Could you tell us about yourself and professional background?
I have been working as Innovation Director in Eczacibasi Tuketim A.S. for almost 1 year. Because I have been curious about science and dreamed of being a scientist since my childhood, I preferred to study chemistry.
After graduating from Chemistry department of Bogazici University in 2001, I had decided to get a doctorate abroad and got my doctorate in Organic Synthesis from University Akron, USA. Then, I worked as a Research Assistant in the department of Engineering Science of Penn State University for 1 year and went back to Turkey.
Those years coincided with the R&D centers incentive law issued by the government to encourage companies to R&D. Big companies made huge investments in R&D field, so the scientists like me, who only would be able to have an academic career, got the opportunities to build a career in different companies.
With a career goal in this direction, I started my first job as Project Leader in Kordsa R&D centre. After working in R&D and innovation departments of various companies for more than 10 years, I started working as Innovation Director in Eczacibasi Consumer Goods last year.
Could you tell about the history of Selin Kolonya which dates back to the 1900’s? Especially, could you share the discount tradition that you made on 9th September, Liberation Day of Izmir, with our readers?
The story of Selin started after Suleyman Ferit Eczacibasi produced Turkey’s first cologne in Izmir, in 1912. Suleyman Ferit, who was one of the first diplomate pharmacists of Izmir, produced Altın Damlası Cologne in historical Sifa Pharmacy in Kemeralti Bazaar and it became symbol of Izmir during that period.
In fact, almost everyone who came to visit Izmir used to buy a bottle of Altın Damlası Cologne as a gift for their friends. Every year on 9th September, the liberation of İzmir, huge discounts are applied to all products. And the tradition of giving cologne as a present to the public arises from this interest and demand.
In 1980, Eczacibasi set out again with the principle of “producing the best cologne” and created the ‘Selin’ brand with a century of experience, then started to produce lemon cologne in three different sizes. The name of “Selin” was identified as the new name of colognes.
Because the word “Selin” which means lushly running water reflects relax ing and relief feelings created by the products. As of this date, Selin continued to offer it is unique lemon cologne and perfumed colognes produced with the specialty of Eczacibasi to the consumers in the most natural way.
What is your product range? Could you tell us about the sine qua non of your company in the personal care sector where you serve?
We have been taking part in the market as Turkey’s first cologne since 1912. As well as lemon cologne, we have added 6 kinds of perfumed cologne consisting of Juniper, Rose, Honeysuckle, Lavender, Sweetgum and Blue Spruce to our product range since 2017.
We released our perfumed cologne series of “Hayatın Kokusu” (Scent of the Life) consisting of fragrances which inspired
by nature, in the form of cologne.
We developed “Hayatın Kokusu” series with the motto “Everything in life has a smell, everything is forgotten, but the scents are never…” All fragrances of the series carry our consumers back to their memories, so we continue to increase our familiarity by impressing our consumers.
The strategy of Selin brand is to continue to extend the product range by focusing on scent in the category of cologne, especially in perfumed cologne segment, and offer the best products to the customers without sacrificing quality on the way of being the best quality cologne of Turkey.
What are your domestic and global activities? How do you describe the impact of your transition to perfumed cologne in 2015 on your sales?
We do not export under the Selin brand; however, we conduct analyses in the markets with the habit of wearing cologne. Export is one of our objectives. Selin has been a brand which earned it is spurs in lemon cologne since 1980. However, we now focus on perfumed cologne, the growing category of the market.
The series “Hayatın Kokusu” succeeded in bringing together the familiar scents of life and consumers in the perfumed cologne segment, our new playground. We increased our market share from 6 percent to 20.1 percent in the most important period after the launch and proved the success of the products on the shelves, also.
What would you like to say about the series “Hayatın Kokusu” which you produced in 2017 with the idea of reviving cultural scents in the memories of consumers? How do you evaluate the consumers’ approach to your products?
We are going through periods in which our needs and expectations change rapidly. The cologne, which was previously only needed for bairams and purchased for home or patient visits, now occupies more space in our daily lives. This realized with perfumed colognes.
Lemon cologne is now traditional and is assimilated with especially bairams. So the consumers are highly open to different scents and experiences. Thus, perfumed colognes seem to be the new focus of the market and will be the most important category in the future.
As well as the advantages of scent and relief, we observed that the white-collar employees use especially the perfumed cologne for “escape from moment”. Additionally, we can say that it is highly used as a decorative element and men wear as after shave.
We have been maintaining the specialty of Suleyman Ferit Eczacibasi who introduced cologne to Turkey since 1912 and we carry those who want to refresh themselves to happy and pleasing times with the familiar scents of life.
With the series “Hayatın Kokusu”, we aimed to offer the scents that correspond or take place in the cultural scent memory of Turkish people.We held the launch of “Hayatın Kokusu” series with the motto “Everything in life has a smell, everything is forgotten, but the scents are never…
” All fragrances of the series carry our consumers back to their memories, so we continue to increase our familiarity by impressing our consumers. We take our users into the nature with the perfumed cologne series “Hayatın Kokusu”, which consists of scents inspired by nature.
This may be a honeysuckle garden or a forest full of sweetgum or juniper trees depending on the scent. We promise them the same smell as how the original flower smells. We offer instant relief and refresh experience in the office, at home, on the way and on vacation, whenever needed.
As a brand producing only cologne, we continuously renew and extend our product range in accordance with the expectations and demands of our consumers. Since the colognes include singular note, they remind you of natural smells of fragrances and carry you to a romantic moment by relieving you when you smelled them.
So, the users really like and demand them. Hundreds of studies were carried out for his series, which was developed with perfumers experienced in perfume.
All fragrances have a unique story; both the view and adventure of juniper are almighty.
The escape starting from sultry weather of the Mediterranean ends up on the 3767-meter peak of the Taurus Mountains. Selin Ardıç 3767 takes you into the spaciousness in the depths of these forests.
Beauty of the delicate flowers which are summer messenger reflects to people’s face. Tranquillity of their smells pervades everywhere. Inspired by the smell of honeysuckle which gives off its smell at 19:00 every evening, Selin Hanımeli 19:00 brings you together with this smell every moment of the day.
What would you like to say about R&D? What is the importance of R&D in cologne product range?
According to OECD, R&D is defined as ‘Creative work maintained systematically to improve the knowledge and usage of this knowledge to create new applications’. R&D means actually future of a company. We can say it is the only method of offering innovative and value added products to the customers.
Actually, our R&D processes specific to cologne start with the identification of perfume notes which is famous in Turkey and in the world. After this stage, the formulations prepared in consequence of detailed works of the perfume specialists of our company and our suppliers are checked with consumer panel tests and the finished products are determined.
The new products are prepared in fully-automated mixers and filling units and offered to consumers.Selin has been an experienced and well-established brand since 1912. Our aim is to utilize this experience and knowledge of the brand in order to offer the most appropriate product to consumers and we’ve done that so far.
This is where R&D comes into play. In our R&D department, we carry out works on different fragrances in accordance with changing needs, expectations and demands.
We do researches to bring together the most natural things and our users, and we try to use the interaction of fragrance depending on our feelings, associations and experiences in the best way.
What is your latest investment in R&D? Could you share the values that this investment added to your products and your company with our readers?
Our company’s future vision is to have a say in the consumption category worldwide. Of course, this vision can be realized with only value added and innovative products. Our R&D investments have been also continuing increasing in recent years with this awareness.
Our process to be R&D centre starting last year has been completed this year and we’ve received license from the Ministry of Industry. Today, we carry out our activities with 20 researchers with master and PhD degrees in our R&D centre. Our main activity areas are cleaning papers, cosmetics, baby care, home care and personal care.
The most important processes specific to personal care are to develop formulation and to perform all tests in our R&D centre before the formulations are transformed into finished products. Since these products contact with skin and are respired, it is vital to complete all essential laboratory tests and clinical tests.
Additionally, it is our first priority to prove that our products do not have any negative impact on human health. Within this scope, necessary dermatological and hypoallergenic tests are performed for all products.
Could you tell about the future investments in R&D?
Within the frame of our company vision, we plan to continue R&D investments increasingly in future years also. We will support our human-resource which is the most important leg of R&D by expanding our staff.
Besides, we plan to establish a microbiology laboratory and a Cosmetics practice laboratory in order to increase our analysis capacity and perform the clinical studies and microbiology tests within the scope of our company, which are carried out within the scope of universities.
Our infrastructure works are also continuing for comprehensive projects that we can co-execute with domestic / foreign companies and universities to develop our competencies.
Could you tell about the technologies that you utilize in the products which you manufacture? Within this context, how can you describe the importance of technology to your company?
As the consumption group, our biggest value is our brands.
The value of our brands stems from high quality standards which are the consequence Our technological infrastructure in the production of Selin Colognes takes a role effectively at all stages from the entry of raw materials into factory to the transfer of finish products to our stores.
Compliance of ethyl alcohol which is made of sugar cane and used in production, and other raw materials to specs is meticulously checked in our fully-equipped laboratories.
Prototype products prepared with essence samples to be used are subjected to shelf life test and stability test in our R&D laboratories. In addition, specialties of shelf life and stability are confirmed in accredited test institutes and additional dermatological tests are conducted for cologne as well as all products which contact to skin.
Formulations that are successful in all these product development processes are put into production process. After cologne is produced, it is cooled rapidly and cold filtration procedure is applied.
Thanks to this technology, cologne can maintain it is smell and transparency for long years. In summary, our effective use of technology at every stage from raw material selection to production is vital for us to maintain our brand value by ensuring sustainable quality standards in the products we deliver to our consumersof technologies and knowledge that the brands keep in the background.
Could you inform our readers about your latest product? How do you evaluate this product’s reflections to your brand?
We want to strength our availability in the perfumed cologne segment with our strong fragrances. To that end, we enriched our ‘Hayatın Kokusu’ series with Blue Spruce scent.
Blue Spruce, which attracts attention with it is blue-silver colour and stupendous trunk and can live for four centuries, enchants with its splendid and beautiful appearance as well as it is unique scent.
Scent of Spruce described as bold, calm and patient fragrance attracts the attention of our users who want to experience the freshness of the forest as “an instant escape”.
Which precautions do you take while you are making production for a more liveable world as Selin Kolonya?
Sustainability is one of our most important priorities in Eczacibasi community. As a reflection of this, we manufacture our products with the principle of minimum waste and recycling.
We treat and use rain water in our factories and conduct projects to minimize electricity consumption. We use alcohol as main raw material in production of Selin Cologne. Since alcohol is highly inflammable chemical material, we produce in a separate from other production area, specially-designed and highly safe building.
Thanks to these measures, we try to prevent the loss of life and property as well as environmental disasters in the event of a possible accident and fire.
Besides, we aim to produce our final products with minimum package weight and recyclable materials thanks to our new projects. Also, our projects are maintaining on new formulations and packages to minimize environmental impacts of our products except of Selin’s Cologne family.
