The international active ingredient manufacturer Symrise, based in Holzminden, has unveiled a new ideas platform called ‘Sym Alpha’. It is designed to support brands in developing innovative products for Generation Alpha and accelerating their time to market. The aim is to combine consumer insights with collaborative product creation, enabling selected partners in the fragrance and personal care sectors to bring concepts to market earlier and in closer alignment with the expectations of the next generation of consumers. With around 2.5 billion children and young people aged between 8 and 14, Generation Alpha is considered the largest emerging consumer group worldwide.

Cultural patterns and routines

With Sym Alpha, Symrise aims to tap into the expectations of the younger generation and harness them for innovation. Customers can test product concepts at a very early stage with the Generation Alpha lifestyle in mind, and incorporate this target group’s cultural patterns, routines and preferences into their innovation strategies. In collaboration with Symrise, this will result in sensory experiences in fragrances, textures and formats. “In doing so, we are strengthening our customers’ innovative capabilities and laying the foundations for sustainable growth,” says Symrise manager Cheryl Morano.

Pilot project to be expanded

Last year, the global supplier of flavours and fragrances, cosmetic actives and functional ingredients tested the platform with customers in strategically important categories. Paula Limena, an expert in consumer culture and innovation strategies, is leading the initiative. She has over 20 years’ experience in health, wellbeing, ingredients and brand innovation. According to Symrise, the workshops helped to align early insights with target group perspectives and shorten development cycles. This has accelerated market launches and improved collaborative innovation work. Symrise now aims to further expand the approach to provide new generational insights and support customer growth.

Source: Symrise