ISABELLE KHAWAM
INTERVIEW
In charge of event communications at Groupama, Isabelle Khawam was kind enough to talk to us about fragrances, her olfactory memories, and naturalness.
Your portrait, your journey
Since the start of my professional career, I have worked within the ASWO family group where I have the honor of being General Manager at the head office, based in Ile-de-France.
Your favorite scents
My favorite perfume is Terre d’Hermès.
Your first scented memory
I think my first scent memory is when I first used perfume. It was the perfume Le Mâle by Jean-Paul Gaultier. Smelling this perfume gave me a feeling of satisfaction and intense well-being. Perfume is an element that immediately puts you at ease. It puts the mind and body in condition and brings a certain comfort.
A memorable scented place
One day, I walked into a hotel that had implemented olfactory marketing. I immediately had the impression that the scent of this hotel completely transformed the experience we had of it. The proof is the scented place that comes to mind first when someone asks me the question.
What do you think a perfume should evoke?
In my opinion, a perfume is supposed to evoke good memories. It should provoke a feeling of tranquility in you. It is also the reflection of a personality.
Your definition of scent marketing
For me, olfactory marketing is a complement to what a human being is capable of feeling. After the visual impression and the sound impression that we have when we arrive somewhere, the olfactory is the third impression. These three elements reassure us and make us want, or not, to be in a place. Scent marketing facilitates by complementing and maximizing a person’s experience. This allows us to show that we have done everything to make a person feel as good as possible, that we care about each person’s feelings.
Why did you decide to create an olfactory identity at ASWO?
If we decided to create an olfactory identity within our ASWO premises, it is mainly with the aim of creating a pleasant workplace for our employees but also for people visiting us. We wanted to form a sort of cocoon in which we feel good, where working conditions are optimized for the well-being of all. In addition, this perfume leaves a memory for our visitors thanks to the olfactory memory that we have. When we smell this perfume, we think of ASWO.
What is the role of olfactory in a business like yours?
Within our ASWO premises, olfactory brings working comfort to our employees. Olfactory allows us to improve the employee experience in a pleasant working atmosphere that builds loyalty in our team through an attachment to the company and its unique scent. This fragrance is therefore an integral part of the identity of our ASWO company. As said previously, it also allows us to leave an olfactory memory with our visitors.
What was the initial brief for your olfactory identity?
We make a point of honoring the well-being of our employees. This is why we created new premises in our image, and this also included a scent specific to our company. We wanted a perfume with a base that had to remain rather natural. The perfume should not take up too much space, a heavy perfume can quickly become unpleasant...
How did the creation and selection of this unique composition go?
For the creation of this unique composition, we based ourselves on a rather woody scent. We have musky orange blossom scents too. We didn't want a scent that seemed too sweet or too floral. We also didn't want a fragrance that was too feminine or too masculine. We opted for a neutral scent that really speaks to everyone.
How ASWO perfume lives today in your premises
Today, the Santal Frais ASWO fragrance is diffused throughout our 3,700 m2 of offices for the satisfaction and comfort of all. Beyond perfume diffusers, the scent also lives through our hydroalcoholic gel with this same smell. It is distributed to each employee upon arrival and is self-service within our premises.
Les attentes évoluent : sentez vous une demande croissante pour des parfums d’ambiance naturels et écoresponsables ? Comment cela influence-t-il vos choix ?
La tendance pour les parfums d’ambiance naturels et écoresponsables continue de croître, mais ce que je remarque avant tout, c’est l’essor des parfums “clean”—sans substances controversées—et l’intérêt grandissant pour l’aromacologie. La santé mentale est un sujet central qui va de plus en plus dominer le marché, et les parfums d’ambiance, qu’ils soient fonctionnels ou émotionnels, ont un rôle clé à jouer dans notre société actuelle et future.
Je vois également une démocratisation de ces parfums, qui ne sont plus réservés à des environnements luxueux comme les hôtels ou les spas. Ils trouvent désormais leur place dans des espaces variés comme les salles d’attente médicales, les Ehpad.
Quant à moi, cette évolution influence peu mes choix, car je travaille avec cette éthique depuis longtemps. Cependant, je remarque que la notion de “clean” tend à remplacer celle de “naturel” dans les attentes des consommateurs. Ces derniers recherchent désormais des parfums “utiles”, capables de provoquer des émotions et d’apporter du bien-être. On observe une tendance vers des parfums qui touchent l’âme, des créations profondes et signifiantes, capables d’accompagner les individus dans leur quotidien. Cette évolution conforte ma démarche, car mes créations ont toujours été pensées pour allier éthique, émotion et impact positif sur le bien-être.
À quoi ressemblera, selon vous, la parfumerie d’ambiance de demain ?
Je la vois se développer et reprendre ses lettres de noblesse. La parfumerie d’ambiance deviendra incontournable, avec un rôle de plus en plus important dans notre société. Elle ne sera plus simplement un élément décoratif ou de confort, mais un véritable outil au service du bien-être, de l’émotion, et même de l’expérience sensorielle immersive.
Je vois une parfumerie qui conjugue tradition et hyper-modernité, où l’expertise des matières premières naturelles s’allie à des technologies connectées et innovantes. Les espaces pourraient offrir des expériences olfactives immersives en 5D, où le parfum interagit avec la lumière, le son, et d’autres stimuli pour créer une ambiance totalement personnalisée et multisensorielle.
La parfumerie d’ambiance de demain s’inscrira dans un contexte où chaque détail compte, et où l’olfactif jouera un rôle clé dans l’harmonie des espaces, qu’ils soient privés ou publics. C’est une évolution fascinante, et je suis impatiente d’y contribuer avec ma vision et mon expertise.