REvealing Ideas and Ideals:
A Coffee and Chat with the Founder
We sit down with the founder of Candle Carousel to wax lyrical about the brand’s journey so far as Charlene reveals all about the hopes and dreams she has for the future of her fragrance empire and what sets them apart from the rest.
Unravelling the Layers of The Candle Carousel:
Talk us through your initial hopes for the Candle Carousel brand and your inspiration behind the multi-faceted home fragrance collection.
“I wanted to take the customer on a journey and incorporate as many fun, interactive and ritualistic elements as I could into the brand.
My aim was to make people to feel as though they were peeling back layers, firstly perhaps being attracted to the vintage-like colours and aesthetics, then piquing interest with the notion of the old vs new concept or feeling comforted by the Scent-The-Scene stories. From here, their imagination would be captured with the ASMR-Scentsory animations before experiencing a clean conscience knowing the brand’s eco promise.
Lastly, following on from the customer experiencing all of these layers in their own order I want their afterthought to be ‘wow and the product quality is actually damn good too’. I say lastly because I believe excellent quality products should be standard, and the most important thing to me was that the customers enjoyed the unravelling of the brand’s little wins and to feel like they had a gift that keeps on giving.”
Brand Appeal
Who is the brand’s target audience and who will the products appeal to?
“I think The Candle Carousel will most likely attract customers who are looking for something more from their home fragrance regime, something colourful and fun with heart and soul.
On a deeper level, I believe the brand will appeal to those whom their core values and beliefs are an integral part of who they are and how they show up in the world. A big hope when creating the brand is that we can cater for and scratch that itch for those philanthropic souls out there with our strong charitable initiatives.”
Being Sustainable Yet Not Smug
So what’s your take on sustainability?
“The reason why I do not mention our eco conscious approach and sustainability as one of our ‘modern’ aspects is because I feel this should not be celebrated due to the fact if mankind wasn’t so disposable consumer driven then there would be no need for this ‘modern’ solution in the first place. We have, in effect, created a market out of our disposable behaviours towards the planet and its resources and although I personally embrace this new ‘reusable & recyclable’ mind-set and it’s a step in the right direction, as part of the human race I’m not proud of it due to its reflection upon mankind’s selfish modern habits.”
Intrigue Over a Hard Sell
We know your mantra is service and customer satisfaction over sales, tell us more…
“I don’t want our brand to use marketing strategies for a ‘hard sell’ approach, I want people to feel intrigued and inspired by our brand and want to keep coming back of their own free will because of how the brand’s products and its content makes them feel.”
Small Steps to a more Sustainable Future
We know it’s not always easy to embrace a zero waste initiative, what small steps are you taking as a brand?
‘It’s so easy to throw a disposable item in your shopping trolley or online basket because something is slightly cheaper, or it’s a familiar go to product. I will be the first to admit that it’s not easy creating a fully reusable, refillable, minimum waste, zero plastic household and lifestyle. It’s been a work in progress for the past 3+ years and I’m 98% there.
I refill and reuse everything I can and recycle whatever is left, tying regular trips to the local skip in with other errands due to roadside recycling not accepting everything recyclable. It’s a mind-set and lifestyle shift and yes a little time consuming but rewarding knowing I am contributing the best I can to being as eco friendly as I possibly can. I’m not perfect but I strive to always do better.
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