In this special Style Visionary feature story by Stylish Magazine, we sat down with the Lord of the Scent Joel Cruz, the visionary founder behind multi-million Filipino fragrance brand Aficionado. He talked about how his scent empire has changed the perfume business scene in the Philippines forever, and how it has since empowered many Filipino entrepreneurs across the globe.
Photography: Niel Santiago | Interview by : Aiza Gaufo & Marane Plaza
There are quite a few lifestyle brands in the Philippines that can go down in the history books as ultimate gamechangers.
In the late ‘90s to early 2000s, a bottle of designer perfume cost at least 2,000 pesos, and that’s pretty much the most affordable one you could get in that category. That’s why when Aficionado was introduced in the Philippine market with a price point of 150 pesos per bottle – each one with the same high-quality scent as that of signature brands– the Filipino fragrance brand skyrocketed in the scene as a path-breaker.
Each bottle of Aficionado perfume is made of opulent fragrance oils from Germany, offering upscale scents comparable with international brands. With cost-effective prices offered at mass-crowded locations, Aficionado bottles were instantly selling like hotcakes by early Y2K. The refillable bottles then guaranteed repeat orders, too.
Later on, Aficionado had become more than just a perfume line, as it extended profitable opportunities to hundreds of Filipinos through its strategic franchising and distributorship business models.
Photography: Niel Santiago | Interview by : Aiza Gaufo & Marane Plaza
More than two decades later, Aficionado has become a perfumery icon that’s well-embraced in the Filipino culture.
Joel Cruz, the visionary behind Aficionado, had the unique opportunity to access the elusive German fragrance oils and other high-class raw materials used to create luxury perfumes. His father’s friend was connected to a reputable international supplier of personal care products along with exquisite raw ingredients. Fresh from the closure of his formerly successful garment manufacturing business in the late ‘90s, Joel was also on the lookout for his next business adventure at the time.
“My father’s friend told me, ‘I know you’re a very hard-working person, very versatile, very creative, very artistic. Maybe, you should consider having a perfume business’ and I was like, how?” Joel shared with STYLISH MAGAZINE in a sit-down interview.
“I told him, ‘How can we create a perfume? Perfume is very expensive. It’s like 2,000 pesos and above per bottle’. He then told me he could get exquisite raw materials abroad for us, and then we can do the labor production here locally. Plus, we could get the bottles from China and South Korea. I thought, okay, in that way, we can price it reasonably,” he added.
Joel opened his perfume manufacturing factory in Meycauayan, Bulacan. With intricate product development, Aficionado came up with its first perfume collection, with 18 different scents: two regular ones, ten for women and six for men.
Then in the last quarter of 1999, Aficionado launched its first kiosk. The founder knew right away that he would hit the jackpot when it comes to sales because his first perfume station targeted the mass market.
“It’s just a cart at Ever Gotesco Grand Central. But I can already see the potential of Aficionado at that time, because my level at the Ever Gotesco Grand Central is the same level as the LRT. So many, many passengers walked by us every single day.”
“When they exit at that level, I can engage with the customers already because they can see me there at the kiosk. The customers can smell all the samples of our perfumes. I was talking to one to three people every time people rushed from and to the LRT. So it was a good location actually. It’s a blessing, really,” he said.
True enough, the Filipino market applauded Aficionado for its amazing signature-like scents at purse-friendly prices.
“We priced the perfume at 150 pesos. Imagine, comparing it to the 2,000 and 3,000, or even 5,000 pesos per bottle from signature perfume brands, and at the same time, the scent is exactly the same, or should I say, even better than the high-end ones,” he said.
Aside from the variations of aromas offered by the brand, Aficionado easily won the hearts of the customers for the long-lasting fragrance.
“What separated us also was, we were making perfume products with long-lasting scent. The longevity was really adored by our customers. It’s very, very long-lasting. Each scent can last for at least 8 hours for the eau de toilette. But for the cologne, it’s milder– it can last maybe two hours or even longer. But most of the people really love the EDT, or the eau de toilette. And I made sure that all our concoctions could last at least eight hours.”
Aside from assuring they offer amazing perfume products, Joel also thought of a unique sale strategy: “Money back if you’re not happy with this bottle.”
“I would tell the customers, ‘You can return it if you don’t like it, no questions asked. I’ll give you back your 150 pesos’. And surprisingly, not one customer returned their perfume. If anything, they would return to us and would tag along their friends or siblings, and be like, ‘This is where I bought my perfume!’ They’re the ones who would bring more customers for us. It’s word of mouth, basically. We were so fortunate,” he said.
“I was happy and blessed for that, because I didn’t need to exert so much effort from talking or marketing, because all my customers, when they buy, they come back with more customers for us. We were elated!”
Aficionado: Elevating Filipino Entrepreneurs
Five years in, and Aficionado was doing really great. Joel knew it was time to level up.
“I wanted all of my businesses to grow, to be known, and to be successful before I ever considered franchising. I know that other businesses, once they start a business, they start offering franchising right away.”
“For me, that is not the point. For me, it was important that I see to it that my business model has a long range of stability in terms of scales. That the sales are really good, and the brand is popular. There should be guaranteed repeat customers, and so those were the factors we developed with our brand first. We established the popularity and profitability of Aficionado first, and it took me 5 to 6 years to do all that before we offered our reselling and franchise model to aspiring entrepreneurs. We made sure of the high quality of our products, and we maintain customer satisfaction.”
Joel noted how blessed their company has been with the profile of their loyal customers.
“We’re lucky to be marketing for Filipino consumers, because Filipinos love perfumery. Filipinos are very vain, and hygienic. Filipinos love taking a shower once, twice or even thrice a day! We love to make sure we smell fresh, nice and so good! That makes the Filipinos a very good market for perfumery,” he explained.
When the time came, Joel shared that although it was challenging at first, it was definitely fulfilling to find and cater to Aficionado franchisees, who have always believed in the vision and marketability of the brand.
“Getting franchisees for your brand is like taking care of your grandchildren who will look after your child, and in this case, my child here is Aficionado. If you take care of your franchisees, you are taking good care of your profits.”
“We’ve been blessed because most of our franchisees would get additional two to three store locations after being fulfilled with their first kiosk with us. Today, some of them even have 40 to 50 plus Aficionado stores with us. The business is really good. Sometimes, they would shut down their previous businesses so they can focus on Aficionado. It has been a great decision to offer franchising. We help with everything from setting up stores, and especially with marketing and promotions, so it is easier for our franchisees to sell products,” he narrated.
Aficionado has been known for its celebrity endorsers through the years, such as big stars Gary Valenciano, Vice Ganda, John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo. The mainstream marketing has indeed made the business a very popular and profitable one.
Aficionado now has more than 50 regular scents, and they phase out some scents every quarter to give way to two new ones, showcasing the company’s constant innovation.
Aficionado Germany Perfumes now has 469 stores, more than half of which are franchises.
Photography: Niel Santiago | Interview by : Aiza Gaufo & Marane Plaza
Furthermore through distributorship, the brand has indeed raised the Philippine flag, as it has been available in Filipino stores and grocery locations across 18 countries, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. For a time, Taiwan even became the top export market of Aficionado.
“Providing business opportunities, jobs and quality products to Filipinos across the world, maintaining the Aficionado business– it is really about my love for the Philippines, too. I am so proud that whenever I travel, Filipinos approach me and tell me they buy six to eight dozens Aficionado perfumes for their personal use and loved ones,” he shared.
Aficionado has become an impressive multi-million peso business, and arguably the biggest perfume brand in the Filipino mass market.
Determined to be ahead of the pack and overcome the effects of the pandemic, Aficionado also pivoted and started offering hygiene essentials like ethyl alcohol, hand sanitizer and hand soap. The company was even able to supply these essentials to several LGUs and the national government, a conscious effort to help the fight against COVID-19.
Aficionado has also expanded its offerings to room fresheners, foot sprays and bath & body sprays.
Joel Cruz: A Lifestyle Visionary
With all the accomplishments of Joel Cruz with Aficionado, it is apparent that he really changed the way Filipinos consume perfume products and do the perfumery business here and abroad.
“Aficionado is a proud Filipino-made perfume brand that is now available in 18 countries, and we are still looking forward to growing it further in more countries,” Joel said. “I have my children that I expose to the business and that I train to expand this enterprise someday.”
Aside from his perfume empire, Joel has also built businesses in the dining, real estate and travel industries. Takoyatea by Joel Cruz is well-loved for its Japanese-inspired dining dishes, while White House of the Lord of Scents in Baguio City is a must-travel mansion destination. He also has six commercial buildings in Los Angeles, California that he leases to tenants such as banks and dental clinics.
“As a visionary, you also have to see the economy of our country. We are blessed that we can prioritize giving employment to Filipinos, and that our factories are here in the Philippines. As a visionary, I am hopeful for the support from the government to also bring investors here in the Philippines. I am 59 years old, and I’m a workaholic. I am blessed with great physical health and I still want to work ‘til I am 70 or 80 years old. I want to uplift the Filipinos with employment and profitable business opportunities with Aficionado, and have it be even further patronized here and abroad,” he concluded.
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