“We’ve spoken to 10,000 consumers over the past 18 months, and we’ve found that there’s a natural gravitation towards immune support, sleep and stress management. However, not all the consumers have the same reason for seeking out these products,” Rhonda Hoffman, Chief Marketing Officer at Pharmavite, makers of Nature Made, told NutraIngredients-USA.
“Some are having trouble falling asleep, for example, others wake up at 4am and cannot get back to sleep. Many consumers are overwhelmed and ill-equipped to curate their supplement choices,” she added.
Combining these consumer insights with a scientific understanding that stress, sleep, and immune function are inextricably linked to one another, Nature Made Wellblends is designed to offer consumers a unique set of science-based solutions that can be tailored to their specific needs, said Hoffman.
Immune, sleep, and stress management
The three target categories are among the highest growth categories in the dietary supplement space over the past two to three years.
Immunity has obviously been front of mind since the start of the pandemic, and the category shows no signs of slowing or reverting back to a seasonal pattern. While there has been some stabilization in the category, Nature Made is still seeing almost double the pre-pandemic consumption levels of immune products, said Hoffman.
Sleep and stress management have also enjoyed double digit growth for the best part of a year, she added. According to the Pharmavite Quantitative Stress Attitudes & Usage Study (2020), 77% of Americans report feeling that stress affects their physical health. In addition, 70 million Americans suffer from sleep issues, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Consumers are trying to figure our what the new normal looks like,” said Hoffman.
Using this consumers knowledge, scientists at Nature Made carefully formulated the Wellblends using refined doses of select ingredients, she added.
For example, the Fall Asleep Faster product is formulated with melatonin, vitamin B6, and L-theanine, while the Sleep Longer product is formulated with extended-release melatonin, L-theanine, and GABA. The Calm & Relax product contains ashwagandha and magnesium, while Positive Mood & Energy is composed of ginseng, 5-HTP, and B vitamins.
Delivery formats
The products come in a range of formats, including gummies, capsules, powders, and fast-dissolves, and are currently available at Target, Amazon, and NatureMade.com.
Further expansion into other major retailers nationwide is planned for the next several months and a consumer-focused launch campaign will kick-off in a month or so, said Hoffman.
The products can be used in combination, said Hoffman, and Pharmavite will be coming with new tools to help consumers plan their supplementation regimen. Hoffman added that future innovations would include more combinations of need states. “We already have sleep + immune, and you’ll see more of that.”
