Are Supplements the New Snake Oil?

One of the iconic characters of the American Western is, of course, the quack, the “snake oil salesman” —for example, Mr. Merriweather (that name!) in the magnificent film “Little Big Man,” who, assisted by Dustin Hoffman, sells a supposed miracle cure—consisting of nothing but alcohol—while dressed in a fine suit and top hat. Such “medicine shows,” however, were not an invention of the movies but were commonplace until the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. When the audience realized they’d been duped, though, things usually didn’t end well—at least not for the salesman.

So it’s a good thing for the marketing team at “Lavita” that in Germany in the year 2027, no one is being tarred and feathered! After all, the Bavarian brand’s “micronutrient concentrate” is pretty close to snake oil: Apparently, the drink—which is marketed, not very originally, as “Saubertrank”—is basically just fruit juice, albeit at a price of 50 euros for a half-liter bottle.

The organization Foodwatch suspects that consumers are being misled here, and has accordingly awarded Lavita a “negative prize.” And more broadly: Should the market for functional foods and supplements be subject to stricter legal regulation, as Foodwatch is calling for? Normally, as brand builders, we’re not fans of regulation, but given the abundance—no, the glut—of new products of extremely dubious origin currently flooding the market, this is certainly worth considering. And in this case, regulation would benefit reputable brands.

That's exactly what happened when the Wild West finally came to an end and the Pure Food and Drug Act led to the rise of Warren Buffett's favorite brand: Heinz. Lavita, at any rate, isn't likely to end up on Warren Buffett's radar anytime soon.

Here's the link: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/goldener-windbeutel-fuer-lavita-das-macht-den-fruchtsaft-zur-dreistesten-werbeluege-accg-201029174.html