A fragrance house is typically structured in a three dimensional approach which covers geography, product type and functional skills. The core teams are structured around market product types (Figure 5.1), main groupings being Personal Wash (soaps and shower gels), Cosmetics and Toiletries (deodorants and shampoos), Fabrics and Detergents (laundry cleaners and fabric softeners), Household Products (multipurpose cleaners and air fresheners) and Fine Fragrances (essentially the high-profile alcoholic fragrances which so readily embody the general image of a fragrance house).
At the sharp end, marketing and sales personnel (account managers) relate with the client and help interpret the brief. This is fed into the wider team system for response within an agreed time-scale. A core team for brief response normally consists of people from Marketing, Perfumery (creative and technical) and Evaluation, whilst Research and Development may also be involved and technical advice given by the Product Applications Laboratory. As in all large companies, team working is the key.