Education Delivers ROI for Marketers

Supplement companies are constantly looking for ways to build sales; one critical tool can be education of the consumer. At SupplySide West 2009, Gerard McIntee, vice president of marketing integration at NBTY Inc., urged marketers to not only invest in education but develop ways to track return on investment (ROI).

In speaking with Virgo Publishing's Jon Benninger, McIntee noted education has been a critical part of NBTY's success and a cornerstone of its sales endeavors. Because of NBTY's reach into so many different retail channels, he said a majority of consumers have a good chance of buying an NBTY product after learning about some new ingredient. But, he added, "I'd rather educate 100 people on why fish oil is going to change their life and then let the chips fall where they may."

McIntee noted NBTY has tried many different methods of educational outreach, ranging from websites and seminars to newsletters and third-party literature. One new area for the company has been developing booklets, in which scientific research about a particular ingredient is integrated with personal testimonials about the benefits of the product. Adding testimonials, he said, is "the best way to sell products in this industry or in any industry. ... The most powerful salesperson is a consumer who had a good response with something."