Today, I’m going to review an ad and links to a book that promotes a “natural supplement” said to treat type 2 diabetes and to the associated “Wellness Center”.
This review is in no way a recommendation nor endorsement of the products or services that the ad and links are selling. I specifically do not recommend these products and services.
[Please note that none of the information in the ad below is accurate. Metformin is considered safe and effective by the American Diabetes Association 2018 guidelines. For links to the 2018 American Diabetes Association guidelines, please see Resources after the end of this post.]
Rather this post is simply a case study of a healthcare marketing campaign.
So here is the ad that was on the home page of the Huffington Post of 10-21-2018:
When you click on the link “Why Metformin Is Sickening” you are taken to this page:
The web page link continues:
The video is about eight minutes long and if you watch until the end she says that she will tell you the secret [I didn’t, I got bored].
But as soon as you click on the video, you are taken to a different page where the video plays in a different tab which has the following information:
When you click on one of the underlined phrases above, you are taken to their secure ordering page where you can buy the book, Smart Blood Sugar, for $27 and when you do you will also get a free one year subscription to the doctor’s newsletter. The newsletter automatically renews at $47 yearly!
The doctor is selling a supplement that is said to be helpful in type 2 diabetes.
And anyone buying the book will certainly receive additional information on the associated Wellness Clinic.
So basically, the above is an interesting internet marketing example. Please see the caveat at the beginning of this post and review the resources below from the American Diabetes Association.]
Resources
(1) Updates To The Standard Of Medical Care In Diabetes – 2018 [PubMed Abstract] [Full Text HTML] [Full Text PDF]. Diabetes Care. 2018 Sep;41(9):2045-2047. doi: 10.2337/dc18-su09.
(2) Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2018 Abridged for Primary Care Providers [PubMed Abstract] [Full Text HTML] [Full Text PDF]. Clin Diabetes. 2018 Jan;36(1):14-37. doi: 10.2337/cd17-0119.
(3) Links To The Complete “Standards Of Medical Care In Diabetes – 2018” With Link To The Update And Additional Resources
Posted on October 16, 2018 by Tom Wade MD
