Fragrance enhances our products by fostering loyalty and creating meaningful moments in consumers’ daily lives. To strengthen this connection, Unilever is investing €100 million to establish a world-class, digital-first fragrance creation house.
A Strategic Investment Aligned with Growth Plans
Unilever’s €100 million investment aims to scale up in-house fragrance design and creation capabilities across its global portfolio. This move aligns with the company’s Growth Action Plan, focusing on delivering superior products by gaining greater control over fragrance design—a crucial element of product formulation and consumer preference.
Building an In-House Fragrance House
Fragrance is integral to Unilever’s diverse products, from indulgent shower creams to invigorating deodorants and laundry detergents. The art and science behind fragrance creation involve expert perfumers blending up to 1,000 raw ingredients into unique formulas.
Traditionally, Unilever partnered with external fragrance houses to develop its scents. While these partnerships remain vital, Unilever is transitioning to a hybrid model. Its digitally enabled in-house teams will now be involved in every stage of innovation, crafting fragrances tailored perfectly to its products.
By combining neuroscience, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital product development with strategic external partnerships, Unilever aims to deliver consistent, affordable, and superior fragrances across its brands more efficiently.
Acting on Trends and Surpassing Expectations
Richard Slater, Unilever’s Chief R&D Officer, shared the vision behind this initiative: “We are thrilled to announce a €100 million investment to build a leading-edge fragrance house at Unilever. This initiative will enable us to create and develop our own fragrances while continuing to collaborate closely with our valued industry partners.”
Richard emphasized the importance of leveraging digital technology, AI, and the expertise of recruited perfumers to deliver superior fragrances that enhance the overall consumer experience. Unilever’s fragrance house will employ advanced neuroscience techniques to understand how scents influence mood and emotional well-being, such as boosting confidence, ensuring products exceed consumer expectations.
This enhanced capability will also allow Unilever to quickly identify and respond to emerging fragrance trends, accelerating the product creation process from formulation and design to manufacturing and market launch.
Building a Global Team of Experts
Unilever has begun recruiting expert perfumers across the UK, US, and India to form a global team specializing in fragrance creation, evaluation, measurement, testing, and data analytics.
In October 2024, Mathieu Lenoir was appointed as Unilever’s Global Creative Centre Director for Fragrance. With over 30 years of experience in the fragrance industry, including roles at leading perfume houses, Mathieu expressed his enthusiasm: “My dream as a perfumer has always been to be as close as possible to the consumer, and I feel Unilever is the best place to transform this dream into reality.”
