“Nutrition and sports go hand-in-hand”: NB Pure marketer weighs in on industry shifts

24 Aug 2020 --- With athletes becoming increasingly conscious of the role that wellness plays in sustaining the longevity of their careers, there are now notable parallels between the marketing worlds of sports and nutrition. This is according to RJ Carvis, who recently became Nutritional Brands (NB) Pure’s Director of Marketing. The US-based company specializes in natural solutions, including in the active lifestyle arena, and recently launched Zinc Up, which is touted as the “Swiss Army knife of immunity supplements.”

“Sports is so nutrition-focused these days that it almost goes hand-in-hand. Athletes are obsessed with playing into their forties, and beyond that, even 18-year-old rookies are arriving into leagues educated about efficient wellness routines. Along with that, sports require you to wear many hats and have a self-starter mentality, which is a recurring theme in my natural space career as well,” Carvis tells NutritionInsight.

Indeed, the overlap between sports and nutrition has been increasingly evident in recent years. Within the cannabidiol (CBD) sphere, brands are collaborating with athletes to promote the potential physiological, biochemical and psychological effects of the ingredient. Meanwhile, healthy aging is a major emerging category within sports nutrition, which is rapidly mainstreaming. 

Carvis highlights that inclusivity is the biggest difference between the sports and mainstream nutrition industries. While sports is involved with the most elite athletes in the world, the wellness space is more focused on educating the masses. “Products have to be created with that in mind as you want both a nutrition novice and an expert to benefit from your products.” 

He notes that consumer education is very important for NB Pure. “For example, while some of our products are vegan, non-vegans can use them as well. Sometimes the combination of ingredients happens to classify a product as vegan, [even while these are] suitable for anyone.”

RJ Carvis, NB Pure’s Director of MarketingInnovation during a pandemic
Despite COVID-19, NB Pure has continued to roll out new nutritional products. “As a company, we have continued to grow and scale in this difficult time. People are focusing more than ever on their health and prioritizing supplements in their grocery budgets,” states Carvis. 

With Zinc Up specifically, he notes that the innovation process is always challenging. “Trying to get a product from conception to the shelf can drive the best of them mad. [These challenges range from] the little details of organizing the label on a small 2 oz bottle to fit everything we needed and product testing to nail down the taste, to slotting a new product into an already packed and busy production schedule. However, teamwork is how you get it done.”

Looking ahead, he predicts that the nutrition and wellness industry will only continue to get bigger. “I think a big trend moving forward is convenience. This answer has several layers to it: consumers want their products to be in the easiest possible delivery system while maintaining efficacy.” 

In this space, Innova Market Insight named “The Right Bite” as one of its Top Trends for 2020. The modern consumer is faced with the balancing act of juggling family, career and social responsibilities, while striving to maintain physical and mental well-being. Supplements can help address some of these needs, with delivery formats across industry diversifying. Traditional tablets and capsules continue to be the preferred supplement dosage forms for EMEA consumers, but functional food and drinks are now in second and third place. 

“Consumers also want to purchase their products easily as part of their regular shopping routines [whether that is through] in-store [purchases], on Amazon or other forms of easy online retailers. Keeping up with the ever-evolving world of retail is key to company success in the natural space,” adds Carvis. 

He originally transferred from the sports world to the nutrition industry five years ago, previously working at Vital Proteins – which Nestlé Health Science bought a majority stake in earlier this summer. “No one knew what collagen was, but now it is everywhere. The landscape constantly continues to evolve and grow. We only get one body, and more people realize that how you fuel and treat yourself is paramount,” he concludes. 

By Katherine Durrell