The flavonoid market is huge and growing fast. Mordor Intelligence forecasts it to reach USD 1.2 billion by 2024. Sales are increasing at a CAGR of 3.9%.
One molecule stands out from about 6,000 known flavonoids.
Quercetin.
It’s a model for flavonoid marketing, with one caveat – its low bioavailability.
Solving this issue with quercetin is marketing gold for flavonoids.
Indeed, it represents the leading edge of ‘how-to’ marketing for all hard-to-absorb phytonutrients.
THE MODEL SOLUTION
Overcoming low absorbability has been a challenge for many plant substances at least since the first health-related study involving quercetin appeared in 1948.
However, the best solution – phytosome technology – wasn’t announced until 1991.
It was first developed as a cosmetic delivery system for quercetin, catechin, escin, and glycyrrhetinic acid. Now it’s applied widely for creating oral supplements as well.
Use of the technology has exploded since the 1990s. More than 200 research articles about it are already listed on PubMed. And a comprehensive review of phytosomes as innovative delivery systems for phytochemicals was just published in late 2021.
Using phytosome technology for formulating new quercetin-containing supplements now leads the marketing success behind products containing this plant ingredient.
Here’s how the model works for quercetin.
The model applies to other botanical ingredients with low bioavailability, too.
THE ONE-TWO PUNCH OF RESEARCH AND PHYTOSOME TECHNOLOGY
First, quercetin has been extensively studied. PubMed lists more than 22,300 scientific articles about this single ingredient. It’s the most well-studied flavonoid in the plant kingdom, even outranking resveratrol and EGCG.
This database provides excellent material for crafting persuasive content about quercetin’s research-backed benefits.
In addition, since quercetin is hard to absorb, it presents a great example for educating consumers about the importance of bioavailability.
Second, the advantages of quercetin phytosomes have been well-established scientifically.
Studies already show how they boost the impact of quercetin for several health applications. This is a rich and growing body of work. It provides a marketing bonanza for telling consumers about the science behind quercetin phytosomes.
A PERSONAL ADMISSION
Why focus on quercetin, or flavonoids at all?
Of course, the market survey cited earlier is one reason.
However, I have to admit another reason. Flavonoids are my favorite class of natural products.
One of my professors introduced me to them in my first year of graduate school. From that point on, they became my calling as I developed my professional expertise in phytochemistry.
Now, several decades later, most of my research publications have focused on flavonoids. And the majority of my graduate students did research on them, too.
I’m gratified to see the most common flavonoid in the plant kingdom – quercetin – getting the attention that it and its fellow flavonoids deserve.
COMBINING MARKETING CONTENT WITH RESEARCH
The most effective marketing content mixes the right amount of persuasive copy with support from scientific research.
It’s a two-headed process.
One ‘head’ relies on creating persuasive emotional appeals
The other provides research analyses consumers need for justifying their purchases.
Pushing hot buttons – i.e., health benefits – drives the initial decision process.
Objective data then clinch the ultimate desired action – i.e., to buy.
The growing number of quercetin phytosome formulations attest to this process.
It’s an ideal model for all hard-to-absorb phytonutrients.
HOW TO USE THE MARKETING MODEL
The model is already in play by leading supplement manufacturers. Many phytonutrient phytosomes are already on the market. In other words, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
Looking at top examples points the way. The leading developer of phytosome dispersal systems for phytonutrients is Indena S.p.A. (indena.com). Their quercetin product, Quercefit®, follows the model of developing a well-researched natural product into a bioavailability-boosting dispersal system.
Moreover, several studies published since 2016 provide an excellent marketing resource for extolling the health benefits of quercetin phytosomes.
With that background, using the Quercefit® model is a stepwise process entailing three phases.
1) PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Unless you have a sophisticated chemistry research lab and a team of synthetic chemists, the first phase begins with contacting Indena.
Indeed, it’s best to begin there anyway, since Indena has intellectual property protection for its phytosome technology.
Besides, they’re super nice people. As I was developing this article, they provided me with all of their published research resources and gave me some great pointers for explaining the value of phytonutrient phytosomes. This included health benefits as well as marketing perspectives.
2) EMULATING SUCCESS
Indena has created several phytosome products. This means supplement retailers are already on board with incorporating one or more of the ten phytonutrient products they’ve developed so far.
The success of such products as Jigsaw Health’s ‘Pureway-C Plus with Lysine and Quercefit’ and Dr. Mark Hyman’s ‘HistaQuel’ are worth emulating for Quercefit®-containing products.
Indeed, they set the stage for building on the marketing success of all nine of their other phytosome products as well.
Equally important, it’s the framework for developing additional phytonutrient phytosomes for creating an even wider array of new product formulations.
3) CREATING MARKETING CONTENT
This is where the rubber meets the road regarding the title of this article. It’s where persuasive content meets bioavailability research.
Persuasive content means creating a desire in the consumer’s eyes for a product.
If marketing were like a rocket, this is the booster stage for driving emotions toward buying actions.
Citing bioavailability research then cinches the consumer’s need to objectively justify the purchase based on facts. It’s the marketing stage for putting sales into orbit.
Content includes product descriptions, ads, landing pages, blog articles, press releases, interactive social media posts, and much more.
The key to making it all work begins with persuasive marketing copy.
HARNESSING THE POWER OF PERSUASION WITH SCIENCE
Persuasion fuels all successful marketing endeavors. Sales of the best products rise with the quality of persuasive copy.
Combining persuasion with science is the gold standard of supplement marketing.
That’s what a copywriter-scientist like me can do.
It rests on combining the skills of an expert writer with those of a research scientist.
I understand the jargon of scientific studies and can translate it into marketing content that drives supplement sales.
Would you like to explore what I can do for you? Then let’s talk.
Contact me today.
Email me at drdennisclark@gmail.com or reach me the old-fashioned way – by phone (602-908-8520).
I’d love to chat with you to see how we can work together to build strategies for marketing your products.
All the best in natural health,
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