Quintessence: welcome to the era of ‘scent logos’!

LUXE HOME - 2023/07/18

Steeped in the tradition of perfume since childhood, Valentine Pozzo di Borgo, great-granddaughter of Xavier Givaudan (1), created Quintessence Paris, with her mother Sandrine Givaudan, in 2008. The company brings together the skills of perfumers and scent marketing professionals to support brand image, through the creation of scented candles and cosmetics. Interview…

What was your goal when creating Quintessence?

Valentine Pozzo di Borgo: I wanted to make perfume accessible to all companies looking for a signature or scent universe. At the time, this type of marketing approach was mainly reserved for major brands and, when it came to scented candles, for example, it was mainly for large volumes. I therefore wanted to apply my ‘family heritage’ and my personal experience with renowned perfumers to this project.

The Japanese perfume company Takasago was the first to open its doors to us to design, in small quantities, candles, home fragrances, diffusers, liquid soap, hand creams, etc. Over the past fifteen years, our choice has been to make scented products – home care & perfume – and simple, personalised cosmetics. It is the conjoining of our customers’ uniqueness and the creativity of our teams that creates unique products.

Is scent marketing now fully integrated into brand strategies?

V.P.B. : The market is not yet fully mature. Many stores are attracted to the idea of having their own scent logo, but they don’t make it their priority. For example, the hospitality sector is generally characterised by a lack of consistency at this level. They have one supplier for reception products, another for atmospheric diffusers, and yet another for candles, and they do not necessarily work with the same manufacturers for fragrances! However, the range of possibilities is almost endless. Creating a scent identity specific to each establishment in the same hotel chain or, conversely, offering the same signature all over the world. Quintessence’s role is to help define these strategies, find the right partners, and support our customers right up to delivery of the finished product.

What is your added value?

V.P.B. : In a way, we have an ‘outsourced product manager’ role for everything concerning fragrances. Consulting, design, and production: we have integrated the entire value chain, which gives us a lot of flexibility.
We adapt to each customer’s brand universe. For example, for the Ritz bakery, we started with their iconic products, madeleines and marbled cakes. We reworked these two aromas, incorporating them into scented candles, while also tailoring the container to the bakery’s image.
Over the past few years, we have exhibited at Luxe Pack Monaco in the formulation section. This year, we will be exhibiting at the new Luxe Home space with some curiosity and a determination to stand out! That’s why we will be presenting some of our latest, most creative, and technically challenging achievements.

Find Quintessence at booth DG46 – LUXE Home Area.

(1) This Lyon-based chemist etched his name in the history of global perfumery at the end of the nineteenth century by founding, with his brother Léon, Givaudan in Switzerland.

‘The graphic logo and the scent logo should be inseparable to create a powerful brand image, as the power that smell has over memory has no equal!’

Photo credit: Victoire Le Tarnec