"The Perfume Diaries"

Inspired by the lesson about packaging few week ago, in which we discussed in class about perfume industry and how it has evolved through time, it made me think about 'The Perfume Diaries' exhibition I went to at Harrods around 5 months ago and I wanted to share to those who missed it.

I heard about it when I first arrived in London and I, as one of the perfume lovers, was really looking forward to it.  'The Perfume Diaries' was curated by world-renowned fragrance authority Roja Dove, Professeur de Parfums and the author of The Essence of Perfume, whom we all had a chance to meet in person when he came as a guest speaker at Regent's College. The exhibition portraited the fascinating chronicle of perfume from ancient era to present time. It showed the evolution of perfume decade by decade and walked through the history behind it. I was enchanting by it!

Francois Coty, French perfume manufacturer once said,

"A perfume needs to attract the eyes as well as the nose."

Perfume is one of the things that packaging plays crucial role in it. Not only the scent has to be adorable, but also the flacon needs to be captivating as well. Packaging in perfume industry has evolved through time until the point that sometimes the bottle itself costs more than what is inside.

The exhibition began with how perfume was produced in an ancient time. It showed how ancient perfumes look like, how to manufacture it, showing all the tools and perfume handbooks in the old days, which were rare things to find nowadays.

Roja Dove himself has selected fragrances from all over the world, featuring all important brands in the industry, which made an impact on perfumery and influenced the society, people and the way in which we wear perfume nowadays. Also, original artwork, sketch designs, vintage advertising visuals, fashion costumes were displayed along with rare flacons up to modern perfumes these days.

Moreover, the exhibition played on the way in which perfumers were influenced by the society and more importantly, how fashion and trends have always inspired the scent and packaging design of perfumes. It is obvious when you look at the history and trends of fashion at that specific time, there is always a linkage between fashion and bottle shapes. Many fashion brands have its own perfume line to enrish its clothes and fashion accessories. Christian Dior said,

"This is why I became a perfumer, so that all my dresses would appear simply by opening a bottle."

I suddenly love this perfume 'Attimo' by Salvatore Ferragamo, not by its scent actually but by its design and story behind. Attimo was inspired by historical multi-coloured round shaped wedge shoes made for Judy Garland in 1938 specifically. This is a good example of how fashion plays important role in perfume industry and packaging design as well.

Another great example is 'Vivara' by Emilio Pucci. Mr.Emilio Pucci, famous Italian designer, is always known for his unique designs around prints and colours in fashion industry. However, in 1966, he decided to extend its line to perfume as well and launched the notable perfume, Vivara, which embodied the iconic Pucci print named Vivara into it.

I have to admit sometimes I choose a perfume firstly by its flacon which attracts my eyes right from the very beginning. Then, the matter of scent and smell come after! What about you?

Source: The Perfume Diaries exhibition at Harrods, 28 Aug - 2 Oct 2010

"DNA"

What is DNA?

DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid which is molecule in living cells that contains genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of things (BiotechnologyOnline, 2010). To explain it more easily, it is a set of blueprints that contain all genetic information of that particular thing (Wikipedia, 2011). I'm not going into scientific mode here but I just want to set a ground rule of what DNA is.

So, it is clear now that everything in this world comprises of DNA which represents the overall of characteristics of that thing, including living organisms like human and animal or even objects.

Every brand in the market must has its own strong brand's DNA which illustrates the whole image and characters of the brand. Therefore, what is brand 's DNA exactly?

Brand's DNA is the list or genetics of a brand ranging from colour to photography, materials, form, placement, people, price, attitude, endorsement etc. It includes both visual and sensory code that people use to relate to one particular brand. In order to differentiate itself from its competitors, brand needs to have strong and consistent brand image in consumers' mind and this is really crucial in luxury brands.

Carol Chapman (2010) made an important statement, in which I totally agree upon, that brand needs to have effective marketing strategies in an attempt to attract customers in the door. However, it doesn't bring them back to the same brand for the second time or later on as frequent or loyalty customers. The important thing here is that brand needs to make sure that customers will come back for more with its ability to always deliver consistent, distinctive, and relevant experience to its customers.

Chapman (2010) also gave 8 useful benchmarks you need to consider to make sure you have precise and distinctive brand's DNA;
1.) What perception does your  brand want to own in the minds of your market?
2.) What is the distinctive style of your brand?
3.) What are the core values of your brand that guide your behaviors and business practices?
4.) What are your unique differentiators that help create and leverage brand advantage?
5.) What standards of performance excellence will you adhere to across your brand scorecard?
6.) How will your brand reinforce who you are and the desired perception you want to create in the minds of your employees and customers?
7.) Does your brand have strong point of view?
8.) What is your brand promise to your employees and customers?


Now, what are the intrinsic qualities that make up a brand?

• Name - Luxury brands have their own ways to do things. Starting from the name, it usually doesn't follow branding strategy of how to come up with a brand name. Normally, luxury brands tend to use the name of its creator

• Emotive
• Celebrity Endorsed or Anonymous - Luxury brands tend to use celebrity endorsement as one of the essential tactics to attract customers and create desire to own the product

• Senses - It includes both tangible and intangible things; shape, colour, smell, sound, icon, touch, service etc.

• Visual Code - It can also be called 'logo' and it provides immediate recognise of the brand in split seconds

• Style/Photography

• Experience

Last but not least, packaging is one of the things luxury brand couldn't forget. Nowadays, people not only buy for the product inside, they also buy the packaging. To have congruent image in consumers' mind, brand needs to pay attention to every little detail comprising the brand. Packaging is one of the first representations of the brand itself, creating excitement for what's inside, and it now conveys the concept of 'more' than just a product. It brings the living dream to people. Packaging for luxury brands normally uses good quality material with durability, elegance and classic design to deliver perfection to its customers, for example, Krug offers 'Krug On My Own Terms', luxurious bespoke cellar case with personalized plaque made from either metal, mirror, or saddle leather along with customer's name or initials. This Krug special case costs around $1,000 (Stern, 2008).

So ... are you a type of person who might judge a book by its cover? If yes, don't be surprised! That's how it works!





Bibliography
1. Chapman, C. (2010). 'What is your brand DNA? Create a more desirable brand experience' Sales & Service Excellence, 10 (1) pp.5. Business Source Complete [online]. Available at:

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=107&sid=70bdd427-928b-4eca-936d-4890b2b15b65%40sessionmgr114&vid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=48723850 (Accessed 24 February 2011).

2. Biotechnology Online (2010). What is DNA?. Available at: http://www.biotechnologyonline.gov.au/biotec/whatisdna.html  (Accessed 24 February 2011)

3. Wikipedia (2011). DNA. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA (Accessed 24 February 2011)

4. Stern, P.J. (2008). Krug 'On My Own Terms'. Available at: http://www.luxist.com/2008/12/03/krug-on-my-own-terms/ (Accessed 24 February 2011) 

The Appetiser

Guilty Pleasure (noun)

: something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of guilt

Everyone must have their own guilty pleasures one way or another; either fashion, clothes, shoes, bags, cars, gadgets, or even foods. Luxury products definitely fits into this category perfectly. Luxury, the excesses of life, is not what one needs, but what one wants. So, what is luxury exactly? Well, it depends on who you ask. Luxury can be exclusive, expensive, extraordinary, special materials, high-end packaging, personal experience, scarcity, private, classic, unique, in the know, prestigious, instantly recognisable and so on. However, money is not the only issue here; you have to know how to spend it rather than simply having spending power. It is considered a personal preference for any individual and a matter of taste. Coco Chanel once said,

"Luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but in the absence of vulgarity"

Luxury doesn't always mean big logos of brand name out front ...

Discreetness of luxury is a new trend nowadays ...

How do these brands typically communicate to the world? They can communicate through experiences; fashion shows, private events, stores, online.

They can communicate through forms; fine materials, hand-crafted, beautiful package, craftsmanship.

Or they can communicate through essence.

One way or another, design is critical to all the touchpoints of a luxury brand in which it has to manage its consistency throughout, one of the most important things to keep in mind all the time!




PS. I'm just a simple girl with my own views to the world. I have to say this is my first blog ever and I'm doing this as a part of my studying for Managing Luxury Brand subject, Luxury Brand Management course here in London. I'll keep posting stuff from my class and also what I think it is interesting through my course of life. Hope it will be useful for just anybody, no matter who you are and where you are in this whole wide world ...