From Their Labs to Your Abs

As Director of the Health & Medical Division for Media Relations, Inc., Mike Danielson has been personally involved in building brands within the natural products industry for more than 20 years. He has helped build brands like LycoMato®, Phase 2, and Kyolic, and has worked with hundreds of companies including industry leaders such as Cargill, GNC, Hain Celestial and Polyphenolics.

“The companies that create big brands consistently do specific things right,” says Danielson. “The major brand builders have a clear focus on their customers’ needs, they invest in credible clinical research, use the best ingredients and manufacturing processes, and support key distribution points by teaching consumers why and where to buy. It may sound simple but there’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.”

And teaching people about new products is an increasingly difficult task. As science ratchets ahead, teaching the public how a product will affect their bodies can require a sophisticated explanation. This is creating a void between the more savvy healthy choosers and the folks who are less health conscious. Consumers either keep up with current science or they get left behind. This creates an interesting challenge for marketers.

As America transitions to a healthier nation, companies will grow or die based on their ability to satisfy the public’s demand. This never-ending battle for the consumers’ favor culminates on store shelves all across the nation every day.