Will consumers spray their supplements? Instavit bets on the novel delivery format

23-Oct-2017 - Last updated on 23-Oct-2017 at 16:02 GMT

While vitamin and mineral powder, shots, gummies, and melts continue to pop up on store shelves, London-based Instavit is cornering the niche oral spray market.

The company, which started three years ago and launched its first products in Canada, has cast its net wide in the North American market, selling across the US in The Vitamin Shoppe, as well as grocery retailer Meijer, and online retailers Amazon and Walmart.

According to Instavit chief marketing officer Melissa Eldridge, the wide distribution hints at Instavit’s edge in the small oral spray supplement category.

“It’s surprising, there are around 200 different sprays on the market right now that no one’s ever heard of,” she told NutraIngredients-USA at last week’s National Association of Convenience Stores expo in Chicago.

“Nobody’s exactly figured out how to do sprays right, and I believe it’s because there’s an education curve that it takes for the public to understand exactly what it is that we’re doing.”

Clinical study for increased publicity and acceptance

Among its line of nine supplements, which range from immune strength to prenatal care, it’s the Sweet Dreams chamomile and melatonin spray that has earned strong publicity in recent years. It was ranked as the number one sleep aid by InStyle Magazine this summer, and received glowing reviews from popular travel blog The Points Guy.

Eldridge argued that timing plays a big part in boosting public acceptance of Instavit. “We’re living in a time of accepted disruption, where an Uber, Lyft model can disrupt taxis, we’re living in a time where people are asking the question ‘hey why I am I doing it this way?’”

To convince the doubtful, the company is highlighting Instavit’s origins—founded by London healthcare practitioner Dr. Jatin Joshi who hated taking pills.

Instavit is also investing in clinical trials, such as an analysis of the Energy supplement to understand its absorption rate. “We’re the only people in the spray area to fund this kind of study,” Eldridge claimed. It’s nearing completion by an independent lab in India, directed by Dr. Joshi, with results due to come out in December.

“We’re doing the investment to teach people and explain that taking a spray makes perfect sense—For example why does it make perfect sense to tell a kid to take a gummy vitamin, it’s candy!”