Fragrance Bottles: Rochelle Bloom Talks about Packaging Innovation
Rochelle Bloom“We’re starting to see more innovation in packaging now and more unique bottle designs. I say, ‘Bravo!’” says Rochelle Bloom, president of The Fragrance Foundation, when we spoke to her about some of the most outstanding fragrance packages that caught our attention this past year. “During the past few years, there has been very little innovation—yet, we’re an industry filled with so many creative people. Innovation is what will separate the weak companies from the successful ones.”
Bloom underlines packaging’s influence on how well a fragrance will sell. “The packaging is extremely important. Consumers will respond to something new. A bottle that is both functional and creatively designed will get a customer to think about purchasing that brand. The packaging is what draws the customer in. The fragrance is the last thing they smell.”
One trend that Bloom sees happening is the use of more green materials, and she encourages consumers to recycle glass bottles. “There is much more of an effort being made by companies to participate in the green movement,” says Bloom.
A design trend Bloom has noticed during this past year an increased use of vibrant colors. “We’ve been seeing a lot more color being used in packaging, and I think that’s very positive,” she says.
Bloom has also noticed more bottles being designed in unusual shapes. “It’s wonderful that during the past 18 months, many designers have been getting away from these clean, pristine lines, where every bottle practically looks the same and almost unisex,” she says.
Package designers are always behind the scenes, never getting the credit they deserve, according to Bloom. “Designers, and perfumers as well, are the unsung heroes in this business. I don’t think that they get much recognition at all, and it’s sad,” she says.
Finally, the portable packaging category is an area ripe for growth and yet one that Bloom feels many fragrance companies ignore. “It’s very difficult to travel with fragrance today. This is a real opportunity that not enough companies are pursuing. We need more innovative, portable solutions.”
The Fragrance Foundation will announce the nominees for best packaging of the year at its FiFi Finalists’ Breakfast on April 24, 2009, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City.
The Fragrance Foundation Expands to the Middle East
The Fragrance Foundation Arabia was recently established in Dubai. All major fragrance companies located in the Middle East will be invited to join. The Fragrance Foundation will offer marketing support, educational programs, and valuable data about the industry and its customers.
Rochelle Bloom, president of The Fragrance Foundation in the United States, recently traveled to Dubai to sign the license agreement with The Fragrance Foundation Arabia, which will be spearheaded by Shahzad Haider, chairman of The Fragrance Foundation Arabia, and Grit Pannier, its president.
“In a way, The Fragrance Foundation is coming home,” says Bloom. “Nowhere else are traditions and the history of perfume and fragrance as rich as they are in the Middle East. Nowhere else are consumers more aware and passionate about fragrances. Here, this business goes back to ancient times.”
During her trip to Dubai and neighboring countries such as Oman and Bahrain, Bloom was impressed by the way people use fragrance to express themselves. Because Middle Eastern women keep covered in public places, their personal style is often expressed through their choice of accessories—handbags, sunglasses, jewelry, and fragrance.
“There’s a different history of fragrance in Arabia. It’s so much a part of their lifestyle, even for men,” says Bloom. She gives an example. “The men in Oman wear long white shirts, with tassels that are fragranced,” she observed.
Throughout history, Arabs have used fragrances as a symbol of reverence and a token of beauty. Pleasant scents are even associated with the faith of Islam, and followers wear traditional essential oils on holidays such as Eid Al Fitr and on Fridays. Arabian fragrance brands and their packaging equally impressed Bloom. “The fragrance packaging is phenomenal there. Some brands are totally over the top. Glass bottles are painted and beautifully decorated, as are the outer cartons. It’s a great presentation.”
The Arabian Gulf is the world’s largest consumer per capita of perfumes. Today in the United Arab Emirates alone, the high-end branded perfumes market is estimated to be worth approximately 250 million USD.
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