Top 5 things to look for in a Fragrance Partner

You’ve given your heart and soul to create, and perfect, a fantastic body/home care formula. The only thing left to do is to marry it with the ‘sparkling citrusy scent with earthy notes’ fragrance you need. Yes… it’s time to select a fragrance partner! Choosing the perfect fragrance house is akin to choosing your life partner.   There is joy when it works, but heartache and pain if it’s a mismatch!  To help you find your heavenly match, we’ve put together the top 5 things to look for in a fragrance partner.

1. Transparency in Communication

As with any partnership, when there is open dialogue between you and your fragrance partner, the product realized is exceptional. The fragrance partner that you have chosen needs to provide timely, proactive and honest information at each stage; customer requirements, scent creation, sample development, regulatory compliance, production and shipping.  And as it is a partnership, you need to connect with your partner to share your requirements in as much detail as possible in all stages.  Your partner needs to be abreast of the latest Regulatory information. If the partner doesn’t track this, it can cause major issues later. Find a partner who commits to honest and open dialogue right from the word go!

2. Synergy with your Brand Philosophy

Even a great fragrance company won’t be a great partner when there is no harmonious collaboration with your brand’s philosophy.  The messaging of your brand is unique to you. When a partner is like-minded, the partnership is worth its weight in gold.  Such partners collaborate for shared success. Brands often think that a cultural fit is just for the papers.  However, imagine what a nightmare it would be if your partner doesn’t see eye-to-eye on the core values that you stand for. If your brand believes in responsible sourcing of ingredients, and your fragrance partner doesn’t, there is a friction in the basic ideology. It is time to look elsewhere!

3. Too Big or Too Small?

When choosing a fragrance partner it is important to understand that size matters.  If your brand is well known and you want to expand into a new product line, an equally big fragrance house may be a good partner.   However, this is not always the case.  Sometimes, a smaller fragrance company who can supply the required fragrance volume and support can be a good partner and provide great value. If you are an Indie business owner, partnership with a bigger player might tip the scale against you.   What is more important is to find a partner who would work with you to understand your requirements and deliver, whatever your size. The ability to treat big or small partners equally is a rare commodity. Very few fragrance companies manage to accomplish it! Study your intended partner’s portfolio to know their past collaborations and decide!

4. Innovative Fragrance Partner

Innovation keeps your brand ahead of other players in the market. When your partner shares your enthusiasm for innovation, you are bound to get unique outcomes! A win-win situation! When there are issues cropping up, an innovative partner will always approach the solutions with innovation in mind!

5. Best Time-to-Market

Choose a partner who follows the best supply-chain logistics practices in all stages – ingredients sourcing, formulation, production and shipping. This translates to an excellent time-to-market. Getting a great fragrance is a job half done if the partner doesn’t have good timelines for delivery.

Agilex Fragrances

At Agilex Fragrances, we utilize our unique strength of small company values with big company resources. This works to your advantage throughout the entire scent production process. Our accomplished creative development team, visionary marketing and innovative technology, have helped brands across the country and around the world rise above their competition. The Agilex advantage not only builds brands, it grows businesses.