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Marketing challenge.

Marketing, social media, advertising

Venturer

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One of my associates, an internist, has developed an all natural product that has proven to be extremely effective in actually curing (so no symptom fighter) the chronic diseases asthma and COPD. It has no side-effects whatsoever. All the people to whom he had given it over the past 10 years were cured after using the product for about two months.
Due to a lack of financial resources and due to the fact that my friend does not want to wait for years before the product will be approved as a medicine, we came to the conclusion that it's best to introduce it in the market as soon as possible as foodstuff.
This is allowed here in Europe since the product consists of natural ingredients which are all approved for use in food.

The big disadvantage of going via this route instead of spending lots of money and time on a drug registration procedure is that we are not allowed to put any medical claims on the product or in ads, flyers, websites etc. that promote the product.
The product cures asthma and COPD but we're only allowed to use a few strictly regulated claims. The approved claims for foodstuff that come closest to what our product does, are: "breath freely" and "for a healthy respiratory system".

I welcome any creative ideas, suggestions or recommendations as to what you see as the best way to start selling the product successfully in spite of the two serious limitations (i.e. lack of financial resources and the fact that it is forbidden to use medical claims).

Thanks.
 
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MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
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I'm thinking out of the box here .... is the product marketable to fitness buffs? The ability to increase your air intake during workouts is a priceless commodity. To this market, you would have more flexibility with marketing hooks ... has the product been used during a workout regimen and if so, did it increase the intensity of the workout?
 

Venturer

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Thank you for this out of the box idea.
Very interesting approach to consider fitness buffs as a special target group.

I, not being asthmatic at all, have used it for a while as a test and noticed that my performance in cycling (I cycle two to three times a week for 1,5 hours) has improved substantially. I feel that it is justified to attribute at least a part of that improvement to the product.

Rep++
 

MJ DeMarco

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Wow, thats exciting ... you could make a fortune marketing to bodybuilders / athletes etc if the product does what you purport. Please keep us apprised!!
 
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Satpoint

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I can help you promote it the bodybuilding/fitness area- let me know and i could pull a few strings.
 

Venturer

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Thanks. I will defintely make use of your offer. Presuming that you're residing in the US I have to indicate that it may take a while before we're ready to enter the American market.
We expect to have everything ready for the market introduction in the Netherlands by the end of February. Subsequently we will start preparing for export.

As to main target group, people suffering from asthma and COPD, we are planning to be active through patient organisation and patient forums, but we have to be careful not to make any prohibited medical claim. The expectation is that the early adopters who will get relief or cured by using our product will then start spreading the word.
 

Allthingznew

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Maybe you could start or partner with a health mlm company. The product could be easily distributed in this way, as they sell by success stories, not medical claims.

If you partnered with an existing company with good products, you would have a built in customer base, and using MJ's idea would broaden the appeal for the product use.
 
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PEERless

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Aren't the expensive processes you are trying to skip important ones? As convoluted as the bureaucracy might be, it is built to protect consumers (and, inventors) from unanticipated side-effects. I'm thinking of things like Ephedra. What if one -- or all -- of your customers were to experience debilitating illness after using your product? The expense you would face then would dwarf the expense of putting in the due-diligence before going to market.

If I were holding the cure for an incurable disease in my hands, I would not settle for selling it as a vitamin.

That said, stores that might carry an untested miracle product include the afore-mentioned fitness stores, healthfood and organic food chains, and herbal stores. I wish you luck on either route.
 

CactusWren

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Just wanted to let you know that I remember a product sold by a reputable MLM called NuSkin/Pharmanex that has a product that it markets for lung capacity. I believe it is Cordymax (made from the cordyceps mushroom). Looking through their stuff could give you ideas to market your product.

I'm sure you have already made sure you have a patent or trademark, right? I do not know how formulas work, but this is a very important thing to do if you haven't already...

Good luck!
 

Jonleehacker

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as a marketing approach, yours reminds me of a famous company here is Canada called: "Cold FX"

It is a "natural remedy" that is proven to boost the immune system to reduce the change of getting colds and flu

COLD-fX is a scientifically formulated product that naturally strengthens your immune system, so cold and flu viruses don't take hold

http://coldfx.com/

If you do a bit of research you'll find there story pretty interesting as they try and expand into the US market. They are based here in my home town and I have friends that are seed investors. If you check out the stock, you can see the reflection of a resent speed bump in the road to breaking into the US market.

cvq.to


worth a look for you to see some possible similarities to the route you are considering.
 
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Venturer

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Aren't the expensive processes you are trying to skip important ones? As convoluted as the bureaucracy might be, it is built to protect consumers (and, inventors) from unanticipated side-effects. I'm thinking of things like Ephedra. What if one -- or all -- of your customers were to experience debilitating illness after using your product? The expense you would face then would dwarf the expense of putting in the due-diligence before going to market.

If I were holding the cure for an incurable disease in my hands, I would not settle for selling it as a vitamin.

That said, stores that might carry an untested miracle product include the afore-mentioned fitness stores, healthfood and organic food chains, and herbal stores. I wish you luck on either route.

Eventually we want to sell it as a registered medicine, but the inventor can't afford it to start the registration process and since he's 70 years old he would like to see his medicine help people who suffer from asthma. These people are now getting all kinds of medications which only tackle the symptoms. Furthermore those medications can have severe side effects.

Our medicine has been tested over the past 10 years by a few hundred asthma or COPD patiernts with good results and without any adverse effects. As soon as we can afford we'll start the registration process which includes formal clinical trials.

Of course when selling foodstuff or health supplements, as you point out, there is always a financial risk of claims if someone would sufer negative side effects. However, we are prepared to take that risk, since according to our analyses that risk is negligible in our case.
 

Venturer

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Nov 11, 2007
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Just wanted to let you know that I remember a product sold by a reputable MLM called NuSkin/Pharmanex that has a product that it markets for lung capacity. I believe it is Cordymax (made from the cordyceps mushroom). Looking through their stuff could give you ideas to market your product.

I'm sure you have already made sure you have a patent or trademark, right? I do not know how formulas work, but this is a very important thing to do if you haven't already...

Good luck!

Thank you.
MLM (as Allthingznew also suggested) is something we're considering as one of the means to bring it to the market.

Yes, we have applied for patents and we've registered the relevant trademark.
 

Venturer

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JonLeehacker, Cold FX indeed looks like an interesting case study for us.
I'll dig up information about their approach in entering the American market.
Thank you for bringing Cold FX to my attention.

Rep+
 
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