Hi, I am Ray Alexander, Director of Marketing for Quixtar. This is my inaugural posting to the blog and I am going to talk about an event this past weekend that paints a bit of a picture of where we are headed with putting our brands in front of consumers to make it easier for IBOs to sell.
IBOs Need to Make More Money Sooner -- it probably can't be said enough. The challenge is that new IBOs need to sell products to make money early and feel good about the business, and we've been a bit lax in providing them the tools and incentives for making the sale.
We need to make it easier to retail products. To do that, we are focusing on Health, Skin Care, and Gift, and creating product pathways for each that provide everything an IBO needs to sell to consumers. The pathway starts with products consumers want to buy, includes merchandising resources and training that help IBOs attract customers, and is supported with integrated consumer programs, events, and advertising.
IBOs clearly have a much easier time selling products that have some level of brand awareness in consumers' minds. Quixtar's exclusive product brands have not historically had great awareness outside of our business. A number of initiatives, such as last fall's national Nutrilite® advertising campaign and the global sponsorship of world record holders Asafa Powell (100 meter sprint) and Liu Xiang (110 meter hurdles), are working to change that. Just think of that a moment. Asafa Powell, the fast man in the world and the fastest man in history, attributes some of his success to Nutrilite!
Another great example of exciting brand awareness effort for Nutrilite is its official sponsorship of the 2007 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, Sunday, June 10. This race is the premiere track & field meet in the United States. Since 1996, it has been ranked first among all annual track & field meets in the U.S. by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). For more event details, visit www.preclassic.com . This prestigious race is the only one in North America where both Asafa and Liu competed, making it the perfect event for highlighting the power and prestige of Nutrilite Double X® . The Nutrilite sponsorship of this event is exciting because it highlights four examples of how we are delivering on building the pathway: IBO involvement, local/national advertising, product accessibility, and sampling.
IBO Involvement
As an event sponsor, Nutrilite hosted two tents in the expo area of the race. The first was for the general public, and all attendees were able to pick up a free Asafa Powell/Liu Xiang/ Nutrilite poster. The second tent was IBO-only and all IBOs received free Nutrilite merchandise and VIP treatment. This was a great atmosphere for IBOs to bring prospects in.
Advertising
Nutrilite also conducted special advertising in support of the event, including national commercial spots every 20 to 30 minutes during the live airing of the race on NBC.
Product Accessibility
Consumers have always found it difficult to buy product through Quixtar.com. Beginning with this race, Quixtar is making it easier. All ads direct viewers to the new www.teamnutrilite.quixtar.com . From this site, a consumer can order product in just two clicks of the mouse. The site includes an edited selection of Nutrilite and XS™ products, as well as information about Asafa Powell and Liu Xiang, and information about the brands. Any customer without a referring IBO will be assigned to one behind the scenes, and all the PV/BV will be awarded to that IBO. Any customers who already have an IBO will be able to enter that person's information into the system instead.
Sampling
In addition to the sponsorship and advertising, Nutrilite also is offering a new 10-day supply of Double X , featuring Asafa graphics. These sample-sized packages allows customers to try Double X without committing to a month-long supply, which equals easier retailing for IBOs.
Enough for now. As you an see, things are changing. The sponsorship of the Prefontaine is an excellent example.