CRN snags health awareness award

LifeSupplemented.Org, which was created by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), informs consumers of the healthy potential of dietary supplements, but also encourages them to evaluate their own personal health goals by promoting a healthy diet and exercise. The site - part of the group's 'Life…supplemented' campaign - was awarded Gold recognition by the 2007-08 Mercury Awards competition in the category of Web Sites: Health Awareness. The awards, which are sponsored by Mercomm, focus on public relations and corporate communication efforts. Life…supplemented ​ According to Judy Blatman, CRN senior vice president of communications, who supervises the Life…supplemented program, "this campaign focuses on the responsible use of supplements in combination with other positive steps you can take for yourself".​ "Continuing to educate consumers about the role supplements play in overall well-being is an extremely important task for our industry. We believe the Web site and overall campaign provide an excellent resource for consumers and we're very proud to have been recognized with this award." ​ ​Drawing on the support of over 25 dietary supplement companies, the trade association's three-year campaign promotes a perception that taking dietary supplements is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, in the same way that exercise and a well-balanced diet are fundamental to such a lifestyle. CRN's website was launched in September 2007. It is designed to encourage consumers to create a personal wellness regimen that makes use of what it calls the three pillars of wellness: a healthy diet, supplementation and exercise. The site contains a wellness 'scorecard' web surfers can use to determine what level of personal health they are at. CRN has dubbed these levels 'alphawell', 'well', 'wannabewell', or 'ohwell'. DSEA ​ Last year also marked the launch of another dietary supplement industry website. The Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) launched a site as a first step in its campaign to publicize the positive face of the industry. DSEA's website looked to attract consumers with more than $100 in free coupons for dietary supplements, along with ads from its 'Just Like Me' campaign, information about the campaign, a game, and links to dietary supplement information. DSEA's 'Just Like Me' campaign is also aimed at casting the dietary supplement industry and its products in a more positive light for consumers. DSEA did not enter its site to compete in the Mercury Awards. The aim of campaigns such as 'Just Like Me' and 'Life…supplemented' is to show consumers there are two sides to every story and that while some dietary supplements have been marketed on shady grounds, many others are manufactured and marketed by responsible companies and founded on clinical research.