NBJ Summit: Educate dietary supplement consumers through social media platforms

NBJ Summit attendees eagerly discussed how the supplement industry can leverage social media and other consumer education platforms to create a unified message around quality, science and transparency. The working group acknowledged significant roadblocks surrounding social platforms, including egregious claims and lack of regulation. However, participants left optimistic about how social media can help advance the dietary supplement industry's mission. Below are five key takeaways from the discussion.

Filling the gaps

Research from New Hope Network highlighted social media as the primary source of consumer information about dietary supplements. It also revealed that younger consumers are prioritizing efficacy but are less concerned with the science that ensures products meet their promises. This disconnect could be exacerbated by misinformation or a lack of information on social channels. Educating influencers and making science-based messaging more accessible and directly tied to product efficacy could help address this challenge.

Industry messaging

Participants identified one key opportunity: to unite trade associations through a shared consumer education campaign and establish social media communication standards and best practices. These standards could be distributed through prominent health and wellness influencer networks to broaden reach, but achieving this would require greater industry-wide alignment.

Trust

Rampant misinformation on social media, particularly around categories like weight loss and sports nutrition, has damaged consumer trust and could impede social media’s potential as a reliable source of consumer education. Without proper regulations to police inaccurate information on social media channels, the best opportunity to build trust is by partnering with accredited health and wellness experts.

Authenticity

Accurate, research-backed information is the first step in building consumer trust. The next step is authenticity. Brands that leverage social media to communicate who they are and what goes into their products will succeed on communication channels that are most effective when used to give users access to more information about the companies and the products they support.

Accountability

Brands must also ensure they are not crossing any lines around claims or product promises and that they are diligent in ensuring their communication partners are reliable and informed. This type of industry self-regulation will be crucial to the future of industry messaging, as trust and accountability go hand in hand.