We meet Franz Planegger and Peter Wieser for an interview at their headquarters in Klagenfurt. The two Carinthians are the new managing directors and masterminds at AROMEA scent marketing. How the two of them smell and how they see their job: Franz and Peter answer in their usual laid-back manner, which stands for modernity and innovation.
“Together with our fantastic team, we are the leading provider of tailor-made scent solutions for our customers.”
- CEO Peter Wieser
And you can both smell it and read it.
Follow your nose: what led your noses into the world of scent?
Peter: I think we found Aromea and Aromea found us. In 2017, company founder Oswin Lippitsch was looking to arrange a succession for the firm, and we were convinced from the outset that the fit was right. As former business consultants, we always tried to find the right solutions for companies so they could stay a step ahead. For us, Aromea is the company that helps other companies stand out in the market through scent marketing. A win-win situation (laughs).
Franz: We’ve both seen many companies from the inside. When I first heard about Aromea, it quickly became clear to me that this was a great opportunity. The firm’s steady growth and a customer list that includes some of Austria’s most exclusive businesses were what decided it for me: a basis for developing this company further in great ways.
Getting a noseful: which scent notes can you just never get enough of in the wondrous world of scent?
Peter: That’s not so easy to answer, since for me personally scent always depends a bit on the season, but I tend to prefer fresh and motivating scent notes.
Franz: When you look into the subject more closely, you find that a large number of the fragrances on offer are incredibly good and of high quality. There are 20 years of experience in these fragrances, and you can tell from the quality. Peter’s the CEO, of course, and has become a real expert in a short time. When he shows me a fragrance, I usually think, “wow, that smells good.” If he shows me another fragrance two minutes later, I think exactly the same thing. I really can’t rank them, because there are so many fragrances I like the smell of (laughs).
Speaking of occupational hazards: what can you just not stand the smell of any more?
Peter: Unpleasant stray smells are rarely welcome, of course, but they exist in every industry in one form or another. Whether it’s the whiff of the bin area, the ski room or the smell of grease from the catering kitchen. At the same time, that’s exactly where we start with Aromea: neutralising smells and also creating a great scent experience.
Franz: I’m a farm boy, so I’m not that sensitive. Neutralisation is an important topic, but it isn’t the focus. What matters much more to me is using particular oils to make a brand instantly recognisable. Compared with the USA, that’s hardly widespread at all in Europe yet.
Every home smells different: what do your own four walls smell of?
Peter: That depends partly on my dogs (laughs). Just kidding. At the moment I’m enjoying one of our fragrances at home: “Casino Fresh”.
Franz: I haven’t implemented anything at home yet, but when the time comes, it’ll be a tough decision.
And of course the follow-up question: scent marketing at a scent marketer’s: how do you welcome your customers’ noses in your corporate environment?
Peter: In our office, customers are greeted by many different scents, as we also produce our fragrances in our own lab. That said, we always advise customers on site, as their surroundings are of course crucial for the choice of fragrances and scent solutions. Nevertheless, we’re currently working on our own Aromea Airdesign Corporate Scent.
Franz: It just smells wonderful, I’m happy every time I’m at work (laughs).
Thank you for talking to us, and we look forward to the next round.
Franz Planegger on working at Aromea headquarters
