Story and photos By Leonardo Perante II
TWENTY-FIVE years ago, what started as a boutique at the Robinsons Galleria by the Jardiolin family gave birth to Natasha. The family-owned firm carried mainly shoes, bags and apparel.
In a phone interview with the BusinessMirror, Jocelyn Guerrero, Natasha operations manager for Luzon and the Visayas, said the firm has been transformed as a direct-selling company, since 1994, that engages in marketing extensive varieties of products from apparel, shoes, bags to cosmetics and personal-care including gadgets.
“We work through a network of dealers who sell our products person-to-person. Since it started in 1993, it has steadily grown to become one of the leading direct-selling companies in the country. As a wholly Filipino-owned company, Natasha takes pride in the fact that it has become one of the leaders in an industry that has been traditionally dominated by multinational companies,” Guerrero said.
Natasha’s extensive network of dealers makes good-quality products of the latest fashion accessible and affordable to people all over the country, from Batanes up north to Tawi-Tawi down south. With the recent efforts to tap overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as dealers, Natasha products are now also available in more than 20 countries worldwide. The strongest overseas markets are Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and the Middle East.
“Natasha has provided an opportunity for thousands of people to start their own business and fulfill their potential. The dream of becoming a successful fashion professional has become more attainable. We are very proud of the thousands of Natasha dealers who have made their dreams come true as our partners in business,” Guerrero added.
To answer the demand of many sales-network members and clients mostly in the countryside for health and beauty-care products, the direct-selling firm has partnered with leading brands engaged in the manufacture of such products.
As a friendly gesture very much appreciated by many costumers, colorful and handy gift bags are made ready to keep gift items in tuck.
As an institution, Natasha gets invited to become the official fashion provider for beauty contests in the provinces, cities or in-campus beauty pageants.
“In this manner, we could showcase our product lines by dressing up beauty contestants from head to foot, where the audience sees wholesome fashion statements,” Perez said.
The first Natasha items were originally sold in malls until it had its own store. At the start, Natasha focused on recruitment and selling until the establishment of its marketing plan. The first Natasha branch was on Park Avenue, Robinsons Galleria in Mandaluyong City. The first branches were mainly within Metro Manila and later expanded to other parts of Luzon, and key cities of the Visayas and Mindanao.
When asked about the potential of Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Guerrero said during the first year of operation, there were about 1,000 registered members.
“The Cagayan Valley area—or Region 2—has shown a lot of promise, not just being the second-largest region in the country in terms of area. Its people are known for their hard work and entrepreneurial skills. Another big factor we considered was that known top sellers from other direct-selling companies come from the region,” Guerrero added.
Santiago City is at the heart of the Cagayan Valley Region, making it an ideal business center. A regional branch was established in 2008.
To start with, Natasha conducted recruitment rallies and sales caravans all over the Valley.
At present, Natasha Isabela Regional Branch has 73 sales outlets and has registered a total of 181 stores carrying their products.
“Proven to be an effective marketing tool, a catalogue dubbed Natasha Style Coach comes out every two months, designed to provide product updates. Likewise, we have developed a Natasha app where members can browse latest products using their gadgets. We make sure to provide the best-quality products and the best service that we can,” Cagayan Valley Branch Manager Mauricio Perez said.
As a reward for their working performance, deserving members are entitled to the benefits stated in the company’s marketing plan. They also get travel incentives and insurance coverage.
Senior citizens are also given the chance to join the marketing network.
“To keep our working crew physically healthy and fit, we hold every weekend what we call ‘Fun at Work’ that includes Zumba exercises,” Perez said. Today, there are 43,228 registered members or dealers in the region, while there are 24 branches nationwide and 1,144 accredited service centers or outlets in the country.
For the past 25 years, Natasha has developed thousands of successful fashion professionals and helped make more dreams come true.
Image credits: Leonardo Perante II