The Benninger Blog  |
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 Jon Benninger
is the director of business development at Virgo Publishing, with responsibility for industry outreach and new business development. Benninger entered the natural products industry in 1990 and joined Virgo in 1995 as the founding editor of HSR magazine, now Natural Products Marketplace. He is an active member of many associations, including the American Botanical Council (ABC), American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and Natural Products Association (NPA). He also serves on the board of directors of the Natural Products Foundation.
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10/10/2008
Down economy means companies must step up efficiency
Assuming that the entire economy does not melt down and we find ourselves growing our own food and using burros for transportation, what should we as entrepreneurs be doing? Certainly it is a time to look at efficiency. Note that efficiency does not mean freezing activities or eliminating them. But, we do need to look at how we do things, why we do things, and whether these activities deliver the return on investment that we want. In my world, marketing consumes much of my time and energy. In times of uncertainty or economic challenge, it is absolutely critical to look at your marketing strategies and ensure that you are getting the most value that you can. We have always focused on ROI, accountability and delivering value. If you are thinking about your 2009 b2b marketing plans, I would love the opportunity to speak with you. From in-person events, to webinars, to lead generation, to branding, to email campaigns, and more, we have products that no other b2b company in our industry can offer. We don't just sell ads. We work with you to create programs that have accountability, transparency and value. Tough times like these are full of opportunity to capture market share, build brand awareness and position, and come out on top. We know how to do that, and we are happy to share our ideas with you. Contact me anytime at 480-990-1101 ext 1108 or jonb@vpico.com if you would like to talk.
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10/06/2008
No Kevin Trudeau infomercials for 3 years? Thank you FTC
I cannot express the joy I am feeling after learning that the Federal Trade Commission has banned chronic huckster Kevin Trudeau from doing infomercials for three years ( click here to see FTC press release). While I believe wholeheartedly in free speech and individual rights, and I might even believe that there are some in regulatory and corporate positions who do want to supress information about natural/alternative health, I also believe that Mr. Trudeau has no business earning money by deceiving people. Kudos to the FTC for going after this perfect example of what legitimate champions of health and wellness call "a bad actor." And in three years, when Trudeau returns to late night paid-programming as he surely will, please just change the channel.
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10/01/2008
Don't miss the "Beverage Panel" at SupplySide West
Three very exciting beverage companies will be presenting on our "Beverage Panel" at SupplySide West, and you should be sure to check it out. Moderated by beverage guru James S. Tonkin, the panel includes representatives from Glowelle, Zico Pure Coconut Water, and WheyUp. Glowelle is the new "beauty drink" developed by Nestle and sold at high-end stores like Neiman Marcus for $7 per 8-ounce drink. Zico is a pure coconut water being sold as a natural sports drink. And WheyUp is a caffeinated protein drink being marketed as a sports/fitness product. This session promises to be fast-paced and dynamic, so put it in your schedule. If you need to register for SupplySide West, you can do that on the official show web site.
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09/22/2008
Sen. Durbin continues his misleading statements about supplements, AERs
Since it became mandatory for dietary supplement companies to report Serious Adverse Events Jan. 1, there have been 604 such reports filed according to a story in the USA Today. Compared to the 400,000+ annual adverse events reports for drugs, that is a pretty low number. Check that, a very low number. Unfortunately, the USA Today story does not do a very good job of explaining what adverse event reports are (and what they are not). They sound pretty scary, but AERs do not establish any causal relationship between a product and a adverse outcome. This is clearly explained on the FDA's web page about adverse event reporting for drugs. But with 400,000+ AERs each year, some explanation is probably due. My point today is not that USA Today did a mediocre job of covering this story ... or non-story. It is that Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is still telling his tales. In the USA Today article, he imples that these 604 AERs are really something serious. Thanks to his legislation (no mention that Sens. Hatch and Harkin and the supplement industry supported the AER bill), we now know that there are hundreds of serious problems each year, many involving hospitalization and death. Come on Senator. Do you understand what an Adverse Event Report is? It it not proof of any causal relationship. It is simply a system to look for big trends and red flags. Or if you are Sen. Durbin, an Adverse Event Report is something you can use to mislead the public about dietary supplements.
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09/15/2008
Take advantage of CANI "Ask The Experts" during SupplySide West
The Consultants Association for the Natural Products Industry (CANI) will once again be offering the "Ask The Experts" booth at SupplySide West. Consultants in many specialized fields will be at the booth offering free one-on-one attention. Topics available for discussion include marketing, insurance, regulatory compliance, product development, quality control, intellectual property and more. For a schedule of which firms/experts will be available, click here. It is also possible to schedule a specific appointment time during the show if you want to ensure that you have access to a certain expert. To set an appointment, call CANI at 559-325-7192 or email info@cani-consultants.org.
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09/11/2008
Major drug company to enter dietary supplement market
Sanofi-Aventis, the maker of well known drugs such as Allegra and Ambien, plans to enter the dietary supplement industry through multiple acquisitions according to media reports. To view an article about this on FlexNews, click here. To view an article in Forbes, click here. The announcement came along with news that the company will have a new CEO beginning Dec. 1.
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09/10/2008
Take advantage of two upcoming free webinars on beauty, weight loss
There is still time to sign up for two upcoming free webinars covering two of the hottest subjects in the industry. On Sept. 24 at 2pm eastern time, we present a 60-minute live webinar looking at the "beauty from within" category ( click here for info). Specifically, Indena's scientific director, Dr. Paolo Morazzoni, will discuss the company's new Opextan olive polyphenol ingredient that has been studied for its beneifts for the skin when used both internally and topically. And then, on Oct. 1 at 2pm eastern, June Jo-Lee, senior strategic analyst for The Hartman Group and Diane Carnell, director of R&D for Kerry Ingredients, will discuss "The Changing Face of Weight Management" including consumer attitude and behavior trends and what this means for product development and formulation ( click here for info). Again, both events are free, they are live, and there will be the opportunity to ask questions. These are just the two latest webinars among dozens that we have presented. All of the past webinars are also available to you. Click here to look at the entire Insider webinar library.
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