A major transition is underway at Plano, Texas-based Wellness International Network. The 23-year-old nutrition company is moving to a new corporate office and relaunching under the WIN Worldwide brand, which will feature all-new products and a revised business model.
The husband and wife team of Ralph and Cathy Oats founded WIN in 1992, six years after they took up direct sales to earn an extra $100 in weekly income. Now, a second generation of Oats family members fills key marketing and operations roles within the company.
“For any company to remain successful it must be open to change, and WIN is no exception,” Ralph Oats told DSN in an email. “Technology advances and changes in the ways people connect and make purchases made us realize it was truly time to launch a more contemporary business model. We are committed to innovations and changes that will grow WIN and leverage us toward our goal of becoming a billion-dollar company.“
WIN’s existing business plan and product line is rolling over to a new company, Physician’s Health & Diet (PHD) Program LLC, which will transition the business away from multilevel marketing. PHD reflects the identity that Wellness International Network developed over the years, as its product distribution increasingly focused on the physician-oriented market. With WIN’s relaunch, leadership aims to carve out a new niche in the industry and build “a multi-level marketing company that offers products and opportunity for anyone, anywhere, anytime,” said Director of Marketing Sheri Matthews.
WIN has made a “financial commitment to innovate,” in Matthews’ words, that extends to every part of the business. The company has developed a new product line that “helps to fill the gap between what you eat and what you don’t eat.” Central to the line is WIN Daily Lift, a powdered-drink mix that contains 59 superfoods, including fruits, vegetables, enzymes and beneficial algae—and no wheat, dairy, GMOs, MSG or artificial ingredients. For brand partners, WIN has developed simple, action-oriented tools such as a new launch kit, a 3 for Free program that enables customers to earn free product, fresh marketing materials, product sampling options, and an improved online shopping cart and back office. The company is also introducing a new compensation plan that incorporates weekly payments, bonus pools, promotional iPads and a luxury car program.
“We view our people, the WIN family, as our No. 1 asset, and we do everything we can to help ensure they are positioned for success,” said Founder Cathy Oats. “This approach, coupled with a strong belief in our high-quality product line, is the foundation of our company. We believe our latest innovations will help to ensure WIN continues to prosper for decades to come.”
To develop its new branding and distributor tools, WIN engaged DSN parent company SUCCESS Partners, a producer of marketing tools, videos and personal development materials for the direct sales industry as well as the publisher of SUCCESS magazine and Success from Home. The collaboration produced not only a fresh look and feel for WIN, but also a buyer for the company’s existing headquarters facility. SUCCESS Partners has purchased the 81,000-square-foot building with plans to relocate its own corporate headquarters from nearby Lake Dallas, Texas.
WIN has found a new home in Plano’s 2220-acre Legacy Development, neighboring prominent corporations such as Dr Pepper/Snapple, Frito Lay, JC Penney and Toyota. “The facility has more of what WIN needs and less of what WIN doesn’t need,” said Matthews. The company plans to hold a grand opening celebration in June 2015 after occupying its new space.
