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Develop research and present findings to CMO of Mannatech, Inc (health and beauty products) regarding the effectiveness of potential online advertising
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Mannatech.com Advertising Strategy
Draft 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Page 2 of 142
CONTENTS
Executive Summary .........................................................................................................................2
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................5
Statement of Work .......................................................................................................................6
Methodology ................................................................................................................................7
Findings ...........................................................................................................................................8
Competitive Analysis ...................................................................................................................9
Research ...................................................................................................................................9
Analysis .................................................................................................................................10
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................11
Path Forward ..........................................................................................................................11
Target Markets ...........................................................................................................................13
Summary ................................................................................................................................13
Research .................................................................................................................................13
Location of Sales ....................................................................................................................16
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................45
Path Forward ..........................................................................................................................46
Communication Methods ...........................................................................................................48
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Social Network communication ............................................................................................48
E-mail Advertisements ..........................................................................................................51
Advertisement Communication with Mannatech Associates ................................................53
Sponsorships ..........................................................................................................................54
Interstitial Ads .......................................................................................................................54
Banner Ads and Skyscraper Ads ...........................................................................................55
Rich Media .............................................................................................................................56
Pop-up Ads ............................................................................................................................56
Pop-under Ads .......................................................................................................................57
Advertising ................................................................................................................................59
Research .................................................................................................................................59
Analysis .................................................................................................................................63
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................72
Path Forward ..........................................................................................................................88
Summary ........................................................................................................................................90
Works Cited ...................................................................................................................................91
Appendices ................................................................................................................................93
Executive Summary .........................................................................................................................2
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................5
Statement of Work .......................................................................................................................6
Page 4 of 142
Methodology ................................................................................................................................7
Findings ...........................................................................................................................................8
Target Markets .............................................................................................................................9
Summary ..................................................................................................................................9
Research ...................................................................................................................................9
Location of Sales ...................................................................................................................12
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................41
Path Forward ..........................................................................................................................42
Advertising ................................................................................................................................44
Research .................................................................................................................................44
Analysis .................................................................................................................................48
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................57
Path Forward ..........................................................................................................................73
Summary ........................................................................................................................................75
Works Cited ...................................................................................................................................76
Appendices ................................................................................................................................78
Page 5 of 142
INTRODUCTION
Page 6 of 142
STATEMENT OF WORK
Page 7 of 142
METHODOLOGY
Page 8 of 142
FINDINGS
Page 9 of 142
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
RESEARCH We assessed over fifty Multi Level Marketing companies to determine if any of them use online
advertising to generate revenue. We reviewed all the big firms’ sites as well as few of the small
ones (revenue generated). From our initial research we found that none of the Multi Level
Marketing sites we looked at featured outside advertisers on their websites, at least not on the
home page. Since we did not have the member log in information for the sites we were unable to
review the member-specific content.
Our next step was to do online research and find websites similar to Mannatech.com (not
necessarily Multi Level Marketing companies) to see if they used outside advertising. We
analyzed sites targeted toward MLM associates and potential associates to see what kind of
advertisers they feature on their sites. The main thing we found was a clickable Facebook or
Twitter ad that sends users to those homepages. Based on our research, we found that no one
advertises on their official websites but some of the Multi Level Marketing employees advertise
on their personal websites.
To further assess the interest for placing advertising on MLM’s website, we developed a survey
that we sent to potential advertisers. We conducted a survey to see what companies may be
interested in placing ads on Mannatech’s website. We send out a 6 question survey to various
companies to assess interest for advertising on Mannatech’s website.
Page 10 of 142
ANALYSIS If Mannatech decides to include online advertising on their sites, it will be the first MLM, as far
as we know, to do this. This could be a good or a bad thing. One question wequestion we
should consider is why are other MLMs not using outside advertising on their sites? One
possible reason is that advertisers may not want to advertise on MLM’s sites because of their
reputation. Another reason may be because MLMs don’t get as many hits as other retail sites.
We developed a survey to determine if companies are interested in including advertisements on
MLMs websites and if so, what type of companies should Mannatech try to target. Here are the
findings from our survey:\
To date 8 responses were received.
o Out of the 8 responses, 1 company said it has previously places ads on an
MLM site (the MLM specialized in weight loss products)
o 2 responders said they would be interested in placing an ad on an MLM site,
while 6 said they would not be
Of those that would be interested:
o 1 responder said his/her company would create their own ad
o 1 responder would let Mannatech design the ad
o 1 responder said he/she would utilize third party to design the ad
Based on the survey, one reason why other MLMs are not including outside advertising on their
websites may be that they are not finding enough companies who would want to advertise with
them. This can be a major concern for Mannatech. If Mannatech decides to have ads on its
website, the first major and potentially difficult task will be to find companies who are willing to
advertise.
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Another thing we considered to help us determine whether or not Mannatech should include ads
on their site is how those ads will affect the associates and impact Mannatech’s revenue. We can
look at a couple of key questions:
If the advertisement customers click on gives them a bad deal (i.e. faulty product or
buying somewhere else is cheaper) or “tricks” them into getting in a long term
contract, how will they view us as a company?
o Maybe in a negative way because this could hurt the company’s image and
therefore hurt the number of people coming back to the website or even the
company
If the customers click on the advertisement, will they spend too much time on the
other site and forget why they got online?
o Customers could possibly get side-tracked, but they would probably come back to
the site since more than likely they visited the site to order products for their
customers and that will make them money.
RECOMMENDATIONS With the current scenario, we believe it will be a difficult task to find advertisers for the
Mannantech’s website. Since no other company out there is advertising to its down lines, this
might be a risk. Mannatech can further extend the survey we accomplished to additional
companies and try and see if there are enough companies who are interested in placing ads on
their website.
PATH FORWARD We recommend that Mannatech first contact all of its vendors and business partners to determine
if any of those companies would be interested in posting ads on Mannatech’s website. Since
these companies already have a relationship with Mannatech this would be a good opportunity to
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gradually implement outside advertising on the company’s site. Once Mannatech feels confident
that having outside advertising meets its business objectives, the company can then seek out
other companies who may want to advertise with them.
Page 13 of 142
TARGET MARKETS
SUMMARY
Mannatech, Inc. sells health enhancement, skin care and weight/fitness products using a direct
selling MLM model. The Mannatech website is a place where members can order products,
communicate and track sales. The website has approximately 500,000 registered users. Located
across the globe, these individuals are of differing cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and
speak a myriad of languages. Members are organized in a tree-like structure with people at the
top of the tree benefiting from the sales of people at the bottom of the tree. The purpose of this
section is to identify the characteristics of members that use the web site. Understanding the
target market will allow Mannatech to better evaluate the pros and cons of advertising on the
website. If Mannatech proceeds with website advertising, target market information is helpful in
determining the types of advertised products, design of web ads and member segmentation.
Understanding the Mannatech members and communities determines which advertising strategy
is most appropriate for the typical Mannatech registered user.
RESEARCH
Market as a Whole (Direct Selling Market Information)
This information is based on information collected from the Direct Selling Association surveys.
Main Reason for Becoming a Direct Sales Representative
36% Additional income
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31% It's your (primary) business and making money through direct sales is important to
you
29% Discount/wholesale/free products
4% Other
Page 15 of 142
Ethnicity Breakdown:
Caucasian: 78%
Hispanic: 13%
African-American: 5%
Asian: 1%
Other: 2%
Total Household Income:
$150K+: 8%
$100K - $149.9K: $14%
$75K - $99.9K: 16%
$50K - $74.9K: 21%
$35K to $49.9K: 14%
$15K to $34.9K: 16%
Less than $15K: 11%
Education
Number of People involved in selling direct marketing products:
Page 16 of 142
78%
13%
5% 1% 2%
CaucasianHispanicAfrican-Amer-icanAsianOther
Estimated Total direct selling sales:
Location of Sales (reported as a percent of sales dollars)
Page 17 of 142
Hours spent on direct selling per week
Average Percent of Time Spent on...
Gender of people involved in selling direct marketing products:
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Age of people involved in selling direct marketing products:
Marital Status of people involved in selling direct marketing products:
Mannatech Market Demographics
This information is from research provided by Mannatech, Inc. corporate including the
Mannatech Customer Experience Scorecard1 and the Omniture Site Catalyst Countries Report2.
Age
According to the Mannatech Customer Experience Scorecard1, registered users are between
hethe ages of 25-55+. Those 55+ over account for over 50% of registered users.
Gender
The majority of Mannatech users are female.
67% Female
33% Male
Page 19 of 142
Income Levels
Over 60% of visitors’ household incomes are in the $30,000-$99,999 range.
Less than $30,000 19%
$30,000-$59,999 33%
$60,000-$99,999 29%
$100,000-$149,999 13%
$150,000 or more 7%
Education Level
Approximately half of users have an undergraduate degree or higher.
High School Graduate 14%
University Undergraduate Degree 31%
University Graduate Degree 15%
Medical Degree 3%
Other 37%
Nationality/Ethnicity2
Approximately 45% of registered users conduct their business and live in the United States.
Page 20 of 142
Marital Status
Nearly three-fourths of users are married. 1
Married 73%
Divorced/Separated 12%
Single, never marries 7%
Widowed 4%
Living with partner 3%
Behavioral Analysis
Research
User Status
Our plan of action is to determine a user’s status with regard to Mannatech (Nonusers, Ex-users,
Potential Users, First-time Users, Regularand Regular Users). Research (which will be explicated
further in a different section of the report) shows that the core target market is current registered
users who sign in to the Mannatech website. Further analysis may be used to determine status in
terms of associates, members, non-members and prospective customers.
Page 21 of 142
Primary Motivators
47% of Mannatech users visit the site to manage their personal Mannatech business. 29% access
the site to purchase products. Only 2% peruse the site to learn about Mannatech business
opportunity.
Analysis
The breakdown of Mannatech visitors indicates that the vast majority of site visitors are either
Mannatech associates or members. Thus, the vast majority of site visitors will be logging into
the private pages in order to manage their Mannatech business or to purchase.
Recommendation
If one of the main motivators for visiting the Mannatech site is to conduct business, related
advertisements would be appropriate and beneficial. If there are advertisements for companies
and products which may help the visitors conduct their business in a more streamlined manner,
this may motivate visitors to click on one of the ads for information. Accordingly, the ads must
be designed and marketed in a way which would have the user make a subconscious association
between the advertised product and Mannatech product sales. As an example, AT&T can target
their ad for the Mannatech site by correlating with Mannatech to offer special Mannatech-
specific benefits in addition to a general discount.
Mannatech associates are also motivated by the need to be successful business people. This
means that they will be aware of any cash outflow, and thus will constantly be looking for more
economical ways to do business. Marketing ads to the typically frugal natures common
incommon in most entrepreneurs greatly increases the opportunity for click through.
Page 22 of 142
Path Forward
Looking forward, Mannatech needs to focus on their target market (the true believers) and this
market’s interest in growing their business. Further research on the typical companies
Mannatech associates utilize to conduct their business may be advantageous. In addition,
Mannatech should gather an internal sample of the target market and conduct a relevant survey.
The survey would be effective in determining how Mannatech registered users would feel about
advertising on the Mannatech site. Analysis of the results would help Mannatech understand if
users find advertising beneficial or a distraction. Moreover, a survey would reveal answers to
questions about the type of advertising users would prefer or find most distracting. Once
Mannatech does an internal research of ad types, the company may even include samples in their
survey.
An internal financial analysis of costs and returns with regard to both internal, Mannatech-
oriented advertising and third-party advertising is necessary. The analysis may also include
other important factors such as intangible expenditures and earnings with regard to the
Mannatech reputation, credibility, the loyalty of users. All the different factors, some of which
may seem irrelevant, must be taken into account before entering this new advertising and website
content strategy.
With regards to third-party advertising, it is imperative that Mannatech keep the end-users in
mind. Ads on the website should be companies that would assist users in forming and staying in
contact with downlines and growing their business. Mannatech must conceive internal benefits
to correlate with third-party advertisements and entice users. Also, Mannatech must monitor the
benefits received from third-party advertising parties if third party advertising is placed on the
site.
Page 23 of 142
Geography
Research
78% of registered Mannatech users are located in the United States. Of the remaining 22%, 11%
are located in Canada.
Analysis
The majority of Mannatech registered users are located in North America.
Recommendation
Since North America amounts to the majority of Mannatech users, advertising should be limited
to products available in North America. A statement should be placed close to the ad indicating
that the offer is only available in North America to avoid confusion among international
members. Members should be surveyed before and after advertising is placed on the site to gauge
Page 24 of 142
member reaction. If web advertising enhances the value chain in North America and the
members are not irritated by the advertising, then it can be expanded to other countries such as
Australia and New Zealand.
Benefits
The majority of Mannatech business comes from North America. Focusing on the North
American market allows Mannatech the opportunity to test the market at a low cost. Starting the
advertising in one part of the world is more cost-efficient. The target market in North America is
mainly English-speaking. Therefore, no translation is required. In addition, the U.S. boasts
higher technological standards. Web advertising methods are not restricted due to the target
market’s bandwidth or connection speed.
Drawbacks
No matter the location, some advertising deals may not be available to all registered users in
every part of North America. Canada and the United States have different governing bodies with
different regulations and rules. Different firms provide different services depending on their city
of operation. The software to pinpoint the geographic location may be expensive. As with any
connection to a third-party, there is the possibility of diminishing Mannatech’s credibility.
Mannatech must have some control over advertising content and type. Focusing the advertising
project on North America limits the full possible benefits of the project.
Path Forward
Mannatech should investigate the costs and benefits of geographic segmentation of web content.
Content could be tailored to the language and location of the end user member. Ads could be
targeted to ensure that the advertised products are available and useful to members.
Page 25 of 142
Associate Profile: Online Sales
The auction site eBay and social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Orkut and
LinkedIn were reviewed to enhance our understanding of Mannatech member interactions
outside of the Mannatech web site.
Research
Only eBay and www.checkoutmannatech.com were found to have any Mannatech products for
sale. EBay sellers are primarily low volume sellers that appear to be leaving the direct selling
business. One Mannatech associate even offered to sell his downline of sale people. Mannatech
prohibits its associates from selling on eBay and has created a specialized website
www.manaprotect.com for people to submit complaints of unauthorized selling on the web. All
other web links that were found offering Mannatech products for sale looped back to the
Mannatech main page or an associate page on www.mannapages.com.
Mannatech position for sale
Location: North Carolina
Seller User ID: cberglund
View similar active items | Sell one like this
0 Bids $7,500.00
The few repeat Mannatech products sellers are heavy discounters.
Repeat EBay Sellers
Page 26 of 142
Mannatech price $1572
Shoppinglady50
12 Jars Advanced Ambrotose Mannatech
150g 150 g 5.3oz
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WELCOME * US
BUYER FREE SHIPPING
Location: Texas
Store: A Brand Name Designer...
Seller User ID: shoppinglady50
View similar active items | Sell one like
this
Buy It
Now
Sold
$749.99
Free
shipping
Oct-20
07:53
Mannatech Price $262
Cat57man
Enlarge
(2) Advanced Ambrotose Mannatech 150g
150 g 5.3 oz gram
Free Priority Mail Shipping for U.S. Buyers
exp. 05/11
Buy It
Now
Sold
$148.49
Free
shipping
Oct-19
16:23
Page 27 of 142
Location: Texas
Store: A Bargain Price Parad...
Seller User ID: cat57man
View similar active items | Sell one like
this
Analysis
Mannatech online sales are primarily through the main Mannatech web site. Creating an
independent web site to sell Mannatech products is difficult due to strict policies regarding the
display of Mannatech products. Blog postings regarding the creation of a websites to sell
Mannatech products mentioned the difficult policies that exist. The majority of Mannatech
members have decided that a private web site is more trouble that it is worth. In summary,
legitimate sellers of Mannatech products are not easily found on the internet. Mannapages for
members do not appear to be heavily used by members. The existing Mannapages do not offer
much in the way of customization or usability. Unauthorized sellers are not common, but when
found, are heavily discounting the product and devaluing the brand. Mannatech has successfully
ensured that the vast majority of online selling is performed on the official site and that all links
found on the web consolidate to the Mannatech web site.
Recommendations
Mannapages for members should be enhanced to provide real functionality and customization.
Currently members do not have an outlet for creative design and marketing of products. Hosting
member websites would allow Mannatech to monitor content while providing a store front
Page 28 of 142
viewable to the general public. Blogs and member created experiences with the products would
be a strong advertisement for Mannatech products. The members could leverage their
philosophy or interests to gain members. Prospective members do not currently have a way of
evaluating groups to join. Finding original content regarding Mannatech products is very
difficult. Web users expect to research products, look for reviews and find unique information.
Let the members sell products and share their passion.
Path Forward
Mannatech should investigate creating a store on eBay to create an official outlet for Mannatech
products and put pressure on unauthorized sellers. A department or person in charge of the
internet community could help involve new members in discussions and site creation. Group
advocates could help place members with communities that share their interests and background.
Associate Profile: Facebook
Research
There are over 500 Mannatech Associates who have facebook accounts. There are 75 groups
and 19 fan pages formed by Mannatech Associates on Facebook.com. The Mannatech groups
consist of 3670 members and 1318 fans.
Nationality/Ethnicity
The majority of Mannatech AsssociatesAssociates on facebook.com are from North America.
US: 340
Canada: 55
Europe: 32
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Australia: 40
South Africa: 17
Gender
Most Mannatech users on facebook.com are female. The age profile is very similar with the
Mannatech score card.
60 % Female
40% Male
Age
The users are mostly adult. We can easily see from most of their facebook profiles that, most of
the female associates are middle-aged, married and have children.
Analysis
Facebook seems to be as popular among Mannatech Associates just like it is with non-
Mannatech associates. Facebook users, connected to Mannatech, share feedback and information
about Mannatech products. Users discuss health, weight loss, well being, and nutrition on group
walls. Associates advertise Mannatech products on group pages and provide information about
job opportunities for prospective Mannatech members.
Recommendation
There many individual Facebook pages dedicated to Mannatech. It would be advantageous for
Mannatech to create one main primary Mannatech Facebook page that all associates could access
and link to. This process should at least be done at a regional level. Such a page would help
Mannatech associates keep in touch with happenings and information from multiple sources in a
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single place. This easy access to information would reduce the time and effort associates would
spend to interact with other members. Also, the feeling of kinship may be enhanced if
Mannatech Associates perceived and felt that they are a part of a large and wide, yet close-knit
network. Since the associate’s revenue is directly proportional to their downline, it may
encourage to users to work harder.
Path Forward
Mannatech should link to its Facebook page on the main Mannatech website and link back to the
Mannatech homepage on Facebook to create a closed loop.
A Facebook link on the Mannatech homepage would encourage Associates to join or interact on
the social network and use it to their benefit. Facebook features a more laid-back, enjoyable
atmosphere,atmosphere; it is also a friend-oriented network (as opposed to LinkedIn’s
professional perception). This association may help with the Associates’ perception of
Mannatech. Mannatech may now be perceived as a workplace which also provides for some
enjoyment and this might help attract more Associates in the future.
Associate Profile: Twitter4
The official Mannatech Twitter page twitter.com/mannatech boasts 697 followers. A small
sample size of MannaTweeps was examined.
Research
Gender
The majority of Mannatech followers are female. The figures are similar to the Mannatech
demographic figures listed in the scorecard1.
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58% Female
42% Male
Nationality/Ethnicity
Followers are located across the world. Geographic locations include the United States,
Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland.
United States 61%
Canada 15%
Australia 9%
Switzerland 6%
England 3%
New Zealand 3%
Sweden 3%
Occupation
Mannatech followers and its following are diverse in their occupations. Many followers are
network marketers, home business owners (many are stay-at-home moms) or training coaches
assisting those with a multilevel marketing business. Many MannaTweeps list Mannatech in
their profile. Some followers hold full time jobs and utilize their Mannatech business as
supplemental income. Listed professions for the Mannatech following include physicians,
chiropractors, life coaches, teachers, performers, motivational speakers, athletes and personal
trainers.
Behavioral
MannaTweeps are advocates of home businesses, making extra money, fitness, wellness, natural
health, weight management, nutrition and skincare. Mannatweeps are users of Mannatech health
and skincare products and are firm believers in their positive effects. Many MannaTweeps are
Page 32 of 142
spiritual and religious. Individual Mannatech followers have a handful of followers to thousands
of followers of their profiles and pages.
Primary Motivators
MannaTweeps use Twitter to socially connect with others, find out more about upcoming
Mannatech advances and events. Many Mannatech followers post their own techniques and
strategies for being successful in the business on their personal Twitter page. Mannatech
corporate posts are news-oriented with links to articles.
Page 33 of 142
Analysis
Twitter is a logical place to connect associates with their immediate downline and Mannatech
corporate to connect with their registered users. However, the site is not very Mannatech
oriented, with only a small logo appearing on the upper left side of the page. The Mannatech
website is listed in the right panel but is lost otherwise.
Twitter and other social networking sites offer Mannatech a plethora of connections and
networks to tap into. Each individual follower on the Mannatech Twitter page adds value to the
overall Mannatech network by allowing for an additional connection. With some followers
having tens of thousands of followers themselves, the possibility to expand the network is
endless.
Path Forward
The Twitter page should be transformed aesthetically to feature Mannatech more prominently.
Mannatech registered users are internet users. The internet is their life-line and many are Twitter
users. They should further be directed back to the Mannatech homepage or at least one of the
satellite sites, depending on their interest. Whether their interest is in weight loss, the science
behind Mannatech products, skincare, etc. the official Mannatech sites should remain in the
network loop.
Associate Profile: MySpace
The number of Mannatech members within Myspace.com is 20 samples. Those people list
Mannatech as occupation and most of them work as independent associate of Mannatech.
Page 34 of 142
Research
Gender
The figures demonstrate that the number of Mannatech members between men and women are
the same:
50% Male
50% Female
Age
The majority of Mannatech members are between twenty to thirty years old (approximately
50%). The next highest age group is 31-40 year olds. This information is very different from the
Mannatech demographic figures listed on the scorecard. However, this error may be the effect of
a small sample size and the younger demographics of MySpace.com.
20-30 year: 50%
31-40 year: 31.25%
41-50 year: 6.25%
51-60 year: 12.5%
Education Levels
Most Mannatech members have college degrees or higher. This information is compatible with
the demographic data in the scorecard.
Location
Based on geographical data, it was found that Mannatech followers generally reside in the US.
The rest of members are located in other parts of the world such as Canada and England.
US 87.5%
Page 35 of 142
Others 12.5
Analysis
Mannatech members on MySpace have used this social network to network and send information
about Mannatech products to friends or other members. However, there are only a few
Mannatech followers on this site. Due to the low numbers of MySpace followers, this social
networking site is not an effective place for Mannatech advertising. Other social networks, such
as Facebook with larger fan bases would be more effective location for Mannatech advertising.
Path Forward
If Mannatech is interested in further using this site, it should motivate Mannatech associates to
visit this site more. Associates could use this site to create networking and transfer information
and experiences about Mannatech products effectively. Furthermore, it would help Mannatech
associates to interact with their downlines.
Associate Profile: LinkedIn
Research
Gender
56% of the employees are female and 44% are male. This data is very similar to the data on the
Mannatech scorecard.
Age
The median age of the employees is 37 years old.
Page 36 of 142
Location
Most of Mannatech associates are located in the DFW area, with a few located in either Denver
or Los Angeles. As a company, Mannatech is listed as a mid-sized public company (2006
revenues of $410 million) in the Health, Wellness and Fitness industry (Company Size 501-1000
employees).
Occupation
Common job titles found on LinkedIn are Associate, Independent Associate, Director, Regional
Director and Consultant. Through research, the career paths for Mannatech employees are clear.
Before - Home Interiors, Latimark...
After - Mary Kay Inc., SYSTIME...
Judging by the career path, it seems like the associates join Mannatech after having worked at
small companies with about 100 employees and then move on to bigger companies with a greater
number of employees. Some associates even move to other big MLMs such as Mary Kay Inc.
Analysis
One would expect LinkedIn to be a natural networking ground for associates, because it is of
prime importance in multi-level marketing firms. However, the profiles show different. Network
connections are few. Though associates are very internet savvy and use the internet for selling
products to customers, the associates don’t seem to be very active on LinkedIn. Perhaps the
Mannatech network is so close knit and personal that associates can manage to maintain that
network using personal email alone. It seems like the vast networking potential that LinkedIn
offers is not being properly utilized by Mannatech employees.
Page 37 of 142
Recommendation
Mannatech should encourage more of its employees to create profiles on LinkedIn and to use it
more actively. This is because the first person a customer would go to verify a salesperson’s
credibility is LinkedIn, and it would help the Mannatech associates to come across as more
trustworthy to their customers this way.
Path Forward
The LinkedIn page should be used more creatively by the associates to help build their network
of customers. The description of Mannatech given there is insufficient, and customers need to be
told of the company’s vision and mission statements in that space for company description. This
could also help convert potential Mannatech customers to associates, helping Mannatech
associates increase their downline, and hence their revenues.
Associate Profile: Orkut
Research
The following information was based on doing a search in Orkut for Mannatech in the
Occupation field of profiles. There are a total of ten users who listed their occupation as
Mannatech.
Age and Gender
In the North American region, users are all middle aged to older women. In Europe, the users
were younger and mostly male. These figures may show that the presentation and selling of
products is managed differently overseas.
Location
US 50%
Estonia 30%,
Italy 10%
Page 38 of 142
Canada 10%
Other Pertinent Information
The website www.buyambrotose.com is listed 6 times on discussion boards across Orkut.
Analysis
The users of Orkut, although small in number, are representative of the North American
demographic trends- middle aged women who market to their friends in their homes. It also
shows that this small slice of users also follows the generalized international trends that have
already been observed in Mannatech users.
Recommendation
Orkut is a small but growing group of users who have found an alternative to other social
networking sites, and Mannatech would have an edge if they get into the market at the beginning
stages such as this, in order to maximize the potential of all new entrants into the website seeing
their advertising and becoming potential Mannatech associates and members.
Path Forward
Mannatech must consider the gains which they would experience if they decided to expand their
presence onto Orkut and weigh this against the time and resources it would take to implement a
presence on the site. Also, further studies should be done to see if the growth rate of Orkut will
overtake other social websites in the future. Finally, Mannatech must look into the privacy and
other policies that Orkut implements in order to see if this would inhibit their use of the site to
promote their products.
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Website Information
Research
Frequency
48% of repeat visitors come to the site daily or at least weakly. First time visitors comprise only
7% of all visitors.
How do users find the site?
Users learn about business opportunities through friends, relatives or a network of acquaintances.
Only 9% of users learned about the Mannatech site thorough Internet search engines
Which pages are visited most?
Approximately one quarter of the top 50 pages on the Mannatech website are public to users who
have not logged in. The remaining three quarters of the sites require users to be logged in.
The top page views are related to shopping and the completion of orders.
Page Public/Private Hits
1. Home Page Public 402,363
2. MyMannatech:Dashboard Private 249,688
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3. Select Country Public 241,328
4. Checkout:Order Detail Public 195,931
5. My Mannatech:Order:My Orders Private 173,119
6.Checkout:Order Complete Private 124,778
7. Checkout:Order Confirmation Private 105,523
8. My Mannatech: Success Tracker Public 105,427
9. Checkout: Processing Private 94,007
10. Checkout: Payment Info Private 89,144
Analysis
From these figures, it is apparent that any advertising on the Mannatech site should be on private
pages. Third-party advertising should be more prominently placed on private pages, where most
of the target market visits.
Recommendations
Although, the Mannatech homepage is the most commonly visited page, no advertising should
be placed on the homepage as it is the point of first impression. Advertising on the homepage
would clutter the page, portray a negative connotation and may distract the target market from
effectively achieving their goal in accessing the site.
Path Forward
Mannatech should further investigate their website in detail. Some pertinent further that should
be answered in determining which pages to advertise include: how long do users stay on the
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web-site? Which page do users spend the most time? More public content should be available
from the home page. Many people visit the home page and then leave without a purchase or
login. The informational sub pages could host offers designed to benefit prospective members
and entice them to join Mannatech.
Community Profile
Each individual Mannatech associate and member is a part of an extensive Mannatech
community. The common thread that weaves the group together is Mannatech. Loyal and
committed, this group of believers connects with each other in multiple ways both online and on
a more personal basis. Through research and analysis of the individual Mannatech members and
associates, we have conceived a community profile of Mannatech members, specifically those in
North America.
The North American user tends to be an older educated population. 67% of the North American
users are female. Over 70% of the total users are married. Several indicators on different social
networking websites indicate that the majority of the users are associates with religious beliefs.
The trends illustrate that the group most responsible for Mannatech's success are middle class
American families who use Mannatech as a secondary source of income. With the current
economic times, many individuals in North America have found alternative ways to earn money,
in order to sustain their current standard of living into retirement and older age. Many people in
this demographic require a second source of income, which they have control over. This leads
many in this demographic to start small with a home business or to start selling products such as
those offered by Mannatech.
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Needs
As a community, Mannatech associates and members need:
Good Health
Primary or supplemental income
Close family ties
Spirituality
Connections
Desires
As a community, Mannatech associates and members have a multitude of wants and desires on a
personal note and with respect to a work environment:
Business Desires
Products that sell well
Products that enhance wellness
A company that helps generate income
Rewards based on individual and downline performance
Investment which requires little capital and is low risk
Control over working hours, time spent and amount of effort exerted
Face to face contact
Selling tools
Business administration tools including accounting, shipping, phones and office supplies
Recruiting Tools
Training on how to develop and run a business
An user-friendly business that is easy to start business
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Personal Desires
Greater control over own health
A better quality of life
Look great and feel great
Financial security and independence
An exciting, rewarding career
Sharing a product that they use and believe in
A community with similar values
A feeling of accomplishment
A feeling of helping neighbors and loved ones be healthy
A feeling of doing good in the world
Motivations
Whether Mannatech community members are mothers or male entrepreneurs, their primary goal
is to help other people. Altruistic and faithful, the community believes that Mannatech products
will improve the lives of others. They have a great desire to spread this prophecy and the tools to
conceive it. They are true believers in the products’ ability to improve wellness and improve
monetary independence through sales. Mannatech members want control of their own health and
financial welfare.
Selling Mannatech products fulfills a need to build a successful business and downline. The
successful downline will be composed of people that share common interests and continue to
recruit like mindedlikeminded members. As the page reports illustrate, Mannatech registered
users are constantly working to expose the world to Mannatech products by purchasing and
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reselling. In addition, users are accessing their personal Success Tracker pages to gain a feeling
of accomplishment and move forward with their goals.
The Mannatech community as a whole is family-oriented and in some cases, religious. The
majority of registered users are middle-aged, married females with children. Attendance at
Mannatech events is a good illustration of the strong family and religious associations. The
events incorporate sponsored Sabbath Keepers events and sponsored child care. In general,
people do not bring children to conferences. However, Mannatech functions have a demand for
child care. This speaks to a strong family dynamic.
Communication
On the go, driving the kids around between school, extracurricularalicular activities and errands
or working another full time job, these individuals are extremely busy with their daily lives. Yet,
they find the time to stay connected. Quick and easy communication is most efficient for
conducting their business and interacting with their downline and potential customers. PDA type
phones and the internet are probably most commonly used. Utilizing multiple social and
business networking sites as well as mannapages, there are multiple points of contact for these
individuals to connect and interact online.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Understanding the Mannatech community is essential to building loyalty and commitment
among members as well as communicating with Mannatech Associates. According to the
research on individual registered users and the Mannatech community as a whole,
advertisements should offer discounts as well as be correlated with a Mannatech loyalty
program. In order to properly target ads towards the North American Mannatech community,
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Mannatech and third-parties must offer these individuals opportunities to realize their goals of
earning a secondary income, or offer them savings on products which they may already currently
use in their daily lives. Mannatech must ensure that ads are relevant to the users. Otherwise,
Mannatech will not earn any benefits from the companies which are advertising on the website.
In addition to relevance, Mannatech must ensure that certain intrusive advertising is not used, as
this demographic will have a negative reaction and hold Mannatech responsible.
PATH FORWARD
Answering these questions will help define the sub communities within Mannatech community
and allow better targeting of products and services.
What is the distribution of down-line size? Are there many small groups, few large
groups or a combination? What is the mix?
We believe that the distribution of down line size could reveal the amount of true
entrepreneurial members versus followers.
Do different down-lines concentrate on purchases of specific product lines such as
Optimal Health, Optimal Skin, Optimal Weight and Fitness? Or do most down-lines
order equally from all groups.
Mannatech should study the purchasing history of the Mannatech communities and target them
appropriately.
What characterizes high, medium and low producers?
We are looking for traits that could identify a potential high producer early and target retention
promotions to them.
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Mannafest and other Mannatech functions can reveal much about the Mannatech
community. The content of the workshops in correlation to attendance of the workshops
would reveal specific interests. KiddieCorp attendance could reveal the number of
families involved with Mannatech and explain the differences between Mannatech
numbers and those of multilevel marketing industry as a whole.
Sabbath Keepers appears to be an active sub community. Investigating the positioning of
Sabbath Keepers in the Mannatech structure could reveal opportunities for targeted
products.
Are the athletes in Team Mannatech active Mannatech salespeople? Do they typically
lead down-lines? What is their role as a group? This is another opportunity to target an
internal community.
There are someare some differences between the demographics of the overall direct
selling industry and Mannatech demographics. The differences should be investigated.
Opportunities may be found in untapped communities.
On the international front, although other parts of the globe only account for 20% of Mannatech
total sales, the group is increasing in size. This international group conducts business in many
different languages and utilizes different selling techniques. If Mannatech decides to advertise to
its international market, different versions of an advertisement must be created and marketed
toward the myriad of groups depending on the group’s geographic location, language, religious
and cultural beliefs.
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COMMUNICATION METHODS
SOCIAL NETWORK COMMUNICATION
Research
People posting blogs as well as comments regarding Mannatech were found on numerous
websites such as Face Book and Twitter, personal blog, as well as video clips on YouTube. Also
while doing our research we found this online regarding a Mannatech lawsuit. -- “Mannatech
Company Settle False Marketing Claims for $1 Million penalty. And this wasn’t the first
time.-- The lawsuit, filed in 2007, alleged numerous instances in which freelance sales
associates falsely claimed that the products helped cure or prevented diseases such as cancer,
autism and Down syndrome.1”
22 Mannatech Facebook Pages foundFace Book(FB) 22 page results are found
o Among the pages found one official page was found “Mannatech, Inc. - Official
Page” which was created in late Sep. The information provided regarding, Press
release, Product, Training Information, Dialogue with associates on these pages
are various and much more attractive than Mannatech’s website.
o The other 21 pages are confusing. Some are obvious personal groups; some look
very similar to the official one. (ex. Mannatech Europe page… Is it official?? )
o Positive feedback from fans on the official website. One of the posts was “glad
that Mannatech was finally supporting the network”
1 http://www.ironmagazine.com/blog/2009/mannatech-company-settle-false-marketing-claims/
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o FB chats with some fans from Mannatech official page.Limited chatting is
used on Mannatech FB site
Some are not associates, they’ve just used Mannatech products.
Some are associates. They Associates have joined FB group to share
information about what is going on in the market, and to suggest that
Mannatech add this function to its website. They also mentioned is that
they wish that Mannatech provided “Contact information on all their
members.”
Some associates mentioned, compared with website, they prefer E-mail
because it is the best and easier to transfer information.
They tend to visit the website mainly for Product information and updates
o Official twitter page http://twitter.com/mannatech, with many individual
comments in this official page.
o Hundreds of twitter threads related to Mannatech’s products can also be found.
YouTube
o Mannatech post official CEO talks on YouTube (1:16 mins)2
Personal Blog
o Many associates run their own blog, and usually post their videos to it
o Internet marketing tools target website targeting target Mannatech associates less
more than product introduction
2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y_9mwXh5E8
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Amazon
o 2 result under sponsored links, the one is office page and the other is associate’s
private link.
o EBay
o 112 results found for Mannatech.
o 4 major sellers sell various Mannatech products.
Analysis
o The unofficial comments from associates might hurt the Mannatech brand or cause financial
fine. There’s a need to control this situation among the social network.
o It is effective to set up the OFFICALOFFICIAL Page against other Mannatech pages on FB.
The fans of the official page are outnumbered the other pages in a fairly short period. (6xx
fans vs. less than 200 fans)
o Although the official twitter page is set up, it is less effective than the one in FB.
o First , it is difficult to distinguish the official page from some of the unofficial pages; the
reason we recognize it as being official is because of the Mannatech link posted on FB
official page.
o Secondly , we don’t know which posts are official, and which are comments from associates
or users.
o Associates are more focused on attracting down lines than selling products. They like the
network effect more than anything else.
o YouTube click cdount is low; either the awareness is low, or the CEO talk might not be an
effective / attractive way to communicate with the associates.
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Recommendations
o Setting up “Official” pages / groups in major social networking sites. People will make up
their own minds as to what they believe in. Also, there is a need to clearly address the
contract of the down line, telling them whether they are allowed to claim the effectiveness of
the medicine, is it legal to sell Mannatech’s product on their own.
o Leverage other social networking official pages in the same way that Mannatech is doing
with FaceBook page.
o Make use of YouTube, which is an effective and free communication tool. Create official
YouTube channel, post links to it on all social networking sites. Distribute the Mannatech
advertisements or discussions in an attractive format.
o Set up official shop on EBay / Amazon to avoid sales associates selling Mannatech products
in private online.
o Include an adaptive Search Engine application on the Mannatech website (ex. Google AD)
o Mobile Communicationo Research
With the advent of high speed internet hotspots, 3G mobile networks, and
WiMAX, consumers are increasingly integrating mobile communication and
information inquiries in their busy lives. This additional communication channel
is vital to the future of any advertising campaign, corporate communications
department, or customer relationship management program.
o Facebook Connection
Over 65 million, roughly 22% of active Facebook users access their facebook accounts using mobile devices. (http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics)
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Facebook users that access their account via a mobile device are 50% more active than users without mobile access. (http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics)
o Twitter Connection
Approximately 76% of Twitter users access the internet wirelessly via wireless laptop or PDA connection or a cellphone/smartphone. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1117/twitter-tweet-users-demographics
Approximately 82% of Twitter users use their cellphones to send text messages and access online content. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1117/twitter-tweet-users-demographics
o Text Messages
Text message users are active people. For example, texters are 37% more likely than other cellular users to have played recreational basketball and 23% more likely to have practiced yoga. http://www.marketingcharts.com/uncategorized/texters-young-culturally-diverse-online-spenders-6944/scarborough-top-online-markets-texters-dma-2008jpg/
Approximately 63% and 31% of mobile users 18-27 and 28-39 respectively use text messaging as a way to communicate. These percentages are growing. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2005-07-27-text-messaging_x.htm
Several types of text message ads exist – Initial Appended Ads, Complete Full Message Ads, Reply by text, Click to Call, and Link to mobile websites. http://mmaglobal.com/mobileadvertising.pdf
Recommendations
It is recommended that Mannatech embrace mobile communications technology by
building a mobile version of their website and adopting text messaging as an additional
touch point.
E-MAIL ADVERTISEMENTS
Research
o Pros:
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o Low Cost – Can send thousands of e-mails for pennies on the dollar compared to physical
o Speed – The message is delivered to customers in seconds
o Instant reply – Customers can respond instantly to the advertisement
o Better Statistics – HTML e-mails allow you to track how many people received the e-
mail, and how many clicked through the e-mail to make a purchase
o Targeted Advertisements – The sender is not locked in to sending the same advertisement
to everyone on an e-mail list
o Cost effectively customize message – Based on customer demographics or interests, the
advertiser can send one offer to one part of the list, and another offer to the others
o Cons:
o May be considered SPAM – The e-mail may never reach the intended recipient because it
was caught by a SPAM filter
o Requires large sample size – May require 100,000 e-mails or more to get a meaningful
response
o Low Response Rates – Non-opt-in e-mail campaigns typically have very low response
rates of .25 to .50 percent or less. However, targeted opt-in e-mail campaigns can reach
response rates of 5 to 10 percent or more
o Must Comply with Federal CAN-SPAM act – This act prevents marketers from sending
unsolicited messages, and sets rules for e-mail marketing behaviors. For example, the e-
mail must include unsubscribe or opt-out links and a physical mailing address in every
message. When someone requests removal, the sender must act quickly to remove;
usually within 10 days
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o Permanent once sent – If you are too quick to send the message out and overlook a
mistake, it is impossible to un-send, or get the e-mail back
Analysis
o E-mail can very quickly become a nuisance if used incorrectly. You do not want to
annoy the associates by sending multiple e-mails a day. How much is too much?
Mannatech must decide the acceptable level of e-mail communication between itself and
its associates. Do you want to e-mail the associates once a month? Once a week?
o What do you want to include in the e-mail communication? Do you include
advertisements for Mannatech products? Do you include advertisements for third
parties? Links to official social networking sites to increase awareness?
ADVERTISEMENT COMMUNICATION WITH MANNATECH ASSOCIATES
o Majority of Mannatech Members and Associates use the web and email for
communication with Mannatech.
o When placing ads, position in the premium location above the fold for major landing
pages, or pages where dwell time is low. As an option, placing a skyscraper on the side
of the page is acceptable provided it extends above the fold.
o Unless the background and adjacent content is so cluttered and overpowering, motion of
a flash ad is not necessary to draw attention to the ad.ad. Color and contrast with the
background and surrounding content will attract the eye.
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o Placing ads in an “email newsletter” should be near the top but not necessarily above the
fold as the primary purpose would be to provide useful information (value); otherwise the
email may get deleted outright as a spam advertisement.
o Allow users to choose either HTML or Plain Text for email newsletters as email is now
commonly read on mobile devices which do not necessarily support HTML. If an email
is unreadable, it will likely get marked as “read” and not be read again.
SPONSORSHIPS Logo and company message is placed in webpage to look as if it is almost part of the page, but is
clickable.
o Pros
o Is less intrusive and not pushy
o Customers are generally more trusting of these ads
o If customers like the company then they like company sponsoring the page
o Cons
o Blend into the website
o Customers unsure if it’s an ad or a partner of the company
Analysis
Research shows that consumers are more trusting of sponsorship advertising. This could be a
good option for Mannatech to pursue. Sponsorship (unlike other forms of advertising) generally
doesn’t cheapen the appearance of a company’s website.
INTERSTITIAL ADS Appear after you click a link but before you get to the final destination.
o Pros
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o Open and Close automatically
o Highly effective if done well
o Can be trained to appear during downloads
o Have customer’s full attention 5 to 10 seconds
o Cons
o Can be annoying
o Customers can’t close the
Analysis
This form of adveritisingadvertising may be effective if Mannatech users often surf multiple
Mannatech pages. It is suggested that ads be placed between Mannatech and R&D websites.
Possibly could place an ad having to do with particular product that consumer is researching.
Also embedded link advertising could be an effective form of advertising in order to not push
advertising upon consumers.
BANNER ADS AND SKYSCRAPER ADS Banner Ads and Skyscraper Ads - usually on side or top of the page, have animations and offer
ability to click through to advertisers’ site.
o Pros
o Effective if message is simple
o Traditional form of internet advertising
o Cons
o Being phased out
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o Don’t hold attention long enough
o Take up large amount of page can be in line of readers vision.
Analysis
This form of advertising is shown statistically to be a declining form of advertising. Cognitive
filtering is taking place within the mind of the consumer and consumers are not paying attention
to banner ads in a similar fashion that they don’t pay attention to TV commercials.
RICH MEDIA Ads done in Java, HTML, Flash, that can activate when rolled over. Can be games or videos,
generally interactive
o Pros
o Visitors don’t have to leave the site to interact with the ad
o More entertaining than banner advertising
o Usually get a lot of click through
o Cons
o Can be very annoying and distracting
o If not done professionally, give the website a negative connotation
Analysis
Rich media ads if done effectively have been proven to be profitable but at what cost? They take
away attention to the articles that consumers visit the website to read. In Mannatech’s case it
may be harmful considering that the sites navigating pages are simple and information packed.
Associates would be distracted by too many images.
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POP-UP ADS These are ads that appear when you go to a certain page of a site. They open a new window in
front of the previous window causing the user to do something immediately. They are usually
generated with JavascriptJavaScript, but can be generated by other means as well.
o Pros
o Visitors see the advertisement instantly
o The original window stays open to the same page
o These ads are fairly easy to implement
o Cons
o Can be very annoying and distracting
o People have pop-up blockers so many people will not see it
o These ads lack credibility; people do not trust them
Analysis
Pop-up ads are quickly being phased-out due to their growing hatred. The vast majority of
browsers have built-in pop-up blockers so the majority of users would not see them.
POP-UNDER ADS These are ads that appear when you go to a certain page of a site. They open a new window
behind the window that was open before the ad was triggered. They are usually generated with
JavascriptJavaScript, but can be generated by other means too.
o Pros
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o These are less common
o Not many people have blockers for this type of advertisement
o The user continues undisrupted
o Cons
o They are patented; may be expensive
o You are unable to control when the ad is viewed / may be after they exit the site
o The partnership will not be displayed as clearly without integration
Analysis
Most people have many browsers or tabs open at the same time and do not close them until they
are completely finished using the computer. At this point, the ad would be viewed. Taking this
into consideration, the user would be able view the advertisement after he / she has decided to
stop using the computer. Additionally, if the user had multiple windows or tabs open, he / she
will not know what triggered the ad. If an AT&T ad was there, the user, unless it specifically
states in the ad, would not know that it is due to a partnership with Mannatech.
Recommendations
There are many different options for displaying an advertisement. Mannatech needs to examine
the different options and decide which one, if any, would best suit their needs. Each different
type of ad conveys a different message and feeling to the user and these elements need to be
considered.
Path Forward
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Mannatech would be wise to include an adaptive search engine function in the new website.
Users may find it difficult to access needed information and providing a search engine that can
quickly locate needed information would greatly improve website functionality.
Mannatech associates would be very receptive to mobile based communications. Since the
majority of the associates are working mothers with busy schedules, having access to a mobile
Mannatech website to check on orders, shipments or new products would greatly enhance their
productivity along with your bottom line. Associates will also have the ability to leverage the
Mannatech mobile site when closing sales.
Associates would benefit greatly from having Mannatech messages and alerts sent directly to
their cell phones. These messages would lead them directly to the mobile website in which
Mannatech could promote whatever it chooses. By having text message alerts and
communications associates will interact more frequently and will be up to date regarding
business matters.
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ADVERTISING
RESEARCH
Advertising Restrictions
Technical Issues and Limitations
Browsers, Bandwidth and Rich Media
Figure 1 indicates roughly 98% of Mannatech.com visitors have Flash installed, and roughly
70% have connection speeds that support rich media. This indicates the vast majority of
Mannatech users are capable of receiving such as video, moving advertisements, sound, and
other rich Internet content (Mannatech, 2009).
Figure 1 Browser and bandwidth of Mannatech customers (Mannatech, 2009).
A key restriction of any advertising strategy, however, must include accommodations for those
users who by chance or by choice do not have the capability of receiving rich media. Each ad
placement should be capable of detecting the user’s configuration and adapt accordingly. For
example, if an ad shows Flash-based content, when no Flash player, or only an unsupported
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version is available, the ad should be replaced by an image or other more appropriate content
automatically.
E-Mail Limitations
Mannatech associates and members must opt-in to receive e-mail. E-mail marketing campaigns
are specifically outside the scope of this document.
Legal Limitations
New Disclosure Rules for Sponsored Internet Content
Effective December 1, 2009, new guidelines released by the US Federal Trade Commission
mandated that online marketers and content producers must tell readers (consumers) when they
are compensated to write positive reviews or online postings (Arango, 2009). The new rules
apply to any kind of sponsored word of mouth campaigns such as paid placements on social
networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as blogs, product review sites, etc.
(MHB, 2009).
Mannatech.com Privacy Policy
Mannatech’s current privacy policy is fairly restrictive of the type of information sharing that can
lead to targeted advertising. We suggest Mannatech perform a careful legal review to ensure the
there is no conflict with the posted privacy policy and any selected advertising strategy.
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GATHERING AND USE OF INFORMATION
On most sections of our website, Mannatech collects personal information from our visitors on a voluntary basis. We do not require this information for customers to obtain access to our site. However, visitors may have to provide certain personal information in order to participate in some of our programs offered on our site. Personal information received from any visitor will be used solely for internal marketing purposes and will not be sold or provided to third parties.
The highlighted section is problematic because it could prevent certain types of targeted
advertising. Particularly problematic is that it does not allow an exception even for non-
personally identifiable information.
INFORMATION SHARING AND DISCLOSURE
MANNATECH RESTRICTS ACCESS TO NONPUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT ITS INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATES AND MEMBERS TO THOSE PERSONS EMPLOYED BY OR CONTRACTED WITH MANNATECH WHO HAVE A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS NEED TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION IN ORDER TO PROVIDE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES TO ITS INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATES AND MEMBERS.
Mannatech will not sell, rent or exchange your personally identifiable information to anyone.
Mannatech may send personally identifiable information about you to other companies or people when:
We respond to subpoenas, court orders or legal process; or
We find that your actions on our web sites violate the Mannatech Terms of Service, or any of our usage guidelines for specific products or services.
The highlighted clause could be problematic if any partnership or advertising relationship
depends on any information that could lead to the identity of the user.
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Changes to the Privacy Policy on the New Mannatech.com
Old Site New Site
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
Mannatech may amend this policy from time to time. If we make any substantial changes in the way we use your personal information we will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on our pages.
REVISION TO THE TERMS
Mannatech reserves the right, at its discretion, at any time, to change or modify these Site Terms that may be applicable to you, or any part thereof, and to impose new Site Terms and conditions. Such changes, modifications, additions or deletions will be effective immediately. Each time you use the Site the terms and conditions set forth in these Site Terms will apply to your use. Users of the Site should periodically check for changes to the Site Terms. Your continued use of this Site following the posting of changes to the Site Terms on the Site, or by other means by which you obtain notice of those changes, means that you accept those changes.
The new site contains a radically different section regarding changes to the privacy policy. This
should enable Mannatech to make changes without “posting a prominent announcement.”
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ANALYSIS
Options for Advertising Content
Suppliers and Partners
Mannatech can dip into its existing supplier and partner network to find advertising
opportunities. Mannatech could receive discounts or free products and/or services for placement
of targeted advertisements for suppliers.
For example, before each large meeting of the Mannatech community where travel is common,
Mannatech could place ads leading up to the event with discount packages through its preferred
travel providers. These firms, in exchange, could provide heavily discounted or free travel
services to Mannatech and its employees for the event.
Examples of potential advertising partners Mannatech:
Airlines, travel agents, hotels, car rental firms, and other travel-related providers
Wireless telephone providers, Internet service providers, and other telecommunications
firms
Computers, software and office supplies
Gym memberships, organic grocers and other non-competing firms with products
supporting a healthy lifestyle
Legal and tax preparation software
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Figure 2 A win-win-win relationship.
Such relationships with Mannatech suppliers could result a win-win-win. The supplier wins due
to the volume gains from Mannatech’s vast network. The members and associates win because
of the exclusive discounts provided by Mannatech’s partnership with the supplier. And, finally,
Mannatech wins directly by reducing the cost of doing business while simultaneously gaining
goodwill, largely because the members and associates will feel they are privileged due to their
relationship with Mannatech.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an “Internet-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or
more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts.
The Affiliate marketing industry has four core players at its heart: the Merchant (also known
informally as 'Retailer' or 'Brand'), the Network, the Publisher (also known informally as 'the
Affiliate') and the Customer” (Wikipedia).
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Mannatech Members and
Associates
SuppliersMannatech
The following illustration shows the concept of affiliate marketing:
An alternative for Mannatech is to join an affiliate network for quick and easy access to
advertisers. Affiliate networks serve as intermediaries between affiliates (publishers/website
owners) and advertisers. Mannatech would be provided with thousands of advertisement
possibilities for their website. The affiliate network would provide banners, text links, and other
forms of advertising displays. Each click and impression would be tracked by the network. If a
visitor clicks a banner from Mannatech.com and fulfills requirements (such as service sign up)
Mannatech would be paid a pre-defined amount of money for the conversion. This alternative is
simple and provides a lot of advertising possibilities. Mannatech would not have to get in direct
contact with the advertiser since the affiliate networks already have a commitment from the
advertiser. On the other hand, unique advertising opportunities would be hard to come by using
this method. Offering associates a unique discount, for example, would not be possible. These
ads would be more generic and thus more risky due to the negative generally associated with ads.
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Below are screenshots of what Mannatech may expect to see with an affiliate network:
Front page:
Campaign search – find companies/products to advertiser on website:
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Search options – can search by type of banner and much more:
Search by specific product category:
Search results – Women category (displays campaign description, payout, and image)
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Sample campaign page – Clicked on “Free Silkies Tights” – displays ads you can use and the
code to paste into your website for tracking. Mannatech can create a custom ad if they feel it
will lead to a higher conversion rate.
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Statistics page – shows stats for specific campaigns (banner impressions, clicks, leads, click thru
ratio, total sales, amount earned, and more.
Options for Advertising on Mannatech.com
Staying in the Mannatech.com Boundaries
The new Mannatech web site
Old Site New Site
Figure 3 Source: Mannatech.com (Mannatech) Figure 4 Source: Mannatech.com (Mannatech)
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The new Mannatech.com site provides additional advertising opportunities. For the first time,
Mannatech will allow consumers to shop for Mannatech products online and will route orders to
Mannatech associates (Mannatech, 2009).
Leveraging Mannatech’s Total Web Presence
Mannatech has a much larger web presence than Mannatech.com alone. Error: Reference source
not found shows a handful of the targeted, content-oriented sites operated by Mannatech.
Figure 5 Other Mannatech web sites.
These sites include the following:
http://www.mannatechosolean.com
http://www.allaboutmannatech.com
http://www.mannatechscience.org
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http://www.exploremannatech.com
http://www.teammannatech.com
http://www.mannatecheconomicstimulus.com
http://www.mannatechskincare.com
http://www.mannapages.com
These sites offer additional advertising opportunities for Mannatech. Each site provides
information about the interests of the user to assist in targeting advertising content. And because
these sites are operated by Mannatech, cookies can be employed to identify a Mannatech
member or associate even when not logged on.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Create an Advertising Content Policy
Regardless of advertising strategy employed, we recommend Mannatech develop a
comprehensive content policy for all forms of advertising. A content policy should encompass
Mannatech’s desire to serve their downline, while ensuring advertisements conform to
Mannatech’s corporate vision and marketing goals. An established content policy also helps
reduce uncertainty regarding whether an advertisement is appropriate for Mannatech. Figure 6
shows how such a content policy could be described graphically.
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Figure 6 Sample decision tree to aid in the creation of a Mannatech content policy.
A content policy clarifies advertising restrictions. Examples might include the following:
Advertisements for competitive products
Advertisements for other MLM firms
Advertisements that would be generally offensive to the Mannatech audience
Advertisements of a religious or political nature
This list is provided for examples only and not intended to be exhaustive.
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Enhance Advertising Effectiveness Using Geo-Targeting
At the moment, Mannatech is using Google Analytics to find out the location of their visitors.
Geo-Targeting takes this concept and adds another element to it. While Google Analytics will
tell Mannatech where their visitors are from, it does not display specific for visitors of a
particular geographic location. A Geo Targeting script first identifies where the visitor comes
from and then displays the proper ad to the visitor based on his or her location. Mannatech
would alter the code in the script so that predefined banners show up for visitors of specific
countries. In addition to countries, Mannatech can display selective ads based on region, state,
or even city.
Mannatech can use Geo-Targeting with OpenX: http://www.openx.org/en/support/geotargeting.
The service costs $50, plus $12/month for database updating fees. This service will let
Mannatech target banners based on the visitor's continent and country. If Mannatech wants to
target visitors more closely, by region for example, it will cost $150 plus a $36/month updating
fee. To target by city, it will cost $370 plus $90/month for updates.
While this can be done for free, we recommend using OpenX as it has a much greater accuracy
due to its use of MaxMind. MaxMind uses a number of Internet mapping tools to identify and
correct IP addresses where the end-user location does not match the ISP location on the WHOIS
record. The service comes with instructions for easy installation. Another Geo-Targeting
alternative for Mannatech would be to do this manually. Step-by-step instructions can be found
at http://ekstreme.com/geotargeting.
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Partner with YouTube
In the past couple of years YouTube has become one of the top five most visited websites in the
entire world. All that incoming traffic into the website has made it easy for posters to earn money
from the website. A couple of years ago YouTube started what they call the partnership program,
or in other words profit sharing. This program has helped many people earn a lot of money
through posting videos on YouTube.
This is a simple way of earning money and at the same time keeping the professionalism of the
Mannatech brand on the website. Currently this program is invite only and in order to be invited
there are criteria’s that we believe Mannatech fits into. The criteria go as follows, the video
needs to be at a minimum thirty seconds long, have thousands of views and the poster of the
video should own everything that is being displayed in the video or have permissions for them.
Once you have been established on YouTube and have people view your videos, then YouTube
will give you the appropriate amount judging by the profit they are getting, hence the term profit
sharing. This is a brief description of the partnership program straight from googleGoogle. Our
Partnership Program is a revenue-sharing program that allows creators and producers of original
content to earn money from their popular videos on YouTube. You can earn revenue from
relevant advertisements that run against your video using Google's proprietary technology
(http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=72851).
There are many pros and cons if Mannatech plans to use YouTube’s partnership program. The
pros include but are not limited to, Mannatech earning revenue for something they already do
which is making videos. Having the Ad’s not on the Mannatech website therefore there is no
responsibility. The initial investment for this is very little in some cases less than five thousand
dollarsthousand (dollars (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/business/media/11youtube.html).
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The cons include but are not limited to users being diverted away from the Mannatech website
and spending significant time on YouTube which they can be spending on the Mannatech
website.
Use Twitter and Monitor the Social Media Stream
Four Steps to Social Media Marketing Success
Whether you're a business or an individual, you must wrestle with many complex issues for
social media. These can often be overwhelming. Where to even begin?
Rather than be paralyzed, it's often best to understand that there are four simple, yet critical, steps
to social media:
It's easiest to think of it as a stairway, and the diagram is laid out as such. If you learn anything
from this column, it's that you need to take that first step. It's also the most important one. As
showcased in the diagram, the four steps are:
1. Listen to your customer and conversations around your brand. 2. Interact -- join the conversation.
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3. React -- Adjust your product or service based on feedback. 4. Sell.
Companies often enter the social media fray and jump straight to step four, selling. This is the
worst thing you can do, and it won't be effective.
You need to start with step one, which is listening. Without listening, the other three steps won't
achieve any degree of success. As many have said before me (including Li Evans), there's a
reason we have two ears and one mouth.
Notice in the diagram that the steps for the customer than happen in the reverse order of the
company. This is huge. It's these steps that the customer takes within social media that give an
exponential return (good or bad).
If it makes it easier to grasp, you can consider these steps 5, 6, 7, 8. This is where the magic can
really happen.
Listen: The customer buys the product service from the selling company. The customer's
first step is to listen for what to expect from the product or service (important expectation
setting here). What is the value that will be delivered? This also may involve reading
instructions or a manual.
Interact: The customer will then interact with their new product or service.
React: During or after this interaction, the customer will react according to their experience
(good/neutral/bad).
Sell: The consumer's reaction to the product or service will determine if they sell for or
against (the company/product). Keep in mind if it's a negative reaction you still have a
chance to correct the situation by interacting and reacting.
That's the beauty of social media. As a company, if you appropriately engage in the four steps,
then the stairs in the diagram act more like an escalator (pun intended) rather than a traditional
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stairway. It will create a positively circular motion, which, with the appropriate greasing (effort),
will continue to take your product or service to the top. And that is the true beauty of
Socialnomics. Some of the best strategies in social media are often the simplest.
Tips to Use Twitter More Effectively
Profile Says It All
A Twitter profile giving a clear, crisp and unambiguous message gets the most attention of
potential followers. Custom Twitter background, your real name, a link to your blog and an
appealing mini-bio turns any twitter profile into an effective fishnet to get new connections.
Your success on Twitter largely depends on whom you follow. It's not the quantity but the
quality of your Twitter network that matters the most. Follow most active, popular big names in
your domain and leverage their strong network by interacting with them and by attracting their
attention. Swim with a big fish and benefit from their reach.
Use twitter services like Mr.Tweet to get recommendations about whom you should follow to
get the maximum benefit from this micro-blogging service.
Track Hot Trends and Join The Bandwagon
One of the keys to get connected with more people on twitter is participating in constructive
debates. Use services like Twitscoop, Tweetmeme and Twitterfall to stay updated with the
latest happenings and the hot trends on twitter. Pick ongoing conversations and heated debates
related to your niche, and take that debate to the next level by sending your constructive tweets.
This will create large number of new connections in quick time.
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Tweet What You Are Known For
Large number of your followers expects to get specific kind of tweets from you, whether it's your
personal tweet or a tweet related to your business/domain. Intelligent tweeting involves cleverly
crafted personal and business tweets intermixed with each other to keep your followers asking
for more.
Direct Your Twitter Stream to Other Social Media Profiles
This is one of the best methods to leverage your already grown social media profiles. With the
advent of various social media mash up technologies, you can easily feed your different social
media profiles with your never-ending twitter stream. This will not only keep your other social
media accounts active, but will also spread your tweets across different channels giving more eye
balls for your Twitter conversations.
Don't Be an Owl, Tweet During Peak Time
If you know your audience, then you are also aware about the demographic data associated with
them. That means you very well know when they are most active on twitter. Tweeto'clock is an
excellent service that calculates the best time to tweet someone. You can handpick the most
popular, active and interesting users in your twitter network and can calculate the best time they
are most active on twitter. This will help you to engage with them more easily during their
convenient hours.
Understand the Power of Retweets
Initially, Internet marketing experts never saw twitter as a viral marketing platform. As it grew,
Twitter users realized how a snowball effect is created when people start retweeting some
interesting stuff. Once people start picking any tweet, it creates a rippling effect in connected
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networks spreading the content to massive number of people in very short time. Here are some
tips to get your tweets retweeted more often.
1. Keep tweets short.
2. Keep them interesting. Ideally a condensed teaser excerpt with a link.
3. Use best URL shortening services to track performance of your tweets.
Using Twitter for Enhancing Customer Service is part of advertising
Twitter is an ideal outlet to provide quick and reliable customer service. There are a few key
benefits of why Twitter should be offered as a tool for customers to get help from your company
should they need it:
Low Cost – Twitter does not cost anything to sign up for and typically only costs you the
time you or your support staff spend on it.
Increased Brand Awareness - Twitter provides your company an excellent opportunity to
not only further your brand recognition, but also to demonstrate that you are a company
that stands behind what you offer and will do everything in your power to satisfy
customers.
Ease of Use – One of the beauties of Twitter is the ease of use with the 140 character
limit. This helps the customer looking for support to be clear and concise on the issue
they are having as well as your support staff being straight to the point on a resolution.
Should the resolution require a more in depth explanation your staff can arrange an email
response or phone call to the customer.
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Make it Known and Be Available
If your company is offering support via Twitter make it known on your website, contact info,
business cards, on site, in your store, etc. If the customers know that Twitter is an option for
additional help, chances are they will use it should they need support. However, if no one knows
it is a viable channel for help, then chances are no one will use it.
Most importantly, if using Twitter as a support tool, be sure you have a staff member monitor it
frequently and engage with your followers. The majority of Twitter users like the “real time”
aspect of the site, so chances are they will want a real time response from your company. You
don’t need to sit in front of the computer to monitor your brand continuously on Twitter.
Five Ways to Use Twitter to Aid Marketing
When assessing how to add Twitter to your marketing mix, consider the following five options:
Content distribution. Twitter is useful for time-sensitive information, such as:
Announcing breaking news. The US Airway plane crash-landing in the Hudson and the
Mumbai riots were initially broadcast via Twitter.
Transmitting time-sensitive information. This includes last-minute flight delays by
airlines like JetBlue and major traffic disruptions by LAFD.
Positioning your company as a thought leader. This includes distributing original
content to extend the conversation.
Providing an alternative forum for comments. This also includes enabling attendees at
live events, such as trade shows, to communicate with each other.
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Commerce support. Twitter can aid sales, but it can't become strictly a promotional broadcast
channel or many followers will leave.
Disseminate last-minute deals to drive sales.
Provide additional sales support to answer questions and help close deals. Like chat or a
toll-free number, Twitter enables e-tailers to service prospects and customers. A few
retailers already using Twitter effectively, including Dell, Zappos, and Whole Foods.
Offer customer service via another channel and proactively alleviate customer issues.
Comcast, a cable provider notorious for its customer service issues, has received positive
feedback on its responsiveness via Twitter.
Advocacy forum. Twitter is a platform from which to develop a following for you, your brand,
or your company.
Aid brand building. While many individuals use Twitter to enhance their personal brands,
Twitter enables companies to participate in the conversation.
Expand services with useful information cost-effectively, particularly for nonprofit and
political organizations. The March of Dimes provides daily pregnancy tips in English and
Spanish, while Barrack Obama's presidential campaign connected with voters (although
as president, Obama's tweets have become less frequent).
Public relations support. Twitter provides another outlet to enhance PR-related
communications.
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Enable reputation monitoring by tracking and participating in the conversation related to
your management, brands, and company. Also follow what's being said by thought
leaders in your niche.
Provide another channel to aid crisis management by getting your organization's story out
quickly in case of an emergency.
Use for PR outreach to journalists looking for timely input.
Research enabler. Leverage Twitter's search functionality and ability to query and respond to an
audience.
Track new trends on Twitter to discover what customers and prospects are saying about
your brands, products, and company. Unlike search engines, the conversation on Twitter
takes place in real time.
Participate by asking prospects their opinion about products and issues related to your
firm.
Brand your Twitter, design an individual background
You need to have a unified experience consistent with your brand so as not to confuse
consumers. Your Twitter profile is where people go to quickly discover how you are using
Twitter and learn more about your business. Make sure that you get your brand or business
messaging across using the 140-character descriptor field.
It is acceptable to tell them how you are going to use this Twitter channel and set expectations.
For example, if your account is strictly for distribution of an RSS feed and there will be no
human interaction, tell them so. Companies like SUN and Dell have multiple Twitter channels --
each specifically geared to deliver niche content to a target audience.
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Tip: Update your Twitter page background with an image that conveys the positioning of the
brand. A good example is Dunkin Donuts.
Notice how the company uses a visually branded background, page font, color, and an icon that
are all consistent with its brand. Also note that the bio is descriptive, concise, and links to the
Dunkin Donuts' homepage.
Utilizing Twitter Platforms
There are several Twitter application tools that allow you to communicate and engage your
followers. The most popular ones are Tweetdeck and Seesmic Desktop. However, if you want
to utilize your tool to build social media campaigns, monitor trends, track your followers,
keywords and analyze your company’s and competitors’ statistics, you should look to more
business structured platforms. The most popular platforms are Peoplebrowsr and HootSuite.
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Peoplbrowsr
Hootsuite
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Measuring ROI
Trying to associate social media with direct ROI (define) is doable, but with different kinds of
metrics.
Twitter + advertising concepts, however, offer a little of both worlds. For rich media ads like
Volvo's, ad engagement and click-throughs can be measured. There are also tangible metrics
associated with Twitter, such as:
Changes in follower count. Is there an increase or decrease?
Number of retweets (people re-posting someone else's tweet in order to "forward" it to
their followers).
Number of tweets using the designated hashtag. This provides a sense of the campaign's
popularity.
Changes in Web site or blog traffic -- traffic spikes should be expected and referral data
should show Twitter as a source.
There are two primary formats for leveraging Twitter for advertising:
Sponsored postings (known as "tweets" on Twitter), whereby solutions providers match-
make advertisers with willing Twitter users. Companies such as Twittad, Magpie, and
Izea offer these services.
Incorporating live tweets into rich media ad creative.
These sample ads can be fairly low- to moderate-cost, relatively easy to implement, and present a
new way to reach people, as well as generate awareness, brand buzz, and site traffic.
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PATH FORWARD
In determining Mannatech’s online advertising strategy, we recommend Mannatech carefully
address each of the following questions and concerns:
Evaluate whether Mannatech’s internal policies and procedures are compatible with this
project.
Does Mannatech already have an online content policy? If not, we recommend the
company begin investigating whether such a policy would be beneficial.
Have any current suppliers or partners expressed interest in expanding their partnership
with Mannatech? If so, consider approaching them for inclusion in a trial. Using
established partners will reduce time spent vetting content and partners, and reduce
company risk.
Mannatech should evaluate affiliate networks already existing in the marketplace. If
Mannatech can use existing networks to locate advertisers, this would reduce the
resources needed to develop their own advertising network.
Mannatech should immediately investigate expansion of its presence on social websites.
While social websites have traditionally been viewed as the purview of younger internet
users, the demographics of at least Facebook.com are moving toward the demographics
targeted by Mannatech.
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Evaluate whether regional and national targeted-advertising would be beneficial to
Mannatech and its advertisers. If it would be, considering using the geo-targeting tools
previously discussed.
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COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
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RESEARCH
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WE ASSESSED OVER FIFTY MULTI LEVEL MARKETING COMPANIES TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF THEM USE ONLINE ADVERTISING TO GENERATE REVENUE. WE REVIEWED ALL THE BIG FIRMS’ SITES AS WELL AS FEW OF THE SMALL ONES (REVENUE GENERATED). FROM OUR INITIAL RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT NONE OF THE MULTI LEVEL MARKETING SITES WE LOOKED AT FEATURED OUTSIDE ADVERTISERS ON THEIR
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WEBSITES, AT LEAST NOT ON THE HOME PAGE. SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE THE MEMBER LOG IN INFORMATION FOR THE SITES WE WERE UNABLE TO REVIEW THE MEMBER- SPECIFIC CONTENT.
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OUR NEXT STEP WAS TO DO ONLINE RESEARCH AND FIND WEBSITES SIMILAR TO MANNATECH.COM (NOT NECESSARILY MULTI LEVEL MARKETING COMPANIES) TO SEE IF THEY USED OUTSIDE ADVERTISING. WE A NALYZED SITES TARGETED TOWARD MLM ASSOCIATES AND POTENTIAL ASSOCIATES TO SEE WHAT KIND OF ADVERTISERS THEY FEATURE ON THEIR SITES. THE MAIN THING WE FOUND WAS A
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CLICKABLE FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AD THAT SENDS USERS TO THOSE HOMEPAGES. BASED ON OUR RESEARCH, WE FOUND THAT NO ONE ADVERTISES ON THEIR OFFICIAL WEBSITES BUT SOME OF THE MULTI LEVEL MARKETING EMPLOYEES ADVERTISE ON THEIR PERSONAL WEBSITES.
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TO FURTHER ASSESS THE INTEREST FOR PLACING ADVERTISING ON MLM’S WEBSITE, WE DEVELOPED A SURVEY THAT WE SENT TO POTENTIAL ADVERTISERS. WE CONDUCTED A SURVEY TO SEE WHAT COMPANIES MAY BE INTERESTED IN PLACING ADS ON MANNATECH’S WEBSITE. WE SEND OUT A 6 QUESTION SURVEY TO VARIOUS COMPANIES TO ASSESS INTEREST FOR ADVERTISING ON MANNATECH’S WEBSITE.
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ANALYSIS
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I F MANNATECH DECIDES TO INCLUDE ONLINE ADVERTISING ON THEIR SITES, IT WILL BE THE FIRST MLM, AS FAR AS WE KNOW, TO DO THIS. THIS COULD BE A GOOD OR A BAD THING. ONE QUESTION WE SHOULD CONSIDER IS WHY ARE OTHER MLMS NOT USING OUTSIDE ADVERTISING ON THEIR SITES? ONE POSSIBLE REASON IS THAT ADVERTISERS MAY NOT WANT TO ADVERTISE ON MLM’S SITES BECAUSE OF THEIR REPUTATION.
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ANOTHER REASON MAY BE BECAUSE MLMS DON’T GET AS MANY HITS AS OTHER RETAIL SITES.
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WE DEVELOPED A SURVEY TO DETERMINE IF COMPANIES ARE INTERESTED IN INCLUDING ADVERTISEMENTS ON MLMS WEBSITES AND IF SO, WHAT TYPE OF COMPANIES SHOULD MANNATECH TRY TO TARGET. HERE ARE THE FINDINGS FROM OUR SURVEY:
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TO DATE 8 RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED.
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OUT OF THE 8 RESPONSES, 1 COMPANY SAID IT HAS PREVIOUSLY PLACES ADS ON AN MLM SITE (THE MLM SPECIALIZED IN WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS)
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2 RESPONDERS SAID THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PLACING AN AD ON AN MLM SITE, WHILE 6 SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE
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OF THOSE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED:
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1 RESPONDER SAID HIS/HER COMPANY WOULD CREATE THEIR OWN AD
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1 RESPONDER WOULD LET MANNATECH DESIGN THE AD
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1 RESPONDER SAID HE/SHE WOULD UTILIZE THIRD PARTY TO DESIGN THE AD
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BASED ON THE SURVEY, ONE REASON WHY OTHER MLMS ARE NOT INCLUDING OUTSIDE ADVERTISING ON THEIR WEBSITES MAY BE THAT THEY ARE NOT FINDING ENOUGH COMPANIES WHO WOULD WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH THEM. THIS CAN BE A MAJOR CONCERN FOR MANNATECH. IF MANNATECH DECIDES TO HAVE ADS ON ITS WEBSITE, THE FIRST MAJOR AND POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT TASK WILL BE TO FIND COMPANIES
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WHO ARE WILLING TO ADVERTISE.
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ANOTHER THING WE CONSIDERED TO HELP US DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT MANNATECH SHOULD INCLUDE ADS ON THEIR SITE IS HOW THOSE ADS WILL AFFECT THE ASSOCIATES AND IMPACT MANNATECH’S REVENUE. WE CAN LOOK AT A COUPLE OF KEY QUESTIONS:
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IF THE ADVERTISEMENT CUSTOMERS CLICK ON GIVES THEM A BAD DEAL (I.E. FAULTY PRODUCT OR BUYING SOMEWHERE ELSE IS CHEAPER) OR “TRICKS” THEM INTO GETTING IN A LONG TERM CONTRACT, HOW WILL THEY VIEW US AS A COMPANY?
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MAYBE IN A NEGATIVE WAY BECAUSE THIS COULD HURT THE COMPAN Y’S IMAGE AND THEREFORE HURT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING BACK TO THE WEBSITE OR EVEN THE COMPANY
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IF THE CUSTOMERS CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENT, WILL THEY SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THE OTHER SITE AND FORGET WHY THEY GOT ONLINE?
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CUSTOMERS COULD POSSIBLY GET SIDE-TRACKED, BUT THEY WOULD PROBABLY COME BACK TO THE SITE SINCE MORE THAN LIKELY THEY VISITED THE SITE TO ORDER PRODUCTS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THAT WILL MAKE THEM MONEY.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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WITH THE CURRENT SCENARIO, WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE A DIFFICULT TASK TO FIND ADVERTISERS FOR THE MANANTECH’S WEBSITE. SINCE NO OTHER COMPANY OUT THERE IS ADVERTISING TO ITS DOWN LINES, THIS MIGHT BE A RISK. MANNATECH CAN FURTHER EXTEND THE SURVEY WE ACCOMPLISHED TO ADDITIONAL COMPANIES AND TRY AND SEE IF THERE ARE ENOUGH COMPANIES WHO ARE
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INTERESTED IN PLACING ADS ON THEIR WEBSITE.
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PATH FORWARD
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WE RECOMMEND THAT MANNATECH FIRST CONTACT ALL OF ITS VENDORS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF THOSE COMPANIES WOULD BE INTERESTED IN POSTING ADS ON MANNATECH’S WEBSITE. SINCE THESE COMPANIES ALREADY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH MANNATECH THIS WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GRADUALLY IMPLEMENT OUTSIDE ADVERTISING ON THE
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COMPANY’S SITE. ONCE MANNATECH FEELS CONFIDENT THAT HAVING OUTSIDE ADVERTISING MEETS ITS BUSINESS OBJECTIVES, THE COMPANY CAN THEN SEEK OUT OTHER COMPANIES WHO MAY WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH THEM.
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S S UMMARY
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WORKS CITED
Arango, T. (2009, October 5). Soon, Bloggers Must Give Full Disclosure. The New York Times ,
p. 83.
Mannatech. (n.d.). Mannatech: Enriching Quality of Life. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from
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Mannatech. (n.d.). New Mannatech.com. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from New
Mannatech.com: https://new.mannatech.com/
Mannatech. (2009, October). Questions for Mannatech - 2 - responses. (Consultant, Interviewer)
Mannatech. (n.d.). Terms/Privacy. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from Mannatech.com:
https://www.mannatech.com/PrivacyPolicy.aspx
Mannatech. (2009, August). Visitors Overview - Google Analytics.
MHB. (2009, October 5). FTC Releases New Guidelines For Bloggers, Twitterers and
Advertisers & Fines Up to $11K Per. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from TheDomains.com:
http://www.thedomains.com/2009/10/05/ftc-releases-new-guidelines-for-bloggers-twitterers-and-
advertisers-fines-up-to-11k-per/
Stelter, B. (2008, December 10). YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money. Retrieved October 18,
2009, from New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/business/media/11youtube.html?_r=2
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Wikipedia. (n.d.). Affiliate Marketing. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Wikipedia - Affiliate
Marketing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing
YouTube. (n.d.). Partner Help Center. Retrieved October 19, 2009, from YouTube:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=12632
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APPENDICES
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APPENDICES
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