August 31, 2018

In April of 2016, the Compliance Team implemented a new system that helps us monitor social media for non-compliant activities so that we could better educate you on how to run your business. Since then, we’ve had an influx of people wondering why they were contacted and/or who was it that ‘turned them in?’

Our monitoring system uses keywords in order to search for potentially non-compliant posts. This software can identify posts from two days ago, two weeks ago, or two years ago. The majority of the Ambassadors we contact were not ‘turned in’ by anyone, but rather it is our system doing its job. The goal is not to get people in trouble, but rather to free up our Compliance Team’s time to better educate Ambassadors on the right way – The Plexus Way – to use social media to their advantage. That is, without bringing additional regulatory risk to their business or the company while building their business.

We are often approached and asked what Ambassadors can proactively do to prevent being contacted by Compliance. Here are some quick tips when using social media:

• Before posting, make sure that you are only making claims found on our website, your Virtual Office, or other corporate materials. These claims have been substantiated and are the ONLY compliant claims that can be made. Mentioning diseases like diabetes, fibromyalgia, obesity, and any other disease is never okay in your advertisements.
• When listing compliant supplement claims, always include the FDA disclaimer. You will notice this disclaimer is used in every corporate video, brochure, or site when claims are mentioned. The disclaimer should be used as follows:

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

• Review your past posts! You may have posted a non-compliant claim two years ago and may have forgotten about it – but it is still posted in a public forum and can cause issues. The FDA does not differentiate a current post from a post two years old. If it is on the internet, it is considered a non-compliant claim and must be removed.
• On social media profiles/groups/pages, make sure you always include information clearly stating that you are an Independent Ambassador along with your contact information. This applies to anywhere you promote your Plexus business and products – yes, even your personal Facebook profile.
• Avoid using any Plexus® company copyrights in your social media profile/page names, such as ‘Plexus Slim of New York’ or ‘John Plexus Worldwide Doe.’

If you ever are contacted by the Compliance Team, don’t look at it as a punishment – we are here to help you! Utilize your time with Compliance to help you better understand how to run a compliant business to avoid any contact in the future. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions and share that information with your team.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Compliance Team at compliance@plexusworldwide.com.

August 23, 2018

There’s a lot to say about Plexus® products; the amount of compliant product information can be staggering. New Ambassadors, and even seasoned Ambassadors who need to refresh their knowledge, can sometimes be unsure of where to start. This week, we’re providing a quick high-level guide of what all Ambassadors, new and old, should know about product claims.

What is a Product Claim?

Simply put, a product claim is when an Ambassador shares their experience with a product or what a product can do for someone else.

Who Regulates Product Claims?

Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) play roles in protecting customers by regulating product claims and how they are advertised. For Ambassadors and their advertising, the FTC requires that product claims be truthful, non-misleading, AND substantiated.

So, what does this mean?

Truthful: Product claims should represent the benefits that a customer can reasonably expect to receive when they use the products. Exaggerating results or suggesting that the product can do more than it does is considered untruthful.

Non-Misleading: Plexus products cannot be advertised with disease claims, as the products are not drugs. Advertising Plexus products using disease claims is considered misleading.

Substantiated: Product claims for Plexus products need to be supported by sufficient scientific evidence to show that the product can help customers achieve advertised results. These substantiated claims are accompanied by disclaimers.

How to Share Your Story

We want you to share your health journey, but before you do, make sure that your product claims meet the three criteria mentioned above. If you want to check to make sure your product claims align with the substantiated claims, you can find all the available product information sheets in your Virtual Office, under a single convenient tab. And if you still have questions about your claims after reading through what Plexus has to offer, contact us at compliance@plexusworldwide.com, where we will be happy to answer questions and help edit product testimonies.

How to Use Disclaimers

When you share product claims online, or even in front of a crowd, it’s easy to protect yourself with proper disclaimers. Whether they’re on a product brochure you’re handing out, hanging around on your powerpoint presentation behind you, or read out loud before your presentation, as long as your audience can easily find the disclaimers, you’re good to go.

Taken from: https://plexusscoop.com/2018/08/23/plexus-way-learn-make-product-claim/