As face-to-face interaction declines, fragrance is being recast as both a tool for personal expression and a subtle technology for social connection. Givaudan’s new "Message in a Bottle" program identifies social belonging as an increasingly important driver of fragrance choice, arguing that scent can communicate presence, attentiveness and openness at a time when consumers are experiencing what the company describes as a “pandemic of loneliness.”
“Givaudan's expertise in and responsibility for decoding consumers' current and future needs take on a new form through this creative program," said Xavier Renard, global head of fine fragrance. "Backed by extensive research from our Global Consumer Insights team, 'Message in a Bottle' puts social belonging back at the centre of fragrance choice, building a new level of intimacy with consumers, and unlocking new avenues for unique creations in an increasingly competitive market.”
Givaudan points to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics' "American Time Use Survey" data showing that face-to-face socialization fell more than 20% between 2003 and 2023, while its own global consumer research found social belonging resonating with 43% of women and 46% of men, with particularly strong relevance among Gen Z.
The latest BLS survey, taken in 2025 and released in August 2026, points to a further shift in how Americans spend their days: socializing and communicating is taking up less time. In 2025, 30% of people age 15 and older engaged in socializing and communicating on an average day, down from 38% in 2015, while average time spent on these activities fell from 41 to 35 minutes per day. The decline is notable because it is occurring alongside substantial leisure time, suggesting that the issue is not simply a lack of time but how that time is being allocated.
At the same time, some leisure activities increasingly involve screens and digital technology. Americans spent an average of 37 minutes per day playing games or using computers for leisure in 2025, up from 25 minutes in 2015; the BLS category includes social media and other computer activities.
While the new data does not directly measure face-to-face contact, it points to a broader shift in the balance between interpersonal interaction and digitally mediated leisure. In this emerging social context, sensory experiences such as fragrance could play a role in creating connection, shared memories and a sense of physical presence.
This reframing expands familiar fragrance territories such as clean and fresh that focus on signals of cleanliness or self-care toward social scents designed to invite proximity, recognition and interaction.
“In a world saturated with communication yet struck by a global pandemic of loneliness, wearing perfume becomes a radical act of communication and a potential promise of social belonging," said Arnaud Guggenbuhl, head of global marketing insight and image fine fragrance. "Each olfactory creation lays the groundwork for human interaction, sparks an emotional resonance, and fosters shared sensory experiences.
Givaudan's concept explores this through four creative themes—human connection symbolized by a “red thread,” nature's elemental forces, tactile “neo-animality” and the shared language of food culture.
