THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 27, 1994 TAG: 9410270040
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MONIQUE WILLIAMS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
YOU CAN'T OPEN a fashion magazine without getting assaulted by it.
You can't enter a department store without getting squirted.
Successful marketing of a new perfume has little to do with scent and more to do with cents.
It's a complicated science that includes the careful selection of florals, the selling of an image, the selection of a name that reflects that image and the design of a bottle.
For perfume giants like Revlon, it isn't a hit-or-miss proposition - it's a calculated marketing strategy that doesn't leave much to luck or chance.
For its new fragrance - Fire & Ice - Revlon's goal was to captured the essence of sensuality in both men and women.
Smells and fragrances evoke feelings and emotions. A whiff of something familiar can transport us to another place, remind us of somebody or even repulse us.
To find out what makes us tick, Revlon commissioned Roper Starch to conduct a survey about both genders' notions of sensuality.
``Research has shown us that sensuality has taken on a new meaning in today's world,'' says Kathy Dwyer, executive vice president of marketing at Revlon.
``We sought through this survey, to delve into the feelings of women and men nationwide to fully explore sensuality - what it means to both sexes and its significance in their lives.''
Is sensuality a state of mind or a physical feeling?
Here are some of the survey's findings:
Sixty-nine percent of men and women agreed that feeling sensual was more of a state of mind than a physical one.
On the sensual scale, the kiss ran high. Eighty-five percent of men and women agreed that being kissed passionately made them feel sensual.
Fifty-eight percent of men and women agreed that wearing a special fragrance made them feel sensual.
Next time you tell someone he or she is handsome or beautiful - think about it. Sixty-nine percent of people said that being told they were beautiful made them feel sensual.
Now on our differences between the sexes:
Seventy eight percent of men reported finding the act of undressing their partner to be sensual (versus 57 percent of women).
Both sexes agreed that women are the more sensual of the two sexes.
Men require the presence of a someone else in order to feel sensual (51 percent), while women are more likely to feel sensual even when they are alone (38 percent).
Both sexes agreed (73 percent) that men usually equate sensuality with sexuality. Fewer (30 percent) felt that women equate sensuality with sexuality.
Men feel more sensual in the morning, while more women feel sensual in the evening.
What all of this means is that you need to dab a little bit of perfume on, kiss passionately and tell your lover he or she is gorgeous. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
REVLON
Revlon's aim was to capture the sensuality in men and women in its
new fragrance, Fire & Ice.
by CNB