Consumers today are much more in tune with their health and wellness, and there is evidence that this had been building even before COVID-19. However, the global pandemic has certainly brought the need to take a proactive approach to holistic wellbeing into sharper focus. Research shows that 61% of global consumers are more conscious of needing to lead a healthy lifestyle due to COVID-19¹, demonstrating that people around the world—regardless of their different lifestyles and life stages—are proactively focused on their health.

People want to improve their health and wellbeing and are adopting everyday habits that support these goals. Creating products that seamlessly fit into their routines can help them do this. Convenience is crucial, and consumers are seeking the solutions and formats that work best for them. As such, we’re beginning to see the dietary supplement arena expand with formats like gummies, chewables, and portable stick packs that are palatable, easy to consume, and can provide support for physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing in the same offering.

This convergence and demand for multi-faceted solutions is also leading people to recognize the importance of supporting the microbiome to reach holistic wellness goals. At the same time, as people recognize that their needs and even their microbiomes are unique, they’re defining wellness differently. Globally, more than half of consumers seek out benefit claims that suit their individual needs², and we anticipate this desire will continue.

The consumer prioritization of health and wellness means dietary supplements is a category ripe for growth, with opportunities for novel product development. However, there is still a need to increase awareness among some consumers of the potential of dietary supplements to fit into their daily routines. At ADM, we have identified five key areas that, if addressed, will help attract and retain the supplement consumer of today and tomorrow.

Personalization Key for Wellness Goals
As consumers understand their health needs can vary from others’, they’re looking for options that can zero in on specific areas. Supplements are fantastic formats for consumers looking to target certain need spaces precisely. In fact, up to 75% of U.S. dietary supplement users are seeking personalized products that are directly suited to their needs.³ Even so, one increasingly common interest topic is the concept of holistic wellness.

Consumers are looking to the gut microbiome as the root of wellness and are connecting microbiome-supporting solutions like probiotics to a wide range of benefits, including support for gut health and overall wellbeing.⁴ Along with physical factors, emotional and mental wellness are increasingly important to consumers, particularly as strenuous lifestyle changes have occurred throughout the pandemic. Globally, 76% of consumers said they recognize the link between cognitive health and good overall health.⁵ From balanced mood to gut health, restorative sleep and immune function support, people are drawn to supplements that boast individualized support.

Supplement brands are beginning to respond to the demand for personalization with custom-made options hitting the market. For example, Remedy Health’s personalized gummy vitamin brand, Nourished, has developed a way for consumers to select the functional ingredients included in their 3D printed gummies. At ADM, we have partnered with Nourished to include our heat-treated postbiotic strain of BPL1* (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT 8145) as an option for consumers seeking gut microbiome support.

Notably, since postbiotics contain nonviable microorganisms, they can withstand harsh processing conditions like high heat used in 3D printing, paving the way for more offerings that can incorporate microbiome-supporting solutions. Customized supplements like 3D-printed gummies help scratch the itch for personalization and provide tangible examples for consumers to better understand how solutions can target specific wellness goals.

Flexible Convenience to Suit Individual Lifestyles
Tailored options only go so far if they don’t fit within a person’s established habits. Accessibility is vital, particularly as brands must take into consideration diverse age demographics and lifestyles. Research shows that 33% of global supplement consumers find it inconvenient to establish a routine of taking supplements, and 39% report the importance of supplements that are easy to consume.² Difficulty swallowing tablets and capsules, for instance, may make it challenging for some consumers to consistently take supplements.

To bridge this gap, product developers must find ways to appeal to consumers with varying preferences through innovative formats that incorporate multiple functional ingredients into one product. Globally, 54% of nutritional supplement users prefer supplements that offer multiple benefits in one product.²

Moreover, one in four global supplement users would like to see supplements in different forms.² From gummies to chewing gums, drops, sparkling waters, and stick packs, new formats are making waves in the dietary supplement arena. Pairing these intriguing formats with ingredients that can support several benefits will help consumers add dietary supplements to their daily routines.**

Clean Labels with Clear Credentials
Clean labels are becoming a mainstream expectation across all product areas. Value-based consumption is of particular significance among health-conscious consumers, and they want their purchases to not only benefit themselves, but also the planet and their communities. With that, clean and clear labels and sustainability credentials are drawing in shoppers and can help entice purchases of dietary supplements as well.

Like “wellness,” the definition of “clean label” can be different from consumer to consumer. However, the majority of people can agree on a few key elements, such as short ingredient labels with recognizable, closer-to-nature ingredients. Research finds that 76% of global dietary supplement users prioritize products that are 100% natural or free from artificial ingredients, and 55% look for active ingredients they recognize.²

The pandemic has also prompted more people to scrutinize product labels, with 70% of global consumers stating they will be more attentive to natural ingredient claims because of COVID-19.1 Brands can meet this ongoing demand by partnering with ingredient suppliers for sustainable and transparent sourcing of ingredients derived from natural sources, and clearly communicating these credentials on supplement product packs.

Effective Solutions for Proactive Wellbeing
Science-backed innovations are of growing importance to consumers looking for wellness solutions. They want to know that what they’re taking is not only effective, but that it is also safe to consume. In fact, product safety claims are important to half of global consumers.² Just like with sustainability, brands must provide clear and transparent communication to properly set consumer expectations of the benefits a solution can provide.

Moreover, nearly 73% of global nutritional supplement users state the clinically demonstrated benefits are important to them, and 59% want to see scientific evidence supporting supplement efficacy.² For instance, as microbiome-supporting solutions become more prominent in the marketplace, consumers will also demand clear evidence and research that supports claims. Solutions like ADM’s BPL1 probiotic that are backed by research, including pre-clinical and clinical trials, can help brands address these consumer concerns and entice those who may still be on the fence about dietary supplements.

Enticing Sensory Experiences Drive Retention
More than ever, people want to find small pockets of joy throughout their day. On the horizon, we see consumers using dietary supplements as a daily ritual they look forward to having, rather than one that’s inconvenient to consume. To get there, supplements must not only provide functional benefits, but also delightful sensory experiences.

Visual appeal, taste, and texture can all have a profound impact on how people feel while consuming a product. If it tastes great, consumers typically feel good, which also helps support emotional and mental health aspects of overall wellbeing. Creating tasty offerings is essential for buyer retention as well as consumer adherence to including supplements in regular regimens.

Research shows there’s room for improvement, given 58% of global consumers say it’s important for supplements to taste good, and 63% of supplement users believe supplement flavors could be improved.² Brands have the opportunity to close the gap between functional and fun, uniting them in one solution that will entice consumers to give supplements a try and come back for more.

Botanicals are excellent ingredients to include in supplement solutions for their consumer-perceived attributes, such as functional benefits and being “closer-to-nature,” as well as imparting enjoyable flavors. Plus, attractive flavors and colors derived from natural sources are an important piece to the puzzle. Forty-one percent of supplement users research new flavors for different types of supplements,² providing product developers with creative room to try out new flavor combinations to keep offerings fresh and exciting.

Consumers are seeking dietary supplements that are tailored to meet their individualized needs and are presented in flexible, convenient formats that also taste great, are backed by science, and can support their clean-label and sustainability desires. Health and wellness brands must look through the lens of the consumer to capitalize on each of these demands and bring new solutions to life for the dietary supplement consumer of tomorrow, today.

*BPL1 is a trademark registered for Biopolis S.L. in the E.U., the U.S., South Korea, and other countries.
**Local regulations must be reviewed to confirm permissibility of ingredients for each food category.

References

1. FMCG Gurus, How Has COVID-19 Changed Consumer Behavior, March 2021
2. FMCG Gurus, Exploring the Impact of Nutritional Supplements, September 2020
3. Natural Marketing Institute, U.S. Supplements/OTC/Rx Database Report 2020
4. ADM/Buzzback report, Microbiome Consumer Exploratory, 2021
5. FMCG Gurus, Assessing the Importance of Cognitive Health, 2021