Unilever has announced a €100 million investment to scale its fragrance design and creation capabilities across its global portfolio. This strategic move reinforces its objective to accelerate growth and increase productivity, allowing the company to have greater control over the creation and refinement of fragrances, a key element in product formulation and consumer preference.
A step towards a fragrance house of its own
Fragrance is an essential component in many Unilever products, from indulgent shower creams to revitalising deodorants and detergents that leave pleasant scents on clothes. Traditionally, Unilever has collaborated with fragrance houses around the world to develop the scents consumers know and love. However, the company is transitioning to a hybrid model that will combine these strategic partnerships with strengthened in-house capabilities.
With this new approach, Unilever will integrate its scientific expertise in areas such as neuroscience, artificial intelligence and digital product development, with the aim of delivering superior products in a more agile and cost-effective way. This will enable better adaptation to market trends and a faster response to consumer expectations.
A model driven by science and technology
Unilever's new fragrance house will be at the forefront of digital technology and artificial intelligence. It will use advanced neuroscience techniques to understand how fragrances influence mood and emotional wellbeing, such as confidence, ensuring that products not only meet but exceed consumer expectations.
‘We are delighted to announce this investment to build a state-of-the-art fragrance house at Unilever. This will allow us to create and develop our own fragrances while maintaining close collaboration with our existing partners,’ commented Richard Slater, Unilever's Head of Research and Development. ‘With the recruitment of expert perfumers and the use of new technological capabilities, we will drive unrivalled brand superiority aligned with our Growth Action Plan,’ he added.
Building a global squad of experts in scents
Unilever has already begun hiring perfumers in the UK, US and India and plans to expand its global team to cover areas such as fragrance creation, evaluation, measurement, testing and data analysis. In October 2024, Mathieu Lenoir was appointed Global Head of Unilever's Fragrance Creative Centre. With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Lenoir expressed his enthusiasm: ‘My dream as a perfumer has always been to be as close as possible to the consumer, and I feel that Unilever is the best place to transform this dream into reality."