Press Room
October 12, 2006
Cognis at the 6th World Conference on Detergents: “Feelosophy” – a new approach to holistic product experiences
Today’s consumers expect more from their personal and home care products than just functional benefits like caring and cleaning. They want a holistic product experience that appeals to all their senses and enhances their sense of well-being. At the 6th World Conference on Detergents, in Montreux, Switzerland, Cognis presented its new understanding of wellness which it calls “Feelosophy”. The company offers concepts and solutions focusing on the main consumer demands, and above all on the four key dimensions of a holistic product experience: perception, feel, effect and usage.
Today’s consumers expect personal and home care products to deliver more than just functional benefits such as cleaning and care – they want a holistic product experience, one that appeals to all of their senses, and contributes to their sense of well-being. And when Cognis Care Chemicals develops a product concept, it takes into account all the aspects of a product that affect the consumer’s overall product experience: perception, feel, effect and usage. At the 6th World Conference on Detergents, Cognis will be presenting this new concept of well-being – which it calls “Feelosophy” – to the European detergent and cleaning product industry.
- Perception: Cognis conducts research into consumers’ underlying perceptions, beyond what they can verbally describe. Under real application conditions, Cognis scientifically analyzes emotional responses, using unique testing techniques like objective emotional assessment and home use tests.
- Feel: Cognis has been perfecting its sensory assessment techniques for more than 20 years, and it has an unrivalled understanding of the way products actually feel on consumers’ skin and hair. The company focuses on the senses of sight, hearing and, above all, touch, and uses this information in the development of new ingredients and concepts.
- Effect: Cognis’ active and performance ingredients and compounds deliver specific effects, which the company is able to prove scientifically. Cognis ensures their effectiveness on a high quality level by a specific selection of well-established and continuously developed methods.
- Usage: Cognis provides a range of technologies for the personal and home care market that offer convenience benefits in consumers’ daily lives. These innovative technologies allow manufacturers to create products that are less complex, and easier and less time-consuming to use.
The product concepts are based on the company’s specific competencies, such as formulation technology and performance expertise, the use of natural raw materials and active ingredients, and its comprehensive understanding of marketing techniques and consumer preferences across all its markets.
A customized care concept for sensitive skin
One example of Cognis’ new approach is its “Care-to-Skin-via-Fabric” concept. Textiles make an important contribution to our overall well-being – they protect us, regulate our temperature and define the way we look. Cognis enhances this sense of well-being through a unique process of depositing special additives in the fabrics: the “Care-to-Skin-via-Fabric” concept. The crucial ingredient is Plantatex® LLE, a plant-derived lipid layer enhancer identical to those occurring naturally in the skin. Plantatex® LLE provides a unique opportunity for formulators of laundry detergents and fabric conditioners, as it allows them to enrich fabrics with skin-identical lipids which are then transferred to the skin when the garment is worn.
Wellness concepts for fabric care with scientifically proven benefits
Key consumer requirements in the fabric care market today include care for sensitive and dry skin, use of natural ingredients, proven product efficacy and the desire for a holistic experience. “Our ‘Feelosophy’ approach serves this demand, and facilitates the development of new product categories that combine aspects of personal and fabric care,” explains Rita Köster, Global Marketing Director Home Care and I&I. “Using innovative testing methodologies such as our ‘Objective Emotional Assessment’, we are able to show how our ingredients measurably enhance the individual consumer’s sense of well-being. As a result, we can provide our customers with innovative concepts that are scientifically proven to support their marketing claims – and because of this, will help them to succeed in their markets.”
About Cognis
Cognis is a worldwide supplier of innovative specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients, with a particular focus on the areas of wellness and sustainability. The company employs about 8,000 people, and it operates production sites and service centers in 30 countries. Cognis has dedicated its activities to a high level of sustainability and delivers natural source raw materials and ingredients for food, nutrition and healthcare markets, and the cosmetics, detergents and cleaners industries. Another main focus is on products for a number of other industries, such as coatings and inks, lubricants, textiles, as well as agriculture and mining. The company holds a 50-percent stake in the joint venture Cognis Oleochemicals, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of oleochemicals.
Cognis is owned by private equity funds advised by Permira, GS Capital Partners, and SV Life Sciences. In 2005, Cognis recorded sales of 3.18 billion euros and an Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and exceptional items) of 356 million euros.
Contact
Raquel Ark, Corporate Communications Manager
Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
Phone: +49-2173-4995-464
E-mail: raquel.ark@cognis.com
Internet: www.cognis.com