The T-Lab source innovation laboratory will leverage Givaudan’s leading creative fragrance solutions and production capabilities in China, powered by Tmall’s consumer behaviour data capabilities and ecosystem of partners.
Maurizio Volpi, President Fragance & Beauty Givaudan: “Collaborating with Tmall in China is an exciting step forward in our commitment to drive digital innovation across the fragrance industry. Such initiatives are key to Givaudan’s 2025 strategy, which aims to expand and deepen strategic relationships with suppliers, start-ups and partners while enhancing collaboration and co-creation with customers to develop innovative solutions for the future. The access to Tmall consumer data will allow us to be on top of trends and very quickly create consumer-relevant products for existing and emerging brands on Tmall.”
As Tmall’s inaugural fragrance innovation partner, Givaudan will receive fragrance brief opportunities at the ideation stage, gain access to Tmall’s brand ecosystem and tap into data-led capabilities such as the Tmall Innovation Center’s online research module. This unique offering will not only stay on top of Chinese consumer trends, but will also shorten end-to-end product development for fine fragrances from 40 weeks to just four weeks, a timeline optimised for capturing digital opportunities.
Yaling Li, Givaudan’s Head of Fragrances China and Korea, said: “We have witnessed the fragrance market in China mature over the last 30 years to reach today’s peak demand for locally tailored products. Our T-Lab partnership enables us to pre-empt consumer trends by using behavioural data to innovate new, unique and timely product offerings while supporting key pillars of Givaudan’s digital strategy in China.”
The exclusive partnership will enable Givaudan to co-build new product development proposals with e-retailers like Tmall and its ecosystem partners before offering the solutions to brand customers.
Yu Su, T-Lab’s General Manager of Brand Marketing, said: “This collaboration perfectly illustrates our purpose, which is to help brands succeed in the Chinese market by identifying new channels and strategies. We believe that our insights and data will complement the existing capabilities of industry leaders like Givaudan as they continue to shape the fragrance landscape in China.”
The first-of-its-kind collaboration has already produced a new series of fragrances inspired by the Chinese classic novel ‘Journey to the West’, comprising two Eaux de Parfum, a reed diffuser, and hand and body creams. The products have been developed with the accelerated nine-step process from data mining through to end-product prototype manufacturing, setting a new industry benchmark for collaborative source innovation.
