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Personalized products in direct selling: a guide for network marketing companies
Personalized products are a natural fit for direct selling: they are best explained in a personal conversation, and customers reorder them regularly. With Novogenia, a network marketing company can offer three product worlds: non-medical lifestyle genetic analyses, personalized supplements delivered every 90 days, and BeautyMe personalized skincare with three products. There are three ways to do it, and you can combine them: a partner shop with a commission on every order, white label under your own brand, or your own product development. Distributors may offer only non-medical analyses, and Switzerland has stricter rules on top. This guide takes you through three chapters, from the concept to building your offer to law and launch.
One box for exactly one person
In direct selling, a product sells through a conversation. Someone tells a friend, a coworker or their online community what works for them – and why. The better the story, the easier the recommendation. Personalized products come with their story built in: with personalized supplements, every box is produced for one specific person. You will not find it on any shelf or in any other household.
I am a molecular biologist, and I founded Novogenia in 2009. In our building in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria, a genetic lab, a supplement factory and a cosmetics factory sit under one roof. We sell exclusively through partners – today in 69 countries. With this guide, I want to show you how your network marketing company can turn this into a product line your distributors can recommend with a clear conscience.
In this guide, direct selling means that independent distributors recommend products in their personal circles, at events or on social media – in other words, network marketing and social selling. It does not mean a brand selling directly to end customers through its own online shop.
Why personalized products suit network marketing
Three qualities make personalized products interesting for direct selling:
- They need explaining: A genetic report raises questions. A distributor who answers them offers exactly the value no store shelf can.
- They are personal: The result of the genetic analysis changes what goes into the formula. That makes a price comparison with a standard product meaningless.
- They get reordered: Supplements are taken every day. One delivery lasts 90 days, then the next one follows – and with every new production run, the formula is recalculated.
Think of the genetic analysis as a door and the personalized products as the room behind it. The analysis is bought once. The products that follow from it then accompany your customer in a 90-day rhythm. Why this fits so well, and what research shows about personal recommendations, is covered in Personalized products in direct selling.
Three product worlds from one building
| Product | What it is | Role in direct selling |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle genetic analyses | non-medical analyses on lifestyle, nutrition, beauty and sport from a saliva sample; analysis in 4 days, reports in up to 18 languages | the entry point: bought once, it opens the conversation |
| Personalized supplements | a formula based on about 50 genes, a questionnaire and, where available, blood values; Microtransporter pellets in daily sachets | the everyday product, with a new delivery every 90 days |
| BeautyMe | day serum, night serum and body lotion; the genetic result determines which active ingredients are used and at what dosage | skincare from the outside as a complement |
Which products fit your network – and which analyses distributors may not offer at all – is covered in Which products are a good fit.
Three routes to your own product line
The second question is: how much of it should carry your own brand? At Novogenia, there are three routes, and you can combine them:
| Route | How it works | A good fit if … |
|---|---|---|
| Partner shop | You get a ready-to-use online shop. Customers order there; Novogenia ships the kit, performs the analysis and delivers the products. You earn a commission on every order, and there are no setup fees. | you want to start quickly and without startup costs |
| White label | Logo, packaging, report and customer portal carry your brand. For cosmetics, Novogenia’s name and address appear on the pack as the responsible person. | your network wants to build its own brand |
| Your own product development | your own supplement or cosmetics formula, developed and produced in Eugendorf | you want to stand out through the product itself |
Many young networks start with finished products and move to their own brand as they grow. To keep expectations realistic: white label means your own brand, not automatic exclusivity – other brands can offer a comparable product. You will find the details in Chapter 2.
The limits every distributor must know
Personalized products are easy to talk about – which is exactly why what gets said matters. Three rules belong in every training session:
- Non-medical analyses only: Distributors may offer only non-medical analyses, that is, on lifestyle, nutrition, beauty and sport. Wherever national law requires it – for example in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the USA – medical analyses are reserved for physicians.
- Switzerland is different: There, even genetic analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being may only be ordered by certain health professionals, the sample is taken in their presence, and home self-tests are not allowed for these analyses (Art. 13 and 34 GUMG, Art. 37 and 40 GUMV).
- Your brand answers for its distributors: What distributors say about your products in conversations, chats or social media posts reflects on your company. All three countries have rules under which unfair-competition claims can also be brought against the company when other people acted on its behalf: in Germany for employees and agents (Section 8(2) UWG), in Austria for acts committed in the course of the business (Section 18 UWG), and in Switzerland for employees and other auxiliary persons (Art. 11 UWG).
Reputable direct selling wins people over with the product and the advice, not with income promises. How to train your distributors, which statements are allowed, and how legitimate direct selling differs from pyramid schemes is covered in Chapters 2 and 3.
Chapter 1 · The concept
Why personalized products and network marketing belong together – and where to start.
Chapter 2 · Building it
Brand, shop, training and new markets: what you set up before you launch.
Chapter 3 · Law & launch
What is allowed – and how to grow safely with a pilot.
All 10 articles are also listed by chapter at the end of this page.
Frequently asked questions
What does direct selling mean in this guide?
Which products can a network marketing company offer with Novogenia?
May distributors sell genetic tests?
Do my distributors need to hold inventory?
What does it cost to get started, and how much is the commission?
Related: Product partner for direct selling and MLM · Partner and white-label models · Sales channels for supplements
Personalized products for your network?
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Request a project →Partner programNote: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.