Consumers know their choice?
August 8, 2012
MARKETING tactics are persuading
healthy people to use multivitamin
supplements that they may not
need, according to consumer
advocacy group Choice.
The comments come as part of
criticism leveled at the complementary
medicines industry by Choice this
week, with the consumer group
saying that unnecessary product
segmentation along with confusing
labelling is making it difficult for
consumers to know if they really
need multivitamins.
“Marketing messages, often
backed up by high profile sporting
celebrities, give the impression that
in order to be fit and healthy, we all
need multivitamins,” said Choice
spokesperson, Ingrid Just.
“If you have a healthy diet and
you’re not a person with specific
nutritional requirements, there’s a
good chance you’re wasting your
money,” Just said.
Addressing the issue of product
segmentation Choice argued that
multivitamins often exhibit
“unnecessary market segmentation”,
with many products advertised to
appeal to different target groups,
despite there being very little
difference in their ingredients.
“An example of market
segmentation is the boys’ and girls’
Bioglan Kids Gummies
Multivitamins,” said Just.
“The products are identical – the
only difference is that one packet
features Disney Princesses and the
other features characters from the
movie Cars,” Just added.
Taking aim at what it called
inconsistent and complex labelling
of complementary medicines,
Choice called for manufacturers to
apply uniform labelling information
so that consumers can make
accurate comparisons.
“Some ingredients on multivitamin
products are listed under their
vitamin name while others appear
as their chemical name,” said Just.
“For example, vitamin B3 can be
listed under its vitamin name or its
chemical name (niacin).
“An untrained person probably
wouldn’t know that the two things
are one and the same,” she added.
MEANWHILE the Complementary
Healthcare Council of Australia has
hit back at the accusations, saying
that research conducted in May
last year found that 75% of
consumers knew what
complementary medicine they
were taking and why.
“Comments made by Choice
today highlight that there are
consumer segments considered to
benefit from supplementation,
including pregnant women and
those on restrictive diets,” said the
CHC’s Dr Wendy Morrow.
“This goes hand in hand with the
research conducted in 2011 which
found that consumers are making
informed choices with regard to
the products they are purchasing in
order to address their individual
health needs,” she added.
Morrow also hit back at labelling
claims, saying that the
complementary medicines industry
is working closely with the TGA to
ensure labels provide appropriate
information in an easily digestible
way.
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