"Life...supplemented" first major project under newly-formed CRN Foundation

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 1, 2009 — Creators of the consumer wellness public relations campaign, “Life…supplemented,” today announced plans for the third consecutive year of the popular program upon meeting a budget goal of a million dollars.  The three-year, three-million dollar initiative, which is managed by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) under its newly formed 501(c)(3) educational foundation, encourages responsible use of dietary supplements in combination with other healthy habits, and urges consumers to assess their level of wellness by focusing on the three pillars of health: healthy diet, supplements and exercise.

“This is a collaborative program that demonstrates what an industry can do when companies work together to educate consumers who are looking for ways to take simple steps to improve their health,” said CRN Chairman Mark LeDoux, chairman and CEO, Natural Alternatives International, Inc., whose company has funded “Life…supplemented” for three consecutive years.  “I commend CRN for its ongoing leadership and especially thank those companies funding the program for their continued support.  This program demonstrates that the industry has a commitment to urging consumers to take dietary supplements responsibly as one piece of a healthy lifestyle.” 

Over the three-year campaign, 39 companies have financially supported the effort, with 25 funding companies currently signed on to support year three, including its five original Steering Committee members—NBTY, Pharmavite, Bayer HealthCare, BASF Corporation and DSM Nutritional Products—who have been with the campaign since its inception.  This year, a sixth company, Wyeth Consumer Health, has increased its commitment to the Steering Committee level.

This announcement also marks the first major project coming out of the CRN Foundation, an educational affiliate of CRN.  The Foundation was established earlier this year, and will become the center of many of CRN’s educational activities and research projects supporting the supplement industry.

Research and Personal Wellness Achievements—Campaign Cornerstones
Consumers and campaign funders can look forward to the third annual “Life…supplemented” Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study, which explores healthcare professionals’ recommendations for, and personal usage of, dietary supplements.  In previous years’ surveys, the campaign focused on U.S. physicians, nurses, OB/GYNs, cardiologists, dermatologists and orthopaedic specialists.  This year’s study will look at registered dietitians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists.  Results from the physician and nurse populations were published in the July issue of the peer-reviewed on-line publication, Nutrition Journal.

The campaign will also continue enhancements to its web site, with emphasis on its free, interactive online tool, My Wellness Scorecard.  Once taken, this tool provides consumers with a personalized wellness assessment and tells them how they rank on the “Life…supplemented” Wellness Scale—AlphaWELL, WELL, WannabeWELL or OhWELL.  Visitors to the site also will find easy-to-follow tips to improve their wellness profile, updated Health Track Polls and relevant content about each of the three pillars of health.  

An Award-winning Campaign 
Enthusiasm for the campaign has been expressed by more than its funders.  The “Life…supplemented” campaign was recently awarded an honorable mention in the issue-specific web site category of the American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) 2009 Gold Circle Awards, an annual program recognizing excellence in communications. This marks the fourth award honoring the campaign, including a 2007-2008 Mercury Award win for “Website: Health Awareness”.

“The fact that companies continue to support ‘Life…supplemented’ year after year—particularly in this economic climate—shows that this is a sustainable campaign with responsible messages that companies can feel proud to support,” said Judy Blatman, senior vice president, communications, CRN, who oversees the program. 
 “Supplement companies want to educate and celebrate the more than 150 million Americans who take their products each year; that is evident from the level of support from our funding companies and their enthusiasm for continuing the campaign.”  

The “Life…supplemented” campaign was created and executed by CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing firm, with headquarters in New York and Richmond, Va. and offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va. The campaign is currently funded by the following companies within the dietary supplement industry:  BASF Corporation; Bayer HealthCare; DSM Nutritional Products; NBTY; Pharmavite; Wyeth Consumer Health; Amway Global—Nutrilite Products; Cargill Health and Food Technologies; Cognis Nutrition and Health; Douglas Laboratories; GNC; Kyowa Hakko U.S.A.; Innophos; NSF; Natural Alternatives International; Natural Factors Nutritional Products; New Hope Natural Media; Nutramax Laboratories; Perrigo Company; Reliv International; Schiff Nutrition; Sierra Mountain Minerals; Shaklee Corporation; Virgo Publishing; and Vitamin Shoppe.

About "Life…supplemented" - "Life… supplemented" is a consumer wellness campaign dedicated to driving awareness about the mainstream use of dietary supplements as an integral part of a proactive personal wellness regimen that combines healthy diet, supplements and exercise. The campaign is managed by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry, under its affiliated 501(c)(3), the CRN Foundation.  The dietary supplement category includes products such as vitamins, minerals, botanicals, sports nutrition, weight management and specialty supplements. More than 150 million Americans use these products each year to promote and maintain good health. Find out more about AlphaWELLS, WELLS, WannabeWELLS and OhWELLS by clicking on My Wellness Scorecard at www.lifesupplemented.org.

Natural Alternatives International, Inc. (NAI): Founded in 1980, NAI prides itself on a strong commitment to health, scientific integrity and quality. NAI is a recognized and leading formulator and manufacturer of customized nutritional supplements and their comprehensive partnership approach to client servicing is unique within the industry combining clinical research, science-based formulation, advanced quality assurance testing methodologies, superior manufacturing and packaging capabilities, and broad marketing experience to create nutritional products that are formulated to address specific health conditions. www.nai-online.com