spot_img
28.1 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Watsons challenges consumers to take switch test

- Advertisement -

Filipinos have always been loyal especially when it comes to the products that make it to shopping carts. According to a recent study, Filipino consumers said they would rather buy new products from familiar brands than switch to a new brand.

But more than just loyalty, practicality also plays an important factor particularly for those from the low-income groups with limited disposable income. They’d rather pay a bit more on a brand they trust than try something new, such as a private-label product.

More popularly known as “store brands,” the perception of private labels is very favorable in the US and Europe, but still a bit low in Asian countries, like the Philippines. 

The purveyors of Switch and Save. From left: Jared De Guzman, Ines Bernardo, Karen Fabres, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Krisel Macatangay, Christian Bautista, Janelle De Leon and Helen Capunong

“It’s a bit ironic that the sales of private labels are as high as 40 percent in Europe unlike in developing countries in Asia, it just five percent,” Karen Fabres Watsons Group marketing manager, told The Standard in an interview.

That mentality, however, is slowly changing as Filipinos are becoming more aware of the advantages of choosing private label products such as those from Watsons. 

- Advertisement -

“The Asian market is just starting to be discerning about their product choices. That’s why we are working hard to develop new products, and encouraging more shoppers to make the ‘Switch and Save’,” Fabres added. 

Blogger Valerie Tan (left) tests which product works better than the other—and a Watsons label wins the battle.

Since the ‘Switch and Save’ campaign began in 2012, Watsons has been trying to convince customers to make the switch from the leading brand to private label and get excellent quality personal care products at up to 80 percent less.

“To ensure quality standards of Watsons products, our quality assurance director makes sure that the standards we are committing to customers are unquestionable. The products undergo a stringent manufacturing process that is at par with market leaders,” says Fabres, adding that products go through the Five-Step Quality Assurance Process, from manufacturing to distribution. Product development and testing take at least 18 months to ensure that the product is of the best quality.”

Now shoppers don’t have to worry themselves with the age-old question of having to choose between quality and savings.

The effort has met with massive success, convincing tons of people from everyday shoppers to high-profile endorsers (Iya Villania, Christian Bautista, Tessa Prieto Valdez, and Patty Laurel) to make the change. 

But, with such unbelievably great savings, some skeptics remained unconvinced that Watsons products could be as good as the leading brands.

So this year, Watsons puts its brand to the test—the ultimate Switch Test. Watsons set up unbranded booths in major cities around the country and placed its products side by side with the category leaders.

Without showing or telling them what brands were involved, the Switch Test mediator had each customer try out two products – Watsons and the leader. They were asked to hold, examine, test and compare them, and eventually to choose the one they would buy. 

On June 14, 2016, it was the media’s turn to take the test as Watsons held a special edition at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, with celebrity guests Tessa Prieto Valdes and singer Christian Bautista acting as the mediators. 

Prieto-Valdes picked one blogger from the audience to try out two kinds of lotion. “Brand A lotion smells good, and is softer on the skin, compared to Brand B,” said one guest who was surprised to learn that Brand A was actually Watsons. She was even more surprised when she found out Watsons costs 80 percent less.

Bautista, on the other hand, invited a female guest to compare two kinds of toothbrushes.  Holding a toothbrush in each hand, she observed, “The bristles are softer and I feel it would clean my teeth better.” She chose the Watsons brand and was thrilled to learn of the additional savings.

The guests were also able to try out and compare Watsons facial tissue and hair iron from the leading brand, and, in the end, less than 20 percent of shoppers chose the leading brand over Watsons quality. But when informed of the sizeable savings afterward, even they were easily swayed to switch. 

Indeed, with the Switch Test done, the results are clear: eight out of 10 shoppers prefer Watsons quality, not to mention the Watsons price. And as for that age-old question about quality or savings – it finally has an answer it looks like everyone can agree on. Take both. Switch to Watsons and save.

Watsons is Asia’s leading health and beauty retailer, currently operating over 4,800 stores and more than 1,400 pharmacies in 11 Asian and European markets, including China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey and Ukraine. 

In 2002, A.S. Watson Group joined hands with SM Prime Holdings Inc., the Philippines’ leading shopping mall developer. Watsons caters to a variety of lifestyles with an unrivalled diversity of products, with a mission to help people around the world to look good, feel great.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles