Herbalife Nutrition - Fueling Champions

                                                 HERBALIFE NUTRITION - FUELING CHAMPIONS 

Herbalife Nutrition is a global health nutrition brand that has completely taken the world by storm. Go to any gym facility in your local area, you are likely to find a gym enthusiast either consuming, selling or simply promoting a Herbalife product. The emergence of this nutrition brand has made it a must have for any gym fanatic to store in their locker room.

According to the website (www.herblifenutrition.co.za) Herbalife Nutrition is a global multi-level marketing corporation that develops, markets, and sells dietary supplements, weight management, sports nutrition, and personal-care products. The company was founded by Mark Hughes in 1980, and it employs an estimated 8 000 people worldwide.

Herbalife has experienced incredible success in many continents around the world, particularly in the African continent. South Africa is a prime example of how this global brand has performed effectively from a brand process and internal marketing point of view. The visibility of Herbalife in almost every facet of social media, above-the-line & below-the-line marketing channels has grown significantly in South Africa over the past five and a half years.

Let’s explore below how Herbalife’s brand contact has been effective since they started operating in the South African context.

1.   BRAND CONTACT:

According to Aitman (2018: ¶ no page) a brand contact or touch point is any bit of interaction made between a brand and its customers. Herbalife has been effective in implementing key touch points in the South African context. The brand has representatives that are used as catalysts to enhance the profile of the brand and build concrete relationships with its customers. This work involves Herbalife representatives holding weekly seminars, initiating fitness activation, personnel selling, media reviews and testimonials from current and potential users of any Herbalife product. Furthermore, the proliferation of social media has made it possible for Herbalife representatives to engage and communicate more effectively and speedily with current and potential customers as a way of convincing users that Herbalife is the best placed solution in the market for dietary needs. The posting of video clips and quality images of seasoned Herbalife practitioners and personal trainers adds to the level of customer interest in the brand and to a degree, encourages potential customers to start using the brand in the medium to long-term periods.

Below, we will explore the brand contact process and how Herbalife has succeeded with key touch points as an effective tool to communicate and build customer relationships:

2.1 ALL POINTS OF CONTACT

Herbalife has a variety of products to choose from if a person is aiming to lose or gain weight, meal replacement products (i.e. teas, snacks and smoothies) or skin care products suitable for all skin types. All these products are well and clearly packaged through the organisation’s distribution centres located normally in busy and high traffic zones such as central business districts. The location of the company in the CBD area makes it attractive for users as it means ease of access to the product, visibility of the company building as more people would be passing by the Herbalife distribution centre and increased foot traffic in Herbalife kiosks for customers who want to place new orders or fetch ordered stock.

Secondly, Herbalife has a dedicated team of experts who are constantly on the floor to assist customers who come in to enquire about the product line and range or customers who want to join as Herbalife members wishing to become independent distributors. The independent distributor channel becomes crucial in the brands product life cycle as it means increased opinion leaders who will speak positively about the brand through word-of-mouth, thus influencing the purchasing decision of a customer looking to buy Herbalife dietary products as opposed to competitor brands. Therefore, it means that the team of experts from the organisation have to exercise a level of friendliness, exceptional knowledge of the product and a willingness to go beyond the call of duty. The growth of Herbalife shows that the team on the ground is doing wonderfully in elevating the brand even further.

Thirdly, Herbalife has collaborated well with renowned fitness influencers in the country such as musician Boity Thulo, fitness expert Sibahle Mpisane and from an international perspective, soccer legend, Cristiano Ronaldo. The reach and influence these celebrities have through their massive follower-ship on social media helps to engage and triggers interest from followers and heightens the brand’s value and reputation in the eyes of the consumer. In addition, Herbalife also sponsors soccer tournaments around the country, especially under age soccer and rugby groups. The company’s strategy is clearly targeted at recruiting customers at a young age so as to get young customers accustomed to the brand over a sustained period of time.

 

2.2 PRIMARY BRAND CONTACT PATTERNS

Herbalife has developed symbiotic channels that make it easy for the customer to understand the brand, the product and how the company operates. The development of a Herbalife App on Google Play store and fusing that platform with Herbalife’s social media pages ensures a coherency as far as the communication tools and message is concerned.  These platforms create favourable interactions between the brand and the customer as a way of understanding the specific dietary or skin care needs of the customer.

2.3 MOST IMPORTANT BRAND CONTACT POINTS

The introduction of memberships cards, loyalty points through repeated purchasing, in-store self-service shelf schemes, and interactive video tutorials inside the Herbalife store create an exciting journey for customers and further assists the customer to be able to relate more effectively to the brand. Above the line channels such as television, radio as well as billboards have also been utilised by the organisation to great success. The media placement in traditional marketing tools such as newspapers also plays a significant role in the pursuit of acquiring the consistent newspaper reader market. In addition, the airing of radio adverts on key radio stations with a large listener-ship ensures that the company’s messaging is carried out to millions of South Africans in various geographic locations around the country.

2.4 BRAND CONTACT COHESION STRATEGY

The ability to effectively communicate a consistent message to customers is what Herbalife strives to do. The company focuses on “a healthy life style, geared towards healthy living” which sets the tone of what the company wants to achieve through its product line and range. The above mentioned tagline is also embodied and exemplified by staff members themselves who are required to be active and fit individuals who become an extension of the brand and its commitment to healthy living and taking care of one’s body. This message is carried out not only through the integrated communication channels but through the commitment of personnel who personify what it means to be a person living in shape and ensuring that your health is placed as number one priority.

2.5 MANAGING BRAND CONTACT COHESION

One of the rewarding aspects of working for Herbalife is the fact that members can earn loyalty points that could elevate them in either bronze, silver or gold status. This means that the more you purchase the products, the more points a person accumulates. The higher the points attained, the greater the chances of receiving discounts, rebates and money back. Recently, Herbalife has introduced overseas trips to high point earners as reward to those that manage to spread the brand’s name and that name being converted into profits. The overseas trips provide an opportunity for those hard working members to network with other Herbalife members from other countries to share their Herbalife experience and journey. Moreover, it gives members the opportunity to meet with the founders of the company so as to get encouragement and reassurance that what they are doing can only be a mutually beneficial exercises.

3. INTERNAL MARKETING

According to Kimura (2017:8) internal marketing refers to not the end consumers who purchase products or services from one’s firm, but to the firm’s employees whose work involves providing a high level of value and satisfaction to the end customers. The employees of Herbalife are a prime example of people that authentically demonstrate the values of the company. It is a rarity to see staff members from the organisation not having full access to social media platforms, YouTube channels and full access to the company’s customer data base for networking purposes. Employees that invest in the company’s products are employees who would easily advocate for the company’s products or services to customers. Herbalife recognises that in order to build confidence from the outside, employees need to be immersed within the culture and confidence needs to be built internally. The employees and regional managers of Herbalife live the brand through constant posting of fitness, healthy eating and skin care content that encourages customers spend on the products of the organisation. Even the founder, Mark Hughes, is a big advocate of living the out the brand’s values to its fullest. He has a fitness programme that requires him to kick start his day at the gym at 05:00 AM every Monday to Friday’s. He posts gym workouts every day whilst at the gym and gives motivational videos every second gym post that he makes. This activism from the founder filters down to subordinates and stakeholders alike and ensures that the brand is lived out in its truest tangible form.  

• Kimura, T. 2017. Internal marketing: Another approach to marketing for growth. Routledge: London.
• https://www.canny-creative.com/how-to-define-brand-touchpoints-for-a-winning-customer-experience/
• https://www.herbalife.co.za/