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Marketing WorldPosted on 06:24 PM, September 02, 2010 BY JEFFREY O. VALISNO, Sub-Editor Utilitarian chic
DOING THE laundry used to be a simple chore using just detergent, and in some cases, bleach. But with creative marketing, fabric conditioners soon became part of the grocery lists of modern Filipinos. 
Nowadays, washing clothes will only be declared as fully accomplished if one uses fabric conditioners toward the end of the process. But with most consumers feeling the pinch of rising prices, manufacturers are aware that less necessary purchases like fabric conditioners are among the first to get stricken off the shopping list. Because of this, multinational giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) is taking the necessary steps to keep the leading fabric conditioner brand Downy relevant to the ever-changing demands of the Filipino market. From coming up with a fabric conditioner that can be rinsed easily with less water (to answer the need of consumers when taps run dry due to the water crisis) to a fabric conditioner with an anti-bacterial agent that helps repel mosquitoes, Downy has continuously offered variants to suit the needs of its consumers. Recently, Downy launched its luxury line of fabric conditioners that not only provides the less-wrinkled fabrics but also offers a long-lasting perfume-like scent on clothes. Grace Chua, Downy brand manager, said the new Downy Perfume Series contains a unique blend of perfume oils, plus special "touch-activated" technology to give users luxurious and lasting scents that smell like expensive perfume. "As the leader in the fabric conditioner category, Downy is always looking for new innovations and fresh experiences to offer our consumers," Ms. Chua told reporters on Monday. Downy Perfume Series gives women who loves fragrances the chance to indulge in perfume everyday. It has two, all-new scents especially developed by a top perfumer and with a unique technology that makes sure the fragrance lasts all day. The new scents in this category are Passion and Attraction, which were made using French perfumery techniques and the latest science of advanced fabric conditioner technology. The fragrance of Passion was developed by Hector Esquinca, the leader of P&G’s Asia Perfume Development Program in Japan. Backed by more than 20 years of experience in developing scents from the top perfume centers in Paris, London, Geneva, New York and Shanghai, Mr. Esquinca said Passion by Downy was inspired by French pastries, flowers and fruits. Mr. Esquinca, who has a BS Pharmaceutics Biology and Chemistry degree from the La Salle University in Mexico City, described the scent as "sweet and vibrant." "We have blooming apple blossom from southern France blending with pear stripes immersed into a rich vanilla scent, ending in a touch of icy raspberry enveloped in warm cedar wood," Mr. Esquinca told reporters. Meanwhile, the second variant under the Downy Perfume Series line is called Attraction, which was created by fellow P&G senior scientist and perfumer Shingo Ishii. Mr. Ishii, who has a doctorate degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame in Paris, described Attraction by Downy as a fresh but very alluring floral fragrance. "It’s a celebration of nature as we have this bouquet of different flower notes like jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, iris and it trails off into soft musk and sensual wood scents for that air of mystery," he told reporters. Aside from containing a special blend of perfume oils, Downy’s Perfume Series has an advanced, touch-activated Perfume Micro-capsule (PMC) Technology, which allows it to give clothes a long-lasting fragrance. "The perfume oils are placed in micro-capsules within the Downy formula, which are deposited on the fabric during the rinse stage," Mr. Esquinca said. "These capsules, when rubbed or touched, slowly release more fragrance into the air so that women not only get a subtle whiff of scent as they put on their clothes but fresh bursts of fragrance all day," he added.
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