What is a flanker scent? A flanker cologne or perfume is a scent that is created based on the popularity of what I call the parent scent. Think of flanker scent as you would a movie sequel. The Star Wars
- Star Wars-The Empire Strikes Back
- Star War-The Return of The Jedi
Each of the sequels(and prequels) capitalize off and get buzz based on the title. Taking this analogy a step forward and apply it to fragrance, we get new scents that often use the name of the parent scent with a little something extra added.
Think on the popular Hugo Boss The Scent for men. After the initial release, we saw a couple flanker scents bearing this name were released
- Hugo Boss- The Scent Intense
- Hugo Boss-The Scent Private Accord
Same scent name, different version. Some good, some not so good like the Star Wars series. Other additions to the parent scent often times include “Extreme” “Intense” or “Sport” as part of the name.
Why Are There Flankers?
1- Capitalize on a Successful Formula
Flankers are a great way for fragrance companies to get the most out of a successful launch in a cost-effective way rather than having to start from the ground up. Creating a new perfume can be a huge gamble for perfume brands.
In spite of spending millions of dollars on market research and focus groups, perfume brands always remain uncertain whether the new fragrance will boom or bust.
However, if you are creating a new perfume that shares some of the attributes to one of the best selling fragrance, the risk that the fragrance may flop becomes minimized.
2- Expanding Market Reach
Perfume brands are aware the people prefer using different fragrances according to different situations in their life. Launching a flanker scent helps a brand to get already loyal customers to buy a new flanker scent to help them meet their requirements that were not met by the original.
Additionally, when a flanker scent becomes highly popular, releasing a new scent with some variations in a different category (gym or sports) can make it easier for perfumes companies to expand their market reach.
3-Trendy and Relevant
In order to stay on the top and avoid falling into oblivion, fragrance companies are required to release new updates of their best sellers frequently. Since flanker scents are released by companies almost every year, it not only helps monetize on the latest fragrance trends but also ensures its strong presence on the perfume counter.
Flankers for the most part, in my humble opinion, do not live up the parent scents reputation. Often times in my experience, these scents plain suck with only the addition of extra note or two placed in a new and updated bottle.
Why do I buy these things? Simple, hope and OCD. I’m hoping for a new signature scent while satisfying my near OCD need to have every bottle in a cologne series.
Do you have a favorite Flanker Scent? Please comment below.
Leave a Reply