Noooooooooooooooo!

[mich]

Was the words I cried, when I opened a new box of Tide Powder, purchased from Walmart, yesterday.

 

The moment I opened the box this very unappealing, strong, and not to mention horrible sweet scent hit me in the face.

 

Now, those who know me well, know I *do* like the scent of Ariel. But, this isn't Ariel, it's a much sweeter, and it's a cheap perfume like scent. It's really bad in my opinion.

 

So. I rang up the people at Tide, and asked what they had done. It would appear, they thought consumers would like a new, "improved" scent for powder tide, and decided to reformulate it with a all new scent, and added "actilift crystals" to the mix. 

 

She told me there in the process of also reformulating the Mountain Spring scent, as well, but if *I* didn't like the new Tide "Original" scent, that I should try that for the time being, and from than on, possibly consider "free & gentle" Tide. 

 

I'm Mad. I really am. Seriously, what in the world was wrong with the Original Scent?

 

If there making these kind of alterations to all of their products, no wonder there doing so horribly. If someone buys something, it's probably safe to assume it's perfect as it is, and nothing needs to be changed.  

 

[verizonbear]

Demographic Marketing is to blame

P and G and other laundry detergent manufacturers are using more pungent fragrances due to the fact that marketing research has shown that certain demographic groups prefer stronger fragrance and equate that with cleanliness.

Additionally, the target demographic groups tend to have larger households and use more detergent overall and tend to overdose each load.

 

[jerrod6]

This is also another way to say something is new and improved,  while not actually doing anything that requires money spent on research to actually improve something.  Just like P & G has a line of different named fabric softeners.  If you sniff before you buy you find that it is the same as an older scent but just renamed.

 

Customers are on to these stunts now and this is another reason they are turning to other brands that perform just as well and cost less. 

 

 

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I first seen the tide with blue beads last year in NYC, I smelled the box, and yes, I totally share Mich finds, sweet cheap-like scent.
I don't really know about the demographic thing....it's just a smell change actually, could not smell increase in scent, I am of the opinion that an increased scent is always nice, almost everyone likes good smelling laundry but not when you cannot stand it and it's stink like the sweet cheap-like scent it has now...
But gosh!
If it ain't broke don't fix it!
I liked the scent of Original Tide, it smelled clean and delicate and lasted on clothes, even though it was not my favourite, I find Ariel much better and good and is delicate as well, it's just one scent that I like more and that I think belongs to laundry more than Tide Original....anyway, softeners is another matter, I use dryer sheets mostly store brands or anyway not known brands.. and can't complain, actually I am happy, but about liquid softeners are all turning weird down here, like those detergents smelling like cheap eau de cologne or rotten fruits.
Bring back the smell that belongs to laundry detergents and softeners!
Let sweet and all that odd fruity stuff "candy & lollipops" for teenagers girls! As well as cheap cologne!
I understand Mich!
I stopped buying Tide and P&G products sold in markets where they are messing about these things as for size and phanthom concentrated formulas (US and EU), and guess what? I don't miss them a bit!

[this post was last edited: 8/6/2014-16:59]

 

[paulg]

Never buy big boxes...

That is why I avoid big boxes of anything at first-try. If you hate it, you are stuck with it.
I did complain about the awful scent Cheer tried out some years ago. I continued to buy Cheer but a different formulation. I never encountered the trouble again. Perhaps it was a bad lot or I was not the only complainant.
However, it appears Cheer is gone now, so that problem is quite permanently solved, unfortunately.

Since Tide irritates my body (always has) and now irritates the nose, it is a no-brainer that that brand will never grace my shopping basket.

 

[danemodsandy]

It Bears Repeating:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

 

[frontloaderfan]

"certain demographic groups"

That was precisely what I thought was behind this scent change when I read the OP. Certain demographic groups. I think it's terrible that these companies jump on the bandwagon and want to just change everything overnight, like certain other demographic groups don't matter at all anymore....

 

[verizonbear]

And the facts from P and G

Interesting article 

Loading…

www.enquirer.com

 

[verizonbear]

And from the WSJ

Another article 

Loading…

online.wsj.com

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Oh so that's what you meant with the demographic thing.
This is old story....

I just find wrong/odd this policy...and not actually correct/right ...this along with all the others like size and various messes in marketing, brands and selling strategies P&G is doing, both in US and Europe.
Funny is how in South America and Asia, things are more static, actually unchanged...and I happily still buy P&G in these markets.
Again, I gladly quit buying P&G in US or Europe, as they don't like to me anymore...and so did many people down here also, with leading Dash and Fairy dishwasher products, switching to Dixan or Henkel and Reckitt benckiser or Unilever stuff which are just as good, this following the yet another change in size/phantom concentration and the fairy platinum disaster, I don't really miss anything about them.....and hope they will realize that something needs to be changed...better say...brought back to normal.
There's something wrong in how they're doing.

 

[danemodsandy]

I Don't CARE Why They Do It....

I want detergent choices that DO. NOT. HAVE. THAT. FLORAL. REEK.

If they're attracting some customers with this crap, fine - more power to 'em. But they need to put a little effort into keeping me as a customer, too. And creating a "NEW AND IMPROVED 1890 WHOREHOUSE SCENT" is not the way to do it.

I really wish the detergent companies would get out their old formulae, whip up some small batches, and teach their current crop of product developers what clean actually smells like. If someone wants to smell like Carmen Miranda's hat on a hot day, that's their choice. I don't wanna.

I cannot tell you how sickening, repugnant and retch-making the smell of someone who has indulged in today's detergent, softener and "scent enhancer" is. I recently had to leave a restaurant (thankfully, I had not ordered), because some idiot came in on a 90-degree day smelling like a Rose Bowl float two days after the parade was over. I could not possibly have eaten in proximity to that nauseating odor.

Feh, feh and again FEH!

 

[verizonbear]

I spat out my apple pic laughing LOL

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">"</span>

If someone wants to smell like Carmen Miranda's hat on a hot day, that's their choice

 

[lotsosudz]

Give me the scents of the sixties

Give me the scents, before all the flora & fauna came to be. I do not want to smell like coconut and moose poop, I wanta clean fresh smell, that does not linger for 2 years after. Seems so simple.
Hugs,
David

 

[tolivac]

I don't want to smell like "Apple Mango Tango" remember that was a "flavor" that was in a Tide liquid detergent!Think someone might mistake it as a smoothie mix in!Yes,detergent companies---GO BACK to old school simple scents-PLEASE!!!!!

 

[toploader55]

Carmen Miranda's Hat

Extra Credit Sandy.

I have to stop sipping coffee in the morning while reading posts. Coffee through the nose once again. LOL

I'm really enjoying more places that are putting up signs and some professional offices are "A Fragrance Free Zone".

Maybe that should be in a letter to P&G et al.

I pay the price for Persil Universal Powder because it cleans well for the most part and rinses very well. Barely a traceable scent after my clothes are dry if any scent at all.

 

[arbilab]

Recently, 'regular' Tide powder (and thorough rinsing) scarcely smells at all. That plus a dash of Henkel Persil smells like...... umm..... fresh laundry.

I know of a (sub) demographic that thinks clean = pinesol (which also equals watering eyes).

In the 50s mom became enamoured of a spray freshener labelled "flower garden" which made my eyes (nose?) roll back in my head. Lawdy mercy, she must have been part sub demographic.

There's stink and then there's counterstink. Hey Proctology & Grumble, not everybody works on a skunk farm.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Ahahah.....
You know, this makes you think....I recalled an April fool joke of time ago, when Purex the 1st of April, launched through facebook a new scent "cookies scent"....
Well.....You don't know how many didn't realize it was a joke.....
I cannot absolutely blame them...
This not because they're dumb, not at all.....but given all the messes in scent they're doing it would likely seem real..

Purex/Dial Corp AKA Henkel, OTOH both down here and in the States seems one of the ones who's keeping scents on a normal "standard", I mean not too weird.
But here explained and prooved there's really something wrong.....
I think it will not pass much time until we'll actually see detergents and softeners semlling like food, cookies pies etc.
I already Imagine it:
Tide pastries immersion:
Granma apple pie scent
Sicilian Cannoli
Tiramisù
Then watchout if you go in the woods and you attire a bear or wild life!
In the same vein:
My granma bought a bottle of Cocclino's/Snuggle Tiare flowers and red fruits, she hang laundry outside and found it full of bees and wasps attired from the incredibly sweet scent.....she eventually gave the bottle to her neighbor as she hated the scent.
Snuggle infact over here has specialized and is keeping making a full variety of odd ultra nauseating sweet smells, general soft fruits and odd flowers, patchouli etc... really you gotta smell it to understand! Lenor (Downy) is even weirder! Like Gold and Vanilla, I get the Vanilla (I can't stand vanilla anyway), but Gold????? I work with Gold every damn day, but let me tell you it doesn't have any particular smell, being one of the less oxidizing metals it does not even get the oxid smell like indeed silver...but even there, it would be oxid smell (stink), not the metal smell itself... Gold smell! Uh! Who develops these bullshits?
Or Emerald & Ivory flower, Topaz and Maniolia....HTF Emeralds and Topaz smell like???? So now thanks to P&G we know how a Topaz smell like! LOL
No words!
[this post was last edited: 8/7/2014-06:20]

 

[davey7]

One of my friends used to work for Johnson Wax up in Racine and what he told me about scents was very interesting - there are big differences in taste (and even the name affects perception of scents too) among ethnic groups hence the variety of different formulations based upon target demographic. I can't remember if Febreeze was their product but it's elimination of odor original formula didn't sell, but once they added scent to "mask" odors it took off.

 

[fester]

nasty, foodlike scents (pet peeve)

I worked a 7&7 hitch some years back and my coworker wold buy scented laundry products that smelled like fruit or sometimes baked goods. This guy 's nose must not have worked too well, because I swear to Christ he smelled like a coffee cake floating in a bowl of fruit loops. At 6'8" and 325 he got some really strange looks. The stuff even  overpowered his aftershave! That experience weaned me off of scented stuff permanently. Now I use 1/4 cup "Sal's Suds" by Dr. Bronner's  and 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the softener cup. Cleans my filthy, sweat stinking, work clothes and leaves them smelling fresh and clean, not scented.