In April, BelliWelli introduced its newest product in 1,100 Walmart stores nationwide. The Daily Fiber and Probiotics Powder sold out within two weeks, helping the company increase sales 890% year over year.
But in the next generation of product packaging, BelliWelli is increasing the font size of the word “fiber.”
“We’ve all heard someone tell us we need more fiber at some point,” said co-founder and CEO Katie Watson. “Most people can’t put their finger on why, but they just know they’re supposed to eat fiber.”
This year, gut-healthy brands seem to be taking over supermarket shelves. BelliWelli, which started in snack bars, is enjoying viral success with its powder that contains 4 milligrams of fiber per serving, plus collagen, electrolytes and probiotics to improve overall motility and digestion. Functional beverage brand Blume’s best-selling product, Superbelly, has generated $1.8 million in sales and launched in Sprouts stores this month. Cleveland Kitchen began selling its Kimchi Pickles at Walmart in July, touting the health benefits of fermented foods on its label. On the healthier canned beverage side, Poppi has bombarded shoppers with $43 million worth of advertising in the first four months of 2024, while rival Olipop is expanding its product and flavor offerings.
Much of this growth is a response to consumer demand. While supplements or remedies for constipation or stomach upset have been sold over the counter for decades—Metamucil was developed in the 1930s—gut health in the 21st century is more comprehensive, focusing on the well-being of the digestive system. McKinsey’s 2024 Future of Wellness survey found that more than 80% of consumers in China, the UK and the US consider gut health important.
But for brands looking to win over these consumers, it can be a delicate dance to deliver a message that resonates. That means going beyond blanket phrases like “gut health” or “digestion” and using specific wellness buzzwords like “probiotics” or “flavor.” In addition to text, the focus is also on colorful and attractive packaging. BelliWelli’s jars have bright pink lids that are hard to miss. But taste and aroma are also a focus to ensure that the products stand out to shoppers who are unlikely to change their behavior.
At BelliWelli, Watson likes to use the word “fiber” because he knows there are many people who understand that fiber is an important part of their diet. The next billboards, which will go up later this month, will read “Hot Girls Need More Fiber.”
She compares the space to skincare, where there might be products touting benefits for acne, dryness or fine lines. In gut health, that might look like highlighting benefits like improved hydration, increased energy, reduced bloating and feeling full between meals.
“I don’t think launching a generic brand for gut health is going to work,” Watson said. “We’ve never seen anything like it before. You have to cater to specific needs.”
Watson also attributes BelliWelli’s success to a TikTok strategy that helped the brand gain exposure, generating around 49 million views in 16 days. In many videos, Watson, often wearing a pink BelliWelli shirt, goes to Walmart and talks to customers who are picking up the product from the shelves, resulting in open and honest content about what they like about the product.
Olipop, one of the leading providers of healthy fizzy drinks, has also had success by focusing on the benefits of its products. The cans say that the fizzy drink “aids digestion” and contains probiotics and plant fibre. Eleanor Hayden, founder of Hayden Consultancy, which has worked on Olipop’s marketing campaigns, said one of the keys to success in this area is to present the product as a fun or unusual treat – rather than something taken just for its health benefits.
“People want the health benefits, but they don’t want to change their behavior,” she said. “It gives people the opportunity to drink a soda without feeling so bad about it.”
So far, the strategy is working; the six-year-old company is on track to hit $500 million in sales this year, according to Bloomberg. And it continues to offer new products, announcing a new flavor for this fall. And although its products typically require refrigerated storage, the company began rolling out a shelf-stable multipack at HEB, Walmart and Meijer retailers this summer.
As the gut health boom continues, some established players are also revising their strategies. Mariani Packaged Foods, a family-owned dried fruit company, revamped its prune packaging around 2018. The product, now sold under the name Probiotic Prunes, has seen a 12.1% compound annual growth rate over time, while prunes without that buzzword have only seen a 7.9% compound annual growth rate. “It was by far the most successful product we’ve ever launched in our company,” said Mariani President George Sousa Jr.
One of the reasons for the relabeling was that it removed the stigma associated with constipation. “If you took the name off and just listed all the properties, people would eat these all day long because they probably have the healthiest properties of any product we sell,” he said. “You have to get over the stigma.”
That’s where adding words like probiotic and prebiotic comes in. Sousa said the rebranding helped attract new customers in the company’s target audience, namely adults and parents who want to focus on gut health or general wellness benefits. “There’s a lot more focus on a food-is-medicine approach than there has been in the past,” he said.
