Business development manager at Vital Zing, Staun Popham, said that following COVID-19 and recent weather events, supply chain disruptions are and will continue to be the biggest challenge facing the low to no category moving forward, as well as creating comprehensive risk management and contingency plans.
He continued that the rapid and continuous growth of the category over the past five years has led to market saturation and increased competition as more players enter the market. To maintain a competitive edge, brands have had to and must continue to differentiate themselves to stay relevant and stay ahead of trends and customer demands.
Brands like Vital Zing spend a lot of time with research, development and innovation to help diversify and specialise to stand out to consumers.
What consumers eat profoundly and directly impacts overall health and well-being, particularly clarity of mind and vitality. However, finding food options for those wanting to make purchasing decisions aligned with their lifestyle and health goals can be difficult. Vital Zing was developed in 2014 to address the increase of severe health concerns nationwide regarding diabetes, obesity, and bad diets, with sugar, carbs, artificial ingredients and preservatives being leading contributors to those concerns.
"Vital Zing was born with a strong focus on health, functionality and innovation. We dared to be different and were motivated to make a difference," said Popham.
With distribution teams globally placed, vertical integration is something Vital Zing has learned is imperative to brand success. Building its manufacturing facility has allowed the brand to control costs and processes. This also allows the brand to form direct relationships with consumers more efficiently, incorporating consumers' feedback and demands into the decision-making of Vital Zing products.
Vital Zing's Water Drops have gained traction and popularity for using natural ingredients and avoiding sugar, preservatives, carbs, colours, and artificial ingredients. The creation of this product was gruelling, according to Popham.
"The negativity to the concept was immense, but we believed this could substantially improve the category and consumer wellness."
After introducing Water Drops, Vital Zing launched its Milk Drops range in 2016 and, most recently, its Soda Drops range, all developed and aligned with Vital Zing's health values and ethos.
The highly concentrated flavour in drop form offers consumers something aligned with their health concerns and is also convenient and cost-effective. This is an essential example of how brands can differentiate themselves to stand out on supermarket shelves. The versatility of its application with its milk and soda drop ranges is another method that Vital Zing utilises for its expansion and success and to appeal to a broad consumer base.
"After introducing Water Drops, we discovered other alternatives many wanted in a similar delivery system."
The key drivers of the low-to-no category are consumers, pushing brands to innovate.
"We're getting smarter, looking at what's going into the products, asking questions and pushing for better choices."
Hydration is at the top of those demands because Vital Zing understands the importance of health and the truth about many ingredients, alternatives and processes. The low-to-no options are constantly improving, making the transition to something 'healthier' much easier.
Read more from the November issue below:
