True or False. Supplement companies market demographic is 16-25 year olds?

[CompeteNPC]

True or false when it comes to supplement marketing. Most people they are trying their best to market to are 16-25 years of age?

It just seems that many of these supplement companies I see advertising and posting on social networks like instagram and facebook are just putting stuff up that a very young person would find "Cool." A grown adult would be like "Why the **** do I need to drink stuff that is going to cost me 20-30 bucks when I can just use crystal light or MIO and get the same benefits?"

Some of these ****ing supps they come out with are comical at best. Like the flavored water crap that they keep coming out with.

Here's two differences I See between lifters who are in their teens or early 20's and ones that are a little older and are married for example. The kids and young single 20 year olds will spend their paycheck on supplements while a grown adult will head to the grocery store, load up on food, pay their bills and then if they have a little extra left over they will buy a tub of protein and some creatine or a pre workout. Through experience they have learned that there are lots of supps out there that are just a waste of money. Do you even need to supplement with protein? Nope. If you get 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight from real food you are pretty much just spending money to spend money on something that is not really needed. Creatine actually would be a better investment if this is the case.

 

[EricMM]

True or false when it comes to supplement marketing. Most people they are trying their best to market to are 16-25 years of age?

It just seems that many of these supplement companies I see advertising and posting on social networks like instagram and facebook are just putting stuff up that a very young person would find "Cool." A grown adult would be like "Why the **** do I need to drink stuff that is going to cost me 20-30 bucks when I can just use crystal light or MIO and get the same benefits?"

Some of these ****ing supps they come out with are comical at best. Like the flavored water crap that they keep coming out with.

Here's two differences I See between lifters who are in their teens or early 20's and ones that are a little older and are married for example. The kids and young single 20 year olds will spend their paycheck on supplements while a grown adult will head to the grocery store, load up on food, pay their bills and then if they have a little extra left over they will buy a tub of protein and some creatine or a pre workout. Through experience they have learned that there are lots of supps out there that are just a waste of money. Do you even need to supplement with protein? Nope. If you get 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight from real food you are pretty much just spending money to spend money on something that is not really needed. Creatine actually would be a better investment if this is the case.

If I recall it's 20-32 is the demographic for the biggest market.

 

[user567]

I say false. There is a reason type 2 diabetes runs rampant in this country and most with it are over 40. These same people want the quick and easy route and fall for the supplement game.

 

[kisaj]

I'll say true. That is the age group that is going to be swayed easiest with marketing claims related to image, looks, size, etc and looking for the quickest and easiest way to get there. I don't say that in a disparaging way, I was part of that and spent thousands of dollars on supplements for many years.

 

[VaughnTrue]

18-35 is the traditional dietary supplement demographic.

 

[CompeteNPC]

I'll say true. That is the age group that is going to be swayed easiest with marketing claims related to image, looks, size, etc and looking for the quickest and easiest way to get there. I don't say that in a disparaging way, I was part of that and spent thousands of dollars on supplements for many years.

Yes and now how much would you say you spend on supplements? Also which ones do you use? Just the basics?

 

[kisaj]

Yes and now how much would you say you spend on supplements? Also which ones do you use? Just the basics?

Maybe $100mo. and none are associated with a supplement company or the marketing claims.

staples:
l-tyrosine
ksm-66
choline
aniracetam
noopept
tongkat ali
creatine

 

[Rocket3015]

Gee I guess at almost 60 I am not normal, oh we all already knew that!!

 

[hairygrandpa]

Yes and now how much would you say you spend on supplements? Also which ones do you use? Just the basics?

$60-80 in supplements, mainly whey -and an extra $120-170 in gear and ancillaries.
How much do you spend?

 

[CompeteNPC]

$60-80 in supplements, mainly whey -and an extra $120-170 in gear and ancillaries.
How much do you spend?

Depends. Always gotta have my WHEY for my oatmeal in the morning and I love doing fasted cardio so my BCAA's are a must. Along with my pre workouts and so forth. I buy creatine in bulk so that lasts a while. To be honest with you I'm spending roughly $200 a month on average.

 

[Daff]

Id say true
I have a 16year old who just started the gym and he's just started buying mens health which to me is a teens mag full of glossy pics and adverts of supps promiseing a Greek like body and thinks if he has 3protien shakes a day he'll look like arnie or a mass gainer because he's read that a mass gainer can put on lbs a week because it say so I'm an ad, I have nearly 20 years lifting expirence and try get most supps through food but I'm told by him I'm old fasioned

 

[Whisky]

I think it depends on the supplement and brand. High end brands will often target older buyers with higher incomes and a willingness to pay more for higher quality.

That said the industry is now so diverse across so many areas/age brackets/gender/goal etc Im not sure its possible to answer the question....

 

[JVee63]

With a few exceptions, if they aren't targeting 12-18 year olds they must have a pretty low opinion of their customers intelligence.

 

[Nac]

Meh, supp companies target demographic:

Any Fuker Who'll Buy It

 

[EricMM]

Yeah, well that's the world these days. lol So many products on the market it's a dogfight!

 

[CompeteNPC]

With a few exceptions, if they aren't targeting 12-18 year olds they must have a pretty low opinion of their customers intelligence.

I agree 100 %

 

[kisaj]

The only problem is that the kids don't have the good stuff that we did in the early - mid 90s! Back then you could basically put anything you wanted on the shelf.

 

[mike33511]

With a few exceptions, if they aren't targeting 12-18 year olds they must have a pretty low opinion of their customers intelligence.

Of course, they have a low opinion of their customers' intelligence. We're talking about the general public here.

 

[jameschoi]

With a few exceptions, if they aren't targeting 12-18 year olds they must have a pretty low opinion of their customers intelligence.

My planet fitness is all college students furiously pumping away. The trainer (doosh) walks around the gym with his full tub of whey protein lol.

 

[CompeteNPC]

My planet fitness is all college students furiously pumping away. The trainer (doosh) walks around the gym with his full tub of whey protein lol.

It’s a 5 pound tub also isn’t it?

 

[The_Old_Guy]

Gotta be the younger crowd for the majority of products, with some "trickle up" into the 30's+ for specialty stuff. After a few years, even the most disinclined "hobbyist researcher" is going to know a lot of the stuff is of questionable benefit just from constant exposure to the community.

 

[kenpoengineer]

True. That generation has been raised with “instant” gratification.

 

[Ricky10]

18-35 is the traditional dietary supplement demographic.

I think this sounds more reasonable. 18-25 are the college years for most. I don't know about anyone else, but I felt like I was splurging if I found myself with some extra money to buy a tub of protein powder back when I was in college getting my first degree.

 

[210LBS]

Definitely true! Look at the names of some of these supplements, the shiny bottles, the ridiculous claims of results. Normal adults are not buying into that crap. When you're a kid you believe there might actually be a magic pill that can do wonders. When you get older you realize there is no magic in the world. I was guilty of falling for some of it when I was younger too.

 

[jameschoi]

It’s a 5 pound tub also isn’t it?

Yep, the 5 pounder lol. Who walks around a gym holding a tub of protein lol. I was cracking up the whole workout that day.

 

[irishiron300]

It’s a 5 pound tub also isn’t it?

For sure...Nitro Tech at that too

 

[kisaj]

Definitely true! Look at the names of some of these supplements, the shiny bottles, the ridiculous claims of results. Normal adults are not buying into that crap. When you're a kid you believe there might actually be a magic pill that can do wonders. When you get older you realize there is no magic in the world. I was guilty of falling for some of it when I was younger too.

This actually made me sad because it's true. lol

 

[mike33511]

Yep, the 5 pounder lol. Who walks around a gym holding a tub of protein lol. I was cracking up the whole workout that day.

He's probably trying to get a good arm workout in. That tub's probably the heaviest weight they have at Planet Fitness.

 

[CompeteNPC]

Yep, the 5 pounder lol. Who walks around a gym holding a tub of protein lol. I was cracking up the whole workout that day.

There is a member like that at my gym. Guy thinks taking protein will work like roids lol. I usually avoid the gym when he is there cause he goes around with his 5 pound tub of Performix whey telling other kids it is the secret to massive gains. I can’t believe it but it’s really happening. Plus he will drink about 5 scoops of protein during his workout saying Rich Piana taught him that will help him grow an inch on his arms.

 

[Young Gotti]

I dont know the target market....i wouldnt think younger kids are the target anymore tho

1. Because i dont see them in the gym anymore

2. They are hipsters who are more interested in their organic purple carrot powdered smoothies

I can only share my experience as my gym is basically adults but we have the typical 35 year old who still has dreams of playing in the NFL who keeps a bag full of his C4, BSN creatine and whatever else that he swears by

 

[John Smeton]

18-35 sounds more like it.

I started using these at 20-21 and by 31 was still using them and hoping certain ones would work like green coffee bean extract. Ive used myostatin inhibitors in 2004, test boosters, insulin mimetics, you name it , ive used it. various forms of creatine etc. there are no magic pills. That said, I still use some of the basics and other supplements from time to time. Obviously whey protein, creatine beta alanine, agmatine right now, probiotic, fish oils, tudca for liver, vit c, multi, zinc, magnesium, bcaa's-quality of product is important obviously, like for creatine I prefer micronized creatine monohydrate, whey protein isolate vs concentrate, theres a whole topic in debate, I used to buy all isolate bc concentrate bothered my stomach in college on the run, now it doesn't seem too. Ajinomoto ajiPure bcaa 's are best ive found. I still use other bcaa's bc I have them , as most bcaa's are made from hair, I'm Thankful I rep for MST which carries AjiPure .

 

[Nac]

Definitely true! Look at the names of some of these supplements, the shiny bottles, the ridiculous claims of results. Normal adults are not buying into that crap. When you're a kid you believe there might actually be a magic pill that can do wonders. When you get older you realize there is no magic in the world. I was guilty of falling for some of it when I was younger too.

I think you give "most normal adults" too much credit.

Sure, most adults will no longer believe in obvious magic like Easter Bunnies and Santa, but all of us are still capable of gullibility, ignorance and denial.

Dynamo's audience is not exclusively the young-and-naive. And theres plenty of cynical adults who believe what he does is truly magic ie defies physical laws.

If people are capable of falling for overt magic (Dynamo is openly called a magician), what hope do similiarly-minded folks, adults, have when more subtle manipulative marketing of "magic pills" exists?

And where do you draw the line here? Plenty adults believe in supernatural beings, etc etc. The Word is Truth, brah, whether its in a Book or on a bottle of pills.

 

[210LBS]

I think you give "most normal adults" too much credit.

Sure, most adults will no longer believe in obvious magic like Easter Bunnies and Santa, but all of us are still capable of gullibility, ignorance and denial.

Dynamo's audience is not exclusively the young-and-naive. And theres plenty of cynical adults who believe what he does is truly magic ie defies physical laws.

If people are capable of falling for overt magic (Dynamo is openly called a magician), what hope do similiarly-minded folks, adults, have when manipulative marketing of "magic pills" exists?

Sure. Plenty of normal adults are gullible too. Hell, even I still sometimes buy new supplements from time to time, but I do so with a much different attitude and expectations than younger people. If I feel a supplement helped me gain 15lbs to my bench press, then it's a success. Younger kids expect a supplement to help them gain 15lbs of muscle though. I think the marketing tactics for drawing in younger kids doesn't work as well for drawing in the older educated crowd. Maybe I'm wrong though.