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Robert Trontz | An Integrated Marketer + Designer Robert Trontz | An Integrated Marketer + Designer
  • Services
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  • Industries
    • Column 1
      • CPGs
      • Food
      • Supplements
      • Skincare
    • Column 2
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  • Case Studies
    • Column 1
      • Packaging Case Study
      • Branding Case Study
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Google Uses Ranking Algorithms To Combat MisInformation

Google Uses Ranking Algorithms To Combat MisInformation

Feb 26, 2019
Illustrated computer, tablet and smartphone with two sets of words. One side is trust. The other is misinformation.

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Google Uses Ranking Algorithms to Combat Misinformation

I think it’s safe to say that 2018 was a turbulent year with reports of fake news, false claims and misinformation running rampant across the county.

Misinformation, a global issue, became such an immense problem and brought light to so many new challenges, Dictionary.com named misinformation the word of the year.

With the internet being the main conduit for spreading information, including misinformation, Google has taken some major steps to help combat this ever growing situation.

How Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Fits into the Post Truth Era

Most people have a basic understanding of search engine optimization (SEO). While SEO is quite complex, in the simplest terms it is defined as the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine. This list, called a search engine ranking page is widely known as a SERP.

Since Google holds 92.86% of the market share and processes over 3.5 billion searches a day, or 1.2 trillion searches per year, it’s no wonder why they are tackling misinformation head-on.

How do they plan to do this? One way is with their page ranking algorithm.

[easy-tweet tweet=”How #SearchEngineOptimization (#SEO) Fits into the #PostTruthEra” hashtags=”misinformation, PostTruthEra, truth, trust, google, contentmarketing, googlealgorithms, optimization” url=”https://trontz.com/QWEHK” template=”light”]

Google is Clearly Fighting the War on Fake News, Spammy Content and Click Bait

Digital marketers and content creators have been trying to wrap their heads around and keep up with Google algorithms for decades. As complicated as the technology behind Google’s algorithms may be, Google’s corporate mission is simple. They promise to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Ever since its beginnings, Google has focused on developing proprietary algorithms that focus on the user. The algorithms are crafted to deliver useful and relevant information to users while empowering website owners to publish information and to be discovered online.

To do this, Google contracts over 10,000 search quality raters worldwide to evaluate websites based on the information and the experience they had while visiting the website. The feedback from evaluators is used to help drive decisions on how the algorithms can be improved.

To help further their mission, for the first time in 2015 Google released its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG) to the public. The SQEG helps humans evaluators understand how to rate the quality of the websites they are reviewing.

In July of 2018, Google updated its SQRG, and once again released it to the public. Website developers and content creators will find golden nuggets of actionable insights to help raise SERP rankings on every page of this document.

One thing to notice in this last update is the emphasis on quality content and the importance placed on the reputation of the people who are creating it.

Greater Emphasis on E-A-T for Y-M-Y-L Pages for SEO

To summarize the 164-page document, Google is placing a greater emphasis on the Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust (E-A-T ) on the people who are creating web content, especially for Your Money or Your Life pages (Y-M-Y-L).

Screenshot of Excerpt from Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

Google urges evaluators to use their judgment when ranking Y-M-Y-L pages and suggests that these pages are held to the highest standards possible.

Keep in mind, a Google evaluator will never affect an individual website’s page rank. However, their evaluations will be used to improve algorithms to help keep low-quality Y-M-Y-L pages that could potentially negatively impact users’ happiness, health, financial stability, or safety from appearing at the top of a SERP.

How Does E.A.T. Effect Web Content Writers

Google’s search quality guide tells evaluators to not only find out who is responsible for the website but to also find out who is responsible for creating the content.

Evaluators are asked to dive deep into their online research to evaluate the reputation of the website or creator of the main content.

Screenshot of Excerpt from Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

They are asked to take into account ‘bad actors’ who may have read the guidelines and maliciously created false information, reviews and testimonials to mislead users and trick algorithms into giving their web pages higher rankings.

Screenshot of Excerpt from Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

This leads us back to E-A-T, the expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of a website and its creator. The guidelines urge evaluators to keep in mind who is writing the content.

Screenshot of Excerpt from Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

Almost immediately following the update of the 2018 guidelines, Google released one of its most extensive updates in years dubbed the ‘Medic’ algorithm update. This update targeted the E-A-T on Y-M-Y-L pages that offered medical advice. It was one of the largest changes to the Google algorithm in decades. Websites that provided medical, diet and nutrition advice without the presence of a contributor with the proper expertise took a huge hit in SERP rankings.

Establishing Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness

In order to be ranked as a high-quality page and/or website, the creators have to demonstrate that they have enough expertise to be authoritative and trustworthy on their topic. This doesn’t mean that everyone that writes web content or blogs has to have a string of letters after their names. Experts are everywhere. There are fashion experts, DIY experts and even gossip experts.

The standard for expertise depends on the topic of the page. Google and most folks do recognize that there are some people with life experience and everyday expertise that can create useful content.

Screenshot of Excerpt from Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

Web users do need to trust the information they find online. They need to believe the information they find is reputable, credible and non-manipulative. Unfortunately, there have been some ‘bad actors’ creating content with the purpose of misleading people.

Google Launches a Mammoth Undertaking to Help Combat Disinformation

Expertise, authoritativeness and trust. These ‘buzz’ words have been tossed around the last few years by so many people they might have begun to lose their effectiveness.

Remember our word of the year, misinformation? Dictionary.com defines misinformation verse disinformation.

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information.

Disinformation is “deliberately misleading or biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda.”

So, the difference between misinformation and disinformation comes down to intent.

When people share information they believe to be true, they are engaging in spreading misinformation.

When people craft and disseminate information for the intent to mislead others, they are spreading disinformation.

Google recently released a white paper explaining its stance on disinformation, and their plans to fight it as we move deeper into a ‘post-truth’ era.

[easy-tweet tweet=”#Google uses ranking algorithms to combat #disinformation. ” hashtags=”misinformation, PostTruthEra, truth, trust, google, contentmarketing, googlealgorithms, optimization” url=”https://trontz.com/QWEHK” template=”light”]

The motivations that propel one to create and circulate disinformation can be both financial, to turn a profit and political, to motivate others to foster specific viewpoints and exert influence over a population.

Once disinformation is created, good-hearted individuals may help spread the word and further, without realizing the goals of the content originators may not be above board.

Google states they have taken on the responsibility to help curb the efforts of those who aim to propagate false information on their platforms.

Screenshot of Excerpt from Google White Paper on Disinformation

This will not an easy task with complexities crossing into social, legal and civil lanes.

Screenshot of Excerpt from Google White Paper on Disinformation

3 Strategies Google is Using to Tackle Disinformation

Their approach to tackling disinformation will be based around a framework of three strategies:

1. Make Quality Count:
My favorite! Make quality count. This means creating and delivering quality information and trustworthy commercial messages.

2. Counteract Malicious Actors:
Algorithms will never be able to make determinations on if a piece of content is true or false, and if the content was created with malice intent. There are, however, clear signals that can detect if a page or website was created with the intention to manipulate or deceive users.

In addition, many content creators have tried to deceive ranking systems to get more visibility, by pushing out loads of disinformation otherwise, know as SPAM.

SPAM content, click bate or whatever you want to call it is created for the sole purpose of tricking the SERP, with little regard for the user.

Google has been working on what seems to be a never-ending battle to reduce ‘spammy’ behaviors at scale.

3. Give Users More Context
My second favorite! Give users more access to correct and contextual content. Make it easy for users to find appropriate information with different perspectives so they can form their own opinions.

Make it easier for users to fact-check information, by including references, and use transparency in advertising so users understand why they’re presented with a specific ad and how to change their preferences so as to alter the personalization of the ads they are shown, or to opt out of personalized ads altogether.

A Simple Way You Can Help Combat a Serious Issue

Creators of disinformation will never stop trying to find new ways to deceive users. It’s the age-old conflict of good versus evil. While we can’t stop it, we can fight it.

True SEO isn’t only about algorithms. It’s about using a holistic approach to showcasing integrity and good business practices. It does take time to establish these online credentials. Efforts today may not produce results tomorrow, but they will over time.

Creating web content with the following in mind will not only help improve your business, but it will also help users find the trustworthy information they are searching for.

5 Takeaways to Help Improve Your Own SEO

As you work on your own web presence, be sure to:

1. Showcase your E-A-T. Include an About page filled with accolades, previous experience, and detailed success stories to demonstrate why you and/or your company is an expert and what was the path you took to get there.

2. Read your customer reviews and social media comments. Find out what, if any, issues they may be experiencing. Address those issues. Immediately. Bad reviews can kill a business.

Keep in mind that there are tons of fake reviews, spam reviews and even false reviews being made by competitors. If you find yourself in this situation, you can flag the review with Google. If the review violates their policies they will remove it.

3. Evaluate your products and services. Taking this last one a bit further, use your customer insights to improve your products or services. If something is amiss, change it. You will be rewarded with repeat customers (traffic), positive reviews and social chatter- all of which will help with your page rankings.

4. Write more content. We just established that quality content is one of the top three ranking factors in SEO. Develop a keyword rich content strategy with your users or customers in mind. Write to your audience. They are coming to you for help answering a question, to find information or looking to understand a topic and may not always understand industry jargon.

5. Don’t forget the tech. While we all like to read and write engaging, entertaining and succulent copy, we can’t forget the basics of SEO. Long content (1000+ words or more) will rank better because it leaves enough room to clearly cover a topic. Pages must have good UI/UX design. It should be free from spelling and grammatical issues. It should include links to reputable references and original sources. Keywords should be carefully and strategically chosen, and of course, everything should work well on mobile.

As we move into 2019, we can keep in mind that our eyes should be open for misinformation. We can also offer some help to combat disinformation by creating a little more credible content to help drown out the noise.

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Why Marketing Natural Products is So Complicated: Part 3 – The Claims Conundrum

Why Marketing Natural Products is So Complicated: Part 3 – The Claims Conundrum

Feb 19, 2019
turmeric powder, root and capsules

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Why Marketing Natural Products is so Complicated

Part 3: The Claims Conundrum

In the previous articles (part 1 and part 2), we talked about general concerns surrounding the issues which make marketing natural products so difficult. Today we’ll talk a closer look at why we need to watch what we say.

Thanks to the rise of the natural products industry, power foods are gaining influence with shoppers who are turning health goals into lifestyle changes. Choices in the grocery aisle are now made on the overall health benefits of the product, not just on taste and price alone. This has created a rise in the number of products that are infused with traditional and medicinal herbs and spices.

The Therapeutic Benefits of Turmeric

For the past few years, turmeric (curcuma longa) has been the golden child of the spice world with its bright, beautiful hue and earthy aroma. Its also been considered the top performing ingredient in the supplement industry with sales topping the $50 million mark in 2017, a 12.2% increase from 2016.

In the mainstream channel, turmeric jumped to the fifth top-selling ingredient of herbal supplements, with sales of $32.45 million in 2017 and a 46.7% increase compared to 2016.

Graph - Turmeric Sales 2016-2017

The golden beauty, typically used as a key coloring and flavoring ingredient in Asian cooking, has also been used as a major part of Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a phytochemical found within the root is considered to be the healing compound in turmeric.

Curcumin, not turmeric as a whole, has been at the center of research and clinical studies dating back a half a century to test its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties along with its potential healing power. These clinical trials have addressed the safety and efficacy of this nutraceutical against life-threatening diseases in humans, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

This has led to the spices popularity in products formulated to target inflammation as well as joint and cardiovascular health. Because of this turmeric seems to be making its way into everything from turmeric chicken bone broths to traditional turmeric teas and even a turmeric-infused chai, chocolate blended treat.

Many product formulators and marketers, all with good intentions, wonder; if an ingredient has been used medicinally for centuries, why are we restricted from talking about its natural benefits today?

[easy-tweet tweet=”If an ingredient has been used medicinally for centuries, why can’t we market the natural benefits today?” hashtags=”naturalproducts, cbd, supplements, selfregulate, bebetter, transparency, trust, compliance, riskvsreward” url=”https://trontz.com/HUQTZ” template=”light”]

Many marketers refer to scientific studies to help determine what can be said about a particular ingredient. In turmerics case, an article published on the US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health (NIH) sites several clinical trials and the amazing benefits for curcumin. It should be noted that in many of these studies, the curcumin was combined with other agents, such as quercetin. The article also lists completed clinical trials with over 60 individual studies, all with different dosages taken for varying durations of time.

Here’s where it starts to get complicated. While one particular combination of curcumin and another compound, taken in a particular dosage, for a set period of time resulted in a positive effect on one group of people, it’s not guaranteed, or even plausible, that your product will give the same or similar result.

Not all Tumeric is Created Equal

There is also a question about potency? If curcumin is the key compound needed for a health benefit, how do we know if the potency of the curcumin is consistent with all forms of turmeric? ConsumerLab.com does a great job in answering that question in the article Tumeric Spice vs. Tumeric Supplement. To summarize, turmeric the spice is the dried, grounded root, sold as a powder. When a ½ to 1 full teaspoon (2.5 to 5 grams) is consumed it is said to have ‘certain digestive and cognitive benefits’.

It goes on to say that most clinical studies, like the ones listed above, don’t use a turmeric powder but rather a turmeric extract. The difference between the powder and the extract is the amount of curcumin found in each one.

Only 3% of the weight of turmeric powder contains curcumin while the turmeric extracts often contain concentrations of curcumin as high as 95%.

This means food or beverages containing turmeric powder will contain far less curcumin, and along with it the medicinal benefits, than a supplement which contains a turmeric extract with a high-dose of curcumin.

Turmeric Spice vs Turmeric Extract

Consumerlabs.com takes this even further by saying that there are many supplements on the market that contains a ratio or blend of turmeric powder and extract. This can confuse a consumer as they may not be aware of how much curcumin they are receiving unless they check the dietary supplement labels active ingredient list.

Circling Back to Adulterated Ingredients

Remember in part 2 we talked about the seven brands of turmeric which were recalled for containing excessive amounts of lead. With the idea that most brands want to sell clean, healthy products, I’m sure it’s safe to say that most products producers don’t want to add an unhealthy dose of lead to the menu.

This is why it’s so important that product producers have individual ingredients tested. Third-party tests will help you determine if your product is what the supplier says it is, as well as what the potency levels are.

infograophic - issues with importer, manufacture and suppliers

What Does All of this Mean for Marketers?

Understanding the potency of a particular product is important when talking about claims. A turmeric flavored broth made with the dried spice will want to make sure there is an adequate amount of curcumin per serving if they plan to sell their product with a nutraceutical benefit.

A turmeric extract supplement with a defined amount of curcumin per serving may wish to state a non-disease related benefit. This is as long as the potency, dosage and duration of use are backed by a number of clinical or scientific studies.

This is where the confusion and frustration begin for people trying to sell natural products. Yes, there are compounds found in nature that can make a positive impact on people’s lives. I am an avid supplement user and have found that certain supplements make a big difference in how I feel on a daily basis. As supplement advocates and users, we can talk about them, write about them and teach others about them. Once we decide to sell them we are taking on a greater responsibility and liability.

Healthy people eat, drink and take supplements to stay healthy. Then there are the people who are using supplements and botanicals to support mainstream medicine or are trying to ‘self medicate’. If they are sick, they will have weaker immune systems and may be on medications which could cause serious interactions with natural compounds. Healthy people may be strong enough not to feel the effects of a wrong dose, forgotten warning or drug interaction. Others may end up seriously hurt, or worse.

Illustration showcasing drug and herb interactions

There is a lot of confusion and misinformation out there. For many of us, it’s a true challenge to sort through all the BS and determine the right way to market CPGs.

How we act today will define the regulations that are placed upon us tomorrow. Hopefully, additional regulations in areas that are already heavily regulated won’t be the case. [CBDs are an entirely different story.]
[easy-tweet tweet=”It’s time to self-regulate. If we don’t do it on our own, someone else is going to do it for us.” hashtags=”naturalproducts, cbd, supplements, selfregulate, bebetter, transparency, trust, compliance, riskvsreward” url=”https://trontz.com/HUQTZ” template=”light”]

If you take anything away from this article, take away the fact that our industry is being watched for the purpose of protecting consumers from ‘bad actors’. Moving forward, things are going to have to change in some way shape or form. It’s time to self-regulate because if we don’t do it on our own, someone else is going to do it for us.

Disclaimer: This post is designed to provide general information on pertinent topics, and the statements are made for educational advice. If you have specific legal or compliance questions as it pertains to your products and the law, we recommend that you should seek the advice of your legal counsel, compliance expert or industry trade association for further guidance and support.

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Why Marketing Natural Products is So Complicated: Part 2 – Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safe

Why Marketing Natural Products is So Complicated: Part 2 – Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safe

Feb 12, 2019
drop of an extract on a blurred background

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Why Marketing Natural Products is so Complicated

Part 2: Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safe

In the previous article (part 1), we talked about general concerns regarding the issues that make marketing natural products so difficult. As promised, today we‘ll take a closer look at how the big four impacts the end consumer.

As a reminder, the big four are the widespread issues caused by the ‘bad actors’ who decide to cash in at the consumers’ expense.

These are the companies who ‘knowingly’ sell products with incorrect allergen statements, high toxicity levels, adulterated ingredients and misleading disease-focused marketing claims. The challenge is, many of these companies wholesale or private label their products to unsuspecting brands.

What we end up with are a slew of products on the market with safety issues, labeling issues and outrageous marketing claims.

[easy-tweet tweet=”Thanks to some ‘bad actors’, natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe. ” hashtags=”naturalproducts, cbd, supplements, selfregulate, bebetter, transparency, trust, foodsafety, compliance, riskvsreward, disclosure” url=”https://trontz.com/EAOUM” template=”light”]

For the most part, unless a company grows its own supply, a CPG company wholesales an ingredient or private-labels an entire formula from a third-party supplier.

Large suppliers tend to have 100’s of sales reps and/or affiliates whose livelihood depends on getting the product on people’s minds. They are armed with an arsenal of sales materials including product spec sheets, certificates of analysis, quality assurance, product benefits and sometimes a multitude of misleading marketing claims to help close a sale.

Any issue or misinformation then gets passed down the line of reps and/or affiliates, through the B2C company who purchased their product, and ends up in direct contact with the end-consumer.

When both B2B and B2C companies scale quickly to meet demand, it can be common for certificates of analysis and quality assurance documents to be outdated, expired or downright wrong. For too long there was no way to track back to confirm if the exact ingredient sold was, in fact, the same lot or version of the ingredient that was advertised.

infographic - issues with misinformation and possibly adulterated ingredients getting passed from suppliers to wholesales to company affiliates.

These issues have ignited growth in supply chain management software solutions and have started some techy conversations regarding blockchain and its potential benefits in supply chain transparency and traceability.

In our experience, many CPG companies tend to take suppliers on their word about the safety of a product, or accuracy and legality of information provided by a supplier. When companies do this they are taking on a huge liability.

It’s best, and required, to double check the product with third-party lab testing and compliance experts. Skipping this step is where many of these issues begin.

Big Issues Caused by ‘Bad Actors’

Long gone are the days when you can you slap a label on a product and expect it to fly off the shelf.

Consumers are demanding transparency and for good reason. They aren’t only trying to protect themselves from the bad actors; they are trying to protect themselves from the many mishaps and mistakes that can happen when good companies rush to meet demand, exceed sales goals and scale quickly.

Some of these mistakes can be deadly.

One of the Big Four Issues - Allergens

ALLERGEN CONTAMINATION

Approximately 15 million people in the United States have food allergies. While most food allergies cause relatively mild and minor symptoms, some food allergies can cause a severe and sometimes life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.

The FDA estimates that in a year:

• 30,000 people will require a trip to the emergency room,

• 2,000 people will need hospitalization, and

• 150 people will die because of a major reaction to a food allergen.

The most common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in the US is due to peanut allergies. Peanuts are one of the eight major food allergens, which means any product containing peanuts must include an allergen statement on the label.

Most brands have no trouble complying with this. However, sometimes issues with allergens can come from cross-contamination or a cross-contact situation.

infographic to showcase number of people hospitalized each year from allergen reactions

Cross-contamination or cross-contact situations can happen in several ways. Many manufacturers use shared equipment with nuts. There may be a presence of peanut dust from a previous run on a machine that wasn’t properly cleaned or segregate. Small-batched products made in commissary kitchens may come into ‘contact’ with another product’s residue where allergens where present.

Cross-contaminations may also occur on the supplier’s side and passed unknowingly into other brands’ products. This recently happened to RXBAR.

Most of us all know and love RXBAR. Their unique no B.S. packaging, along with a $600 million dollar deal with Kellogg, made the RXBAR the ‘it’ bar of 2017. Yet, even the big brands who try to do everything right can come across a major mishap.

On January 15, 2019, RXBAR had a voluntarily recall, because of an undeclared peanut. They state “the issue stems from a specific ingredient supplied by a third party, and the supplier has been changed since this issue arose”. Over 20 different flavor variations were affected by this one contaminated ingredient from a single supplier.

One of the Big Four Issues -Toxicity

TOXICITY LEVELS

Poison control centers help people manage poisonings which can be solved over the phone, saving a trip to the emergency room. Specially trained nurses, pharmacists, and doctors are on-call to help with accidental contact or overdoses from various natural and man-made substances.

In 2017, the Journal of Medical Toxicology released a study reporting on a spike in calls to US poison centers because of dietary supplement overdoses.

• 274,998 dietary supplement cases were reported in a 12-year period, between 2000-2012. That’s over 22,000 cases a year.

• 70% of all calls were for children younger than 6 years old, with unintentional exposures.

Miscellaneous dietary supplements accounted for 43.9% of all exposures, followed by botanicals (31.9%), hormonal products (15.1%), and other supplements (5.1%). Ma huang products (ephedra), yohimbe, and energy products were the categories associated with the greatest toxicity.

Graph to show dietary supplement overdose

Many of you may remember the FDA’s federal ban on products containing ephedra in late 2003.

This was the first time the agency banned an herbal supplement. Ephedra was used in as an appetite suppressant to help promote weight loss and as a supplement to help increase energy and alertness.

The FDA based the decision to ban the herb on extensive research involving over 16,000 reports of adverse health effects from products containing ephedra, including 155 deaths.

Herbal products can be as powerful as drugs, yet don’t require a prescription. They can also cause serious medical complications if not taken properly.

Dietary supplements do not need pre-approval by the FDA before it is released into commerce. Unless of course the product is intended for therapeutic purposes. Overall, it’s the responsibility of product producers and the marketers to not only ensure the product is safe but to also ensure it’s used correctly.

Brands selling products that contain highly purified compounds should require extra, self-regulated scrutiny to ensure its overall safety. In this next case, a well-known and what many would consider harmless vitamin caused adverse reactions in poor little pups because of high levels of Vitamin D found in pet food.

On Jan 16, 2019, the FDA alerted pet owners and veterinary professionals about recalls of several dry dog foods after receiving complaints that dogs eating the food experienced vitamin D toxicity.

Excess vitamin D in the diet can cause vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling and weight loss. Vitamin D at toxic levels can cause kidney failure and death.

The mandatory recall effected eight brands and 14 different products. Because of the number of brands impacted by this recall, it can be assumed that the issue started early in the supply chain.

One of the Big Four Issues - Adulteration

ADULTERATED INGREDIENTS

Aside from toxicity levels, adulteration has also been a big concern among consumer protection agencies, industry trade associations and medical professionals.

Adulteration is caused when an ingredient (partial or in its entirety) is replaced by a different ingredient without the consumer’s knowledge. In food, expensive natural products such as vanilla extract, maple syrups and honey are replaced by the cheaper, and less-desirable ingredient like high-fructose corn syrup.

Both honey and maple syrup, along with olive oil, fish, organic foods, milk, grains, coffee and tea, spices, wine and certain fruit juice made Forbes Top 10 list of Fraudulent Foods.

For supplement companies, the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 states a product may be found to be adulterated if there is inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that such an ingredient does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury.

The main motivation behind adulterated products is for economic reasons. For example, most spices are sold by weight. This creates a potential situation for bad actors to ‘cut’ batches of pure plant powders with cheaper, and potentially toxic agents.

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In recent years, the spice turmeric has seen a rise in its popularity, and with that came a surge in suppliers adulterating the powder. To match turmerics signature golden hue, some bad actors’ used lead, which has a similar bright yellow color.

In 2016, seven brands of turmeric were recalled for containing excessive amounts of lead. All seven brands had sourced their ingredients from a single supplier.

Lead is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, infants and children. In 2016, this was not considered new news, but a continuation of a bigger problem. Between 2010 and 2014, six cases of children were hospitalized from exposure to high levels of lead found in culinary spices, like turmeric.

Turmeric-based dietary supplements with an alarmingly high level of lead were also recalled. All seven sellers of the recalled turmeric in 2016 were all listed in a class action lawsuit.

Adulteration can also happen because of technical motivation. Sometimes if the amount or dosage, of a natural product, is too big to fit in a capsule or to take orally to achieve the desired, labeled strength and result of the supplement, a company will use a drug to replace it.

This happens so often the FDA created a database for tainted dietary supplements. Today, there are 923 products listed with a disclaimer that the list only includes a small fraction of the potentially hazardous products with hidden ingredients marketed to consumers. The lion’s share of these products are for muscle building, weight loss and sexual enhancement. Many, if not all, of these products, are considered to be misbranded by the FDA.

Hemp-derived CBD products are not included in this databases, however, that doesn’t mean this space isn’t susceptible to shady shenanigans of bad actors trying to make a quick buck. Consumer Reports just did a study on ‘Dangerous Chemicals found in CBD Products’, which included everything from synthetic chemicals linked to emergency room visits and an over-the-counter cough syrup most likely used to mimic the effects of CBD.

One of the Big Four Issues - Disease Claims

DISEASE MARKETING CLAIMS

Misleading marketing claims, or as the FDA refers to it, misbranded or mislabeled products, can trip up any company. Many companies that receive warning letters for misbranded products did not understand that they were doing anything thing wrong. They believed they were wholeheartedly marketing the product’s true benefits.

In 2018 the FDA issued 409 warning letters, spread across eight industries including food, drug, supplement, cosmetic, tobacco and animal. Over 50% of the letters included a misbranding issue.

Misbranding occurs if a manufacturer places a label on their product that is misleading or confusing, or if the label does not correspond to the proper product. Regulations in this area are plentiful, with each industry listed above having its own set of rules to follow.

From a marketing standpoint, one of the biggest reasons a product is considered misbranded is when it is sold to be used in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. We will break this down further in part 3 of this series.

Sometimes the FDA is not the one calling attention to these issues. Many companies find they have compliance issues when an expert reviews their packaging and marketing materials before admittance to be sold at a retail location or exhibited at a trade show. These misbranding issues can halt the growth of a company.

In most cases the misbranded claims can be found all over a company’s website, social media accounts, printed materials and packaging. The costs to rectify those claims across so many mediums is hefty. If a product needs to be changed under a strict deadline, rush charges on re-designs, reprints and refills and possibly reformulations could diminish the product’s margins.

The costs could be so high a company may lose the opportunity to appear on the shelf or take part in the event. Getting things right the first time is a big deal, especially for new companies.

retail and trade show compliance checks

With misbranded products, everyone is held accountable.

This includes the retail stores that sell the products to the design agency that created the product’s packaging.

While some may feel a warning letter is about as bad as a slap on the wrist, the FDA has the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help watch consumers backs. Companies can and have been prosecuted if they participate in interstate commerce involving mislabeled or misbranded consumer products.

In 2018 alone, the FTC had 38 successful cases with almost $4M being recouped and refunded to consumers defrauded by five separate dietary supplement companies for fraudulent claims.

In 2017, one dietary supplement company alone was fined $8M.

While there are companies that can take an $8 million dollar hit, most won’t be able to handle the fines. Many have to declare bankruptcy and close their doors. If doors don’t close, jobs are almost always lost.

The Cost of Getting it Wrong

All of the issues discussed today are considered to be misbranded products by the FDA. Issues with a health and safety risk would result in a product recall. This could be devastating for a small company. It’s estimated that 52% of food recalls can cost a company over $10 million in sales losses and direct costs, according to a study by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).

• 29% of the companies surveyed faced a financial impact between $10-$29 million.

• 9% of the companies surveyed faced a financial impact of between $30 – $49 million.

• 14% of the companies surveyed faced a financial impact of over $50 million.

graph to show sales losses and direct costs companies face from food recalls

The backlash a brand will face from a recall also has a powerful impact on the company’s continued success. A survey by Harris Interactive found health or safety-related food recall can have enormous implications for a company’s reputation.

• 16% of consumers surveyed said if a brand they usually purchase is involved with a recall they would never purchase from the recalled brand again;

• An additional 17% would avoid any brands made by the recalled product’s manufacturer.

• 60% of Baby Boomers and Seniors are more likely than Millennials (49%) to only temporarily switch brands,

• While Millennials are more likely than any other generation to say they would never purchase the recalled brand again (24% Millennials, 15% Gen Xers, 12% Baby Boomers, 9% Seniors).

Infographic - Who Would Never Purchase From Recalled Brand Again

Companies who ‘knowingly’ sell misbranded products are the worst of the worst. They not only cause great harm to their customers, they also end up making things difficult for those who are trying to get it right.

These are the folks that gave the government a reason to take a closer look at the industry as a whole.

This doesn’t end here…

We’ve talked about general concerns in part 1 and took a closer look at the top four concerns in part 2 of this three-part series: “The Claims Conundrum. Why Marketing Natural Products is so Complicated.” While we’ve covered quite a bit, there is still a lot more to talk about. If you want to learn more about these issues, don’t miss the next article where we’ll take a deeper look at one product to see why we have to watch what we say.

Stay tuned for PART 3.

Disclaimer: This post is designed to provide general information on pertinent topics, and the statements are made for educational advice. If you have specific legal or compliance questions as it pertains to your products and the law, we recommend that you should seek the advice of your legal counsel, compliance expert or industry trade association for further guidance and support.

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Why Marketing Natural Products is So Complicated: Part 1 of 3

Why Marketing Natural Products is So Complicated: Part 1 of 3

Jan 31, 2019
business woman stress out

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Why Marketing Natural Products is so Complicated

Part 1 of a 3 Part Series

Over the last few decades, some companies ignored the basic principles of marketing and overall consumer protection by releasing products into commerce that were deceptive, dangerous or even deadly. I’ve lost count of the number of warning letters and product recalls in the last year alone.

As a consumer, when I spend money on a product, I don’t want to worry about my health; or accidentally buying something based on a misrepresentation or an outright lie.

As a marketer, I can attest that it not only difficult and time-consuming to follow the rules but can be mind-boggling to figure out what the rules even are. While it can be exhausting and overwhelming, I understand why many of these rules exist.

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Some companies sell or say anything with little regard for the physical or psychological harm they may cause someone.

They are the ‘bad actors’ who cash in at the consumers’ expense by selling products with safety issues, labeling issues and outrageous marketing claims.

They may be a small group in a growing industry filled with beloved brands who are trying to make a real difference in people’s lives. However, the negative publicity and false claims from these bad actors have diminished the credibility and reputation of a solid industry filled with reputable companies working hard to do things the right way.

It’s unfortunate, but thanks to those ‘bad actors’ we all may be facing the biggest shift in the industry since the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DESHA) was introduced in 1994. This could make marketing natural products much harder than it already is.

 

Americans are Using Natural Products to Combat the Healthcare Crisis

Let’s look back to see how we ended up here in the first place.

I think we can all agree that America is in a health care crisis and has been for quite some time.

With 12.2 percent of all adults now lacking health insurance, that leaves almost 40 million Americans with no access to basic healthcare.

This doesn’t include the number of people with high-deductible health insurance plans who delay or deny themselves much needed preventive services, or even treatment because they can’t afford the out-of-pocket expenses.

For folks who have healthcare, it’s estimated a family of four would have spent $28,000 last year in out-of-pocket costs.

This, along with an aging population and a heightened interest in preventative health care has contributed to the rise of the natural products industry.

infographic to showcase number of people without basic healthcare

With many Americans left on their own to find alternative methods to get or stay healthy, they have turned to dietary supplements, functional foods and CBD products.

Companies have taken notice and cashed in on the trend by developing products that provide healthier and more cost-effective options than what was ever available via traditional methods in previous decades.

Because of this, the natural products industry is stronger than ever, having passed the $200 billion mark in 2017. Of which over half (52%) is in the dietary supplement and functional food space.

Graph $200 Billion Natural Products Industry

With this comes also comes an increasing number of small natural products, functional food, dietary supplement and CBD startups looking to cash in on the trend.

 

What Does ‘Natural’ Stand For, Anyway?

Do you know what the term ‘natural’ means?

Nothing.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the term ‘natural’ literally stands for nothing.

This creates one of the main marketing hurdles in the industry.

With no solid rule surrounding the term ‘natural’, there is nothing that can stop a brand from slapping a leafy looking design and the word ‘natural’ on their label, as long as they can claim it’s not ‘misleading’.

With an influx of cleverly designed labels and a ‘natural’ marketing claim, we can easily confuse brands committed to creating pure products without preservatives, pesticides, harsh chemicals or carcinogens with other not-so-natural products.

The FDA has requested comments on the use of the term “natural” on food labeling in 2016, yet nothing has moved forward since then.

This creates a need for marketers to develop strong differentiation strategies focusing on product benefits. With many natural foods and supplement products containing ingredients with documented medicinal uses dating back to ancient times, it’s only ‘natural’ for marketers to want to develop campaigns based on those benefits.

This is where the rules are long and plenty, with the gist of it stating we can’t say whatever we want to say. And, if we make a claim, we better make sure we have the appropriate, i.e. credible, scientific evidence to back it up.

This is the area which many CPG marketers are wondering, how do you sell a product if you can’t say anything about it?

 

It’s Not [Just] a Political Issue. It’s a Public Safety Issue.

The natural products industry exists to provide alternatives to over-processed, mass-produced and unhealthy options previously provided by Big Food and Big Pharma.

Part of the growth of the industry stems not only from consumers who want products that are healthier but also from consumers who want brands to be more transparent.

Today, consumers want to know more than what’s in your product. They want to know where the ingredients and materials were sourced, how the product was made, who made it, and what the standards surrounding the production process were.

Remember those ‘bad actors’ we talked about earlier? The brands’ responsible for selling products with safety issues. These are the companies who ‘knowingly’ release products into commerce with incorrect allergen statements, high toxicity levels, adulterated ingredients, and disease-focused marketing claims. We like to call these issues – the big four. These four issues happen more often than you would think. They cause the most harm to a consumer, and to a brand’s reputation if uncovered.

The challenge is, many of these ‘bad actors’ wholesale or private label products to unsuspecting and seemingly good brands who don’t realize that they may be contributing to the problem.

Transparency is not just a new buzz word in the supply chain industry. It’s the best way to help stomp out these issues.

 

The Big Four Issues - Allergens, Toxicity Levels, Adulteration and Disease Claims

 

Pushing politics aside, regulatory agencies are consumer protection agencies. They exist to make sure regular everyday people have access to safe products in which the benefits are explained in a non-misleading manner.

Regulations are created by these agencies when a public safety issue needs to be addressed. The rules are created so people don’t get hurt.

Sometimes these regulations are easy to understand. Other times, not so much.

Regardless, if we don’t try to follow the rules, we’re going to end up with more oversight and possibly more regulations.

 

Expect More Enforcement for Dietary Supplements, Functional Foods and CBDs

At the close of last year, the FDA commissioner, Scott Gottieb M.D., announced the formation of a dietary supplement working group to discuss increased oversight to the industry to combat falsely labeled products, adulterated products and disease claims.

Natural Products Insider quotes Gottieb stating the reasons behind the formation of the committee is because of “concerns that the industry has gotten bigger and riskier. The FDA plans on advancing new policies to improve oversight in the space.”

While this statement alone may scare people, it is comforting to know many of the leading natural products trade associations such as the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) stand on the line between the industry and regulators.

These associations are there to ensure the FDA is tough on the bad actors, yet thoughtful about the responsible companies as layers of new regulations and quality control pressures could create problems for smaller brands.

The reality is, no one knows for sure what will happen over the next year or two.

The question is – where will that leave natural product marketers?

 

Selling Supplements Requires Self Regulation

Consumers have a need, and a right, to trust the integrity of the ingredients, the manufacturing process and the marketing claims for the products they consume.

For companies operating in this space, it’s essentially up to us to monitor our own self-adherence to legal, ethical and safety standards. Supplements and functional foods, unlike drugs, don’t require pre-approval to enter the market. It’s only after someone gets hurt that the FDA can have the product recalled.

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Over the last few years, many brands have been following self-regulatory initiatives to improve the overall landscape and reputation of the industry.

Many larger brands who can afford to make costly changes have already contributed to the transparency movement and made big changes in their supply chain and marketing initiatives.

It’s now up to the rest of the natural product and dietary supplement product producers and marketers to educate themselves on what we can do to contribute. We all can be better at what we do. With looming changes on the horizon, now would be a good time to try.

 

This doesn’t end here….

We’ve talked about general concerns in Part 1 of this three-part series: “Why Marketing Natural Products is so Complicated.” While we’ve covered quite a bit, there is still a lot more to talk about. Don’t miss next weeks article, “Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safe.”

Stay tuned for PART 2.

Disclaimer: This post is designed to provide general information on pertinent topics, and the statements are made for educational advice. If you have specific legal or compliance questions as it pertains to your products and the law, we recommend that you should seek the advice of your legal counsel, compliance expert or industry trade association for further guidance and support.

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