Natural, Herbal, and Vitamin Supplements - Research Paper Example

Natural, Herbal, and Vitamin Supplements In recent times, the supplements industry has experienced tremendous growth. With new companies emerging, the number of people who purchase Nutri natural, vitamin and herbal supplements increases each year. The high rate at which people are willing to spend money to acquire supplements is based on people’s believe that supplements are beneficial. The truth is that, while some supplements are genuine, others are hazardous with very little effectiveness. Moreover, others are branded as natural while in the real sense; they contain synthetic chemicals that pose a great risk to people’s health (Clement 1). Most people purchase supplements through the net. This is attributed to the media which often influences people’s decisions to purchase. Media greatly affects online shopping for vitamins and supplements. Each day, online sites are flooded with people looking for every kind of health related information. Their searches range from information pertaining to remedies for health problems to preventive health care. In order to market their supplements, companies through the media place a wide range of advertisements that are enticing to consumers (Vaskovarzic 1). Each site gives the impression that their product is the ultimate solution to health problems. Given that consumers are desperate for solutions, they are usually easily convinced to purchase these supplements. Sometimes, reviews from people who give testimonies on how some of the supplements are effective increase people’s urge to purchase. Media has also contributed a lot towards creating an image that is at times deceiving to people (123HelpMe 1). Online photos show pictures of flawless people especially celebrities. In some circumstances, media will highlight specific supplements that these celebrities use to acquire the perfect look. The fact that everyone wants to look good becomes a triggering factor for online shopping for supplements based on judgment from online images. Media has created awareness about the existence of various supplements. If it were not for the media, people would be less knowledgeable. In addition to this, issues such as availability and price have been made possible through the media. From anywhere in the world, people can compare and eventually purchase every kind of supplement they want. The process of placing an order is easy (Teichner and Lesko 1). This convenience encourages online shopping (Teichner and Lesko 1). Moreover, through television talks and interviews, media plays a role in publicizing supplements. It is through media that manufacturers of supplements, as well as sellers, get the opportunity to pass the information they want. Media allows them to refer their customers to online websites. In these pages, all kind of information regarding supplements is availed (Teichner and Lesko 1). Social media, on the other hand, provides consumers with a platform through which they can exchange opinions. Though the opinion varies from one person to another, people are more likely to trust what those close to them recommend. Social sites may not be good to acquire important information (Vaskovarzic 1). All in all, it goes a long way in influencing people’s decisions to purchase supplements online. In reference to purchasing supplements online, media has gone a long way in cautioning people to be careful about supplements. In most occasions, media will distance itself from any repercussions that may arise as a result of using the products they advertise. They have made it clear that their role is only to advertise. In terms of pricing, most media channels always insist that they are not responsible in the event that fraud occurs. To some extent, it has helped in making people cautious when conducting online transactions. Through educative programs and documentaries, media has made it clear that not all supplements are safe. They do not always contain what is written on labels. Some people are not aware that manufacturers will do whatever it takes to convince people to buy their products (Vaskovarzic 1). It is, therefore, the role of the media to educate such people. People are also urged to consider the ingredients that are used to manufacture supplements since other ingredients result to allergies. Media insists that before using any supplement, it is important to seek advice from a physician. In this case, media discourages the use of products that the consumer is not sure about. There are many articles in the news about buying supplements online. There is particularly one that was recently published by The New York Times about ‘Knowing what’s in Your Supplements’. According to the article, herbal products that are sold by some companies do not contain any herbs (Anahad 1). With such occurrences, it is difficult to trust the safety of products. Though some companies listed online are genuine, others provide fake verification seals that deceive consumers. Before purchasing supplements, it is important to verify the credibility of companies that manufacture them (Anahad 1). Media has had a great effect on competitors. It identifies business concepts that are most appealing and convincing to customers. The more people are attracted by specific adverts, the more media airs them. As a result, particular companies acquire competitive advantage over others. Media has a great role to play since it can either popularize a product through positive information or incapacitate marketing strategies through negativity. Due to high demand for supplements, commercial media has been very instrumental in paving way for trends especially through commercial advertisements (Vaskovarzic 1). It provides a culture and determines market trends that competitively give advantage to companies marketing their products. Free competition is beneficial to society since it provides a wide variety of products that consumers can choose from. In spite of this, it is important to note that not all interests are addressed through completion. The economy has tendencies of market failure that in turn contribute to unhealthy competition. Through radio, television and newspapers, media has the power to determine what grounds companies and products are evaluated. Although the competition increases diversity, there is also the aspect of duplication that affects consumers directly especially in terms of quality. Since commercial media is more focused on making profits, they tend to ignore such factors. Due to technological advancement, media has been forced to adopt different strategies for reaching out to people hence influencing competition. For instance, the traditional mode of television advertising has been upgraded to online advertising. Manufacturers are therefore forced to keep up with technological changes (Vaskovarzic 1). In a way, competition is influenced. Within media, there is also competition. For instance, magazines compete against themselves, television and radio stations also compete with each other. It is through such avenues that people get to know about supplements. The role played by media especially in disseminating information is very vital though consumers are left with the sole responsibility of establishing credibility. Concerning the supplements market, media makes it look good. Considering that the supplements industry has a wide customer base, media benefits from profits made by manufacturers. Not unless there is controversy surrounding a particular product, media always gives a good impression. Despite the fact that some supplements are not fit for consumption, media still goes ahead and convinces people to consume the products. They cannot be blamed though since they have no control over what penetrates the market. Similarly, they don’t have the capacity to test the genuineness of supplements (Hefti 1). Media also gives people the perception that supplements are a daily necessity. Through advertising, supplements are granted publicity through media headlines that give positive remarks. Moreover, people are encouraged to get the counter prescriptions without a medical examination. The consumer is therefore left with the burden of decision-making. It becomes very difficult for consumers to differentiate between genuine supplements and fake supplement. Rarely will television advertisement highlight the side effects of supplements. Most of the time, they focus on providing consumers with attractive prices hence encouraging them to purchase (Ofosu 1). The fact that supplements are easily available on online media platforms gives the impression that they are an alternative to costly medical options. Media has further encouraged consumer loyalty to the extent that some people are addicted to supplements and cannot do without them. Such people will have something good to talk about regarding supplements. Hence, media gets the credit. Magazines and television adverts also enhance the eligibility of supplements by giving products multiple uses. Since consumers highly value innovation, they become dependent on particular supplements. Media’s tendency of associating supplements with influential people in society like celebrities contributes to giving a good impression. The growing importance of self-awareness drives people to consuming what they probably do not need (Alderman 1). Creating friendly websites and applications that meet the demand for supplements further gives a good picture. Not forgetting blogs and articles that highlight the benefits of using supplements (Vaskovardzic 1). Another factor is the language that media uses to describe supplements. They are described in a language that portrays them as some ‘magic’. Most people fall for this false impression and end up using supplements without having the real information. Media knows exactly what the consumer wants to hear. Articles should, therefore, be interpreted with great caution because media mainly focuses on giving good impression (Bespoke health 1). People should also be cautious about the information they receive from peers. The functionality of supplements in the body varies from one person to another (Bespoke health 1). It is therefore not proper to assume that have universal effects as the media portrays. Media is so powerful that it can either help or harm people. In everyday life, people are in connection with media through television, radio and the internet hence accessibility to information. Through the influence of magazine pictorials and television commercials, people are negatively affected. When media is abused, it influences people unconsciously to attempt things that are harmful to their health. Media often presents the picture of a perfect body with the aim of getting attention and in the long run marketing certain products. When people fail to acquire the perfect body after consuming particular supplements, they go for alternative supplements. This process increases dependency on particular products hence creating emotional conflicts in most cases (123HelpMe 1). Works Cited 123HelpMe.com. “The Negative Effects of False Media Images.” 123helpme.com. Web. 08 March 2015. Alderman, Lesley. “Knowing What’s Worth Paying For in Vitamins.” New York: The New York Times, 2009. Nytimes.com. Web. 07 March 2015. Anahad, O'connor. “Knowing What’s in Your Supplements.” New York: The New York Times, 2015. Nytimes.com. Web. 07 March 2015. Bespoke Health. “Health and the Media.” Bespoke-health.co.uk. Web. 07 March 2015. Clement, Brian. “Nutri-Con: The Truth about Vitamins & Supplements.” Organicconsumers.org. Web. 07 March 2015. Hefti, Rolf. “How Serious Are The Side Effects Of Dietary Supplements?” Supplements-and-health.com. Web. 07 March 2015. Ofosu, George O. “Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know.” Consumer-health.com. Web. 07 March 2015. Teichner, Warren and Megan Lesko. “Cashing in on the booming market for dietary supplements.” Mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com. Web. 07 March 2015. Vaskovardzic, Brianne. “Marketing Vitamins and Supplements.” Naturalproductsinsider.com. Web. 07 March 2015. Vaskovarzic, Brianne. “Marketing Vitamins and Supplements.” Naturalproductsinsider.com. Web. 08 March 2015. Read More