Watsons launches #GetActive campaign to inspire everyone to be healthy

Back in the day when I was 40lbs overweight. I had difficulty of breathing and walking. Each time I climbed the stairs, I would hear popping sounds from both knees. I got scared I consulted an Ortho. The doctor told me that I should exercise and gave me diet plan to lose weight. I was 140lbs back then. I got those unwanted pounds from eating pork, drinking sodas and indulging in too much dairy (read: ice cream).

I enrolled myself in a gym for 2 years. My trainer told that I should be fit in about a year. I got results for just 5 months of religiously exercising, eating healthy food and taking the right vitamins. I got my ideal weight of 108 for my height. I am 5'2 tall and managed to keep it for about a decade.

 Sam Ajdani

I cut my rice intake to 1/2 cup each meal, no sodas, no dairy, no pork and fatty food, no chichirya or chips. Those were trying times but I got used to it. With my regular exercise, it helps me manage my weight and reduce my risk of developing diseases.

Watsons PH launches Get Active campaign on May 23 at Square One BGC. The event was attended by media and hosted by Samantha Purvor. It was a fun event as Sexy Chef Barni Rennebeck  prepared healthy chocolate oats snack to the media.  Dr. Mitzi Reodica gave some lecture on what right Vitamins to take.  Sam Ajdani demonstrated some good exercise to be done at home.

Sexy Chef Barni Rennebeck

Dr. Mitzi Reodica

In a research  conducted by Watsons Insights on Shoppers Experience (WISE), a research division of the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer A.S. Watson Group, 66 percent of Filipinos believe they have good knowledge on health, however surprisingly, 57 percent do not exercise regularly to stay healthy.

This shows majority of Filipinos are interested on health. But, there are so many things that get in their way from staying healthy. Either they get too busy or get too tired from a hectic work schedule, family duties, household chores and long hours of traffic.

That’s why Watsons, the leading health and beauty chain in the country, launches #GetActive campaign to inspire Filipinos to be healthy through small, everyday active changes in their routine to improve their health. To be healthy doesn’t necessarily mean doing major changes and adjustments in our lives like starting to train as a tri-athlete, spend 2 hours in the gym 3 to 5 times a week, own a fancy health equipment at home, spend thousands of pesos on healthy meals or cook difficult or time-consuming healthy recipes.

Watsons Marketing Director Viki Encarnacion

“Watsons #GetActive campaign is one of our continuous efforts and part of our commitment to improve the lives and health of Filipinos by inspiring them to take small steps to improve their health,” says Watsons Marketing Director Viki Encarnacion. “Small steps such as drinking more water, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking deep breaths in between work e-mails, walking from one building to another instead of riding a car or taxi if it’s just in the same area, walking your dog during weekends, and smiling more often can go a long way for our health. The list of small steps which we can do is endless, our days are full of opportunities to do these and Watsons can be their partner to improve their health” adds Encarnacion.

Watsons Group Marketing Manager Karen Fabres

Watsons also recognizes the importance of a holistic approach to health. Aside from healthy diet and exercise, taking vitamins is also important. Vitamins bridges the nutrient gap people don’t get in their regular diet and lifestyle, and can help prevent illnesses.

There are different types of vitamins available and formulated to fulfill different nutritional needs. Some of them are:
• Vitamin A for immunity, vision and healthy skin
• Vitamin B complex for energy production
• Vitamin C for immunity and protection against diseases
• Vitamin E for cell damage repair or prevention and for healthy skin.
At Watsons, there are different brands and products available to fulfill every individual’s nutritional needs depending on age, gender and preferred form – such as Enervon, Conzace, Ceelin, Revicon, Myra E, Centrum, Stresstabs, Berocca, Rogin E, Fern C and Watsons Generics.

To further encourage its shoppers, Watsons is offering up to 20 percent off on select vitamins for select period of time in stores. And for its loyal members, Watsons is offering customers a chance to win trips to Bali, Guam or Sydney, or win an iPhone 7 or iPad for a min P500 single-receipt purchase of select vitamins and health products. Promo runs until June 28, 2017 and is exclusive to SM Advantage, SM Prestige, PRiMO and BDO Rewards Card holders. Promo is in partnership with Hutchgo.com and Philippine Airlines. (DOH-FDA-CDRR Permit No. 127 s. 2017)

So what are you waiting for? Start doing the small changes in your routine – perhaps on your next meal or next day at work or school!

Start to #GetActive and be healthy with Watsons! Visit any Watsons store nationwide. Visit www.watsonshealth.com.ph or www.facebook.com/WatsonsPH.

Switch and Save at Watson's and get a Switcher's Surprise!

Did you know that you can actually save thousands of pesos in shopping money, simply by studying those labels and taking note of their prices? Unfortunately, doing that requires a lot of time, not to mention a lot of effort in comparing each brand one by one. But hey if you are really eyeing that new phone, or saving up for that overdue vacation, every peso counts right?

Thankfully, I found a better, and easier way to save money and enjoy my shopping at the same time-- and I discovered that during my regular trips to Watsons!


Before, I was just kind of an occassional  "smart shopper". You know, the time you only consider about trying to save as much when you want to buy something? In my case, its always been bags, so whenever I find a bag I really like that is the only time I become very meticulous (translate: kuripot when shopping)

It was about two years ago, when I first started to become a regular at Watsons SM North. During the first few times I just went there to buy a few things like toiletries and some personal care items  But as I began to spend more time in the store, I discovered that they had a lot of equivalent item for the branded ones that i bought.

So how do you save at watsons?  By making the Switch and Save of course!

First, its all about convenience, since Watsons stores are located strategically whether you are commuting to or from work, or even if you are driving your own car, they have almost 400 stores all over the country so its easy to find one near you, so you dont have to make that extra stop or make an effort to find one.

Second,  Watsons Label products takes out the guesswork when finding quality products. With over a hundred years of pharmacy experience and recognized as one of Asia's leading retailer, you are assured that you get quality products just by their brand.

Third, Watsons label products are priced considerably lower, and you can save as much as 60 to even 80 percent on their items as compared to other brands.  Not to mention their have a lot of buy 1 take one offers.

Last year they even launched their own generics line so I dont need to go to a different pharmacy for my multivitamins and medicines/ antibiotics as well!

This year, Watsons’ further rewards smart shoppers who have made the SWITCH and SAVE with the SWITCHER’S SURPRISE campaign. The Switcher’s Surprise campaign brings to life the idea that by switching to Watsons label, customers are able to save money for things that they really want or that matters the most to them.

Last January 26 and January 28, several shoppers at the SM Mall of Asia had a double surprise waiting for them simply by making the switch and choosing Watsons Label products. These include a wide range of selected products from personal care to generic medicines likeWatsons Glutathione, Watsons Travel Hair Dryer, Watsons Argan Oil Hair Conditioner, Watsons Body Scrub, Watsons Collagen, and Watsons Breath Strips, among others.

During designated hours of the day, shoppers who pick up specially marked Watsons Label products instantly get the chance to win fabulous prizes, such as a flatscreen TV, a Macbook Air, and a trip for 2 to Hong Kong!

The lucky shoppers were guided to a specially designed booth where they get their surprise – a most coveted prize personally handed by celebrity endorsers Lorna Tolentino, Iya Villania, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Patty Laurel-Filart and Christian Bautista!

“On top of the savings they get from purchasing Watsons Label products, our loyal shoppers have also gotten used to receiving cute items and tokens, so this year we decided to raise the stakes and reward them with something truly unforgettable,” says Karen Fabres, Group Marketing Manager of Watsons Philippines

“Could it be a weekend staycation, airline tickets, maybe a shiny new gadget or phone or it could be the luxury item they have long been saving for, that is what makes the Switcher Surprise even more exciting,” adds Fabres.

“Our customers shop at Watsons to save on the things they really want in life, but with the Switcher Surprise promo, they might just bring home that thing they’ve saving up for with but a single purchase!” It’s definitely a lot easier to enjoy what life has to offer when you choose to Switch and Save the Watsons way.”

For Iya and Patty, Watsons has become their go-to place for their beauty and skincare needs as well as toiletries saying they get the same quality as branded ones but at a more affordable price.

Socialite and self-confessed Tessa on the other hand says she realized that she’s saving even more by buying bigger sizes and more quantity, “so the more I shop the more I actually save!”

Even the men are also discovering Watsons as the idea; place to get their personal care needs, just like Christian Bautista, “There’s always a Watsons conveniently located near you and because of its organized store layout you can easily find what you need quicker.”

As the newest addition to the Watson’s family, Lorna advises making the switch to Watsons Generics. “Women at any age need to keep themselves looking and feeling healthy and with Watsons Generics you are guaranteed to get quality medicine and even save as much as 80 percent!”

Watsons Label believes that with more value from hard-earned money spent on quality affordable products, every Filipino gets more savings to enjoy the other important things in life with their loved ones. With a wider variety of products, from personal care items, beauty essentials, and now medicine, Asia’s leading personal care store provides smart shoppers the choice to save as much as 80 percent without compromising on quality.


In addition to Switcher Surprise, Watson also has the ongoing Buy 2 Take 1 Promo on selected Watsons Label Products until March 2016.

Switch and Save to Watsons Quality Generic Medicine

I visit Watsons every month when my vitamins ran out of stock (or looking for a quality substitute for Berocca (my savior vitamin) in a tablet form)    I know as I could feel it out, that I would collapse anytime without my vitamin maintenance. I usually keep a thousand every month to buy up for my vitamins (Grapeseed oil, vitamin C, Vitapack)   I have been shopping for Watsons for over 6 years now. I have mastered every promo they had for the buying public. Like when you buy two by 10s of Berocca, you get to pay 50% for the third one.

For their Switch & Save Promo, my father who used to buy his anti hypertensive branded medicines from the other drugstore. made a switch to Watsons Generics and saved up to 80% of his medicine bills.  That's a lot of savings coming from my father who used to spend around php9000 for his olol anti hypertensive and anti cholesterol meds now pay up to only php2000 for his maintenance.

Watsons, the number one pharmacy retail brand in Asia* recently launched its celebrity endorsers Edu Manzano and Lorna Tolentino along with Watsons Generic line last August 25 at Watsons SM Moa.

It gives Filipino families more options for high quality but affordable medicines as it strengthens its branded generics line.

For families on a tight budget, healthcare often takes a backseat to more basic needs such as food, and paying the bills. Based on a recent study done by Nielsen, a Filipino family spends only 5 percent of its income for medicines and health-related services.

 

With Watsons Generics, Filipinos do not need to choose between SAVINGS and QUALITY as it assures customers of quality medicine backed by over 170 years of pharmaceutical experience while giving them as much as 80 percent in savings.

The generic drugs carried by Watsons Generics are all manufactured by trusted pharmaceutical partners and undergo a 5-step quality assurance process.
 

“We aim to help families by giving them more healthcare options and the ability to purchase affordable, high-quality medicines. This will not just give them access to quality healthcare products, they will also be able to focus their finances on other important matters,” said Danilo Chiong, Health Business Unit Director of Watsons.

The Watsons Generics line includes maintenance medicines for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol, antibiotics to fight off the common bacteria, dietary supplements for skin enhancement, anti-ageing and over-all wellness, basic vitamins, oral analgesics, and other over the counter medicines.

“In the Philippines, Watsons has always been known for our branded beauty products, but with the launch of Watsons Generics our customers now don’t have to go elsewhere to buy their medicine,” says Karen Fabres, Watsons senior marketing manager.

THE SWITCH CONTINUES

Following the successful Switch and Save campaigns of Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Patty Laurel-Filart, Iya Villania-Arellano and Christian Bautista, the brand takes the campaign further by including Watsons Generics ambassadors as Edu Manzano and Lorna Tolentino in its store visit campaign.

It is through their influence that Filipinos can be educated about their different health options, which will promote Watsons drive to address the gaps of health literacy in the country.

As two of the most respected names in the Philippine entertainment industry for decades and Edu and Lorna’s endorsements have had a great impact on spreading awareness of Watsons Generics line.

The two celebrities surprised shoppers at the SM Mall of Asia as they proudly wore the Watsons uniform and helped shoppers choose the best value products especially at the pharmacy section.

They even played a mini-game where shoppers were asked several questions and given the choice between SAVINGS or QUALITY.

“We launched a new TVC last month with the same story that challenges you - when it comes to
choosing medicines, are you for SAVINGS or QUALITY? And how you can get both simply by buying Watsons Generics. You can save up to 80% and get over 170 years of pharmacy experience on its wide range of quality medicines,” relates Edu.

But more than their influence, Edu and Lorna are also role models when it comes to being proactive about taking care of one’s health.

“As we age, we have to take extra care of our bodies, so I make sure that I have a stock of Watsons Multivitamins + Iron regularly to boost my immune system. In the mornings I have the Calamansi Flavored Psyllium Fiber thats tangy and good for digestion,” the actor added.

“For my body pains, I take Watsons Generics Paracetamol especially kapag pagod at puyat from tapings.”

Edu also suggests the Cranberry capsules which is suitable for urinary tract infection and Luyang Dilaw for overall wellness.

Just like Edu, Lorna, takes vitamins regularly, “to boost my immune system, I take Ascorbic Acid, especially now na tag-ulan dahil mas madali tayo magkasakit and siyempre kapag puyatan sa taping or shooting.

To maintain her youthful glowing skin, Lorna credits Watsons Glutathione, Vitamin E and Hyaluron Collagen Powder. “Kailangan healthy and beautiful ka rin from the inside,” the grandslam actress revealed.

Just like the Watsons’ celebrity ambassadors you too can maximize your purchasing power allowing you to properly take care of your health and spend more on the things you really want in life.