Jetting over to Denmark! We landed in Copenhagen and got to enjoy the sights of the city, including Nyhavn, the canal with the beautiful colorful houses, the Little Mermaid Statue, and the panoramic views of the whole city after climbing the 400 steps up the Church of Our Saviour. It’s quite a trek to the top, but the sights of the city are well worth it.
During our stay in Copenhagen, we visited Skandinavisk, a fragrance and beauty company. This was our first visit where we sat outside! The weather was so warm and beautiful out that we got to soak up the sun at Skandinavisk. What was really neat is that the brand’s showroom and office is situated in this tucked-away alleyway that’s charming and cozy, and the buildings in the courtyard are all occupied by people in creative professions including acting and photography. You can definitely feel the artistry in the air upon entering the courtyard. The location of this company is just incredible and really lends to the calmness that Skandinavisk exudes. The office space is very thoughtfully chosen and in addition to hearing about the background of the company, you really understand its personality through its workspace, and this is something we’ve enjoyed seeing in each business visit.
Skandinavisk is a brand that was started by Shaun Russell, who is originally from England and moved to Denmark. After observing and admiring Scandinavian culture, he set off to create a company that seeks to spread awareness and visibility of what Scandinavian culture and nature is all about through fragrance.
Skandinavisk was launched 10 years ago. All of the scents are based on aspects of nature that are unique to Scandinavia, such as wood, the fjords and water, and hygge, which is a Danish word that almost translates to “cozy” in English but is a broad term that encompasses many emotions and experiences. It could be a feeling you enjoy and it can be when you’re with friends, doing something by yourself, or being out in nature. Shaun works with a French perfumer, who travels out to Scandinavia to have firsthand experience of different places in the region to truly understand the atmosphere and scents so that he can create new fragrances and variations of each one for Skandinavisk.
Shaun also mentioned that the staff is composed of both Scandinavian and non-Scandinavian employees, as he believes that it is important to have input from both locals and also individuals who have outside perspectives. While local points of view can provide knowledge that others wouldn’t have if they weren’t born and raised in Scandinavia, non-local individuals can also contribute unique ideas for ways to reach out to and pique the interest of others who may not know as much about the region. Part of marketing a brand internationally is understanding how people in various parts of the world best receive information or what will make them interested in your brand, so having multiple perspectives from employees around the world helps with gaining that specific understanding of each region that you’re trying to market to.
During our time at Skandinavisk, we met a few people on the team while in the office space and also in passing, and you feel that strong sense of camaraderie between them that can only be created by valuing quality over quantity when it comes to selecting your business partners and workmates. To create a distinct and clear work and company culture, we feel that it’s necessary to really define how you want your brand to be viewed and what you want it to feel like, and to then find individuals who exemplify those core values of your company. You can definitely tell that Skandinavisk is full of very passionate people who understand the brand inside and out and are very eager to share it with you.
We thought it was so fascinating that Shaun was so moved by a new culture and way of living in a place he moved to that he started a whole business to showcase it to the world. We enjoyed Shaun and learning about his brand so much that we did some shopping at his creative studio after! The product packaging is minimalistic and colorful and conveys a sense of community and vibrancy that’s perfectly fitting for the brand. And, there’s an array of scents and products to choose from. Safe to say, we’ll be back to shop some more from Skandinavisk!
