Watsons is “Looking Good and Feeling Great” with its Brand Refresh

Watsons, Asia’s largest health and beauty retailer is set to deliver a totally fresh retail experience as it unveils a dynamic brand revamp and launches More Value, More Life campaign in the Philippines.

Asia’s No 1. pharmacy and drugstore brand*, with an international presence of over 3,200 outlets in 12 Asian and European markets, is rolling-out a refreshed brand “look and feel” and service promise. The brand refresh invites customers to explore and experience Watsons’ extensive quality product range, carefully selected to make them “Look Good. Feel Great.” every day. 

The revamp also includes a modified Watsons logo, store interiors, brand visuals and new store front. Store zoning is improved with more prominent displays and enhanced categorization of store areas for beauty, personal care, health and pharmacy.  The roll out in the next months also include new staff and manager uniforms together with enhanced pharmacy, health and beauty counseling for customers, delivering a new level of personalized shopping.

 “Watsons, as a brand, stands for contemporary living,” explained Robert Sun, Watsons General manager. “We conducted extensive research with our customers and, based on their feedback, we are evolving the Watsons brand to a more contemporary, attractive and engaging retail experience.

“Loyal customers said they loved Watsons because they enjoy browsing and discovering new products and new experiences. But it was very clear in our research that our existing customers expect us to exceed their expectations.

“We have therefore evolved the brand to express its positive attitude, in a fun and energetic way while respecting the heritage that is part of our DNA.  The brand refresh projects a new vision of health and beauty retailing, and reinforces Watsons’ leading position by redefining the rules of the health, wellness and beauty retail market.”

More Value, More Life!

In the Philippines, the campaign is supported by a “VALUE” marketing campaign that emphasizes Watsons’ commitment to deliver the BEST VALUE to its customers:

§  Great Savings from Exclusive Products – switching to Watsons label allows shoppers to get quality product at great prices

§  Exclusive Member Privileges – SM Advantage cardholders earn bonus points and exclusive free gifts from featured health & beauty products every month

§  More Choices  - get the widest selection of health and beauty products – personal care, skincare, hair care, cosmetics and a lot more conveniently under one store

§  Fun Freebies – have a fun and rewarding shopping experience with special gifts with purchase, fab make-overs, health check-up and more

The campaign is made even more exciting with additional brand ambassadors who have personally found great value at Watsons --

Shamcey Supsup is beauty and brains extraordinaire. Who else can claim to be an Architectural board topnotcher, Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Architecture from UP and a Ms. Universe 2011 3^rd runner-up?

Shamcey shares, “I always believe in aspiring for excellence and sometimes we have to challenge ourselves to go beyond our comfort zone. I never had a beauty pageant experience before but when I decided to join Bb. Pilipinas, I gave it my all. I started with the basics -- I took care of my skin and hair to build my confidence”. She further added “These days, it’s easier to look good and feel great with Watsons. The new store is so inviting that I end up choosing products not just for myself but for my loved ones too”.

Venus Raj, another beauty queen-achiever, was part of the first wave of Watsons Value campaign that highlighted health offers for her and her mom. Now, Venus is joined by her real life best friend Marie Ann Umali who herself is a beauty queen (Bb. Pilipinas-World 2009). 

“I met Venus during training and since then we have bonded by sharing beauty tips even after the pageant season. It’s more fun and colorful sharing beauty stuff with your girl best friend” says Ann. Venus giddily adds, “When we go to Watsons, we head straight to the make-up area and test our favorite brands. You can’t go wrong since there are beauty consultants always ready to give advice or suggest alternatives…we always feel extra beautiful after shopping!”

Finally, Fatima Rabago is an in-demand model and a regular fixture in the fashion and advertising world. She has graced countless campaigns and runways shows but if you ask her, her favorite role is being a mom to her lovely 2 year old daughter, Daniela. Proud mommy shares “Daniela is a fun kid, as early as now she is showing strong signs of being a model and posing for the camera. She likes putting on lotion, smelling fresh and even playing with make-up! We enjoy shopping in Watsons especially for our personal care products, we just love to keep things fresh and fun!”

                                                      

With Watsons making you look good all the time, feeling great comes naturally! For more information, simply log-on to www.watsons.com or visit www.facebook.com/WatsonsPH.  

Sale-riously Super Sale this coming May!

Whitespace (2314 Chino Roces Ave. ext. Makati City) this coming May 17 – 19! Get the cheapest deals on the following brands such as:

• Antec
• O+
• Armaggeddon
• Asus
• BenQ
• Black Berry
• Cooler Master
• Creative
• Epson
• Fuji Xerox
• Gear 4
• HP
• HTC
• JBL
• LG
• Nokia
• Ricoh
• Samsung
• Sandisk
• Sennheisser
• Sonic Gear
• Sony
• Arc Mobile
• Toshiba
• Western Digital

You can get deals for as low as 70%! And not only that you can also take home some amazing freebies from some of our participating brands!

Australia as Top Study Destination in IDP Fair

Australia is highlighted once more as among the world’s best education destinations in the next education fair organized by IDP Education Philippines this month.

The Australian Education Exhibition 2013 will be held at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao on Friday, May 17.  It moves to the Dusit Thani Makati the following day, culminating with its Cebu staging at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu on Sunday, May 19.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Institute of Statistics reports that Australia ranks among the top five destinations for tertiary education among the world’s mobile students.  In 2010, it received 17% of the total number of students hosted in the East Asia and Pacific countries, second only to the United States.

From July 2011 to June 2012, there were 2,633 Filipino students who went to Australia to study, making it the Number 1 study destination of Filipinos.

Students prefer to go to Australia for diploma, certificate, training and further education (TAFE) because the country offers many benefits, foremost of which are internationally recognized qualifications, part-time work opportunities and higher post-graduation employability potential.

Changes were made in March to the Temporary Graduate visa allowing recent graduates the opportunity to spend more time in Australia (to gain practical experience) following completion of their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees.

As it continues to host students from different cultures, Australia is also able to offer an increasingly diversified cultural environment.  Graduates then have the advantage of being exposed to a variety of cultures and building an international network of contacts which they can tap into once they enter the workplace.

IDP Education Pty. Ltd. is the world authority in Australian education being 50% owned by 38 Australian universities.  It is the world’s largest student placement and English language testing services provider.

IDP Philippines opened in 1996 and has since provided free admissions and visa counselling to place thousands of students in colleges and universities in Australia, the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada. The annual Australian Education Exhibition brings representatives of Australian universities and TAFE colleges to the Philippines for direct consultations and admissions facilitation and is considered the best means for students to consider available education options, providing information on courses and programs, admissions requirements, costs and living arrangements.

Filipinos are on the brink of becoming a significant player in the international market. The deployment of the young abroad to achieve not only a better understanding of other people but also advanced systems can only enhance the advantages they now have. There is no block or hindrance to achieving international recognition except for the reluctance to try. Filipinos, forge ahead!

Pre-registration is required for the seminars.  Register online at idpdavao.eventzilla.net, idpmanila.eventzilla.net or idpcebu.eventzilla.net.  Like IDP Philippines on facebook or call 236-2758 for daily updates and promo information.

For Inquiries contact IDP Education Pty Ltd at their address

at 2/F Pioneer House Makati

108 Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi Street

Legaspi Village, Makati City 1229 Philippines

Phone: (+63 2) 816 0755 local 114

Fax:      (+63 2) 815 9875

Email: marty.deleon@idp.com

IDP Website: http://www.philippines.idp.com/

Who’s afraid of SM Aura?

 SM Aura Premier, located at the edge of Bonifacio Global City, is finally opening its doors to the public this Friday. The curved superstructure built by the Miami-based Arquitectonica and the Philippines’ own WV Coscolluela & Associates, marks a first for the SM Group which, for this project, has taken an out-of-the-box approach – creating an innovative recreational and leisure space complementary to BGC’s fast-changing landscape.

With a mall, an office tower, a convention center, a premier trade hall, and other features that make up a civic center for the city of Taguig, plus a trade and investment forum,  Aura fosters lively activity with its wide-ranging facilities designed for the convenience of itspatrons. SM Aura, a breathtaking combination of indoor and outdoor activity, keeps a strong focus on design and sustainability, offering a complete experience to upscale residential and office tenants. It is confident about getting a Gold LEED certification from the US Green Building Council – the first commercial center in the country to do so.

At the top of Aura is SkyPark, an expansive and lush green space for lunch break retreats, al fresco dining and leisurely walks.  Aura’s seven floors of retail space include apparel brands such as Uniqlo, Forever 21, as well as retail and dining space. Setting up shop for the first time in the Philippines are Stefanel, Paul Boulangerie, the Food Hall by Todd English, and Asia’s first NBA Café. Anchors SM Department Store and SM Supermarket have also leveled up their design and merchandise offerings for the thrilling new space. The SM Group is also stepping up its game for recreation. Not only does Aura carry four new digital cinemas and an IMAX Theater, its strong focus on becoming a great place for friends and family has also paved the way for a modern chapel named after Filipino saint Pedro Calungsod as well as the Samsung Hall, a dome designed for events, exhibits and performances. From morning coffee to happy hour, from every day to holidays, Aura promises to be a center of convenience with a total pleasure experience that is both light and fulfilling. Getting there, however, is particularly difficult. At the edge of the BGC lays a long unpaved portion of McKinley Parkway, incidentally right on Aura’s doorstep. A barricade wards off pedestrians on their way to Aura. It’s a pity since Aura is an exciting space suited to the lifestyle of those who reside and frequent BGC. Otherwise, getting there should be easy. But why isn’t it? Who’s afraid of Aura?

Salaminkera: Tales from the Looking Glass

When was the last time you looked at the mirror and talked to it with all honesty? This predicament is a tale as old as time for women everywhere; echoed by the immortal line, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

What makes a mirror special is its appeal to your vanity. It does not just reflect your physical state but also your inner emotions; even your mental state. So simply looking at the mirror could give you an overview of how your total well-being could be – inside and out!

With this, comedienne Giselle Sanchez brings to life “Salaminkera,” a mirror that actually talks to you and tells you about your career, family life, and love life. After all, Salaminkera is inspired by the magic mirror of the evil queen from the timeless tale of Snow White; and provides honest answers to any question.

Giselle Sanchez is known for being a witty stand-up comedienne who can also sing, act, and host. Her body of work spans theater to mainstream TV and cinema. Aside from her solid career in show business, she also writes for the Manila Bulletin and the online portal pep.ph.

Coined after the term “salamangkero,” a Filipino word for magician or wizard, Salaminkera is like the best friend next door who you love for not mincing words and always saying the truth. And with her over-the-top sense of humor to boot, you can’t help but talk to her even more.

The one-act play will have a preview  on May 30, 2013, 11:00 AM at the Rigodon Ball, Manila Peninsula and the regular run will be on June 8, 2013, 3pm at Glorietta 2, Makati City. Expect an enjoyable magic mirror ride as Salaminkeratakes everyone to an inside look at the world of Filipinas. With insights coming from Giselle’s personal experiences as a woman herself, expect jokes and laughter to also contain bits of wisdom that will tickle both the funny bone and the mind.

This show is a collaborative effort between Giselle and Sangobion, the organic iron supplement with vitamins and minerals. Sangobion empowers and gives women a boost in their everyday lives by helping combat the 3 signs of iron deficiency: looking pale, lack of focus, and fatigue. With the help of Sangobion, Giselle hopes to inspire and give a boost to women everywhere thru this show so that they can always remain beautiful and successful as a mom and a wife, and still enjoy a career of their choice.  

A mirror never lies to you. What you see is what you get. Thus, if you show signs of iron deficiency – looking pale, feeling of fatigue, lack of focus - your mirror will definitely reflect it back to you.

For more information on Sangobion and the many benefits it brings to women, simply visit www.sangobion.ph