Rajiv Sheth, CEO & Creative Director, All Good Scents, shares an insight into perfumery market in India, and how Indians should address the significance of scent
ALL IN GOOD SCENT
I guess it was in my genes. My grandfather had founded an essential oil business in India and used to export globally, majorly to Africa. As a kid, I used to watch him distil aromatic oil and create new blends. As I grew up and started studying about home-grown fragrances, I was disappointed. And that pinch pushed me to go beyond my bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Mumbai. I went to ISIPCA in France to learn the art of making perfumes. This new beginning helped me learn about the magic of French perfumery recognized world over. Within no time I was carried away by the in-depth knowledge about the raw materials, extraction processes, manufacturing techniques, and packaging designs. The 16 years of experience gave me a strong background and I planned to start ‘All Good Scents’. Our USP lies in premium quality fragrances in the ‘affordable luxury’ segment for the new, contemporary and young Indians.
CONSUMPTION PATTERN
India is a big market for deodorants and roll-ons. Many people still don’t know much about perfumes and are regarded as a luxury product. We are obviously catering to the urban cities where the consumer is much more aware and open towards perfumes, but my main focus is to capture the market which still has not opened to the notion of using perfumes. This would require a change in the mindset, which certainly can’t happen overnight. It requires a lot of time and effort.
DIGITAL MARKETING AND CHALLENGES
As of now, we are only selling through online channels, but down the lanes 2 years, we have plans to open up physical sores. When we started in 2015, the online market was still at its nascent stage, and that time only we realized that traditional marketing is the most effective means for the cosmetic segment. But we took the challenge and here we are. Our idea was to give cash back coupon of Rs. 165 along with the sample Scent Box that had three bottles priced at Rs 165 at the doorstep of the customer. And when the customer finally ordered the full-sized bottle, the sample box priced them free. So, in all the ways it was a win-win situation for the customers. I guess that worked for us, along with quality product.
CREATIVE CLICK
Our philosophy had always been to create home-grown fragrances with modernized touch and look. Our exclusive range called ‘The Eternal Garden’ is designed by Krsna Mehta, India Circus and fragrances are developed by me. We have also developed a range of perfumes and body mist for The Times of India’s Miss Diva pageant. Our very recent collaboration had been with the fashion designer Payal Singhal in Mumbai and the collection is called Tender Intense. The idea behind these collaborations and limited edition collections is to explore new stories of fragrances and let the world know about the power of homegrown brands.
TIPS AND TRICKS
I represent the French Perfumery Institution Cinquieme Sens in India and it is important for people to understand that every perfume has a language and behaviour. The whole idea of perfume testing/sampling is to make you understand the language of perfumes that work on the framework called ‘Perfume Pyramid’. When you test a perfume it starts with the opening note called head that stays for 5-10 minutes. Next is the heart note that is actually the body of the perfume and lastly, it’s the base note where the perfume evolves. It is always suggested to try the sample for a few days and understand the nature and language of perfume on the skin (not clothes) and once the fragrance evolves at the base note and if it suits your taste, then only you should invest in it.
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