Coty’s Latest Consumer Engagement Tech Tackles Product Testing

As sampling returns to retail, brands are rethinking the ways they engage with consumers, and Coty has introduced a digital fragrance testing device that lets consumers sample its products in a touchless way while it monitors usage metrics to improve the experience.

Slated to roll out to retailers across the globe over the next 12 months, the device will first be tested in brick-and-mortar stores in Europe, with a trial in Asia planned for later this year. Timing will differ between countries due to internal requirements, a Coty spokesperson told CGT, who said they’ll also be trialing the testers in the beauty company's offices around the world.  

Coty partnered with French beauty startup Êverie to develop the device, which is designed to deliver a single droplet of liquid directly to an arm or a blotter for a less invasive experience. Compatible with all of the company’s fragrance testers, the tester can be personalized for each Coty brand and is said to reduce perfume loss vs. traditional testers thanks sensors enabling it to dispense the right dosage.

The tester indicates the device’s battery status — reportedly able to operate for weeks without a battery recharge — as well as the fragrance bottle in use and the amount of liquid left in a bottle. It will also monitor the usage metrics of the device throughout the day.

Coty is also exploring other ways of using this data to understand which fragrances are tested the most during specific times of the day or year, the spokesperson said.

Coty, the No. 71 consumer goods company, sells products in more than 150 countries.

Claire Catherine-Mercier, Coty VP of retail experience, said in a statement that consumer health and safety are a priority as in-person shopping resumes. “Deploying a single drop of liquid to the skin with the same restitution as traditional testers, this new technology eliminates unnecessary waste and offers a safe, contact-free alternative for testing."