Coty uses ‘artificial intelligence’ for fragrance experience

Launched in Argentina via retailer Julieraque, the company describes the new tech as a multi-sensory fragrance discovery experience, powered by AI.

The response has been “amazing”, according to Coty, with the company saying it wants to scale the experience further from here.

The experience uses touch, smell, sound and sight and focuses in on fine fragrances, allowing consumers to find their ‘perfect scent match’.

Coty is one of the world’s largest beauty companies with over $9 billion in revenue. It is the global leader in fragrance, a strong number two in professional salon hair color & styling, and number three in color cosmetics.

How does it work?​

Shoppers wear a virtual reality headset and pick up one of seven scent stones, which each represent a unique olfactive territory.

The user is then propelled into an immersive universe which brings the specific olfactive territory to life through the scented and texturized stone, 3D visuals and sound.

Shoppers can then discover their perfect fragrance match based on their preferred territory.

“The innovative use of mixed reality allows shoppers to remain in the store environment, while providing an additional layer of magic and other worldliness for which the fragrance category is known​,” explains Coty.

‘Future facing’ retail experience​

Coty is the latest beauty giant to make decisive steps into upgrading the consumer retail journey, in light of the increasing capabilities of digital technology.

Elodie Levy, Senior Director, Digital Innovation at Coty, said: “Our aim was to create a future facing retail experience that merged the physical and digital worlds to help users navigate the rich and complex world of fragrances​.”

She continues: “Our aim is to scale this experience across multiple Coty brands and with ​select retail partners, providing a better fragrance experience and service for consumers​.”

The experience was developed by Coty’s inhouse innovation teams in collaboration with DVgroup a virtual reality innovation studio.