Insights: Fragrances of the World

The hearty aroma of an exotic blend of spices, the smell of the city bustle, and the salty scent of an ocean breeze – the earth is a place of wonderful diversity. Just as every country has its own language and culture, so too does it have its own exciting fragrance people associate with it. Thus, the perfume standards are different from country to country and always an expression of cultural background. Over many decades, we were able to acquire and continually expand our understanding of various cultures and their preferences: For over 50 years, Mäurer & Wirtz has supplied fragrances all over the world. From Europe to the Middle East to Asia, Africa and the Pacific, the perfumes developed and produced in our production facilities in the Rhine region find their place on store shelves worldwide. The fact that iconic brands such as 4711 or Tabac Original are especially popular in certain countries is not only because of the fascinating perfume creations themselves, but also due to our instincts and knowledge of the respective country and their fragrance preferences. Very close and successful cooperation with business partners from the individual countries is equally important and requires a passion for intercultural work.

Communication and ideas that occur on-site

The scent of vast rice paddies and warm soil after rain – everyday life in South East Asia smells very different to that of the western world. “Fragrances awaken associations,” said Alexandra Kalle, our Head of Fragrance Development. “It could be the memory of a holiday in Asia or an excursion to the hillside lemon tree orchards of Sicily. And: Fragrances evoke emotions – maybe comfort or elegance – and the desire: I would like to be like this, too.” It is therefore not surprising that Alexandra Kalle is inspired by the flair of other countries. “I have plenty sources of inspiration – like colours, good food, landscapes or paintings.” To launch and successfully position fragrance brands in various countries requires not only a good nose, but also a special feel for international markets. This is why our area managers regularly spend time on-site creating the foundation for understanding people and their needs. Cooperation with the marketing department also provides consistent insights regarding product development and marketing under the consideration of international requirements. Whether from the other side of the world or from Stolberg – it is with openness, passion and courtesy that we communicate and work together with our international communications agencies and distributors or in the direct trade with individual countries. We gather new ideas, but also provide inspiration – this allows us not only to establish already existing perfumes, but also create fragrances according to various demands and cultural requirements.

Cultural fragrance preferences

Warm, intense scents that tantalize the nose and senses – a stroll through an oriental bazaar makes it clear why “oud”, an usually intense scent extracted from the resin of agar wood, has been deeply rooted in the Arabic culture for over 2000 years. These latitudes are characterized by a preference for sensual fragrances and an extremely high use of perfume. We created Baldessarini Ambré Oud especially for the needs of Middle Eastern countries – and very successfully, because we understand the consumption behaviours of the individual countries. In Asia, light, citrus fragrances are popular, but body and hair care have an even greater significance. This is why the hair care series 4711 Portugal is so successful in Japan –99 percent of its distribution is to Japan. We even adapt the packaging size to cultural preferences: In oriental areas such as Iran, Afghanistan and Arabia, we primarily offer large bottles containing at least 100 ml or 150 ml because of the high consumption. The same applies for South East Asia – in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, 4711 is not only used as an eau de toilette, but also as an everyday commodity that is even used when doing laundry. It’s quite different in Western countries: In Germany and the Benelux countries, perfume is seen as a luxury item – and is thus applied very carefully.

Leaving our scent trail around the world

Mäurer & Wirtz perfumes can be found on store shelves in over 100 countries around the world – and it’s always a pleasure to develop new fragrances especially for foreign markets. We are very proud of the fact that established iconic brands still enjoy great popularity: fragrance classics such as 4711 Original Eau de Cologne and Tabac Original are in high demand in international markets because their brands have existed in these countries for a long time. Memories of events associated with these fragrances then become a part of a country’s history and thus also its culture. In an old letter, composer Richard Wagner requested that the fragrance 4711 Original Eau de Cologne be sent to him by the litre – reason enough to have a huge exhibition on the history of 4711 in the Wagner Palazzo in Venice in 2017. In this way, we create more fragrant memories and leave our scent trail all over the world.