The scent of history

To celebrate their colourful history and mark a new chapter in their retail presence in Singapore, Parfums Christian Dior and Guerlain launched their exclusive ranges of "heritage" perfumes in Singapore for the first time recently. SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami commented that "heritage" perfumes are more than mere gimmicks. "They are a great way for these long-standing brands to distinguish themselves from the numerous newcomers. Connecting to a vintage time and place adds to the aura and cachet of these brands,” he said. Associate Prof Ramaswami added that perfumes are like wines whose heritage, purity and exclusivity of the locale where they are concocted matter as much as the actual product.