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.