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Luciano Bertinelli, the CEO of Ferragamo Parfums, may be new to Dubai but that has not stood in his way of touching the pulse of the Arabian market. In just a few days, he has realised that stronger and potent fragrances work better in this part of the world.
"We may be here to unveil our new perfume Tuscan Soul, which is fresh and light. But our real attraction will arrive in October 2009 when its stronger version Tuscan Extreme is introduced in the stores here [Dubai]. The Tuscan Soul launch is just the beginning," says Bertinelli.
Tuscan Soul is one of the many scents that have been churned out from the Salvatore Ferragamo factory. Created by Pierre Bourdon of Fragrance Resources, the Tuscan Soul - a citrus woody floral - is filled with signature Italian Calabrian bergamot and other Sicilian citrus fruits.
"It embodies our whole heritage, and represents our Italian roots in a bottle," adds Bertinelli, pointing to the frosted bottle and the honey coloured cap.
"Tuscan Extreme will retain these signature qualities and be Italian in spirit, but it will be more suitable for the region's sultry climate," he says.
Eager to make inroads into the Middle Eastern markets, Bertinelli says that a slew of new ventures have also been planned.
"The ME has a great potential and it looks like it has not been affected drastically by the global recession when compared to the US, Japan or European markets. So in the next two years, we are hoping to venture into spa products and introduce a new home collection range," says Bertinelli.
The success of their toiletry kit given to the first class passengers of Ethihad Airlines has also spurred them on to experiment.
Star Scentiments
Aware of the glut of perfumes endorsed by stars in the market, Bertinelli adds that roping in a celebrity for the Ferragamo perfume range is not an option. "Salvatore Ferragamo's core brands (shoes and bags) have Claudia Schiffer as its brand ambassador.
"So having another celebrity for the fragrance line alone, which is not its core brand, will dilute the branding process. And Ferragamo products speak for themselves as they are the real heroes," he says.
But for all those who came in late, iconic fashion photographer Mario Testino will continue to work on its advertisement campaigns.
So with hundreds of perfumes being launched in the market in a year, how are they planning to be different?
"In the last 10 years the market trends have changed dramatically with change being the only constant. So what keeps a company going is the introduction of new smells."
Tuscan Soul is available at all major retail stores.
Bertinelli's choice
"You know you have got it wrong when … your scent enters the room before you do. "
If you are young: opt for Salvatore Ferragamo's Incanto Shine, that's a blend of passion fruit, pineapple and amber.
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