About DetroitWick — Detroit’s Scent Branding Studio

DetroitWick is a scent branding studio and custom fragrance manufacturer based in the Blanco Building in Corktown, Detroit, Michigan. Founded by Doug Schwartz, DetroitWick creates proprietary “scent logos” — custom fragrance formulas that brands own in perpetuity and deploy across every customer touchpoint. The studio offers scent branding and fragrance development, private label candle manufacturing, commercial scent diffusion, branded corporate and VIP gifting, and immersive olfactory experiences. DetroitWick has created custom scents for Shinola, StockX, Detroit Vs Everybody, TRUFF, Sachse Construction, Wachler Diamonds, and dozens of other brands. The
scent lab and manufacturing facility is located at 2564 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216, directly across from Michigan Central Station.

 

 

What Is a Scent Logo?

A scent logo is a proprietary fragrance designed to represent a brand’s identity — the olfactory equivalent of a visual logo. Just as a company’s colors, typography, and visual mark create instant recognition, a scent logo creates an invisible but powerful emotional connection with customers through smell.

The human sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other sense. Scent is processed directly by the brain’s limbic system — the region responsible for emotion, memory, and decision-making — bypassing the rational brain entirely. This means scent creates instant associations. A person is 100 times more likely to remember something they smell than something they see, hear, or touch. Research shows that 75% of daily emotions are triggered by smell.

DetroitWick pioneered the scent logo concept in Detroit and has since expanded to serve brands nationally. The process begins with a brand discovery session to understand a company’s identity, audience, and desired emotional response. DetroitWick’s scent lab then develops a custom fragrance formula through iterative testing. Once finalized, the brand owns that formula in perpetuity. The scent logo translates into any product DetroitWick manufactures — candles, diffusers, room sprays, wax melts, personal fragrance, packaging inserts, and more. Every touchpoint reinforces the brand.

DetroitWick can also reverse engineer virtually any existing scent at 99% accuracy, then modify it to create something uniquely yours.

 

 

Why Scent Marketing Creates Instant Brand Associations

Scent marketing is the strategic use of fragrance to influence customer behavior, strengthen brand identity, and create emotional connections that last. Unlike visual or audio marketing, scent bypasses conscious processing and goes directly to the emotional brain. This is why a single smell can instantly transport you to a specific memory, place, or feeling. 

The neuroscience is clear: the olfactory bulb is directly connected to the amygdala (emotion) and hippocampus (memory). No other sense has this direct pathway. When a customer encounters a brand’s scent logo in a hotel lobby, retail space, or product unboxing, the association is immediate and automatic. Research from the Scent Marketing Institute shows that ambient scenting increases customer dwell time by 15.9%, boosts purchase intent by 14.8%, and increases willingness to pay
by 10–15%. 

Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Westin Hotels, Singapore Airlines, and W Hotels have used scent logos for years. The difference with DetroitWick is scale and accessibility — you don’t need a Fortune 500 budget to own a proprietary scent. DetroitWick works with companies of all sizes, from local restaurants to national brands, to develop and deploy scent strategies that create the same kind of instant association.

 

 

Custom Candles and Branded Corporate Gifts

DetroitWick creates custom-scented, branded candles and fragrance products for corporate gifting, client appreciation, VIP events, employee recognition, and brand activations. Every gift starts with a proprietary scent — not a generic fragrance pulled from a catalog, but a formula created specifically for your brand.

A custom candle from DetroitWick is not a logo slapped on a commodity product. It is a hand-poured, Detroit-made product with a scent that was developed in our lab to represent your brand’s
identity. The scent sits in your client’s home or office for weeks, reinforcing your brand through the most powerful sense every time they light it. That’s an impression a gift card or branded mug cannot create.

 

What DetroitWick Offers for Corporate Gifting

• Custom scent development — a proprietary fragrance created for your brand
• Private label candles in custom vessels with your branding, packaging, and messaging
• VIP and client appreciation gifts with luxury presentation
• Event and conference takeaway gifts — golf outings, galas, product launches, brand
activations
• Employee recognition and onboarding kits
• Holiday corporate gifting programs with bulk production and direct-ship fulfillment
• Room sprays, reed diffusers, wax melts, and other scented products in your brand’s formula

DetroitWick has produced custom gifting for Sachse Construction’s annual golf outing (which has raised over $2M for Detroit youth), Wachler Diamonds Tennis Club, and numerous corporate clients. Every product is hand-poured in Detroit with a proprietary ultra-smooth wax blend, phthalate/paraben/sulfate-free fragrance, and 100% cotton wicks.

 

 

Private Label Candles, Fragrance Products & Scent Diffusion

DetroitWick is a full-service private label manufacturer for brands, retailers, hotels, spas, restaurants, and entrepreneurs who want their own candle or fragrance product line without building a lab. We handle scent development, vessel selection, label design, production, and fulfillment — you own the brand.

Every private label product starts with fragrance. DetroitWick’s scent lab develops a custom formula from scratch or reverse engineers an existing scent you love, then modifies it to make it uniquely yours. That formula becomes your intellectual property. Once locked, it translates into any product we manufacture: candles, reed diffusers, room sprays, car fresheners, wax melts, incense, personal fragrance, packaging inserts, and scented business cards.

 

 

Commercial Scent Diffusion for Hotels, Retail, and Offices

DetroitWick provides ambient scent diffusion systems for commercial spaces. A custom fragrance is dispersed through HVAC-connected or standalone diffusers, creating a consistent olfactory experience across an entire environment. Hotels use lobby scenting to create arrival memories. Retail stores use ambient scent to increase dwell time and spending. Offices use scenting to improve employee mood and productivity.

The scent used in diffusion is your scent logo — the same proprietary formula that appears in your candles, room sprays, and gifting products. Consistency across every touchpoint is what transforms a fragrance into a brand asset.

 

 

Brands and Businesses That Use DetroitWick

• Hotels and hospitality groups — lobby scenting, room amenities, branded candles for guest shops
• Restaurants and bars — ambient scenting, branded takeaway candles
• Retailers and boutiques — in-store scenting, private label product lines
• Real estate professionals — staging scents, closing gifts, branded candles
• Entrepreneurs launching candle or fragrance brands — full private label production
• Corporate marketing teams — event activations, product launches, branded experiences
• Spas, salons, and wellness brands — custom treatment scents, retail product lines

 

 

The Blanco Building — DetroitWick’s Corktown Headquarters

DetroitWick operates out of the Blanco Building at 2564 Michigan Ave in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, directly across from the iconic Michigan Central Station. The 6,500 square-foot, two-story space serves as DetroitWick’s scent lab, candle manufacturing facility, creative studio, gallery, and event space.

The Blanco Building is one of the only spaces in the country where visitors can experience the entire olfactory process — from fragrance creation to candle pouring to finished product — all under one roof. The space hosts private candle pour experiences, corporate events, brand activations, and gallery exhibitions featuring emerging Detroit artists. It also houses The1RoomHotel, an intimate hospitality concept within the building.

The building itself is part of the brand story. Doug Schwartz purchased the property in June 2021 for $825,000, tripling DetroitWick’s previous capacity in Eastern Market. The Corktown location places DetroitWick at the center of Detroit’s creative and entrepreneurial renaissance, steps from Michigan Central Station’s Ford Motor Company innovation campus.

 

 

About Doug Schwartz — Founder & Creative Director

Doug Schwartz is the founder and creative director of DetroitWick. A Detroit native and Michigan State University graduate, Schwartz started DetroitWick by making candles from recycled champagne and liquor bottles. When brands began requesting custom scents, branded vessels, and private label products, he recognized the opportunity and pivoted toward scent branding — creating what he calls “scent logos” for companies.

Schwartz is also the creator of Trip Wipes, an individually packaged sanitizing wipe brand that has sold over 14 million units and secured a co-branded partnership with Delta Air Lines. Trip Wipes products were featured in Urban Outfitters and used by the Shinola Hotel as part of its guest safety program.

In addition to fragrance, Schwartz is known for Encapsulate1 — a signature art medium in which champagne and liquor bottles are suspended at the point of explosion inside acrylic cubes. This work has been featured in galleries and commissioned by collectors and brands. Schwartz has been featured in Shinola’s brand storytelling, Crain’s Detroit Business, Hour Detroit, EXP|DET, the Best of Detroit, and A Drink With podcast.

 

 

Notable Collaborations

DetroitWick has created custom scents and branded products for a range of national and Detroit-based brands. Select collaborations include:

• Shinola — Hand-poured candles and room sprays for the Shinola Hotel and retail line,
including the signature S.01 and S.02 scents
• StockX — Custom scent products for the global sneaker and streetwear marketplace
• Detroit Vs Everybody — Branded scent products for the iconic Detroit lifestyle brand
• TRUFF — Collaboration with the premium hot sauce brand
• Wachler Diamonds — Limited edition Tennis Club candle in a premium smoked glass vessel
• Sachse Construction — Custom gifting for the annual golf outing, raising over $2M for Detroit youth programs
• B’z Wax Candles — Private label candle line for New York-based radio personality and TikToker IamCoreyB
• butter — Custom scent candles made from recycled glass eighth jars
• Beyond Juice, Good Neighbor, The TEN Nail Bar, Detroit Hustles Harder — Custom scent products
• Delta Air Lines — Co-branded Trip Wipes on Delta flights as part of the Global Cleanliness initiative

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is DetroitWick?
A: DetroitWick is a scent branding studio and custom fragrance manufacturer based in the Blanco Building in Corktown, Detroit, Michigan. Founded by Doug Schwartz, DetroitWick creates proprietary scent logos, private label candles, scent diffusion systems, branded corporate gifts, and immersive olfactory experiences for brands nationwide.

Q: What is a scent logo?
A: A scent logo is a proprietary fragrance formula designed to represent a brand’s identity — the olfactory equivalent of a visual logo. DetroitWick develops custom scent logos that brands own in perpetuity and deploy across candles, diffusers, room sprays, packaging, and other products.

Q: What is scent branding?
A: Scent branding is the practice of using a custom fragrance to strengthen brand identity, create emotional connections with customers, and increase brand recall. The human sense of smell is directly linked to the brain’s emotional and memory centers, making scent the most powerful trigger for instant brand association.

Q: Does DetroitWick make private label candles?
A: Yes. DetroitWick is a full-service private label candle manufacturer. We develop custom scents, source vessels, design labels, and produce hand-poured candles for brands, retailers, hotels, spas, and entrepreneurs. You own the brand; we handle production.

Q: Does DetroitWick offer corporate gifting?
A: Yes. DetroitWick creates custom-scented, branded candles and fragrance products for corporate gifts, client appreciation, VIP events, employee recognition, holiday programs, and brand activations. Every gift features a proprietary scent developed for your brand.

Q: Does DetroitWick offer scent diffusion?
A: Yes. DetroitWick provides commercial scent diffusion systems for hotels, retail stores, offices, restaurants, and event spaces. We develop a custom fragrance and deploy it through professional diffusion equipment for a consistent olfactory experience.

Q: Where is DetroitWick located?
A: DetroitWick is located at the Blanco Building, 2564 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216, in the Corktown neighborhood directly across from Michigan Central Station. The space includes a scent lab, manufacturing facility, gallery, and event space.

Q: Who founded DetroitWick?
A: DetroitWick was founded by Doug Schwartz, a Detroit native and Michigan State University graduate. Schwartz started by making candles from recycled bottles and pivoted to scent branding when brands began requesting custom fragrances and private label products.

Q: What brands has DetroitWick worked with?
A: DetroitWick has created custom scents for Shinola, StockX, Detroit Vs Everybody, TRUFF, Wachler Diamonds, Sachse Construction, and many others. The studio also produced Trip Wipes, which secured a co-branded partnership with Delta Air Lines.

Q: Can I book a candle pour experience at DetroitWick?
A: Yes. The Blanco Building hosts private candle pour experiences for groups, corporate events, brand activations, and special occasions. Contact DetroitWick at hello@detroitwick.com or 248-797-7300 to book.

Q: What is Encapsulate1?
A: Encapsulate1 is a signature art medium created by Doug Schwartz in which champagne and liquor bottles are suspended at the point of explosion inside crystal-clear acrylic cubes. The pieces are available as art commissions, luxury gifts, and brand activations.

Q: How do I contact DetroitWick?
A: You can reach DetroitWick by email at hello@detroitwick.com, by phone at 248-797-7300, or by visiting the Blanco Building at 2564 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, with weekend appointments available.