Hype vs. Experience : You Be the Judge

Yesterday, it was reported in one of my favorite nutrition industry journals, NutraIngredients, that food-manufacturers in the UK where bastardizing the top-end of the market by labeling half of last years new products as “premium.”

“Nearly half of the 1,519 new food products launched last year were premium.”

The article went on to explain how “this practice could quickly make premium a meaningless term” – the reading of which caused considerable, although brief, discomfort, having recently launched the world’s first and only true premium nutrition shake.

If like me, you’re living on planet Earth, you’ve probably noticed it’s becoming  harder and harder to believe anything a company tells you about their “amazing new product…” that you must purchase, “NOW!”

I think the marketing genius Seth Godin say’s it best with the title of his latest book, All Marketers Are Liars. And while it’s a given that all products, the good, bad and ugly require strong marketing, “hype” is reserved for the vast majority of products which are over-sold – that do not deliver on their promise.

Yet, even Seth is quick to admit there are a handful of truly extra-ordinary, new products released every day by passionate, inspired visionaries. For these quality products telling the truth sounds remarkably like the marketing hype the competition is doing.

Hype or truth? Just how in the heck are you to know the difference?

There’s got to be a way to avoid being ripped-off, to cut through the crap, ignore the hype and discover the rare few true gems – the next-level products that could make a real difference in your life. They’re out there…somewhere. 

The Truth Always Shines Through 
As I read on, I was both relieved and reassured by signs of intelligent life on earth. The article, citing results from the chocolate industry (which has experienced an explosion in premium chocolates) reported that those who attempted “dress the pig up,” by creating “pseudo-premium” chocolates with massive marketing dollars and fancy boxes and bows were failing spectacularly.

“…eventually the facade is exposed… if the product does not deliver, then the sublime facade of premium quickly loses its lustre.”

While at the same time, the truly premium chocolates – those that delivered a “real difference” where thriving at record levels. Hooray! Here’s that all too rare example of a system working.

In sharp contrast to the chocolate industry which is exploding with premium labels, the performance nutrition market is running full-speed in the opposite direction. Having adopted a "Chicken-Little approach," the leading supplement behemoths are focused on low, lower and lowest. The result: Lower prices, lower product quality and much lower consumer satisfaction. Seems the only thing that’s larger is their profit margin.

I believe the entire industry has become convinced that the winner will be the first one to the bottom – the one who can provide the cheapest product, made with the cheapest ingredients. You can guess what that means for any unsuspecting consumer.

As stupefying and sad as it is I’m sure you can see how an exclusive focus on margins could allow a company to be fooled into believing this downward spiral to be winning strategy. But for those who know the difference, for whom quality performance nutrition helps support a strong and healthy life, this game fails, completely.

“Premium must live up to its name and deliver what it promises.” - Nutraingredients News

These words are sweet music to my ears. They give me strength to resist the gravitational pull downward of the entire nutrtion industry which like to have me exiled for having the audacity to produce an inspired, true premium product in Full Strength.  

Feeling this immense sucking force has given me compassion for all those companies who continue to choose not to challenge the status quo – who willingly go along with the “cheaper, cheaper, cheaper” trend, naively believing that they can outrun their inevitable fate.

And here I stand proudly, nobly and most would say foolishly with the highest quality, total nutrition shake -- one which fulfills on the fullest potential of the nutrition shake. Why? Because I am absolutely certain that the nutrition shake is the future of food.

Sure, I understand that as a nutrition shake, Full Strength suffers the stigma and limitations of the inferior shakes that have come before it. I know this baggage will take some work to shed – best way I’ve found so far is to share the experience of this truly extra-ordinary, next-level shake. This quickly blasts away the current limiting belief about what a truly great shake can be.

“In a market awash with premium lines consumer's true customer loyalty can only be gained with genuine premium products, which has to mean taste, and not an impressive marketing budget.”   -Nutraingredient News

That’s perfect for Full Strength both offers and delivers on a very real and noticeable difference. That’s how it was built: With excellence that makes a difference.

What I am most proud is that so far Full Strength has not just delivered but over-delivered on it’s promise of premium.