“Amore Intenso has been met with great interest at eroFame 2016.”

This summer, Claudia Santoro and Fabio Bongiorno launched their massage oil Amore Intenso in their home market of Italy, where it is now also available through mainstream channels. In October, they seized the opportunity to present their product and their brand, Bon Claude Trés Chic, to a bigger European audience at eroFame. EAN had the opportunity to speak with the two brand founders.

Since when has Bon Claude Très Chic been on the market?
Claudia Santoro: Bon Claude Très Chic has been on the market since June 2016.

What has led to your company entering the market with a massage oil?
Fabio Bongiorno: Amore Intenso sensual massage oil has been created by fashion designer Claudia Santoro, known for her sexy lingerie and now founder of the brand.

Why choose a French name for a massage oil brand made in Italy?
Fabio Bongiorno: The name of the intimate massage oil is an Italian name, Amore Intenso. We chose a French name for our company because we wanted to match the ‘chic’ French style to our image. Besides, the name includes part of our surname and name.

What does your massage oil do that others don’t? What unique selling points does it have?
Claudia Santoro: Amore Intenso is a sensual oil for intimate massages, scented with the exclusive fragrance by Bon Claude Très Chic. This scent is different from the others, it’s delicate, pleasant, intriguing, and sensually exciting. It can be used for a gentle and prolonged massage. It is insoluble in water and therefore lasts a long time, even allowing pleasurable caresses in the shower or the jacuzzi.
Apart from that, it is available in the absolute novelty box of 12 mono-doses as well as 50ml bottles. Amore Intenso is sold online on our website and it is also on sale in love boutiques, sex shops, pharmacies, hotels/motels in Italy and Poland.

Italian lifestyle, dolce vita, all this is talked about everywhere. How hard is it to develop products which capture this special flair?
Fabio Bongiorno: Italy is a romantic country, so it’s quite difficult to offer products which convey this special flair. That is one of the reasons why we created Amore Intenso as a massage oil. A very intriguing, romantic, and ‘très chic’ massage oil.

Which ingredients does Amore Intenso include?
Claudia Santoro: Amore Intenso is an oil on silicone base, made with essential ylang-ylang oil, a natural aphrodisiac.

Which consumer group have you identified as your target audience?
Fabio Bongiorno: Our target audience is all adults who love themselves and all lovers who want to enjoy the exciting moments of togetherness.

Which trends do you currently see in the market for lubes, massage oils, and personal care products? What is important to the consumer right now?
Fabio Bongiorno: Trends are quality, attractive packaging, and new fragrances. Those are the most important things for the consumers.

Would you agree that the consumers become more conscious about the ingredients of the products they use? How does this affect the market for massage oils and lubricants?
Claudia Santoro: We agree. For this reason, Bon Claude Très Chic carefully selects natural ingredients and fragrances to protect the natural balance of the skin.

How important is it for you to be perceived as a brand? What does the consumer associate with your brand?
Claudia Santoro: In our opinion, it’s very important that our customers take confidence in our sensual brand that cares for the enjoyment of lovers by creating high-quality products.

Which brand building tools do you use?
Fabio Bongiorno: First of all, we are looking to give an image of seriousness and professionalism to our brand and later, we will evaluate how Amore Intenso is appreciated by the customers.

How do you distribute your products? Do you sell it outside the adult industry?
Fabio Bongiorno: We distribute them outside of the erotic industry also, for example through pharmacies.

Which distribution strategy do you have planned for the adult market? Do you want to work directly with the trade or are you looking for distributors and wholesalers in Europe?
Fabio Bongiorno: We want to use both.

Presentation is an important aspect of every sales environment. What does your company currently offer in regards of POS material for brick & mortar shops or for websites?
Claudia Santoro: Bon Claude Très Chic has a fashion website where the customer finds all the information related to the brand, products, and retailers or can buy online right away.

What was the feedback regarding your massage oil at eroFame 2016?
Claudia Santoro: Amore Intenso has been met with great interest at eroFame 2016.

Are there any plans to expand the product portfolio?
Claudia Santoro: Certainly! Bon Claude Très Chic will add new products next year.