PowerBar targets athletes at large with new product launches

05-Apr-2016 - Last updated on 06-Apr-2016 at 16:01 GMT

Going beyond bars, PowerBar will is now dabbling in the sports beverage category.

While previous advertising campaigns were geared towards triathlon athletes and marathoners, PowerBar says that its new product launches and campaigns will target athletes of all sports.

“After 30 years, the landscape of sport has evolved and so have we. We are broadening our audience to acknowledge that our products are beneficial to today’s athlete and extend far beyond the elite marathoner or triathlete,” PowerBar Vice President of marketing Doug Cornille told NutraIngredients-USA. “We have a passion for powering and inspiring these athletes to experience the joy of sport, and our products will continue to evolve and be there every step of the way.”

And by “these athletes,” they mean “soccer, football and basketball players, as well as skiers, surfers, kayakers, spin cyclists, cross trainers, kickboxers, spike ballers, urban parkours, and all other active players in the sports world,” as the company explained in its press release.

Changing ingredients

“It’s clear that today’s athlete is looking for products with balanced nutrition to meet their energy needs. As a result, we’ve incorporated more real food ingredients into our lineup and focused on enhancing the quality and amount of protein, which is a key benefit to sports performance and recovery,” Cornille said.

Launching this spring include a Lemon Poppy Seed Reduced Sugar Protein Bar at Walmart and 7-Eleven, Choclate and Vanilla Shakes at Circle-K in California and Roundy’s, and a Simple Fruit Energy Food at sport specialty stores (outdoor and bike shops) nationwide.

PowerBarLemon — The Lemon Poppy Seed PowerBar will launch this spring.

A foodie approach

The company moved back to the Bay Area where it started 30 years ago. According to a press release, PowerBar is now managed by a “small, nimble team of athletes, foodies, and trend spotters who bring a diverse and unique outlook.”

Hence, in addition to creating new products, the company also remixed existing ones to follow a more health-conscious foodie trend “to meet demands for the right macronutrients, lower sugar, simpler labels, and superior taste,” he said.

“This includes our new Simple Fruit Energy Food which will still provide the 2:1 glucose to fructose blend found to deliver 20-50% more energy to muscles than glucose alone, but it is made with real fruit and easy-to-understand ingredients than the previous gel formulas.”