Back in the day, scents for men came down to only aftershave and maybe cologne. You know you’re old when it’s news to you that young men these days “layer” their perfume to produce their own signature scent. This means using different products with complementary scents to create a unique fragrance, sort of like making your own fragrance to match your own body chemistry.

Apparently, this is a big deal with Gen Z, both the boys and the girls. To me, this is a strange phenomenon, considering that smell is an experience so removed from the digital universe. How do Gen Z individuals experience scent on screen, considering that this is how many of them grew up and now spend most of their time?

Perhaps this explains why young people are more engaged with scent because it’s something you need to experience in real life. Scent has even become more personal for them than for previous generations. For marketers aiming to engage Gen Z through fragrance, the approach of layering and personalizing scent is quite clever: imagine enticing these young consumers to purchase not just one, but two or three products to create their own unique scent. This strategy appeals to their desire for individuality, creativity and adventure, ultimately leading to higher sales.

This finally dawned on me when my youngest daughter, Bella, was mentioned in an article in The Philippine STAR about her and her cousins’ perfume business, Bon Voyage. Now I know about her running a perfume business beginning last year. I couldn’t be prouder then because she was following in the footsteps of her businessmen lolos, uncles and of course, yours truly.

I also knew she was into organizing bazaars with her friends, and had had her stint as an influencer with her GRWM (Get Ready With Me – see? I, too, am learning new acronyms) videos. But now that everyone and their neighbor is an influencer and content creator, she’s moved several steps ahead in anticipation of the next big thing. She’s locked into the Gen Z market, and she’s applying her entrepreneurial instincts to build these businesses. Why shouldn’t I be a proud papa?

Bon Voyage was started by her cousins Gab Reyes and Alonso Lim. Bella came in as one of the owners and took over creative direction and marketing. In just a year, Bon Voyage went from being a supplier of corporate giveaways to creating its own perfume collection.

Bella explains that Bon Voyage is a more approachable and practical option for those who want to craft their own scent. Bella priced her products at a fraction of the name brands that offer the same selling proposition. This is possible with today’s advances in supply chain and manufacturing. Back in the day, college students who wanted to wear name brand scents for cheap went to Greenhills and looked for those small vials containing concentrated knock-off oils that were supposed to smell like the real Calvin Klein or whatever scent was in fashion. Or, you rubbed those free samples you find in magazine inserts to see if they’ll work on you.

That was the “hack” back then. It seems, however, that young people these days don’t want to smell exactly like another person. While this was acceptable then (especially if you wanted to smell like someone you admired), this is not the case today. You don’t want to remind other people about someone else, you want them to be reminded of you because only you smell the way you do.

Bon Voyage currently has three fragrances that can be mixed and matched. Once it works with the wearer’s own body chemistry (and maybe a good choice in bath soap or shampoo?), the result is a signature scent that, in Bella’s words, ”fit naturally into their lifestyle – simple, well-crafted and memorable without being overdone.”

Moreover, the scents these fragrances create are versatile. To us oldies, that means from day to night, but for younger generations, it means from classroom to clubs or wherever they hang out after hours, or from office cubicle to the coffee house. The more important insight, to my mind, is that the crafting of one’s of scent is marketed as an adventure, a journey wherein the wearer ends up with a better sense of identity through something as ephemeral as scent. Speaking as a former twentysomething, I understand how scent can be essential for people who are now only finding their own identity.

And the other genius move? Identity is something you wear every day. So right there, you sell more products, and you consume them every day.

But how do you market scent nowadays, when there are hardly any magazines where you could insert samples, or when young people can’t be bothered to visit perfume counters?

I see on Bella’s Instagram that she uses imagery. Sunlight, the sea, smiling faces, happy adventures. These images can evoke scents, too. Experiences are personal and memorable and so, too, should scents. You see life through whatever lens you choose, like the way you would choose your scent to feel the way you want to feel that day. When you try on a new scent, it’s like putting on a new persona and even a new perspective.

And don’t underestimate the power of real-life interactions and reputation marketing. Bella is her brand’s ambassador; she is its walking advertisement. Especially in this niche market, she must also choose the right influencers who can embody the desired lifestyle and image of the scent. Of course, there is still a need for real-life sensorial experiences, so it’s still important to have on-ground events where people can use their noses to decide for themselves. Here is where her experience in organizing bazaars can come in handy.

So yes, I think my youngest has it all handled. I just hope she gives me a free sample.

Originally Published in Philippine Star