EXCLUSIVE: Fine’ry creates AI-based Roblox promotional environment
A fragrance brand is extending its omnichannel customer experience to the Roblox immersive gaming platform.
Chain Store Age recently spoke with Osh Savur, chief brand officer and chief marketing officer for both Fine'ry and its parent company Maesa, a beauty incubator which developed Fine’ry in partnership with Target, about how the fragrance brand leverages artificial intelligence to deliver personalized experiences across channels including the Roblox metaverse gaming environment.
What made you decide to develop a virtual consumer environment?
We see immersive digital spaces as an evolution of retail where consumers can connect with brands on a personal level, explore products in a customized environment, and enjoy a sense of discovery.
By using AI, we can adapt this virtual space to each user’s unique preferences, providing an experience that feels meaningful and memorable. In addition, it’s a strategic opportunity for us to connect with new audiences, like Gen Alpha.
By engaging users where they are, we are enabling a new audience to interact and discover Fine’ry in a new meaningful way that’s authentic to the brand. It’s all about creating deeper, more resonant connections with consumers, driven by technology that enhances—not replaces—the human element of engaging with the brand.
What led to the launch of Fine'ry?
We knew fragrance was a breakthrough category during COVID-19, and the mass fragrance industry has been ripe for disruption. We joined forces with Target to bring a new, innovative fragrance brand to life.
Fine’ry was designed to democratize fragrance and deliver the finest olfactive experiences to the everyday consumer. Today, it’s the fastest growing fragrance brand at Target.
Why did you decide to partner with Roblox?
Launching the 'Fine’ry-verse' experience on Roblox was a strategic opportunity to merge our brand digitally in a new space, allowing us to connect with new audiences. By engaging users where they are, we’re enabling a new audience to interact and discover Fine’ry in a new, meaningful way that’s authentic to the brand.
As an early adopter of tech-first marketing, we’re thrilled to have created an innovative brand experience on Roblox. We’ve designed interactive environments where users can explore various scent profiles, have access to free fashion user-generated content for a limited time and unlock emotes.
As an early adopter of tech-first marketing, we’re thrilled to have created an innovative brand experience on Roblox. We’ve designed interactive environments where users can explore various scent profiles, have access to free fashion user-generated content for a limited time and unlock emotes.
This approach not only makes our brand memorable but also turns it into an engaging journey that users can share and enjoy with friends.
Our launch on Roblox aligns with our goal of fostering genuine connections and excitement around Fine’ry. For too long, fine fragrances have been exclusive and unattainable, but Fine’ry is changing that. Roblox’s strong sense of community allows us to cultivate a dedicated following of fragrance enthusiasts, bringing phygital experiences to life for new audiences.
[READ MORE: E.l.f. is first beauty brand to test real-world commerce on Roblox]
What have the results of these efforts been?
Our AI-driven strategies have played a key role in enhancing consumer engagement, and we’ve seen remarkable results, particularly with the Fine’ry launch across digital and virtual platforms. The 'Fine’ry-verse' phygital experience attracted more than 2,000 fragrance enthusiasts in just two days, with our social media following growing by 10% over the launch weekend.
Moreover, the event propelled the brand to number 26 in earned media value (EMV – a measurement of a brand’s third-party engagement) ranking according to Tribe Dynamics across the entire fragrance category, showing 168% year-over-year growth.
Our most recent Roblox partnership has also driven considerable interest and interaction, with consumers responding enthusiastically to the immersive experiences we offer. Our ability to use AI to understand these interactions helps us stay connected to our audience, constantly refining our approach to meet their evolving preferences.
Are there any future plans for virtual commerce you can discuss?
We are always looking for new ways to connect with new and existing customers. Earlier this year, we launched our first-ever 'Fine’ry-verse' pop up in New York City, a multi-sensory exhibit that engaged all five senses from room to room.
More than 2,000 customers embarked on a journey through distinct fragrance worlds, immersing themselves in visuals and interactive experiences that included touch, taste, and smell, all while discovering Fine’ry fragrances.
Expanding into online gaming is a next step in our mission to engage with new consumers. Our vision is to keep evolving the phygital experience. allowing people to experience Fine’ry far beyond Roblox and New York City, creating unforgettable moments wherever they are.
