June 4 - On June 18, 2008 the global fragrances and flavorings manufacturer Symrise is opening its new Creative Center in Shanghai. The new facility will house all functions and creative resources of the Scent & Care division for the Chinese market. It will also serve as the newly established regional hub for North East Asia. This means the center will be the new home for all departments which are critical for an effective creative process: fragrance development, application, consumer research, marketing and sales for all of the business units in the Scent & Care division (Fragrances, Life Essentials, Aroma Molecules and Mint). 51 employees will work at the new Shanghai office; by 2013 this number is expected to increase to 70.
The Center is located in Puxi, the creative heart of Shanghai. The Symrise building is part of an old factory unit which has been renovated and converted into an inspiring home for culture, art and design. The ambience was designed to inspire both employees and clients, encourage a creative exchange and express the company's innovative spirit.
A key component of the Creative Center is its newly-founded consumer research facility, the global Navigator Center. This is where Symrise will implement the Navigator on an international basis, a unique consumer-research system developed by Symrise which combines different approaches and techniques that extend far beyond the possibilities of classic analytical methods. Its software works with an international database being constantly updated by the global consumer insight team network. The Navigator documents consumer trends, analyzes consumers' language about fragrances and flavors, studies the acceptance of products in different categories and provides sensory criteria which are helpful tools in positioning brand products. The Navigator's primary task is to give Symrise insightful information about preferences and consumer trends in the important Asian growth markets such as China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Beyond that, the system can compare global consumer needs and thus enables Symrise to identify and predict global trends. By creating a "fragrance language" based on the Symrise Genealogy the Navigator will also optimize communications between consumer researchers, perfumers, marketing specialists and clients. Facilities for focus groups and sensory-analysis make it possible to do essential qualitative research on site.
Achim Daub, Global President of Scent & Care, says, "China is one of the most important growth markets for Symrise. Opening the new Creative Center in Shanghai is proof of the critical role that the entire Asian market plays in the development of our business. It also shows that we do not see creativity and innovation as decorative details - they are an indispensible part of our corporate strategy. We have created the perfect environment for our employees in Shanghai - an inspiring atmosphere where they can be highly creative and efficient in their work and their interactions with clients."
Thomas Dressler, Regional President, Scent & Care, Asia Pacific, comments, "Sensory and consumer insight is one of Symrise's core competencies, and it is especially critical on the Asian continent, where the average per-capita income is steadily growing. The new Navigator Center in Shanghai will not only gather and analyze information about Chinese consumers, it will take on a key role in all of our company's work in global sensory analysis and consumer research. With the Navigator, we will continue to develop our existing knowledge about trends and consumer behavior, and we will keep working with our clients to translate this knowledge into promising product concepts."
About Symrise
Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances, flavorings and raw materials and active ingredients for the perfume, cosmetics and food industry.
Its sales of €1.27 billion in 2007 place the company among the top four in the international flavors and fragrances market. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, Symrise is represented in more than 30 countries in Europe, Asia, the United States and South America.
With more than 40 first patent applications per year, Symrise is one of the most innovative manufacturers on the market. Used by manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics and foods, our products are an inseparable part of daily life. At Symrise we combine an awareness of consumer trends with cutting-edge technologies, focusing on innovative fashion and lifestyle products that have additional practical value for the consumer. Symrise - always inspiring more.