Marketing Natural Brain Health Products

American consumers want their brains to stay sharp, and they are looking to nutrition for help.

Sandy Almendarez, VP of Content

May 8, 2015

2 Min Read
Marketing Natural Brain Health Products

American consumers want their brains to stay sharp, and they are looking to nutrition for help.

A Datamonitor Consumer 2014 global survey found memory loss was the number one health concern of American consumers, as 31 percent noted they were “concerned about the possibility of it happening in the future."

The complexity of the mind and market have led to a variety of ingredients that help address cognitive function. Traditional ingredients like Ginkgo biloba and omega-3s still have traction in this area. “Not too long ago, Ginkgo biloba was the most prominent natural ingredient associated with cognitive support," said Annie Eng, CEO, HP Ingredients. “Omega-3 DHA [docosahexaenoic acid] and EPA [eicosapentaenoic acid] (with more prominence on DHA), have grown in this sector due primarily to tremendous research, and the fact that the human brain contains a significant amount of DHA."

Botanicals, such as Bacopa monniera, Centella asiatica, griffonia and turmeric, offer the most interesting landscape of cognitive health ingredients, according to Anurag Pande, Ph.D., vice president scientific affairs, Sabinsa. While Gunny Sodhi, vice president, Ayush Herbs, noted the ayurvedic herb ashwagandha is also a top-seller in the natural cognitive health market.

Whatever ingredients that enter this space, to make an effect, they need to have research. “Ingredients that can point to well-designed clinical and safety studies are doing better in the cognitive health market," said Corey Jansen, global product manager, human nutrition and health, Kemin. “These studies are even more critical when considering this market since consumers are very cautious and skeptical about products they purchase for brain health. If there's any question about whether an ingredient really works or may be unsafe, consumers are less likely to purchase."

Encouraging new consumers to try brain health products requires educated marketing efforts.

Kevin Duffy, sales and marketing analyst BioPQQ, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America, noted successful brands explain ingredient functions and tie those functions into an appealing story. “We need to find more creative and succinct ways of explaining why the functions of certain ingredients are good for the brain, and how they will then improve our lifestyles. Gingko may improve circulation, but how is that good for my brain?"

Learn more tips about marketing brain health products in the article “Marketing Smarts" in INSIDER’s Cognition Content Library.

About the Author

Sandy Almendarez

VP of Content, Informa

Summary

• Well-known subject matter expert within the health & nutrition industry with more than 15 years’ experience reporting on natural products.

• She cares a lot about how healthy products are made, where their ingredients are sourced and how they affect human health.

• She knows that it’s the people behind the businesses — their motivations, feelings and emotions — drive industry growth, so that’s where she looks for content opportunities.

Sandy Almendarez is VP of Content for SupplySide and an award-winning journalist. She oversees the editorial and content marketing teams for the B2B media brands SupplySide Supplement Journal and SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal, the education programming for the health and nutrition trade shows SupplySide Connect New Jersey and SupplySide West, the education program SupplySide Fresh for industry newcomers and community engagement across the SupplySide portfolio. She is a seasoned content strategist with a passion for health, good nutrition, sustainability and inclusion. With over 15 years of experience in the health and nutrition industry, Sandy brings a wealth of knowledge to her role as a content-focused business leader. With specialization in topics ranging from product development to content engagement, creative marketing and c-suite decision making, her work is known for its engaging style and its relevance for business leaders in the health and nutrition industry.

In her free time, Sandy loves running, drinking hot tea and watching her two kids grow up. She brews her own “Sandbucha” homemade kombucha; she’s happy to share if you’re ever in Phoenix!

Awards:

Speaker credentials

Resides in

  • Phoenix, AZ

Education

  • Arizona State University

Contact:

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