Lavaculture Revisiting Itself

Greetings to all of our Lavaculture viewers, readers, and listeners. So far, Lavaculture has enjoyed several months of development in its initial stages of development. We have established a happening social network system, received feedback from our audience, and really expanded our ideas, visions, and ways of achieving them. While we still have much more to share, we wanted to take a moment to just reflect on where we are, what we want to do, and continue our research from there.

At the moment, our first goal is to sell the products on our site:

www.lavaculture.com

Our site is now also integrated into the social network and will be surprising you with a few sales in the coming months. Subscribe to our blog, Twitter, Youtube, or Facebook, for we will be sending coupons to all of those who are interested and let us know! As we sell these currently available exported items from India, we will continue sharing our research with you and working to bring you our first products in the department of jewelry. So, in the meantime, please have a look at what we have posted, give us your feedback, interact with us, and we will be delivering shortly.

Check out our video to hear the hostess state her mission and vision:

Also, take a look at this site:

http://www.sheyna.com

This is very much a great example of the direction that Lavaculture would like to take. However, our jewelry, although it will become available to all who enjoy it, will be mostly tailored for women in the world of business and media, including television presenters. So, if you are interested or have any ideas that you would like to share, please, by all means, comment in any of our social sites for we will be looking to find out what will serve you. We need your input now more than ever.

Sincerely,

Lavaculture

A Peek at Gems

Before finishing our gold series, Lavaculture decided to take a peak at the gems in the central market of Delhi known as Paharganj, or Main Bazaar. This area is also known as the ghetto of Delhi, for you can find the cheapest wholesale goods in this area, along with a daily flow of hundreds of tourists.

Watch the video below to meet Pankaj Poddar, owner of Poddar International which is a jewelry shop dedicated to the westerners in this area. This video is mostly an exploration of the market place, as well as a brief introduction into gems before we dive into this topic.

India's Intrinsic Love of Gold

So what is it that keeps Indians crazy for gold?

There are several reasons why Indians consume so much gold. One of the main reasons can be generally attributed to their culture. In India, gold represents the goddess of fortune, Laksmi Devi who is a worshippable demi-godess. This is one of the reasons why ladies never place gold jewelry on their feet or anywhere below the waste. By gifting gold, one invites fortune into their own life as well as to the receiver's life. Gold has been very much part of the tradition and immense history of Vedic ceremonies.

In the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, elaborate rituals have been described in which Kings and the wealthy warrior class known as the Ksatriyas, gifted vast amounts of gold to the Brahmanas, the priest class of society. These Brahmanas would in turn give blessings and invoke good fortune to the giver of gold as well as to the society.


For this reason, gold consumption tends to increase during religious festivals or weddings and makes up 60% of the gold demands in India. These festivals or weddings don't take place whimsically, but in congruence with India's climatic changes. Beginning with Deepavali—or the light festival in November and ending in March with Holi—the color festival, this period makes up the harvesting season. The wedding season, taking place from October to May is another high time for gold. Weddings are the time for overwhelming displays of wealth and the invocation of good fortune, which explains the exaggerated amounts of gold that are gifted to the uniting families, especially—the bride. 

It is interesting to note that weddings take place during this period because there are no rainy months. During the rainy season, rituals and offerings cannot be offered to the gods because they are resting and consequently, cannot bestow their blessings.

On a more practical level, Indians know that gold is a protector of wealth and therefore, the real currency or indicator of wealth. Every family man knows that money comes and goes quickly, but converting assets such as property, money, or houses into gold, the future is secure. Security, on that account, is another one of the main reasons that Indians are currently investing in gold.

The current trends of gold consumption are nothing new, but simply an inherent investment habit that has grown large due to the increasing population of those making higher incomes. And yes, in spite of the fact that their buying power has caused fluxes in the world market, they stand firm and ready for more.

So, we have plenty of information about India's relationship with gold, both spiritual, traditional, and financially, but, where do we go if we want to buy gold, the legal way? That's a good question.

Read more next week to find out where in the world, is the best place to buy gold.




Works Cited:

www.goldnews.bullionvault.com

www.economictimes.indiatimes.com


*The photos included in this article are a courtesy of google. Thank you!

Indian Gold Trade

Having explored the silver market last week, Lavaculture has taken a plunge for gold. Although India is a land rich in many resources, it is unfortunately barren when it comes to gold. For centuries, India has had a history of gold smuggling that dates back to the 1830's.


Because of  its' low domestic gold production, which currently averages about 2 metric tons annually, India turned to foreign countries for gold, whether legally, or illegally due to the 1947 importation ban. This means that despite restrictions, India's gold consumption increased throughout the century, although sometimes taking dips during World War 2. As rates of illegal gold import increased, in 1992 the ban was lifted. Although this has not stopped the still existing illegal gold smuggling, it simply caused gold consumption rates to surge.



To this day, India is the number one gold market on the planet, and whether India gets its gold through official, or unofficial trade routes, the last few decades have demonstrated an even further rise in demands. In 2010 India averaged 700 metric tones and an expected 800 tons for 2011. Chief executive of National Spot Exchange Ltd., the country's largest exchange for the gold trade say that despite the increasingly high prices for gold this year, the demand continues. India Bloomberg experts say, "price is no longer an issue." The combined Indian household is known to have 15,000 metric tonnes of gold. It is a curious thing that one culture will own so much gold. Read more to find out why.
 

Works Cited:


www.goldline.com 
www.businessweek.com
*The photos included in this article are a courtesy of google. Thank you!

The Street of Incomparable Pearl

(Click on the title link for the podcast.)

This week, Lavaculture visited Chandni Chowk's famous silver street, Dariba Kalan. Dariba Kalan translates to "street of incomparable pearl". During the Mughal period this street was the central jewelry market and was most famous for its precious gems. Today, Dariba Kalan is most popular for its silver jewelry. Lavaculture had the opportunity to interview one of the nearby shop owners who shared a little something about the silver industry. Here are some of the most important tips that Lavaculture learned about purchasing silver, as relayed by Mr. Shiv Kumar Mittal, owner of the jewelry store, Mittal Associates. Not only that, but in Mr. Mittal we have also found a reliable contact for future ventures.

The first thing we learned was that India
imports silver from different parts of the world. It was quite astonishing to discover that India's main suppliers of raw silver are the United States, Mexico, and China. It is then processed and refined in India, but at a much cheaper rates.  Lavaculture also learned about the cost of silver. Mr. Mittal began the conversation with a one kilogram piece of raw silver in his hand. It was beautiful, heavy, and pricey. The cost of this chunk of silver was over $1600 US, but of course, normally, one doesn't buy silver in kilograms.
 
The average consumer purchases silver in grams. If you enter any Indian jewelry store you usually choose your item, have it weighed on a scale, and then multiply that weight by the current silver rate. 72rs, or $1.60 is the current price per gram for the highest quality of silver available. One can of course find slightly cheaper rates.

But, how does one know if it is real silver? If the silver is pure? Mr. Mittal shared with us a few ways to understand this, although it can get quite complicated. The first two ways of understanding if silver is pure is by running several tests such as a volumetric test, or a gravity test. If you are interested in learning more about these processes you can click on the following site which explains the details more clearly:
www.sellgoldhq.com

If you are shopping for silver jewelry as a regular retail customer, there are a few simple ways to test if it is real silver. Firstly, if you are looking at raw silver, its' texture usually has streaks and pores and is very heavy. If you are not necessarily looking at raw silver,  you can tell if it is real, if it is substantially heavy, and compact. If it is too light and flimsy, it might not be real.
Another way to tell is by hearing how it rings when you hit it. If it has a clear high-pitched sound that lasts, it is real silver. Otherwise it can be an alloy of various metals or silver-plated metallic material.
We hope you have enjoyed our little adventure and a brief introduction into the world of silver. Join us next time for yet another adventure to a silver jewelry store.

Lavaculture's Indian Bazaar Series

For the past few weeks, Lavaculture has been exploring the Indian market place. Beginning with the layout of the market places in Delhi, Lavaculture has gained sufficient knowledge of, as well as developed a deep interest in, the goods that India has to offer. 

There is much more to learn, but step by step Lavaculture is becoming familiar with the shopping scene. Of all the market places available, a specific market known as Chandni Chowk has been selected for exploration.

 
Within this 300 year old market is a street solely dedicated to our first shopping list item of interest, jewelry. We invite you to read on and join us on this week's venture.

To follow our recent adventures, please click on the links below to download our previous podcasts.


Podcast 1: Layout of the Indian Market Place 
Podcast 2: Chandni Chowk Market Place, New Delhi, India 

Purchasing with Knowledge

In order to purchase good quality essential oils it is important to understand what good quality oil is and the characteristics that identify it as such. Before purchasing, one should ask the vendors a few questions in order to understand the process by which these oils were created. Once they arrive in your hands, there are a few protocols for keeping their healing properties intact.

This article was written with the help of aromaweb.com and includes quotes from their site. Aromacures.com was also used as a source in this article. Read on to learn a little bit more of their wisdom of essential oils. Thank you Aromaweb and Aromacures for your knowledge!

What to look for:
Although it can be assured that there are many qualities and signs to look for to determine the quality of an essential oil and its distributor, here are a few tips to get started with:

Look for oils that have the botanical name on the label rather than a simple "essential oil" label. Phrases such as this, including: "fragrance oil", "nature identical oil", or "perfume oil" usually indicate that it is not pure. Many of these oils are usually a combination of essential oils with chemicals, or just plain chemicals so be careful!

It is best that the catalog or website you purchase from lists the country of origin and method of extraction. Knowing how the oils were extracted will help you to determine the quality.

Most good quality oils come with instructions, and/or a users' guide.
When buying online look at a few different stores before purchasing for price comparisons and wholesale prices.

Questions to Ask:
Before purchasing from either a vendor or site, ask whether any chemicals or additives were added to the oil. Essential oils must have all natural ingredients.

It is also extremely important to inquire about the method of extraction, for this will determine the quality.

A good tip to keep in mind: You get what you pay for:
"A cheap essential oil may be inexpensive because the whole plant was used when extracting the oil, when only a portion of the plant should be used for the best results. When the whole plant is used, more oil is able to be produced; cutting down the price, but it may not have the therapeutic benefits of a more expensive oil. If you find essential oils that seem very inexpensive, it is worth asking how the oil was obtained" (aromacures.com).

How to Preserve:
It is important to keep essential oils in dark glass containers, as mentioned by aromaweb:
"When receiving oils shipped in plastic or clear glass, be sure to immediately transfer the essential oils to dark colored glass bottles, unless you plan to use the essential oil up within a few days. You can find bottle suppliers listed within AromaWeb's Global Business Plaza. It's a savvy idea to keep empty bottles on hand. If you purchase from a supplier that ships in plastic, ask them how long the oil has been stored in the plastic bottles prior to shipment. Ideally, you want to work with suppliers that transfer to plastic just prior to shipment."

Watch this video to see where Lavaculture is going next:

The "How" of Essential Oils

Having just explored the use and healing properties of essential oils, Lavaculture wants to know what exactly essential oils are in order to understand the different grades of quality before making any purchases. The following article is mainly based on the information presented by two very good sites: edenbotanicals.com and aromaweb.com. Although there are many processes for making essential oils, the processes described in this article focus on what is provided by Eden Botanicals.

Each extraction method has benefits over others which are important to understand according to what the entrepreneur will be creating. The first thing to understand is that there is a difference between "Fragrance Oils" and "Essential Oils."

Fragrance Oils are usually synthetically made scents that mimic real natural scents while Essential Oils are made from leaves, stems, roots, flowers, or fruits, without artificial ingredients. Here is an overview of the different types of extractions and processes:

 Absolute Oils:
Absolute oils are concentrated aromatic oils extracted from plants. They are usually used more for perfumery rather than aromatherapy due to their intensity and the traces of chemical solvents from the extraction process. The process for extracting absolute oils involves the use of chemicals and alcohol which remain in the formula. The difference between an absolute and an essential oil, is that in the making of an absolute oil, the entire plant is used rather than only the essential oil portion of the plant.

Distilled and Expressed Essential Oils:
This process of distilling essential oils involves the extraction of concentrated oils from the plant's glands through steam distillation, water distillation, or a combination of both. There is also such a thing as dry vacuum distillation or expression such as for citrus peels.

CO2 Extracted Oils:

This form of extraction comes about with the pressure of carbon dioxide at a certain temperature. The result is either "select" or a "total" extract. A select extract means only the essential oil part of the plant is used, and a total extract contains more parts of the plant, and resembling the plant as a whole. This method is primarily used by the food and body care herbal industries as well as aromatherapy. The most important benefit is that this form of extraction does not involve chemical solvents.

Organically Extracted Oils:
This method provides a more "lively" essence. The "bio-available" essence from the plant is extracted only with natural solvents such as oils and alcohol and without added heat. As Eden Botanicals mentions, this form of technology: "is similar to the ancient method of extracting an enfleurage from precious flower petals."   

10% dilutions:
10% dilutions are pure essential absolutes diluted in fractionated coconut oil. The resulting formula contains 10% of the essential oil and 90% of the coconut oil. It is interesting to note that fractionated coconut oil is used because of its long shelf life and clear odorless nature.

This was a brief introduction to the different processes and methods of essential oil extractions. Please read the next post to learn about what to look for before purchasing, what questions to ask, what and how to preserve their healing properties. If you have any further comments or useful information, please make comments to this post!

Thank you!

Scentilicious

Going back to the history of perfume, the reason perfume and good scents are so important is because they have their own effects on the human body. For the most part, scents are associated with moods, emotions, and past experiences and while they inspire different feelings within each person, the fact that they can create physical reactions and increase the body's ability to heal, relax, or become energized (according to the scent) shows the power of the subtle plane. 

Experiments have shown that just the thought of a scent influences physical reactions:

"In one experiment, researchers found that just telling subjects that a pleasant or unpleasant odour was being administered, which they might not be able to smell, altered their self-reports of mood and well-being. The mere mention of a positive odour reduced reports of symptoms related to poor health and increased reports of positive mood!" (http://www.sirc.org/publik/smell_emotion.html)

Pleasant fragrances are found to have a positive effect on overall mood and bring a sense of well-being. It is also interesting to note that these sweet fragrances can also effect our perception of beauty: 

"The positive emotional effects of pleasant fragrances also affect our perceptions of other people. In experiments, subjects exposed to pleasant fragrances tend to give higher ‘attractiveness ratings’ to people in photographs...if the person is just ‘average’, a pleasant fragrance will tip the balance of our evaluation in his or her favour...Beauty is in the nose of the beholder" (http://www.sirc.org/publik/smell_emotion.html). 

So for those of you reading Karina's blog, (which I invite you to do) smelling good is part of your romantic connection and can also help balance emotional, mental, and physical disparities. There are also many benefits that can be applied cosmetically.

Although it depends on the person, here are a few scents and their aromatherapeutic, and healing effects. The following information was shared by one of Lavaculture's favorite sites:

http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/index.htm. For a more complete description of these oils, please visit the website, as only a selected summary has been added into this post.

Rose-

"There are many different types of roses. They all have some differences in healing properties. Rose is known for its soothing and calming abilities. Damask rose oil soothes and harmonizes the mind and helps with depression, anger, grief, fear, nervous tension and stress and at the same time addresses sexuality, self-nurturing, self esteem and dealing with emotional problems."

Bergamont-

"When you are looking for an oil to help with depression, SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) or generally feeling just a bit off, lacking in self-confidence or feeling shy, then consider bergamot oil."

Jasmine-

"It is a valuable remedy in cases of severe depression and soothes the nerves, producing a feeling of confidence, optimism and euphoria, while revitalizing and restoring energy. Jasmine oil facilitates delivery in childbirth: it hastens the birth by strengthening the contractions and at the same time relieves pain. It is effective in post-natal depression and promotes the flow of breast milk. Because of its deeply soothing and calming nature, jasmine oil helps with sexual problems such as impotence, premature ejaculation and frigidity."

Vetivere-

"Vetiver oil calms and soothes the mind and helps to dispel anger, hysteria and irritability and neurotic behavior can also be reduced, as stress and tension is reduced. It revitalizes the body and helps with mental and physical exhaustion and is also used for general aches and pains, especially for rheumatism, arthritis and muscular pain, while relieving insomnia."

Ylang Ylang-

"Ylang-ylang oil has a euphoric and sedative effect on the nervous system and helps with anxiety, tension, shock, fear and panic while the aphrodisiac qualities is useful for impotence and frigidity. Ylang-ylang oil assist with problems such as high blood pressure, rapid breathing and heartbeat, nervous conditions, as well as impotence and frigidity."

Lavender-

"Lavender oil has a soothing and calming effect on the nerves, relieving tension, depression, panic, hysteria and nervous exhaustion in general and is effective for headaches, migraines and insomnia."

Mandarin-

"Tangerine oil is soothing to the nervous system and has a tonic effect on the digestive system, while helping flatulence, diarrhea and constipation. It is also useful for the skin and is used to help with stretch marks, increasing circulation and reducing fluid retention."

Palma Rosa-

"Palmarosa oil calms the mind, yet has an uplifting effect, while clearing muddled thinking. It is used to counter physical and nervous exhaustion, stress-related problems and nervousness. Palmarosa oil moisturizes the skin, while balancing the hydration levels and stimulating cell regeneration. It balances production of sebum, to keep the skin supple and elastic and is valuable for use with acne, dermatitis, preventing scarring, rejuvenating and regenerating the skin, as well as fighting minor skin infections, sore tired feet and athlete's foot."

Rose Geranium-

"Rose geranium oil has a balancing effect on the nervous system and relieves depression and anxiety, while lifting the spirits and making the world an easier place to live in. It has a balancing effect on the adrenal cortex and is great for relieving stress."

Cinnamon-

"The therapeutic properties of cinnamon oil are analgesic, antiseptic, antibiotic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, cardiac, carminative, emmenagogue, insecticide, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge."

Ginger-

"Ginger oil is used in the treatment of fractures, rheumatism, arthritis, bruising, carbuncles, nausea, hangovers, travel and sea sickness, colds and flu, catarrh, congestion, coughs, sinusitis, sores on the skin, sore throat, diarrhea, colic, cramps, chills and fever. Its warming qualities are good to use for feelings of loneliness and winter depression, and its energizing properties make it a good aphrodisiac."

Vanilla-

"Aromatherapy benefits of vanilla include heightened mental clarity, increased circulation, decreased fever temperatures, clearing respiratory airways and as a weight-loss aid. Medicinal benefits of the vanilla also have been thought to calm stomach pains, reduce hunger pangs and relieve stress. Europeans believed in vanilla's abilities to ease joint pain and aid in digestion. Natives to the South Pacific islands used vanilla to calm the stomachs of pregnant women with severe morning sickness. More modern research has claimed that vanilla can cure male impotency."

The information for Vanilla was shared by the following site:

Aromatherapy Benefits of Vanilla

(Aromatherapy Benefits of Vanilla | eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_6026939_aromatherapy-benefits-vanilla.html#ixzz1HAyLcqQf)

Tell Us What You want.

As Lavaculture becomes more acquainted with the world of business and online marketing—although by far not yet an active expert and still in the process of developing its concept and products, there are some new realizations. 

First and foremost, what business is really all about is pleasing your customers, your community and providing quality goods, and services. Yes, business is meant to generate some sort of income for your abilities, goods, and/or services, but success comes from how much the people like you or your brand. 

For this reason, any business expert will tell you just how important it is to understand what they want, what they need and making that process an enjoyable one.  The first step towards this very important consideration is to ask them! 

So, this week Lavaculture wants to know a few things about your needs:

What products do you buy or treat yourself with in the world of natural and organic goods? 

What do you like about these products?  What don't you like?

Which stores do you buy from?

What products would you personally like to have Lavaculture carry? 

What products do you wish Lavaculure could import from India that you can't necessarily buy yourself? Would you buy them if Lavaculture carried them and shipped them to you?

And, what sort of content would you like to see on this blog in relation to Lavaculture and your needs?

Answer all or any of these questions and we will be happy to interact with you! :) We need your help!

Want More? Read More. Get More.

Blogger Jack Humphrey shares the differences between a blog and a website. http://networkedblogs.com/fgK4A

Quotes from his site: "The truth is, there never was a legitimate distinction between blog sites and web sites.  They are one in the same. A domain and a content management system = website."


"Blogs are just content management systems (CMS) And a huge array of businesses in all markets are using blog software for their core web presence."

"'Blogging' is where people get confused. You are only a blogger if you primarily focus on writing content.  In that case, your biggest daily function is to produce words."

Do you want to know some of the useful differences between Facebook and Twitter?
In his blog Larry Brauner, a recognized social media expert discusses: His Top 16 Reasons for liking Facebook more than Twitter. 
This is also a great blog for learning how to GROW your business and problem solve. Interaction encouraged!

The Social Media In Action—Pacifica Perfumes

Lavaculture has been focusing on different aspects of the business and marketing world. First of all, it has been understood that the first step towards developing a brand or product is market research: seeing what else is out there, who your competitors are, your strengths, weaknesses, etc., 

The next step is marketing: an exploration of the online marketing world, how it works, and which tools can be used to make a complete promotional system. Before launching, all tools in hand, Lavaculture will explore how selected brands employ their marketing campaigns with these tools.

Although a good quality and innovative product is in-itself a natural marketing catalyst, it is equally as important to establish two way communication with that very public. Gary Vaynerchuck reminded us to work the online community: like you would when hosting a party or serving your friends. What do they want? What do they like? And how can you honestly express the value of what you represent in a creative and eye catching way? Eyeballs turn into traffic, which can turn into cash, so keep that in mind. :)

Having said that, there are numerous companies engaging these tools to promote their brand. These past few posts have been dedicated to exploring Pacifica Perfumes. 

Pacifica Perfumes has a website: PacificaPerfumes.com which they use as their base, or the main platform that other tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and newsletters bring traffic to. 

WEBSITE:

Every website is unique in its design, user interface, and shopping experience. Pacifica Perfume's website is very comprehensive. It has a simple design and layout and is very well organized. The display of their products feeds the searching needs of the customer. You can search their products either by scent, or by item. 

Either way, whichever you click on you can see everything that is available without having to scroll or click away from the page. If you want to read the description of the scent you can click on it for a more in depth presentation. 

The site is attractive; it makes you want to look at everything and take advantage of the many deals they offer. 

What is even more amazing is that at the bottom of each product page they provide "Brook's notes" wherein she lists the features and benefits of the products, the ingredients, and most amazingly a video about how the scent came to be! Talk about interaction and dedication to the public.

BLOG:

Pacifica Perfume has incorporated a blog within the site. Brooke Taylor, the founder, shares stories about any related subject matter  from the history perfume, to her scents, and how her life inspires her to create these scents. She also gives tips on how to layer her perfumes to make your own scent. 

Within the blog she shares some of the research behind her creations, the nature of the exotic ingredients she uses, and talks back to her audience. She mentions new changes that have been made to the site, to the company, or any new products, so her blog becomes the place to get inside news about new developments: 

"You may have noticed our new homepage and some subtle changes to the website."

"Keep an eye out for more changes and a better overall shopping and brand experience on our site." 

"We really want to connect with you, and these are the tools we will be putting to work to keep our conversation going.  Let us know what you think. "

Pacifica also sprinkles discount codes throughout the blog, which keep readers attentive, but it is by becoming part of their community, and receiving the newsletter that you get the inside scoop on discounts.

NEWSLETTER:

Pacifica's newsletter is very beneficial to the customer because it always arrives with a discount or a deal that leads you towards the site. It is short, always promotes one product, or one deal, and is clickable from the newsletter itself. When a customer first signs up they receive a free roll-on perfume with any order over $25 dollars which is definitely a nice deal! Some companies send newsletters that are boring or trashed, but when Pacifica sends a newsletter the customer is excited and pleased. This is definitely a good way to use the newsletter feature of a site.

FACEBOOK:

Pacifica Perfumes uses Facebook as the social hub it is meant to be. This seems to be their main platform for interacting with the Pacifica Perfumes community. By answering questions, giving discounts, and most importantly— providing a place for the community to interact with each other about their love for the product, Pacifica Perfumes creates for itself that sought after two way exchange that keeps an online business thriving. Pacifica also uses the photo album to showcase all of the publicity it has received. 

Pacifica's blog posts are also included and updated on the Facebook and it is worthy of noting the content similarity between the blog and Facebook. It seems that Pacifica Perfumes uses Facebook to promote products and posts in a more more concise and far-reaching way that receives faster responses.

TWITTER:

Pacifica Perfumes seems to come up twice in Twitter which makes things a bit confusing. It shows up once as Pacifica Perfume@pacificaperfume which is not very active and then as ILOVEPACIFICA Pacifica Perfume. The latter is more engaged in promoting products and deals but not as active as it could be.  

Although Pacifica is not very active on Twitter, it could greatly benefit from it depending on its needs for further growth and expansion. We have learned that Twitter is the way to get your thoughts out to the world, to relate, and mingle at second to second speed. The more you interact on Twitter and the more you respond to your followers or the people you are following, the more popularity you will gain. 

Pacifica does use it to sort of "work the room", but the activity is limited in comparison with their Facebook site, which they use very well and might be all they need at this point in time.

OVER ALL:

Pacifica Perfumes integrates a pretty good amount of social web media into their business to promote their brand. They have developed a loving community, and use these mediums as tools to communicate their offers, the quality of their products, and the inspirations behind them, making the Pacifica Perfumes experience all the more wonderful and satisfying. Pacifica Perfumes uses their blog and Facebook to create a perfume culture that has everyone wanting more.

Social Skills in the World of Online Marketing

Social skills. There is such a thing isn't there? When it comes to marketing within the growing online community, these same "social skills" apply, only they are called social media skills.

Gary Vaynerchuck—a repudiated and sometimes denounced sommelier—is, despite his personality pros and cons, wine's social media celebrity. He has over hundreds of thousands of followers on twitter and promotes himself across all platforms including web TV where he hosts his own show. Vaynerchuck, seeing the developing social media phenomenon, turned a $3 million per year business into a $60 million per year business with its help. As he told CNN during an interview a few years back:

"If you put out quality content and use things like Twitter and Facebook to shake hands, to bring people to your content, all of a sudden you have eyeballs. If you don't understand that eyeballs turn into cash, then you don't understand business."

He has now become not only one of the most popular wine celebrities in the United States, but a social media buff giving lectures and presentations about online marketing. So, what is it about him that makes him so successful? His philosophy behind the social media. He sees it as a tool for interacting with and hosting the public:

"You have to treat it not as a presentation but by working the room. When you go to a cocktail party, you're not always talking about business...[these tools] are just a translation from the real world. Use it to communicate."

In the interview on CNN, Vaynerchuck shares his passion for the social media, as well as "socializing" tips. His main lesson? Interaction, status updates, and responding to the public: "Marketing has changed, business has changed, personal brand has changed. Its a two way conversation now, it's not just we dictate, people want to interact and I interact a lot. People want to touch and feel their brands, their celebrities, their products."

Take a look at his video for more:



Even CNN finds this blooming social media network a phenomenon. Apparently, it is the social network that poses the greatest challenge to cable television. In an article about these challenges, US CNN President Jon Klein addresses the main concern: "Everyone in the media business is actively loooking for multiple revenue streams, that's no secret." He believes that the more places CNN exists, the more they can drive traffic to "link back to something on CNN".

So how does one get multiple revenue streams for their brand or service? We have examples and advice—now we'll observe how businesses deploy. Read the next article to see how Pacifica Perfumes works their brand with these multiple platforms.

Before Marketing Comes...?

A good product!

Continuing with the fears of marketing, this week MSNBC shares what some of the experts have to say. This is a video clip from MSNBC's Business segment, Open Dialogue which discusses the importance of building a great product for success in the world of online marketing. Before marketing comes a great product which people will automatically want to spread the world about.



As Lavaculture develops the ideas behind its projects, there is nothing like research to keep up in this competitive market of innovation. Coming up next, Pacifica and its marketing techniques.

Wandering Online Marketing Thoughts

Hello, welcome back to the Lavaculture blog. 

This week Lavaculture is exploring the use of video. Video is a valuable tool for not only learning, but also for promoting products. Despite not having quite mastered the concept of video marketing, the thought process is developing as more is learned. But, there is a thought that constantly ways down entrepreneurs as they first begin, and that is the thought of sales.

Although market research is being done in one of Lavaculture's areas of interest, the natural tendency is to think about HOW products will be sold through an initially online business, regardless of what the product might be. 

How can Lavaculture get traffic to its site what to speak of provide a product that people will be interested in? How will I know what they want?

Gideon Shalwick, an entrepreneurship expert shares a tip he learned from one of his big mistakes that entrepreneurs should watch out for.

Tip of the Glacier: The History of Perfume and Essential Oils

After reviewing the history and concept of Pacifica Perfumes, Lavaculture has pursued a brief overview of the history of perfumery to get some idea of its origins. 

The history of perfume and aromatherapy is wide and large but its roots can be found in Egypt. Egypt as we all know is associated with beauty, rituals, queens, and ancient recipes. The word "perfume" is latin for "through smoke." Perfume consists of a mixture of essential oils, aroma compounds (a chemical compound that has a smell or odor), fixatives (used to stabilize the volatile components of perfume), and solvents in order to make a pleasant scent. Egyptian women applied creams and perfumed ointments to their skin infused with aromatic herbs. They used perfume to adorn their bodies before lovemaking, for toiletries, and cosmetic purposes. 

Although perfume began with resins, water flower essences, and potpourri, it was further refined and perfected by its spread to the Romans and Arabs. The three most famous personalities who made substantial discoveries to the developments of the perfume industry are: Jabir ibn Hayyan, Al-Kindi, and Avicenna. 

Jabir ibn Hayyan was born in Iraq and developed many techniques such as: distillation, evaporation and filtration. This allowed the odour of plants to be collected in the form of water, or oil. Although Jabir ibn Hayyan made these physical contributions to the purfume industry and considered one of its founders, the real founder is Al-Kindi. 

Al-Kindi carried out extensive research and experiments with the combination of various plants and other sources in order to produce a variety of scent products. Al-Kindi is also famous for the book he wrote in the 9th century on perfumes titled: Book of the Chemistry of Perfume and Distillations.

Avicenna was a Persian physician, philosopher, and chemist amongst many of the other sciences. Although Avicenna wasn't one of the founders of the perfume industry, he introduced the process of distillation. Distillation is a process by which  oils are extracted from from flowers, the process most commonly used today. Until Avicenna made this discovery, lquid perfumes were mixtures of oil, and crushed herbs, or petals. 

A very important fact to know about essential oils is that their effectiveness lies in the speed at which they are absorbed by the skin. Essential oils have many benefits other than olfactory. According to Pure Inside Out, an alternative health site focusing on essential oils, essential oil fragrances activate the nerve cells in the nasal cavity and send impulses to the limbic system, the part of the brain associated with emotions and memory.

It describes that the best way to understand the potency of essential oils is to look into their frequency. Bruce Tainio, who built the first frequency monitor in the world in 1992 determined that the average frequency of the healthy human body in the daytime ranges from 62 to 72 Hz. When the frequency drops, the immune system is jeopordized, and this can be caused by many factors in our environment such as pollutants, canned and processed foods, which have a frequency of zero—the following quote illustrates how essential oils fit into this study:

"Fresh produce has up to 15 Hz, dried herbs from 12 to 22 Hz, and fresh herbs from 20 to 27 Hz. Essential oils start at a frequency of 52 Hz and can go up as high as 320 Hz, as in the Turkish rose oil. Clinical research shows that essential oils have the highest frequency of any natural substance known to man. They create a condition where bacteria, virus, fungus and disease simply cannot survive" (Essential Oils, Pure Inside Out). Watch the following video to see practical applications and benefits of the use of essential oils in your every day life. 

Lavaculture, the Business Cycle, and Pacifica

There is always a desire for unique smells, unique essential oils, concepts, and beautiful imagery. A label captures the eye and leads the hand to pick up the product; the words on the label stimulate interest, the nose desires to smell the combination of ingredients, and the smell entices the customer to desire the product. When visiting any health food store one becomes overwhelmed with the variety of amazing sustainable products: they are abundant, and therefore sit in the throne of a competitive market. As the concept for Lavaculture develops, there are a few key products out there that Lavaculture would like to learn from. For this reason, the next step in developing the future of this business requires thorough research, the assimilation of new resources and information, and an understanding of the requirements of the industry itself. 

Understanding what is already in the market will help the potential entrepreneur become innovative: innovation is the key to a successful business, but first, knowledge is required in order to compare and contrast that innovation from already existing products in the market. Which product elements or company philosophies are good to learn from? What practices within the company are good to embody? Read on to find out what Lavaculture is learning during its conception stage before the birth stage: the forming of the business concept and an analysis of its feasibility.

      

This week, Pacifica is the subject of research. Their history, concept and philosophy is one of a kind. Pacifica was founded in 1997 by Brook Harvey Taylor and her husband Billy Taylor. As a child Brook grew up experimenting with essential oils and kitchen spices and eventually began studying aromatherapy. It was when she met Billy Taylor that they conceived their idea of Pacifica. Brook began by creating fragrances that were uniquely her compositions and made her first breakthrough by taking seven of her scents and turning them into candles.

 

How did they first get into the market? Through a trade show where their candles made an olfactory impression on the public and provided a foundation: "Upon which Brook and Billy have built a world of fragrance," as described in the "Founder's Story" page of her website (Pacifica Perfume). It was from here that they began creating the diverse range of scents that they have to this day. 

Brook finds inspiration for her fragrances from all over the world. Her philosophy on fragrances is that: "Scents are a magic carpet ride back to great emotions. Many scent responses are learned associations" (Scent and Memory, Pacifica Perfumes Blog). Brook says that the best scent memories can sometimes be random and even unexpected. By choosing to perfume our homes and even ourselves we are creating memories that can be recalled instantly. Brook takes inspiration from all parts of the world including her travels to the most beautiful areas of the Pacific to create her scents. Her products are divided into the following categories: Fruits, Floral, and Nuts and Spices. The scents aren't tacky or overwhelming, rather they enhance the unique subtlety of the natural product. 

If you ask her, Brook also markets each fragrance to invoke a particular memory, or mood. Brook associates daringness and adventure with Mediterranean Fig or Hawaiian Ruby Guava; 

    

   

Sweetness and "girlyness" with French Lilac or Tahitian Gardenia; 

And the all around pleaser, Tuscan Blood Orange, Pacifica's number one fragrance. Brook mentions that each scent smells different on every individual—this makes it more personal to the customer. But how did they make their customers like their scents? Brook and her co-founder believed: "that if they invested in the quality of their products and the fragrance experience, rather than marketing, people who fell in love with Pacifica would spread the word." 

Next week, Pacifica's web presence will be explored as well as their packaging design, customer support and sustainability efforts.