Earlier this month, many were surprised to hear Planet Earth’s announcement that it is dropping its flagship product range, VigRX. After fifteen successful years with the brand upon which Planet Earth was founded, the company decided to sell the European rights to VigRX and will no longer be distributing VigRX products, having instead decided to back its globally exclusive Ultimate range.The move is a huge vote of confidence for the ETO Nominated Ultimate brand, which Planet Earth says has been a huge hit and will continue to grow in support throughout 2013 and beyond.
Over the last six months, Planet Earth has committed to a change in momentum, going back to its roots of male enhancement, which has seen the brand tie-up exclusive deals with the Ultimate range, Jes Extender, Velv’Or, Verspanken and Perfect Fit, but it was decided that VigRX did not fit into this new strategy mainly because of the limited longevity of the product. Paul Boote, President of Planet Earth, explains: “In the last three years the adult market has changed so much and EU regulation has made things very difficult for us, especially with the VigRX brand; the top-selling product in the range, VigRX Plus, has been an export-only product for a number of years now. We know that VigRX is a fantastic product range with a huge following, but the way legislation is going we know that we have to plan for the future and give our customers something they can sell legally from today and for many years to come. Selling VigRX Plus within the UK can result in stock being seized. Advertising the product online can result in Google diminishing your sites web ranking and reducing web traffic. This is something we have been clear about for a long time. But because of these factors we cannot in good conscience continue to promote VigRX as the best viable option for businesses looking to maximise their sales potential with herbal products."
“Ultimate P3 was developed to counter these issues; it is made with an EU legal formulation and is a brand we believe in. Now we need to continue to boost our efforts to promote the Ultimate P3 brand in the same way we established VigRX in Europe so that people begin to ask for the product by name. We have the expertise and we have done it in the past so things look very bright for the continued development of the Ultimate P3 brand.”
One of the most significant changes in the European herbal market was the European Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive which came into force mid 2011. This has seen the MHRA take a more proactive approach to regulation of these products, something that has been mirrored in the US by the FDA, a body that has banned a significant amount of best-selling herbal products within the United States this year alone. Other important changes include the ability of the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) to regulate online advertising, in addition to print and television promotions.
Sourced from the United States, logistical issues have also hampered the VigRX brand.
Boote comments: “Because VigRX is imported from the United States, over the last few months we have experienced continual delays due to customs and excise. This has caused back order issues that have affected our customers. These problems also mean that consumers have not been able to take VigRX products continually – which affects the products efficacy and dilutes consumer confidence. This is not a sustainable cycle and could lead to dissatisfied customers who will never try these products again running the potential for continual sales. To solve these issues, it makes sense to supply our customers with a product that can be easily obtained; Ultimate products are formulated and manufactured in the UK, so the supply chain is local and we can respond rapidly to sudden surges in demand.”
Planet Earth is adamant that the decision to sell the popular VigRX brand was primarily for the benefit of its customers and consumers, ensuring that with products in the Ultimate range both are safe and protected.
“We know that VigRX is a fantastic product with a huge following, but the brand did not offer us the kind of assurances and control that the deal with the Ultimate range gives us. With Ultimate there will no longer be problems with counterfeit goods coming into the country, no import and export issues and no concerns over the legality of the formulation. These factors along with the huge potential for cross selling make the Ultimate range far more business friendly.”
With six products in the range, all of which can be taken individually or as a combination of products, the Ultimate range certainly does have a major USP that will prove popular with shops and consumers. And, it is likely this range will continue to grow over the years.
“Obviously the news will be a big blow to many of our customers who have stocked the VigRX brand for years and have a loyal consumer base who won’t initially want to switch brands,” says Boote, “but the alternative product we are offering – Ultimate P3 – offers many compelling advantages over VigRX and we are really looking forward to releasing the results of our testing later in the year.”
For additional information on the Planet Earth catalogue and to find out more about the Ultimate range, including Ultimate P3, contact Planet Earth on +44 (0)1924 333 320.