Good market scents

GO NEGOSYO PILIPINAS

- JOEY CONCEPCION

Back in the day, scents for men came down to only aftershave and maybe cologne. You know you're old when it's news to you that young men these days "layer" their perfume to produce their own signature scent. This means using different products with complementary scents to create a unique fragrance, sort of like making your own fragrance to match your own body chemistry.

Apparently, this is a big deal with Gen Z, both the boys and the girls. To me, this is a strange phenomenon, considering that smell is an experience so removed from the digital universe. How do Gen Z individuals experience scent on screen, considering that this is how many of them grew up and now spend most of their time?

Perhaps this explains why young people are more engaged with scent because it's something you need to experience in real life. Scent has even become more personal for them than for previous generations. For marketers aiming to engage Gen Z through fragrance, the approach of layering and personalizing scent is quite clever: imagine enticing these young consumers to purchase not just one, but two or three products to create their own unique scent. This strategy appeals to their desire for individuality, creativity and adventure, ultimately leading to higher sales.

This finally dawned on me when my youngest daughter, Bella, was mentioned in an article in The Philippine STAR about her and her cousins' perfume business, Bon Voyage. Now I know about her running a perfume business beginning last year. I couldn't be prouder then because she was following in the footsteps of her businessmen lolos, uncles and of course, yours truly.