Founded in 2006, Plexus Worldwide has rapidly ascended to become the 30th largest direct selling company in the world. The company’s “pink drink” weight loss supplement catapulted them into the spotlight, helping establish their presence in the competitive health and wellness market. Although the initial buzz has cooled from its peak, Plexus maintains strong sales and continues expanding its global reach.
Plexus Worldwide Overview
Company Origins
Tarl Robinson established Plexus in 2006, initially offering just one product – an in-home breast health kit. Direct selling ran in Robinson’s family, as both parents earned their full-time income as distributors in various direct selling organizations. During college, Robinson became a distributor himself, selling nutritional and weight loss products.
Robinson moved to Arizona in 2002, expanding his professional skills into estate management while maintaining his passion for direct selling. Four years later, he launched Plexus with their single breast care product. The company experienced rapid growth, eventually expanding their wellness portfolio to over 20 products.
The company now generates more than $500 million in annual revenue, with exact figures reaching $562 million in 2017. Despite maintaining a distributor network of approximately 700,000 representatives, Plexus employs fewer than 200 full-time staff members. Direct Selling News has recognized the company as one of their Best Places to Work, and Plexus has frequently appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies.
Regulatory Challenges
Despite its relatively short history, Plexus has faced numerous investigations and regulatory challenges. Most accusations focus on product marketing and advertising practices, particularly the company’s tendency to promote supplements as disease cures rather than unregulated wellness products.
The FDA issued a warning letter to Plexus in 2014, specifically targeting the marketing of Fast Relief, ProBio5 and BioCleanse products. The letter included specific examples of misleading claims from their website, demanding immediate cessation of false advertising practices.
Even after FDA warnings, the Truth in Advertising group discovered over 100 unsubstantiated claims on Plexus’ website in 2016. The Environmental Research Center also sued the company for inadequate lead content warnings on certain products. Additionally, Plexus faces multiple lawsuits from founding members and former distributors who joined competing MLMs, plus over 600 consumer complaints regarding unauthorized billing for unordered products.
Current Operations
Plexus maintains its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, with founder Tarl Robinson continuing as CEO alongside a robust leadership team. Although company growth has decelerated recently, annual revenues remain strong at approximately $500 million. However, ongoing consumer complaints and multiple lawsuits create uncertainty about the company’s long-term prospects.
Recent organizational restructuring aims to improve internal alignment and position Plexus as a sustainable legacy company. With their distributor network still hovering around 700,000 representatives, the company seeks to leverage this extensive network for continued global sales growth.
Plexus Worldwide Product Portfolio
Unlike many MLMs with extensive catalogs, Plexus focuses on roughly 20 health and wellness products. Their range spans from topical creams and serums to nutritional supplements. The company still offers their original Breast Check Kit, while their initial breast cream has evolved into Plexus Body Cream.
Plexus Slim, known as the “pink drink,” remains their flagship product. This weight loss supplement claims to balance blood sugar levels and reduce hunger cravings. Customer opinions vary widely, with devoted fans praising its effectiveness while critics dismiss it as ineffective marketing.
Gut health represents another major focus area for Plexus. The company markets numerous products designed to improve digestive wellness, claiming benefits include reduced bloating and enhanced overall well-being. Beyond individual items, Plexus offers combination kits featuring multiple complementary products. They also encourage customers to enroll in auto-ship programs for convenient recurring deliveries on predetermined schedules.
Marketing Strategies
Like most contemporary MLMs, Plexus relies heavily on social media marketing. Numerous online resources provide distributors with tips and strategies for building their Plexus business. Growing social media followings represents a consistent theme across these resources, with distributors encouraged to identify target audiences and create tailored content.
The company promotes product sampling as another key strategy, hoping potential customers will enjoy free samples enough to make purchases. Sharing success stories also plays a crucial role in generating excitement about both products and business opportunities. Any method that creates buzz and builds enthusiasm around the company serves as effective advertising.
Earning Potential with Plexus Worldwide
While the weight loss and wellness market offers enormous potential, what does this mean for Plexus distributors? With approximately 700,000 existing distributors, the market has reached significant saturation levels. The vast majority of representatives barely break even, while only a tiny fraction achieves substantial earnings.
Plexus has discontinued releasing detailed income disclosure statements, making current earning data difficult to obtain. The most recent comprehensive information available is their 2016 income disclosure statement. Analysis reveals that approximately 78% of distributors earned nothing, as the statement only includes qualified ambassadors and higher ranks. An additional 17% earned just $301 for the entire year, meaning fewer than 4% of representatives earned more than $301 in 2016. A detailed breakdown is available here.
Although a 2018 Income Disclosure Statement exists on their website, it lacks meaningful detail. The limited data presented suggests earnings haven’t improved significantly since 2016. Regardless, your chances of generating substantial income through Plexus remain extremely low.
Getting Started
Becoming an ambassador requires a straightforward enrollment process. Visit the Plexus website and follow the enrollment links to join the company. New ambassadors receive discounted starter packs ranging from $99 to $199, plus a required $34.95 annual fee. This fee maintains your ambassador website and membership status each year.
Payment Structure
Earning with Plexus requires qualified Ambassador status, meaning current membership fees and minimum monthly sales volumes. Their compensation plans differ slightly by country but maintain similar core structures. Representatives earn commissions on personal sales, but only after reaching $100 in monthly sales. Beyond this threshold, they earn 15% on sales up to $500 and 25% above that amount.
Preferred Customer bonuses provide another income stream. Ambassadors earn bonuses ranging from $4 to $28 (depending on product type) each time they enroll a Preferred Customer who places orders. Building teams and growing your business unlocks additional commission opportunities and bonus structures.
Effective Promotion Methods
The most successful Ambassadors cultivate extensive social media followings. They engage audiences through product demonstrations and success testimonials, encouraging both product purchases and new ambassador recruitment. Understanding your target demographic and crafting messages that resonate directly with their needs represents the key to success within this organization.
How Plexus Compares to Other MLMs
With countless MLM options available, from Young Living to Mary Kay, how does Plexus stack up? While the company has experienced rapid growth and significant market presence in recent years, it faces substantial challenges including numerous complaints, lawsuits, and regulatory investigations. Ambassador earning potential remains extremely limited, with even top distributors earning less than their counterparts at competing MLMs. Combined with mandatory annual membership fees, Plexus Worldwide presents a less attractive opportunity compared to alternative MLM options.
