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FTC Reaches Settlement with Match.com

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a settlement with Match Group, the owner of online dating platforms Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, Match.com, Plenty of Fish and more. In September 2019, the FTC filed suit against the Match Group, citing that the company had violated the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA) by failing to provide a simple method for a consumer to stop recurring charges from being placed on their credit card, debit card, bank account or other financial account.

According to the FTC: “Each step of the online cancellation process—from the password entry to the retention offer to the final survey pages—confused and frustrated consumers and ultimately prevented many consumers from canceling their Match.com subscriptions.”

The complaint goes on to say that “Match’s own employees described the cancellation process as ‘hard to find, tedious, and confusing’ and noted that ‘members often think they’ve cancelled when they have not and end up with unwanted renewals.’

Legal analysts in the industry say this move is an indicator of the FTC’s intention to prosecute companies regarding consumer protection, but that the full scope of the settlement will be unclear until the Commission gives its final approval.

Beachbody Relaunches Affiliate and Referral Programs

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The Beachbody Company, Inc., known as BODi, announced the relaunch of its Affiliate Partner Program. Through this system, customers, influencers and content creators can earn up to 40% commission by sharing BODi’s digital subscriptions, supplements and equipment. There is no cost to join the program, and affiliates receive custom tracking links, discounts, marketing assets and early access to new product releases.

All customers, however, have access to the referral program, which allows users to refer friends and family to the platform through unique “refer-a-friend” links. New customers receive discounts on their first purchase or subscription through these links, and the existing customer who referred the new customer receives points and rewards for completed transactions.

These new initiatives are part of the company’s broader strategy to scale its community through personalized wellness experiences and follows a $35 million capital infusion from Tiger Capital Group, part of the company’s turnaround plan, announced earlier this week.

Herbalife Recognized by AOAC International

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Herbalife’s proprietary method for identifying and measuring anthraquinones, known as aloins, in aloe vera has been formally certified by the Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC International). To meet safety guidelines, aloe regulatory groups require producers of ingestible aloe vera to monitor naturally occurring compounds. Herbalife’s testing process was developed by Herbalife scientists and validated by independent labs and has been used to test every batch of its aloe-based products. With this certification, Herbalife’s method becomes the first AOAC-approved approach for detecting aloins.

Herbalife’s commitment to aloe safety, research and quality assurance has led to five patents and three published studies focused on extraction methods that balance safety with preservation of the plant’s natural benefits. Through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, Herbalife uses magnetic fields and radio waves to identify the molecular structure of raw materials, independently identifying and verifying the purity of its aloe vera at the molecular level.

“This AOAC validation is an important milestone for Herbalife and the industry as a whole,” said Gary Swanson, SVP of Global Quality at Herbalife and lead author of the study. “We are proud to lead scientific innovation that enhances botanical ingredient safety, benefitting not only Herbalife products and our customers, but also advancing standards across the industry.”

4Life Earns Great Place to Work Certification

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4Life announced it is now officially Great Place to Work Certified. This honor is based on real-time feedback from employees about company culture and is bestowed by Great Place To Work, an organization that analyzes workplace culture, employee experience and leadership behaviors that are proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and enhanced innovation.

An executive for Great Place To Work described the certification as a “highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience.”

“We are thrilled to be Great Place to Work Certified,” said Ryan Gagon, 4Life Vice President of Human Resources. “It reflects our top priority to the everyday experience of our phenomenal workforce. We owe our continued success to our team of dedicated 4Life employees. We celebrate and thank them for all they have done to earn this recognition.”

USANA Wins “Best of State” Statue

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At the Best of State awards in Salt Lake City, Utah, USANA was awarded four medals, as well as the Best of State Statue, known as The BOSS.

These honors included:

  • Science & Technology Overall – USANA Research and Development team
  • Dietary Supplement – USANA CellSentials
  • Personal Care Products – USANA Celavive skincare
  • Private Sector Community Development – USANA Foundation
  • Research and Development – USANA Research and Development team

“Receiving these awards year after year against tremendous competition is a great honor for us as a company,” said Brent Neidig, USANA Chief Commercial Officer. “Everything we do revolves around providing our customers with the best products, developed through the most cutting-edge research and innovation, and these awards demonstrate the strength of that commitment. Not only did our research and development efforts earn us a Best of State medal, but also the Best of State Statue, which puts our science and technology at the top of the mountain. But USANA is about more than just exceptional products. We are a global health community, powered by hundreds of thousands of dedicated Associates who are passionate about improving lives around the world. Through their efforts—and through the work of the USANA Foundation—we’re making a lasting impact. The Foundation has supplied tens of millions of meals and provided critical aid to those in need, locally and globally. I’m very proud to see these efforts recognized and to celebrate the positive change we are driving together.”

Amway Expands Partnership with HEM Pharma to Propel Microbiome Innovation

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Amway announced it is enhancing its collaboration with HEM Pharma, a microbiome solutions company, as part of its commitment to innovate within the gut health category. The two entities have partnered together for the last decade as they work to advance research, technology and services in the field of microbiome health in the markets where Amway has operations.

Together, the two companies have developed one of the largest gut microbiome databases in the world, which they believe will drive health insights and offer informed strategic growth initiatives.

Amway will now extend its microbiome research into Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and the US, while it also enhances its innovation partnership ecosystem to support nutrition, skin health, oral health and clean air and water solutions.

“As part of Amway’s continued vision to help people live better lives, we’re committed to uncovering new insights that inspire innovative lifestyle, product and service solutions, empowering ABOs and enhancing the Amway customer experience worldwide,” said Amway Chief Research & Development Officer Kristi Pelc.

Beachbody Receives $35 Million from Tiger Capital

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The Beachbody Company, now known as BODi, announced it has received $35 million in financing from lending platform Tiger Finance, part of Tiger Capital Group. The funding package included an immediate $25 million term loan and a $10 million uncommitted accordion, which will allow the company to retire $17.3 million in outstanding debt while adding $5 million in capital to its balance sheet.

Tiger Finance stated that the partnership “should position Beachbody for greater profitability and long-term growth.”

“Tiger’s belief in our business plan and flexible approach to lending gave us the liquidity to execute on our efforts to open new and more profitable channels of distribution,” said Carl Daikeler, Beachbody Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “We are thrilled to partner with them and SG Credit Partners on our turnaround strategy.”

MONAT Sees Record-Breaking Launch in Germany

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MONAT announced that its Germany launch proved to be its most successful international debut in company history. Hundreds of German distributors have already qualified for MONAT’s incentive trip and car incentive program.

The company believes this enthusiasm for MONAT’s product line and overwhelmingly positive response to direct selling and social commerce opportunities is “a new wave of belief and possibility across Europe and beyond.”

“This launch has set a new standard for what’s possible,” said Ray Urdaneta, MONAT CEO. “We knew Germany had incredible potential, but the energy, commitment, and rapid growth we’ve seen have been truly extraordinary. It’s a clear reflection of the global appetite for MONAT’s unique blend of innovation, community, and opportunity.”

dōTERRA Celebrates 15 Years of Philanthropy

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dōTERRA’s charitable organization, dōTERRA Healing Hands, celebrated 15 years and $55 million in donations worldwide. The company celebrated with a private virtual event that gathered donors to reflect on the impact of the foundation’s contributions to communities in need.

The company particularly highlighted the foundation’s impact in Bulgaria, where the company sources its Rose essential oil. Funds donated from the purchase price of its dōTERRA spa Rose Hand Lotion have provided a mobile blood donation clinic within the Rose Valley community.

“The dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation has transformed lives and communities worldwide, creating a ripple effect of positive change,” said Misty Bond, dōTERRA Vice President of Corporate Relations and Philanthropy. “Our projects not only uplift those directly served but also empowers the volunteers and organizers who bring them to life. Witnessing the dedication of our global community fills me with gratitude. As we look ahead, I am confident that the next 15 years will bring even more inspiring stories and life-changing initiatives to those who need it most.”

Vorwerk Partners with NVIDIA to Deploy Robotic Home Solutions

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Vorwerk announced it will be deploying the NVIDIA Isaac robotics platform to develop robot-enabled home experiences. This new collaboration is the next step in intelligent home solutions for the company, who already leans heavily onto digital ecosystems for its product line, including its early cleaning robots and software-driven experiences for its kitchen appliances.

Currently, the company says it is “post-training NVIDIA Isaac GR00T N1, an open robot foundation model, to support families around the home.” Potential uses could include supporting seniors eager to maintain independence and busy families who could turn to the robot to complete common household tasks like cooking, cleaning and more.

“At Vorwerk, our dedicated community is at the center of our commitment,” said Julius Ganns, Vorwerk Chief Digital Officer. “Artificial intelligence unlocks countless opportunities to deliver smarter, more secure, and deeply personalized home experiences that were not possible before. By partnering with NVIDIA, we are taking this vision to the next level, accelerating innovation for our advisors and customers everywhere.”

Vorwerk is already enhancing its AI and software capabilities in its existing development locations in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and China, and is investing in a new AI and Robotics lab in Spain.

“Vorwerk has always embraced technology to improve our ecosystems and direct-to-consumer capabilities,” Ganns said. “Now, we’re making the next step towards an era where robotics and smart devices collaborate in a very special way—supporting our community with innovative ecosystems.”

Zinzino Acquires Ecosystem Assets to Boost Distribution Power in France

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Zinzino announced it has acquired the rights to Ecosystem’s inventory, IP and distributor database and associated customer records. Ecosystem’s presence in France and headquarters in Paris is expected to generate strong growth for Zinzino within the French market and enhance profitability as a result of the synergies between the joint networks.

“Personalized advice and tailored solutions are the future, and not just in health and wellness,” said Dag Bergheim Pettersen, Zinzino CEO and Frédéric Pottecher, Ecosystem CEO in a joint statement. “Together, we have many years of combined industry experience and everything it takes to drive the modern, personalized shopping experience through direct sales.”

Zinzino stated that the deal included a fixed purchase price of approximately $575,000, divided into 50% cash and 50% newly issued Zinzino shares, with additional considerations based on sales development in 2025-2030 that are estimated to total between $1 million and $4.7 million.

Nature’s Sunshine Renews Scholarship Fund to Support Disadvantaged Students

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Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. announced it has elected to renew its scholarship in partnership with the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. This full-ride scholarship also partners with the Opportunity Scholars program to support students who will be the first in their family to earn a college degree.

“As a leader in health and wellness, we’re committed to helping people reach their potential,” said Terrence Moorehead, Nature’s Sunshine CEO. “Supporting individuals’ efforts to improve their lives through education, particularly within disadvantaged communities, was a natural outgrowth of that goal. We’re excited to extend our partnership with the University of Utah to help build a more inclusive community and empower others to make a positive difference through their own success and accomplishments.”

The Eccles School manages the scholarship application and award process while the Opportunity Scholars program will provide scholarship award winners with access to mentors, tutors, academic advising and networking opportunities.

This scholarship is also part of the company’s Impact Foundation, the brand’s philanthropic arm. To date, Nature’s Sunshine has pledged $200,000 in scholarships over the past four years, and will continue to commit funds through the 2027-2028 academic year.