8 ways supplement companies leverage science to drive sales and consumer trust – spotlight

With modest gains predicted for the supplement market over the next few years, the industry faces steep challenges to sustain — and potentially outpace — expected growth. The key? A focus on the science behind supplements, said market researchers and industry leaders, is critical for growth, and most importantly, sustaining consumer trust.

Our Inside the Bottle annual report “Spotlight on science: Through the supply chain, from source to shelf” coming in late September 2024 explores how industry leaders use science to build credibility and trust at every stage — from ingredient sourcing to production and from distribution to consumer education. Here’s a sneak peek of the top priorities for operations and communications alike.

Focus on scientifically proven efficacy above fads. TikTok-fueled trends may tempt supplement makers, but experts advise caution if your goal is product longevity. For example, sales of berberine (dubbed "nature's Ozempic") spiked to nearly $1 million in early 2024. Whether sales remain strong hinges on proven efficacy. Without this, supplements hanging on the coattails of larger market fads are likely to see a sharp decline as the market shifts to the next trend. “Marketing, packaging, pricing can help a brand get on the shelf. It’s efficacy, working for consumers, that will enable products to stay on the shelf,” said Pelin Thorogood, co-founder and executive chair of Radicle Science. “Doing the right thing and making money [sustainably] point to the same thing — proven efficacy.”

Respond to ingredient scrutiny. Building consumer trust through proof of efficacy begins with ingredients. Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) consumer research shows 57% of consumers closely scrutinize ingredients, with attention highest among younger generations: 62% of Gen Z, 61% of Millennials and 56% of Gen X, compared to 41% of Baby Boomers. According to SPINS data, fast-growing functional ingredients like beetroot, mushrooms and magnesium are backed by extensive scientific evidence and increasing studies in areas like immunity, digestion, energy and cognitive health.¹

Verify active compounds — and support ingredient transparency. Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs, stresses the importance of stringent ingredient testing standards, especially with the introduction of new products and ingredients. Adulteration, seen around the surge in demand for elderberry during the pandemic, remains a constant concern,² and adulteration comes in many forms. Quality suppliers and companies that rigorously test ingredients — like Nutriventia, an ingredient supplier that offers “the best of nature, science, and technology”—see that challenge as an opportunity. "Securing your supply chain to ensure you're getting the right active ingredient is crucial," said Vishal Shah, co-founder of Nutriventia. Shah highlights the difficulty in sourcing ashwagandha for extract manufacture, which took nearly two years, focusing specifically on roots and root quality to ensure the right active compounds through analysis.

Commit to science at every stage. “Our quality process starts even before product conception, beginning with raw material review and sourcing,” said William Marsh, director of sales at Premier Research Labs (PRL). The company is a private label manufacturer, and their approach includes rigorous testing methods like HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), mass spectrometry, DNA testing, and advanced microscopy. “Quality must be maintained through every production step to ensure the potency and validation of bioactive compounds,” added Marsh. This is crucial with complex herb and botanical mixtures because compound interactions impact efficacy. PRL tests each batch for identity, purity, strength, composition and contaminants post-packaging, ensuring products deliver tangible results.

Insist on clinical validation. Consumers increasingly prioritize "clinically proven," over "clean" labels, according to recent McKinsey data, with many willing to pay a premium for products backed by robust scientific data.³ “Consumers want something proven to work,” said Thorogood. Clinical trials are crucial in building trust: "If a product has undergone a clinical trial, you know it's clean and contains the ingredients and dosages it claims,” added Thorogood. A study by Radicle Science and UC San Diego found that consumers were twice as likely to buy a product labeled "clinically proven" and willing to pay over 20% more for it, indicating higher margin potential. Well-modeled studies are required if brands want to put this wording on a label.

Look to well-designed clinical studies conducted in human populations. Studying the effects of supplement ingredients in humans is the gold standard for clinical testing, said Barry Skillington, chief commercial officer at Atlantia Clinical Trials, a firm that specializes in nutraceutical trials. The Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission require "competent and reliable scientific evidence," which Thorogood explained should involve double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trials to ensure accurate results. Standardized ingredients and proper dosage testing are crucial, especially in multi-ingredient products, which should be studied together to understand their synergistic or antagonistic effects. Large-scale population studies targeting the intended demographic provide the most reliable data, acknowledged Thorogood.

Spotlight the right ingredient — at the studied dosage. Consumers also need to know how to select the right ingredient at the right dosage, said Scott Dicker, senior director of market insights at SPINS. “Consumers should know that they must take supplements for weeks or longer before they’ll experience the effects,” he said. “For brands that can communicate about efficacy, it’s a potential sales driver and an opportunity to charge a premium because consumers would rather pay for something that works than pay less for something that probably doesn’t work.” Sometimes the absence of illness is the endpoint — and it’s hard to measure something in its absence, so it’s important to set the right benefit expectations.

Educate consumers in concise, clear terms. “Integrity in science is the one constant that consumers will continue to trust. But it must be simple, pure and clear,” said Skillington. “We need to present the complex science in a way that allows consumers to confidently understand the message.” Committing to ingredient transparency, third-party verification and clinical trials is the basis for earning consumer trust, but those actions will be lost on consumers without clear, concise education about the science inside the bottle.

“Rigorous science should be at the core of everything we do,” said Thorogood. “As part of the health and wellness industry, our responsibility is to ensure we deliver products that genuinely support people's health and well-being. This means leveraging rigorous science in R&D, innovation and new product formulations. It also means ensuring that the claims we put on labels are backed by science so consumers know the product will be effective for the conditions they’re addressing,” and the health-enhancing benefits they provide.

References:

1. ITB24 and SPINS presentation, Inside the Bottle 2024 Dietary Supplement Summit: Elevating trust with science

2. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/botanical-adulteration-in-the-time-of-covid-19-laboratory-perspective

3. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-trends-defining-the-1-point-8-trillion-dollar-global-wellness-market-in-2024