smells good… but not great
4. Janelle Yes – I really like it! It’s super girly
5. Stacy No – it reminds me of fabric softner, or like, a little girl’s
perfume
Lancome Tresor
Focus 1. Olga No – it’s a serious scent, not funny and silly like the bubbly
group 1: stuff the kids that like Paris Hilton wear
2. Ava No – it smells like baby powder. Seriously, who would
wear this?
3. Alana No – it smells… different. Really unpleasant
4. Jing Yi No – for somebody with no fashion sense, it kinda smells
like almost… pepper
5. Roxane No – it smells like something that a woman in her fourties
would wear. Not for me, well now at least
6. Lucie No – I struggle with it. It’s the amber, it seems a bit to
synthetic and plastiky
7. Marion No – It’s a really sweet fragrance to me, almost
overpowering in a way.
Focus 1. Sarah Neutral – it is intriguing though
Group 2: 2. Rachel No – Ew, it smells like laundry detergent. Like, fresh but
way to strong.
3. Tiffany No – it smells like something a super busy person would
wear. You know, like a person that works a ton of jobs.
4. Janelle No – It smells like rubbing alcohol
5. Stacy Neutral – I don’t know why, but I would think Lady Gaga
would wear this!
40
42. Bottle recognition test
J’adore Dior 10/12
Focus group 1: 1. Olga Yes
(6/7) 2. Ava Yes
3. Alana Yes
4. Jing Yi Yes
5. Roxane Yes
6. Lucie No
7. Marion Yes
Focus Group 2: 1. Sarah Yes
(4/5) 2. Rachel Yes
3. Tiffany Yes
4. Janelle No
5. Stacy Yes
Lancome Tresor 5/12
Focus group 1: 1. Olga Yes
(3/7) 2. Ava No
3. Alana No
4. Jing Yi Yes
5. Roxane Yes
6. Lucie No
7. Marion No
Focus Group 2: 1. Sarah No
(2/5) 2. Rachel Yes
3. Tiffany No
4. Janelle No
5. Stacy Yes
41
43. Free associations
Perfume
Focus group 1. Olga 1. Fragrance 2. Message 3. Values
1: 2. Ava 1. Brand 2. Identity 3. Feminine
3. Alana 1. Chanel 2. Fashion 3. Paris
4. Jing Yi 1. Flowers 2. Summer 3. Nights out
5. Roxane 1. Smelling good 2. Vanilla 3. Ads
6. Lucie 1. Endorser 2. Scent 3. Sex
7. Marion 1. Feminine 2. Powerful 3. Professional
Focus Group 1. Sarah 1. Scent 2. Color 3. Shape
2: 2. Rachel 1. Smell 2. Liquid 3. Bottle
3. Tiffany 1. Designers 2. Fashion 3. Seduction
4. Janelle 1. Feminine 2. Dress 3. Love
5. Stacy 1. D&G 2. Luxury 3. Petales de fleurs
J’adore Dior
Focus group 1. Olga 1. Gold 2. Luxury 3. Charlize Theron
1: 2. Ava 1. Feminine 2. Gold 3. Self confident
3. Alana 1. Sexy 2. Fashion forward 3. Modern
4. Jing Yi 1. Comfortable 2. Model 3. Fashionable
5. Roxane 1. Warm 2. Luxury 3. Sophisticated
6. Lucie 1. Beauty 2. Chic 3. Sensual
7. Marion 1. Charlize 2. Sexy 3. Gold
Focus Group 1. Sarah 1. Slender body 2. Feminine 3. Luxury
2: 2. Rachel 1. French 2. Love 3. Lust
3. Tiffany 1. Royal 2. Liquid Gold 3. Grown up
4. Janelle 1. Women 2. Mature 3. Rich
5. Stacy 1. Charlize Theron 2. Young 3. Gold
Lancome Tresor
Focus group 1. Olga 1. Treasure 2. French 3. Timidity
1: 2. Ava 1. Old 2. Boring 3. Midrange
3. Alana -
4. Jing Yi 1. Maybelline 2. Revlon 3. Woman
5. Roxane 1. Musky 2. Mature 3. Fragile
6. Lucie 1. Powerful 2. Sunday (because nobody really likes
Sunday) 3. The person next to you on an airplane
7. Marion 1. Signature scent 2. French 3. Boring
Focus Group 1. Sarah 1. Special occasions 2. Self-confidence 3. Old
2: fashioned
2. Rachel 1. Mature 2. Laundry 3. Mothers
3. Tiffany 1. Classic 2. French 3. Old school
4. Janelle 1. Strong 2. Mother 3. Professional
5. Stacy 1. Repulsive 2. Office clerk 3. Grandma
42
44. Purchase Intentions (1)
How many perfumes do you Would you Would you
currently own? consider consider
purchasing purchasing
J’adore Lancome Tresor?
Dior?
Focus 1. Olga 5 Yes No
group 1: 2. Ava 2 No No
3. Alana 1 Maybe No
4. Jing Yi 3 No No
5. Roxane 20+ Yes – in No
the near
future
6. Lucie 4 Yes No
7. Marion 5 (but only wears 2) Possibly No
Focus 1. Sarah 3 No No
Group 2. Rachel 4 No No – maybe when
2: I’m 40
3. Tiffany 3 Yes – well No
maybe
4. Janelle 7 Yes No
5. Stacy 1 No No
43
45. Purchase Intentions (2)
If you had to Would you recommend Would you recommend
choose between J’adore to a friend? Lancome to a friend?
the two to Why? Why?
purchase, which
one would you
choose? Why?
FG 1. Olga J’adore Dior, it I’d consider it, I have No, its too serious for
1 just smells some friends that I any of my friends
better could see wearing this
2. Ava J’adore Dior, I Probably not, I just No, the smell is terrible
wouldn’t wear it don’t think it smells
though that great
3. Alana J’adore Dior Ya, I have some friends No, I just can’t picture
that are a bit older who any of my friends
I think would like it wearing this
4. Jing Yi Neither? Yes, I think some of No
my ‘fashionista’ friends
would really like it
5. Roxane J’adore Dior, Yes, definitely! It Yes, to some of my
it’s sexy and it’s smells great and it’s mom’s friends. None of
DIOR Dior, I mean, who my friends though
doesn’t love Dior?
6. Lucie J’adore Dior, its Yes. I mean, if Probably not, maybe
younger and somebody asked me to when I’m older
more suited for recommend one I
me would. I wouldn’t just
go on bragging about it.
7. Marion J’adore Dior No, it doesn’t appeal to No, no, my friends
me too much. would make fun of me
and call me ‘grandma’
FG 1. Sarah J’adore Dior, Nope, not the type of I think my aunt would
2 it’s the better of perfume I could see my like it?
the two friends wearing.
2. Rachel J’adore Dior Probably not, I don’t If like, my boss asked
see the appeal of it for a recommendation
maybe.
3. Tiffany J’adore Dior Maybe, there are so Maybe to my sister’s
many other perfumes friends. My friends just
that are better though. wouldn’t wear this.
4. Janelle J’adore Dior, I’d Yes, it smells good and Absolutely not
probably gift it its Dior. My friends
though love anything Dior
5. Stacy J’adore Dior No No
44
47. Who uses ___________________ perfume? Describe her.
J’adore Dior Lancome Tresor
Focus 1. Olga Women 20-50, mostly Older women, probably in
group 1: European and Eastern their 40’s and 50’s, classy,
European. (probed) Somebody elegant, has a quiet life.
with a really good sense of Happy but doesn’t lead an
fashion, likes to go out with envied life
friends, show off
2. Ava Women in their 30’s, career- Much, much older women.
oriented, have their lives Probably has a Mercedes and
figured out, like going to fancy a rich husband, lives in the
restaurants, shopping, spend a suburbs. Wants to appear
lot of money on looking good young and classic.
3. Alana The mom that wants to stay A mid 40’s female, just got a
young, takes care of herself – promotion and wants to show
very fit, gets her hair done off a little bit, she has kids, is
often. She is a good friend, best described as “nice,”
kind-hearted, but speaks her probably a bit boring, likes
mind and has a very successful spending time with her kids
career and finding new recipes and
cooking dinner for her family
4. Jing Yi Career oriented women, A professional woman who
adventurous, spontaneous, has cares about her career, she’s
travelled around the world, used it her entire life. She is
glamorous but not afraid to get cautious “safety first,” very
her hands dirty rational, thinks everything
through. Enjoys going to
classical music concerts
5. Roxane A classy French women who A woman who has lots of
enjoys going out and is class (not for a girl). She tries
empowered –she doesn’t need a to be classy and elegant,
man, everyone envies where hobbies might include book
she’s at in life. She is well-read club, garden club, bible study
–likes philosophy and reading
the classics, but also very hip
and modern –adores fashion,
food, travel
6. Lucie A blonde fashionable women, It reminds me of something
elegant but ordinary. She that my mom would wear –
enjoys reading, hanging out sophisticated older woman,
with friends, tech savvy –has an has a routinized lifestyle
iPad, very on-the-go lifestyle
7. Marion A woman with big The female CEO, married but
responsibilities in her job but previously divorced.
46
48. wants to stay sexy, guys want Successful and happy, loves
to be with her, girls want to be her job, but her priority is her
her kids and husband. Enjoys road
trips with her family
Focus 1. Sarah Tall slender woman in her mid A woman who shops at the
Group 20s – early 30s, likes to party Bay, 45 years old with a
2: and have a good time but is also professional career. Very
a great friend, good listener, traditional and old-fashioned
always there for you –not too showy, very
conservative. Places her
family’s needs before herself,
might not have great style and
looks a bit dated
2. Rachel A business oriented fashionista, Wears Kenneth Cole,
life of the party, always cool, probably wore Dior in the past
calm, elegant under pressure, but has moved on. No longer
never trashy leads an exciting lifestyle,
more of a quiet, stay-at-home
type of life in the suburbs,
drives a Hybrid
3. Tiffany A young urban professional that A mature woman who wears
wears Zara and lives in a trendy it everyday to feel classy,
loft –glamorous lifestyle, the career oriented. Probably a bit
girls everyone wants to be boring in real life, her life has
quieted down but she’s still
successful in her professional
life, is probably an accountant
or part of senior management
of a random company that no
one really knows
4. Janelle Single woman that works in A self-confident women, likes
marketing in NYC, willing to the brand because its reliable,
pay for the brand, successful lives in the suburbs, married
woman but not vapid or to an accountant
shallow, has meaningful
interests
5. Stacy A fierce, attractive female, A working woman, wears it
single but likes to mingle, has a everyday to work. Kind-
good time but is very intelligent hearted, family-oriented and
hopeless romantic. Likes to
read romance novels (nothing
too intellectually deep),
favours running shoes with
her outfits, probably would
never notice or remember her
if we met her quickly
47
49. What would the women say about J’adore Dior?
Woman 1 Woman 2 Woman 3 Woman 4
Focus 1. Olga Yes, I like it, my Not for me, I It smells good, Chanel no 5
group mom wears it, prefer Prada I’m going to for me
1: and I sometimes (probed) it buy it next time please
steal it from her. feels younger I go to the store
and more sexy
2. Ava I like to wear it to I like Dior, it It’s great for Dior is too
feel like a sexy fits my image everyday use. young for
lady of being me
strong and
sexy
3. Alana I love using it to It makes me I’m a classy Dior is too
go out feel smart and business sexy, I’m
(probed) not sophisticated woman, this not 20
something I could perfume suits anymore!
wear everyday to me
school
4. Jing I prefer Marc Dior, J’adore! I like Chanel This reminds
Yi Jacobs Daisy –I I love it! Not better me of first
love the bottle too serious, (probed) more job
and it smells like but still classic and (probed) too
spring and sophisticated timeless which young for
flowers and fun is what I’m me at this
looking for stage
5. I like to wear it to I’m going to Love it, very Never! Way
Roxane go out partying wear it once I elegant and too sexy for
(probed) –I would get new sophisticated me, gives
only wear it out at promotion but light me a
night, too strong (probed) more enough to be headache
for daytime use mature, worn because the
professional everywhere! scent is too
and serious strong
6. Lucie I wear it daily, Why not, I’ll I’ve been This smell
men love it! try it! wearing it since brings back
I’m 20, still so many
represents my good
tastes memories,
so I wear it
because it
makes me
nostalgic
7. I smell great, and I’m original This is my My daughter
Marion I know it, but I and unique – scent wears this!
48
50. prefer Princess like this (probed) been
from Vera Wang perfume wearing it for
–more youthful so long, will
and to my tastes never switch
because so used
to it
Focus 1. Sarah I wear it to go I wear it on I wear it I wear it on
Group out, too mature dates to feel everyday, put it special
2: for everyday use hot and sexy on every occasions
right now morning to start like
my day off weddings,
dinner
parties
2. Rachel I use it everyday, I use it when I I use it when I It’s too
makes me feel go out, gives want to have young for
smart, sexy and me fun me
empowered confidence
and makes me
feel powerful
3. Not my perfume I spray it on I have a job, I smell like a
Tiffany of choice, too myself for I’m married to Queen. I
expensive, prefer dates after my career – prefer to
something from work NOT my wear Tresor
Victoria’s Secret. perfume
If it were more
affordable I
would definitely
buy it!
4. Janelle I love it, I wear it I don’t pay for She wears it Why didn’t
all the time, obnoxious everyday, very this exist 20
makes me feel brands, all fresh, feminine, years ago?
good you’re paying modern yet (probed) I’m
for is labels! classic, makes too old for it
me feel now, but I
confident still love the
scent!
5. Stacy She would love it She would This perfume This
for occasions, not wear it fits my career perfume is
everyday everyday to perfectly part of my
feel sexy, life, I will
lady-like and wear it
elegant forever
49
51. What would the women say about Lancome Tresor?
Woman 1 Woman 2 Woman 3 Woman 4
Focus 1. Olga My mom wears it, Maybe I’ll start I like it, it’s Not for me,
group it’s nice on her wearing once romantic Chanel no. 5
1: I’m promoted only
(probed) too
mature for me
right now
2. Ava Way too old for Too strong for All my friends My friends
me, smells like everyday use are wearing it at the
my grandma’s assisted
assisted living living home
home love it!
3. Alana My aunt working I don’t like it, My mother My daughter
at L’Oreal gave it smells like my used to wear it gave it to
to me…don’t care great-aunt a couple of me, starting
for it years ago to grow on
me
4. Jing I like it! My It’s appropriate My daughter I like
Yi friends make fun for my lifestyle likes when I Lancome,
of me for it (probed) wear it my husband
though professional has liked it
(probed) they say career, not too for years too
it’s too old for me young
5. Bought it on If I wore it, French classy Lancome is
Roxane GroupOn, regret people would perfume, I like a very
it trace me by my it mature
smell fragrance,
perfect for
me
6. Lucie Makes me feel Great to wear to I’ve used this Lancome is
sophisticated and work everyday perfume for 10 mature and
fancy! Reminds years and I love romantic –
me of being in it! only for
Paris special
occasions
though!
7. I could see myself Again, the CEO I gave this to A timeless
Marion wearing it in 7 wears this one! my friend for classic
years Christmas last
year
Focus 1. Sarah Too old for me, The right Old-school, Been
50
52. Group maybe I’ d like it mix….not too classic wearing it
2: in the future flirty or too fragrance since my
sweet, perfect late 20s, still
mix of love it
everything
2. Rachel I stick to my Ed I prefer I like it, but I like Kate
Hardy something only once I Winslet, so
younger….Prada have my baby, I’ll buy it
or nada because I can’t because of
stand strong her
scents
3. Yuck, not the one Might suit me in Makes me feel I used to
Tiffany for me, I want a few years, not sweet, romantic wear this a
something sexier right now and feminine! few years
ago
4. Janelle I wear it on dates My aunt gave it I’m the older I’m the
to appear more to me and I re- sister and I like mother and I
mature and gifted it to my it –fits my like it too –
sophisticated, I’ll older sister – lifestyle: office also like
wear it more suits her job, three kids, Chanel no.5
consistently when lifestyle more lots of running and Guerlain
I’m older, now I around and
prefer Gucci cooking meals
Envy Me for for everyone
everyday use
5. Stacy My older sister It’s ok but I Smell is too Never tried
wears it, but I prefer something overpowering, it, don’t plan
don’t like it more fun, less it repulses my to
classic and kids
traditional
51
53. If J’adore was a ____________, it would be:
Job Magazine Location Era
Focus 1. Olga Model Elle Avenue 90’s/2000’s
group 1: Montaigne
2. Ava PR Vogue Paris 90’s/2000’s
representative
organizing big
fancy events
3. Alana Fashion Vogue Upper East 90’s/2000’s
forward Side
division
manager
4. Jing Yi Lawyer Flare Paris 90’s/2000’s
wearing sexy
pumps
5. Roxane Jewellery Glamour Place Today
salesperson Vendome in
Paris
6. Lucie A news anchor Elle New York 90’s
fashion
show
7. Marion VP for a Vogue Paris 90’s
fashion
company
Focus 1. Sarah Marketing Cosmopolitan Montreal 2000’s
Group 2: intern
2. Rachel Advertising Elle California 2010’s
firm
3. Tiffany Fashion Vogue Paris 90’s
magazine
editor
4. Janelle Business Vogue Montreal 2000’s
woman
5. Stacy Swimsuit Elle Paris 2000’s
model
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54. If Lancome was a ___________, it would be:
Job Magazine Location Era
Focus 1. Olga A writer Chatelaine Venise 1990’s
group 2. Ava Bank teller Home and Ottawa 1970’s
1: Garden (probed) a
really boring
city, only
really has
government
there
3. Alana Mature Country Country 1990’s
business Living town
women
(probed) not
necessarily
successful
though
4. Jing Older, single East Coast Grande Present day
Yi homemaker Living Roue
5. A novelist Art and Somewhere 1990’s/2000com’s
Roxane Decoration boring, like
Utah
6. Lucie Retired Chatelaine Florida, in a 2000’s
retirement
village
7. Air hostess Vanity Fair Palm 1960’s
Marion Springs
Focus 1. Sarah Accountant Canadian Suburbs in 1960’s
Group Living North
2: America
2. Banker Fashion France 1990’s
Rachel over 50
3. Sales Chatelaine Winnipeg Present day
Tiffany representative
4. Librarian Home & France 1990’s
Janelle Garden
5. Stacy Translator Vanity Fair Retirement 2000’s
village
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55. How do you describe your relationship with ________________? Why?
Your favourite perfume J’adore Dior Lancome
Tresore
Focus 1. Olga I’m in an open relationship In an open Haven’t even
group with a small number of high relationship. I’ll met Lancome
1: end perfumes that I wear on check it out yet
different occasions occasionally
2. Ava My best friend, I wear it all the Just friends, to Independent to
time, and need it all the time stay on good Lancome
terms in case I
change my
mind
3. Alana Dating, I like to go out with it Dating, we’ve Divorced and
but I’m open to other ones only had a few have a
dinner dates restraining
order against
Lancome
4. Jing Yi I’m married to my favourite I’d consider No relationship
perfume, I see and use it every having a fling
day when I’m a few
years older
5. In a super weird relationship Just friends, we Haven’t met
Roxane where I only see it on super dated once but Lancome in
special occasions because I it didn’t really real life
want it to last work out. He’s
a bit too mature
for me, I’m still
looking to have
some fun.
6. Lucie Married and happy for life I’d consider Just friends,
dating a bit nice to have it
later, not right to rely on much
now later in life
7. Marion In an open relationship. It Dating Dior, Future
really depends on the weather, not sure where relationship –
where I’m going, how I’m things are going we tried it
dressed etc. with it earlier and it
didn’t work out.
We’ll try again
when I’m older
and more
mature.
Focus 1. Sarah Best friends, we see each other Casual Just friends, I’d
Group all the time. Special occasions, friendship, we consider
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56. 2: every day, it doesn’t matter. see each other something more
occasionally later in life
2. Rachel Married, because I don’t think Nothing, I No relationship
I’m going to be changing any wouldn’t
time soon. consider any
other perfume
3. Dependent, my favourite Attracted to, I’d consider
Tiffany perfume is who I am but haven’t dating later in
really met. life
4. Janelle Open marriage, we really like Courtship, we No relationship
each other but looking for just started
other possibilities dating and its
pretty exciting
5. Stacy Secret affair (probed) I don’t Fling, it was a Casual
want to say what perfume I one time thing. friendship, its
use, but it smells really really Not again like your friend
good (laughs) unless I’m you keep
drunk trying on around because
perfumes he’s nice but
won’t really go
anywhere
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57. Which women would wear ____________ perfume? - Image
J’adore Dior Lancome Tresor
Focus group 1: 1. Olga Top left, top right, Woman with the
business women baby, old women in
second row 3rd row
2. Ava Top right, top left, Sad woman, ballet
Kate 2nd row, girl
Catherine Zeta
Jones
3. Alana Top right, business Oprah, duchess, old
women in the 2nd woman
row, sexy lady
cleaning up
4. Jing Yi Top right, Catherine Oprah, old woman
Zeta Jones, sexy
lady cleaning up
5. Roxane Top left corner, top Woman with gray
right corner hair in the middle
6. Lucie Top right corner, Sad woman, old
blonde girl in 2nd woman
row
7. Marion Business women in Oprah, old woman
2nd row, top right
Focus Group 2: 1. Sarah Bottom right, 3rd Girl with glasses,
row girl on the right French maid
2. Rachel Top left, blonde girl Business women,
in second row Oprah
3. Tiffany Business women in Oprah, old woman
2nd row, bottom left
4. Janelle Top left, women Old woman
with lollipop, ballet
dancer
5. Stacy Swimsuit model, 3rd girl top row, old
girls in green, woman
cheerleaders
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58. What are your thoughts on the commercial/spokesperson
(preference for all was the Dior commercial)
Dior Commercial Lancome Commercial
FG 1. Olga The message is stronger, it says Lancome has a simpler message:
1: ‘forget the money, keep only love. It lacks layers to have a
what’s real – you’. It implies Dior strong impact; it only has one
is an integral part of your level of meaning: boring.
personality
2. Ava She’s stripping, it’s kinda sexy… It’s age appropriate I guess, sorta
I like it! targeted towards my mother
3. Alana I love Charlize Theron so I really Kate Winslet is perfect for the
like this commercial. I mean, commercial. It’s so romantic!
common, how can you not love
her?
4. Jing It’s very sophisticated and fashion Kate Winslet is a successful
Yi forward. woman, she always embodies
feminine roles so the commercial
fits perfectly.
5. Sexy, hot, glamorous, golden! It’s gray, on the sad side of love,
Roxane if you ask me its really boring.
6. Lucie The campaign ad couldn’t be The commercial seems to be like
more spot on, it’s rich, a classic French romance film. I
sophisticated, and striking got chills watching it, Kate
Winslet looked so innocent!
7. The ad is so modern but classic at It was so romantic! In like, a
Marion the same time. It really evokes a playful, classic, ultra feminine
sense of femininity, elegance, and sense.
confidence.
FG 1. Sarah It’s young, careless, and fun. It seemed like a much more
2: Charlize Theron looks HOT! emotional commercial.
2. Rachel Charlize looks so confident, I It reminds of films from the
really like the commercial. 1950’s, too old.
3. Confidence I just don’t get it. Wear our
Tiffany perfume and you will engage in
staring contests? I sort of laughed
at it.
4. Janelle The commercial sorta makes you I think it works well, sort of
want to live Charlize’s life. Makes makes the perfume seem like it’s
you sort of dream about what the a classic.
perfume would do for you.
5. Stacy I didn’t really like it, seemed sorta It seems like a short French film,
sleazy. it would definitely catch my
attention because of the color
scheme.
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