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Coty’s Markus Stauss and The Moodie Report’s Rebecca Mann strike a pose at the Truth or Dare launch event in New York |
Last month, in New York City, Coty Prestige staged the official reveal of its Truth or Dare by Madonna fragrance. The scent made its debut in the US exclusively with Macy’s, but is now rolling out into other markets.
“For travel retail, Truth or Dare by Madonna will be on-counter in May,” confirms Coty Prestige Marketing Director, Travel Retail and Export Worldwide Markus Stauss. “And in travel retail, we don’t do exclusives; I don’t believe in them because I think travelling consumers should be able to buy a product wherever they go. Exclusive listings limit the business unnecessarily and you lose [sales] opportunities.”
Stauss added that the roll-out would be worldwide, but with a keener focus on certain countries. “It’s an entertainment brand, and Madonna is a global superstar, but we recognise there is a certain type of consumer who will buy it,” he explains. “Also, it’s a powerful juice, which we know will appeal more to specific regions than others. Initially we believe the key markets will include North America, Anglo-Saxon countries, Europe, Mexico and also Latin America.”
Nonetheless, Truth or Dare is a blockbuster launch for Coty, and is being supported accordingly. TV ad campaign made its debut in some style on the Macy’s Herald Square Jumbotron, just prior to the official reveal. That ad subsequently aired in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia.
“The fragrance is also being supported on Facebook, and by all key digital and print media,” notes Stauss. “At launch, as you have seen, there were even ads playing on-screen in certain [NYC] taxis. In travel retail, we will of course run promotions; there will be a big in-store focus. But every market will have a different, tailored approach.”
The key HPPs have been earmarked for Europe, with smaller events under consideration for Asia. “This makes sense because we see the biggest potential in Europe and the US,” explains Stauss. “Because of the nature of the juice, Asia is perhaps more limited, but a lot of key customers fly there, so it’s been included in the launch plan.”
Was Coty not tempted to try to make the juice less distinctive and therefore, perhaps, more commercial on a global basis? “Madonna picked the juice,” Stauss replies firmly, “and that’s how it works with us. I say it all the time. Whichever license we sign up, they are involved. They don’t just give us the name. And that ultimately is what makes things so successful.”
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Madonna showcases her debut fragrance, Truth or Dare, at the official launch event in New York City |
He continues: “We have a whole list of people who want to work with us, and I think that’s because we take our partners seriously. They are involved, they make the decisions, and even if we think that a different juice might work better in certain markets, we realise that in the end, this is what Madonna wants and stands for. It’s her name on the bottle and you have to take that seriously.”
Might the original Truth or Dare be followed up with a lighter, edt version for Asia at some point? “At the moment it’s not planned but who knows what’s coming up in a couple of months?” Stauss replies. “We have some projects in the pipeline, but they are still being finalised – and are still top secret!”
Does Coty see Madonna as a fragrance brand (with scope for a masculine portfolio perhaps), or is there wider potential within cosmetics too? Her signature look of dark eyes and red lips would translate perfectly into a capsule make-up collection, for instance.
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“Never say never,” responds Stauss, “but for now we are concentrating on the fragrance. That is the start and we will see how that evolves. Within the Coty group, we have just launched ck one color, which is a key focus. If you come [to market] with too much at the same time it can lead to overkill. You have to see it from a retailer perspective too; you can’t launch every new brand in all categories at the same time. That raises a lot of questions about space – and also support.”
Coty believes in tailoring its approach to individual markets and locations, to ensure the most bang for its buck. Madonna’s Truth or Dare will be no exception. “We don’t believe in pushing every brand in every single store if the consumer is not there,” Stauss observes. “You have to be smarter than that. In JFK, for example, we have a different assortment in every terminal, to reflect the passenger profile. If we have high numbers of Asians flying, we focus far more on Chloe, Marc Jacobs and our upscale designer brands. In the UK it’s the same story: the Heathrow selections are very different from those at Gatwick.”
“Madonna picked the juice, and that’s how it works with us. I say it all the time. Whichever license we sign up, they are involved. They don’t just give us the name. And that ultimately is what makes things so successful.” |
Coty Prestige Marketing Director, Travel Retail and Export Worldwide Markus Stauss |
Stauss predicts that Truth or Dare will appeal more to the leisure than the business passenger, but admits a fragrance’s appeal can be difficult to define. “Certainly age-wise, it’s a broad audience,” he notes. “It could appeal to anyone and everyone who finds Madonna an inspiration, and that’s a lot of different people. Plus in travel retail there’s a lot of gifting. Ultimately the consumers decide for themselves whether or not they like something, regardless of who it’s aimed at. When we launched Glow by JLo the target group was aged around 20, but we had women in their 70s who adored it.”
What isn’t in doubt is that Madonna is pretty hot right now. That Super Bowl performance was as high-profile as it gets, plus she has just launched MDNA, her 12th studio album, which is being supported by the MDNA world tour.
“This is all amazing PR,” agrees Stauss. “Plus we can do cross-sampling at the concerts and, in some countries, via the CDs. There is so much potential in terms of introducing Truth or Dare to her music lovers. Let’s just say we will be happy if everyone who is a fan of Madonna buys the fragrance.”
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