Proprietary Blend

pro45

Member
The supplement industry is unregulated. The "proprietary blend" problem... is just that. A problem. I wanted to try a supplement that many here have endorsed. Until I read the ingredients label. I only trust about 2 or 3 companies who produce powders, supplements. etc.

My experience with the other companies are not good. Most times, they were a huge disappointment.

Be careful with who you invest your money in. And if you read "Proprietary Blend".

And Especially if you prioritize supplements over whole foods.
 
Whole Foods always first then supplementation takes the last role after quality programming. Supplements are just that. Supplements and there is no magic pill. There are solid ingredients in open labels or there isn't.

When I go to the store I want to know how much of what is in what I am consuming. I understand the marketing need for props. It's just not for me.

It's why I love Vein Nutrition's philosophy so much.
 
Stay the hell away from proprietary blends hahah. Most companies are catching on and realizing people don't want proprietary blends anymore
 
Not sure what the problem really is, I mean I get it you want to know what you are putting into your body. But if you have a business and a special product, wouldn't you want to protect it?
 
rodherm said:
Not sure what the problem really is, I mean I get it you want to know what you are putting into your body. But if you have a business and a special product, wouldn't you want to protect it?
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That's a ridiculous statement if I ever heard one. Regarding my post.
 
Let this die
 
I cant stand PB, but that doesn't stop my from drinking diet coke, lol. We have no idea what % of each ingredient is in each can.


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Let's leave it as if you don't like prop blends don't use those products.
 
Joe12 said:
I cant stand PB, but that doesn't stop my from drinking diet coke, lol. We have no idea what % of each ingredient is in each can.
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The only thing on that label that worries me in the least is the 65 grams of sugars derived from High Fructose Corn Syrup. It's sugar water with caramel coloring, 57mg of caffeine. How the heck do they figure 57mg is funny. How cute.

I haven't had a Coke in over 5 years, unless it was to remove some rust from the bumper of my car.
 
Joe12 said:
I cant stand PB, but that doesn't stop my from drinking diet coke, lol. We have no idea what % of each ingredient is in each can.


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I don't want to start this debate again, but people drink Coke because they enjoy the taste, not for physiological effects, so it's not really an accurate comparison.
 
muscleupcrohn said:
I don't want to start this debate again, but people drink Coke because they enjoy the taste, not for physiological effects, so it's not really an accurate comparison.
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Exactly. This is business and it comes down to value. If a supplement company believes that a prop blend will add an intangible value to their product then they will do it. However, I think companies might be mistaken by that logic because I think more people don't prefer prop blends. So, what's more valuable? A possible increase in intangible value of a product, or a higher increase in sales volume? I just don't understand the logic of prop blends in this industry from the company perspective. I could be missing something though.
 
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I found this and took a snippet from the source. This is what most people think about when
they see "Proprietary Blend". I'm not sure I blame them for being suspicious or avoid them,
but as stated already, it is your choice and why you like any supplement, beverage, or food.
If you get results and are happy with the brand, then use it.

The previous text uses a proprietary blend of orange coloring. We changed
our formula, now guess what actually changed except for the label. :D​
 
rodherm said:
Not sure what the problem really is, I mean I get it you want to know what you are putting into your body. But if you have a business and a special product, wouldn't you want to protect it?
Click to expand...

If you have a business and a special product, wouldn't you want to do all you can to maximize profits? Maybe, or maybe not, but that's the problem. Do I trust certain companies to have a prop blend? Yea absolutely. Others? Probably not. And the main problem is the product says "Fat Burner"... ok sweet. Ingredients read "l-carnitine, CLA, yohimbine, etc etc. Total prop blend of 5,000mg or whatever. I have NO idea how much of any of those products are in there.

Anyways, if you don't like them then don't use them. Companies have a right to use them to protect their trade secrets.
 
justhere4comm said:
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I found this and took a snippet from the source. This is what most people think about when
they see "Proprietary Blend". I'm not sure I blame them for being suspicious or avoid them,
but as stated already, it is your choice and why you like any supplement, beverage, or food.
If you get results and are happy with the brand, then use it.

The previous text uses a proprietary blend of grey coloring. :D​
Click to expand...

I think we can all agree consumers are actually better off without prop blends, however I also think companies are better off without them. I'm very interested in hearing from companies on this board about this. It seems like consumers don't prefer a prop blend, therefore what is the upside to a company using one? Is it to protect your product? If that's the case it simply doesn't seem worth it unless you can forward me to a study that shows consumers are more or equally likely to purchase a prop blend over a non prop blend product. However, if consumers are less likely to purchase a prop blend, then it makes no sense to sacrifice cash flow for intangible value.... that's just a bad business decision.
 
Well it has to do with elasticity of demand too, right? In one hand as you very correctly say some consumers might not be willing to purchase a product that has a proprietary blend and that could consequently limit the product's demand. But at the same time disclosing your fomula might imply some other players in the market can copy you and put even your initial market share at risk. So basically the business needs to balance between:

- keeping the proprietary blend as such, loosing some potential customers who don't like this, have more comfort that no one else can launch the same product in the market and hope that products reviews would be tempting for more customers to give it a try (despite the proprietary blend); versus
- disclose the formula so that more customers can come on board on day one but at the risk of losing them in the hands of other competitors who will now know exactly how to manufacture the same product

Is a business choice and a marketing strategy, no different to any other business.
 
rodherm said:
Well it has to do with elasticity of demand too, right? In one hand as you very correctly say some consumers might not be willing to purchase a product that has a proprietary blend and that could consequently limit the product's demand. But at the same time disclosing your fomula might imply some other players in the market can copy you and put even your initial market share at risk. So basically the business needs to balance between:

- keeping the proprietary blend as such, loosing some potential customers who don't like this, have more comfort that no one else can launch the same product in the market and hope that products reviews would be tempting for more customers to give it a try (despite the proprietary blend); versus
- disclose the formula so that more customers can come on board on day one but at the risk of losing them in the hands of other competitors who will now know exactly how to manufacture the same product

Is a business choice and a marketing strategy, no different to any other business.
Click to expand...

A company with a strategy like that is not a company that I would invest in. If you create a new supplement and you go the route of a prop blend knowing that it would diminish your top line out of the gate then that just seems like a horrible business decision. This is an industry that clearly has to come out of the gate running because the products don't last long-term. That is why there is always something new or something old being reformulated. Giving up sales upfront in hopes of catching fire months or years later is a dangerous game. At that point, you and your consumers have to close your eyes and just pray for the best - hope your product is blindly better than another, hope nothing in the industry makes your product obsolete before hitting your breakeven, etc. I don't see it but that's just my opinion.
 
210LBS said:
A company with a strategy like that is not a company that I would invest in. If you create a new supplement and you go the route of a prop blend knowing that it would diminish your top line out of the gate then that just seems like a horrible business decision. This is an industry that clearly has to come out of the gate running because the products don't last long-term. That is why there is always something new or something old being reformulated. Giving up sales upfront in hopes of catching fire months or years later is a dangerous game. At that point, you and your consumers have to close your eyes and just pray for the best - hope your product is blindly better than another, hope nothing in the industry makes your product obsolete before hitting your breakeven, etc. I don't see it but that's just my opinion.
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Tell that to the guys who invested in Coca Cola when it was first launched ;-)

There is some truth in your statement but also a disclosed formula does not, per se, ensures any higher revenues so you can not simply confirm that a proprietary blend would diminish top line and even less quantify by how much with a high degree of certainty.

As everything in life, there are pros and cons and business is about making decisions. Most of these companies are of private capitals and as such the need to protect/increase the value for the share holder is not part of their objectives so it all becomes a subjective decision based on the beliefs of the owner/management. We could discuss for hours, but the only truth is the reality and as such we can see companies taking both paths and in both paths we have very successful companies so it is hard to say which path is best.

In my case por example I don't run away from a proprietary blend product if the reviews and results are positives.
 
As far as prop blend for exampl-
3200 mg of and it lists 9-15 ingredients.

I see this as it's done because they don't want to release the amount per item. And since its prop they don't have to.
Saying it's because they are protecting a formula, not buying it.

Sorry as I see more and more of it it's a cop out.

To those who say let's this die, don't respond then.
This is an open forum and it is a big topic right now so as you say " do t buy a prop blend" then don't reply to prop threads.

As we as consumers start pressing this, companies will either change or lose business.

It seriously itsnt that big of a request. If it's in a tub, a pill or liquid , put the amounts
 
rodherm said:
Tell that to the guys who invested in Coca Cola when it was first launched ;-)

There is some truth in your statement but also a disclosed formula does not, per se, ensures any higher revenues so you can not simply confirm that a proprietary blend would diminish top line and even less quantify by how much with a high degree of certainty.

As everything in life, there are pros and cons and business is about making decisions. Most of these companies are of private capitals and as such the need to protect/increase the value for the share holder is not part of their objectives so it all becomes a subjective decision based on the beliefs of the owner/management. We could discuss for hours, but the only truth is the reality and as such we can see companies taking both paths and in both paths we have very successful companies so it is hard to say which path is best.

In my case por example I don't run away from a proprietary blend product if the reviews and results are positives.
Click to expand...

Coca-Cola is a completely different beast because they were original. Also, comparing food and beverage to supplements doesn't really apply unless you specifically overlap them. For example, if you create a protein water with 50 grams of protein, 50 calories, 0 sugar, and it tastes just like orange juice then the prop blend for that flavoring would be valuable because it would give you a competitive advantage over the competition. However, if you decide to also throw in a prop blend of branched chain amino acids into the drink, then where is that value in that prop blend? Why is that prop blend of BCAAs worth more than any other BCAA blend or profile? The short answer - it's not.

Now, I didn't say that less people would buy supplement products if they had a prop blend, however I questioned whether or not they would. Perhaps more people would buy a prop blend as opposed to a detailed profile.... My assumption is that less people would buy a prop blend, however do not take that as fact. I would assume supplement companies have researched this before and should have the answer to it. My true argument is that there really is no value in a prop blend in the supplement industry. Patented ingredients? Well that can be valuable. But I can't think of a single prop blend out there in the supplement industry that is actually worth anything. The only value of these products I see is the cash flow they produce.
 
Some prop blebds have been effective. No one on her can say Recompadrol wasn't the king of GDA's. That said, I do stay clear of almost all props. Most supps I use are single ingrediants though.
 
Just because it's says XXX on a label does not mean it's innit.
Don't care as much about prop blends as long as all the ingredients listed on the label are in it
 
Ok, so I admit, the coke comparison is not the best...
I'm not a fan of PB myself, but lets be real, I think most BB will take about anything as long as it works, lol.
 
BloodManor said:
Just because it's says XXX on a label does not mean it's innit.
Don't care as much about prop blends as long as all the ingredients listed on the label are in it
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That's the beauty of being in the supplement industry today - regulation is messy. There is a struggle to regulate and enforce regulations in the industry. The key to massive success in the industry has to be distribution, distribution, and distribution. Supplements are no longer a niche thing. Put together a good sales pitch for distributors and then hit the pavement hard - or come up with something completely original. If supermarkets could convert their entire stores into just supplements they would because the margins are far higher than any food. You would think every single brick and mortar food or health store on the planet would be trying to figure out how to push as many supplement products as possible because it would be their highest ROI per square foot.
 
justhere4comm said:
The only thing on that label that worries me in the least is the 65 grams of sugars derived from High Fructose Corn Syrup. It's sugar water with caramel coloring, 57mg of caffeine. How the heck do they figure 57mg is funny. How cute.

I haven't had a Coke in over 5 years, unless it was to remove some rust from the bumper of my car.
Click to expand...
I get the HFCS argument, but the rust one is just stupid. Salt also oxidises metal, better limit that to
 
210LBS said:
I think we can all agree consumers are actually better off without prop blends, however I also think companies are better off without them. I'm very interested in hearing from companies on this board about this. It seems like consumers don't prefer a prop blend, therefore what is the upside to a company using one? Is it to protect your product? If that's the case it simply doesn't seem worth it unless you can forward me to a study that shows consumers are more or equally likely to purchase a prop blend over a non prop blend product. However, if consumers are less likely to purchase a prop blend, then it makes no sense to sacrifice cash flow for intangible value.... that's just a bad business decision.
Click to expand...
Can you forward me a study showing the opposite to be true?
 
210LBS said:
A company with a strategy like that is not a company that I would invest in. If you create a new supplement and you go the route of a prop blend knowing that it would diminish your top line out of the gate then that just seems like a horrible business decision. This is an industry that clearly has to come out of the gate running because the products don't last long-term. That is why there is always something new or something old being reformulated. Giving up sales upfront in hopes of catching fire months or years later is a dangerous game. At that point, you and your consumers have to close your eyes and just pray for the best - hope your product is blindly better than another, hope nothing in the industry makes your product obsolete before hitting your breakeven, etc. I don't see it but that's just my opinion.
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Most of the top selling products have prop blends, so I have no idea where you're pulling your logic from
 
Jiigzz said:
Most of the top selling products have prop blends, so I have no idea where you're pulling your logic from
Click to expand...

They have prop blends or they are prop blends? BIG difference. I take a multi vitamin that lists the exact amounts of everything but then has 68.5mgs of fruit and vegetable blend. I wouldn't be surprised if that was just to save space on the label to cut 1 cent in cost. Where can I find the list to the top selling supplements on the market anyway?
 
smith_69 said:
As far as prop blend for exampl-
3200 mg of and it lists 9-15 ingredients.

I see this as it's done because they don't want to release the amount per item. And since its prop they don't have to.
Saying it's because they are protecting a formula, not buying it.

Sorry as I see more and more of it it's a cop out.

To those who say let's this die, don't respond then.
This is an open forum and it is a big topic right now so as you say " do t buy a prop blend" then don't reply to prop threads.

As we as consumers start pressing this, companies will either change or lose business.

It seriously itsnt that big of a request. If it's in a tub, a pill or liquid , put the amounts
Click to expand...
So thats an example of a poor product that happens to be prop blended, what about companies who have open labels but lower than recommended dosages for certain ingredients and still use ingredients like arginine?
 
Jiigzz said:
Can you forward me a study showing the opposite to be true?
Click to expand...

I don't have any evidence that consumers will buy a non prop over a prop blend - I've already said that. Like I said, perhaps consumers would prefer a prop blend, in which case prop blends are good for companies because they are nothing more than a marketing tool.
 
210LBS said:
They have prop blends or they are prop blends? BIG difference. I take a multi vitamin that lists the exact amounts of everything but then has 68.5mgs of fruit and vegetable blend. I wouldn't be surprised if that was just to save space on the label to cut 1 cent in cost. Where can I find the list to the top selling supplements on the market anyway?
Click to expand...
Go on to a popular retailer and search by "most popular".
 
210LBS said:
I don't have any evidence that consumers will buy a non prop over a prop blend - I've already said that. Like I said, perhaps consumers would prefer a prop blend, in which case prop blends are good for companies because they are nothing more than a marketing tool.
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If this were the case, all the top selling products would be open label, but they're not. The vast majority of consumers don't care, forums make up the very small minority of people who even know what a good dosage of some ingredients should be and even what most ingredients are meant to do.
 
Jiigzz said:
Go on to a popular retailer and search by "most popular".
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I just checked out GNC's top sellers and unless I read it wrong, 9 out of the top 12 had no blends. Out of the 3 that did, 2 of the blends accounted for a very VERY small amount of the product, and 1 was an entire prop blend.
 
"Most Popular" prop blend products sell because, and I'm fully ready to be called an elitest a$$hole: 9x% of people who buy supplements are f'n morons. What's the old saw "There's a new crop of 17 year old's every year"? Marketing + Lack of knowledge = hyooge sales.
 
Jiigzz said:
If this were the case, all the top selling products would be open label, but they're not. The vast majority of consumers don't care, forums make up the very small minority of people who even know what a good dosage of some ingredients should be and even what most ingredients are meant to do.
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Fair enough. I will definitely concede to the notion that the majority of supplement users are ignorant or flat out dumb and hence don't care about prop blends. Nevertheless, I still stand by the original question of where the actual value of a prop blend is. I admit that I don't know about the supplement industry. Have companies ever bought out other companies products for their prop blends? Do companies that use more prop blends usually fetch a higher market valuation? I'm just curious where the monetary value comes in. The only thing that comes to mind is that it is easier to under dose more expensive ingredients, which equals higher margins.
 
The_Old_Guy said:
"Most Popular" prop blend products sell because, and I'm fully ready to be called an elitest a$$hole: 9x% of people who buy supplements are f'n morons. What's the old saw "There's a new crop of 17 year old's every year"? Marketing + Lack of knowledge = hyooge sales.
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That's true. They don't sell because they are prop blends, they sell because they are shiny bottles.
 
The_Old_Guy said:
"Most Popular" prop blend products sell because, and I'm fully ready to be called an elitest a$$hole: 9x% of people who buy supplements are f'n morons. What's the old saw "There's a new crop of 17 year old's every year"? Marketing + Lack of knowledge = hyooge sales.
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Well they're ignorant when it comes to supplements because most simply dont care.

Are you a moron if you cant fix a car?
A moron if you cant build a deck?
Cant hunt?
Cant fish?
Cant do calculus?
Cant code?

Everyone is ignorant on plenty of subjects, but that doesn't make you moron.
 
I don think there's anything wrong with the subject of this thread. A lot of companies 'hide' behind prop blends to underdose ingredients, while saying trust us. That's why I stick to 2 or 3 brands only.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Invalid Link Removed
 
Jiigzz said:
Well they're ignorant when it comes to supplements because most simply dont care.

Are you a moron if you cant fix a car?
A moron if you cant build a deck?
Cant hunt?
Cant fish?
Cant do calculus?
Cant code?

Everyone is ignorant on plenty of subjects, but that doesn't make you moron.
Click to expand...

Well, I disagree with the equivalency of intelligence between not being able to build a deck and not caring what you put into your body. But that aside, I live in the USA and yeah.... most people are morons.
 
210LBS said:
I just checked out GNC's top sellers and unless I read it wrong, 9 out of the top 12 had no blends. Out of the 3 that did, 2 of the blends accounted for a very VERY small amount of the product, and 1 was an entire prop blend.
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Haha, it does seem like some of the top brands are making that shift.

The list of top 50 is still prop blend heavy, but the top 10 has a pretty decent 50/50 split on BB.
 
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