Sales director Awie Newell tells CosmeticsDesign-Asia.com that Seven was looking for a partner in alignment with its’ strategy and ambition in the fragrance segment and that in this instance, DKSH fit the bill.
Under the agreement, DKSH will represent and distribute Seven’s fragrances in Thailand and Indonesia, and although the company has been supplying fragrances to these markets over the last 25 years, Newell says that; “this partnership gives us market knowledge and fragrance insight to drive our commercial business and is the first time we have opened up our portfolio and services to a broader customer base.”
The move comes as the UK brand, already well established in Africa, Asia and Australia, believes that future growth will continue to be concentrated outside the domestic market, with a core emphasis on creative fragrances.
A bid to better cater to the Asian markets
The sales director tells this publication in order for Seven to successfully cater to the Thai and Indonesian markets, they had to alter their approach when its came to fragrance requirements.
"We are very much aware of the challenges facing our customers; from the need for category insight to fragrance portfolio management and this is where our experience and expertise in making fragrance work harder for personal care plays a vital role."
Seven is said to have provided training sessions for DKSH in the areas of fragrance formulation, product development and category innovation.
“Asia is a complex market where consumers are strongly influenced by fashion and sports fine fragrance brands. We will continue to work in partnership with DKSH to translate the latest trends, such as the current preference for fresh floral-citrus combinations, into commercially viable fragrances for use in personal care,” adds Newell.
Going out on its own is boding well for the company..
Two years on after it was spun off from UK personal care provider PZ Cussons, Seven Scent is said to be reporting positive operating results and a particularly strong interest from international markets.
The new company was launched in May 2010, and this was followed by significant investment in a compounding facility and the restructuring of internal resources to form a solid stand-alone business.
Neil Weaver, managing director says that; “Before the transition to Seven, the fragrance business was designed to service just our internal customers within the PZ Cussons Group. To enable us to expand beyond this we’ve had to invest in key operational areas to ensure we have the capability and skills to meet this new challenge. In addition to our new, compounding facility, we’ve also made selected appointments to key roles to ensure we have the right team.”