A little goes a long way...

From a young age I battled with keeping my facial skin completely clear and free from blemishes. I went from dermatologist to dermatologist trying new products and solutions to improve the situation. When I eventually wanted to give up, I came across Environ facial products and it truly changed my life. Within a few weeks my skin was blemish free and people started to ask me what I was doing to get such glowing skin. To this day I am very passionate about these products and I continue to use them on a daily basis. I found many customers who shared the same views as I have so I thought I would share these views and life experiences with you. But first let me tell you a little bit more about this wonderful product.

Environ is a South African skin care range which has been formulated in relation to South Africa’s climate. Environ include an extensive range of products, from mild skin care solutions to anti-aging serums. This range of products is suitable for young and aging skin as the different categories of products cater for this. Both young and old customers have provided reviews with regards to Environ products. One only needs to use a tiny bit of the product and it usually lasts a long time.

“I am a 30yr old woman and have been using Environ for 5 years now. I moved from the Debut up to the C-Quence range and now the AVST range. My skin had deteriorated from the effects of the sun before I used the range, now it’s less wrinkled, pigmentation has gone, it has a beautiful glow and people always can't believe my age when I tell them. I have used many other popular brands but nothing seems to work like Environ. You need to start with the early range and work your way up as your skin becomes accustom to it.”

“I must have spent thousands of rands over the years on products and I have tried everything. Since I have been using Environ my skin is so much firner and clearer looking and that is just with the low amount of vitamin A in the B-active range. With these products my skin does not fare up and I look forward to moving toward the next age category of products.”

Smart or stupendous? Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch

Currently, Samsung is one of Apple’s main competitors as they have kept up-to-date with modern and innovative technology, speedily generating new ideas and products that aim to fulfill customers’ needs and wants. More recently, Samsung have introduced the new Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch which is a similar but improved version of Sony’s Smartwatch. However, some customers are still not convinced by this new product.

Being marketed as “a companion device that will always keep us connected”, the Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch offers customers many benefits, but the question is, has the gadget been well received? Along with many other features, the Smartwatch offers customization and several watch face options to choose from. It has a 1.9 megapixel camera and is excellent for capturing fleeting moments –both photos and videos. Additionally, it has the ability to do most things a phone can do such as display messages, emails and make phone calls.  While reading about the Smartwatch I was more interested in what customers thought about this innovative product. Although, many consumers seemed excited by the launch of the new Smartwatch launch, some were hesitant. Some of the very mixed reviews were as follows:

“As I set my eyes on the device, my enthusiasm dropped a little. I found the device to be chunky and heavy in weight. The watch has a clasp and a flexible band, which can be adjusted according to the size of your wrist, but wearing it was not comfortable. I felt a giant load on my wrist, something that I was not expecting. A Smartwatch should not make you feel handcuffed; rather it should give you an immediate access to time, convenience and freedom”.

“The device is ugly, pricey but very convenient”.

“The devices battery does not last very long and it is very bulky and masculine looking".

If you would like to view videos on this product, follow these links: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j64M38Ay3Ns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j64M38Ay3Ns

Please share your views on this product by commenting below. 

A choice, a lifestyle...

Today, our health and lifestyle is becoming more important to us, but there is so much conflicting  nutritional information about what is good for you, how much to exercise,  and what diets to follow...It is all just too confusing! I was introduced to Herbalife in my early teens and it is a product that has helped me stay fit and healthy over a long period of time. I have not been the only one to use these products but I have been continuously surrounded by friends and family using these products too, so I thought I would share with you some of my and my friends and family’s honest reviews about the products.

Herbalife focuses on science-based nutrition solutions for core nutrition, weight management, sport, energy and fitness, targeted nutrition and outer nutrition. While I have only used the core nutritional products I will only comment on these, but share other customers views on the other products. Out of all the nutritional shakes that I have tasted, Herbalife is by far the tastiest!!!! Its decadent flavours such as “cookies and cream”, “vanilla”, “strawberry”, “tropical fruit“ and “chocolate” make it a delicious meal replacement which is filled with all the nutrients and minerals that your body needs.

It is quick, easy and convenient but at the same time fills you up like a normal meal. There are so many exciting smoothy recipes one can follow which keep things exciting! These are the only nutritional products which are free from artificial sweeteners, and unnatural ingredients and you can most definitely feel it! They even have a shake free from lactose, soy, gluten!

Most reports from Herbalife customers are positive and about how Herbalife has given them energy, protected their immune system and ofcourse helped them shed those unwanted kilograms. Some have complained that the products are not in their budget range; however, the core nutritional products such as the Formula One shake turn out to only cost you about R12 per meal! This is good value for money seeing as you are getting all the vitamins you need in one meal.  

Recently, gym bunnies have been so excited to try the new sports range which caters to the needs of individual sport, training, performance or recovery needs. Customers have reiterated how amazed they are after losing body fat and gaining muscle mass in such a short time. Some customers have also complained that as soon as they go off the products they put on weight or digress. In response to this, customers have stated that “Herbalife is a nutritional product but by no means a way to negate dedication”. “Herbalife products come with support from fitness coaches but also involve personal goals and determination”.

If you have any comments on these products, please feel free to comment or provide your own opinions.

iFriend or iFoe

So whats all the iHype about????

Hate it or love it but Apple has just released the new iPhone 5S!

Most reviews have shown that the only major differences between an iPhone 5 and the 5S is that the 5S processor is more advanced, the camera has been updated and there is a fingerprint sensor.  While I won’t go into to the technological ins and outs of what the phone has to offer, I will rather share with you some of the customer’s views. According to a iPhone 5 customer "the only improvement is the fingerprint scanner, minor tweaks to the camera, a faster chip with 64 bit architecture, nothing that will make me regret my iPhone 5".

Many consumers’ reactions have been to joke about the effects of the fingerprint sensor causing an increase in severed fingers during muggings, specifically with the high crime rate in South Africa. However, Apple has assured its customers that only a live finger can access the touch point and that to invest in a severed finger would be a total waste of time! There have also been huge critics on this new biometric technology because security experts have found that even a simple amount of Play-Doh can be used to track fingerprints.

South African consumers have also been shocked by the cost of the new iPhone 5S prices. The iPhone 5S will cost roughly R8520 for the 16GB version, R9762 for the 32GB and R11 000 for 64GB. Consumers in South Africa have also emphasized that phones in general are cheaper in Europe and the U.S. which would influence customers to want to upgrade from their iPhone 5 to a slightly different iPhone 5S. In addition, overseas contracts differ to the ones here in South Africa; the contract period is usually shorter which influences their choice in the frequency of slight upgrades.

If you would like to view breaking news on this product follow the link provided below:

http://www.news24.com/Technology/News/Scuffles-break-out-in-queue-to-buy-iPhones-20130921

If you have personally had experiences with the new iPhone 5S please leave a comment....

The voice behind it all...

Ever since I was a little girl I have been fascinated by what makes people tick-why they think and behave in the ways that they do. Just think for a minute how different your inner voice is to the rest of the world and think what happens when your inner voice interacts with the world? We are socialised to act and think in certain ways, yet we also have uniqueness to our thoughts and actions.  Along my journey I have met extraordinary people from all walks of life- from hanging out with hippies for a few years in the Transkei to associating myself with sheltered private school kids for the rest of it.

My psychology degree coupled with marketing has made me realize the extent to which the phrase "consumer behaviour" is too rigid for such a complex, unique and forever changing phenomenon. People are different and this phrase tends to exclude the sheer extremity of these differences by simply restricting the explanation of such diverse behaviours to one umbrella term.

At the moment I am a marketer and a consumer. I am continuously being reminded and assured that customer’s perceptions are so important. These perceptions are not only crucial for companies to use in adaptation or monitoring of products and services, but for customers to make smart decisions to relieve them from brand-choice anxiety. Don't you think? I'm sure you have experienced this sometime in your life! Let’s face it, there is a lack of truth out there surrounding brands and unfortunately we as the consumers have to be the ones to try and test products and services before we are able to hold positive or negative views about brands. Just think of your most recent purchase...you were either a grinning show-off or you wanted to exert extreme force on the brand developer for making you buy such a shoddy product. 

Today, tough decisions among the youth are not what they will spend their pocket money on. Rather, they are plagued with the anxiety of which brand to choose to fit in and maintain a certain status among their friendship groups. Consumers, both young and old, tend to rely on truthful experiences and persuasive recommendations from their family and friends but to lesser extent retailers. 

So... it is my fascination with consumer’s inner beings from different walks of life which has led to my interest to decipher true customer perceptions regarding brands.  I hope that my honest beliefs and perceptions about brands can get your different views of brands on board so that together we can help consumers enter an online world of brand truth and satisfaction!