Don’t Quit!, a better-for-you protein drink brand developed by fitness lifestyle company Body By Jake and L.A. Libations and distributed by Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), is gearing up for its next stage of growth after strong early sales in Southern California have provided “proof of concept” for its line of clean label beverages, the company announced today.
According to the brand, which began rolling out on KDP trucks in Q1, the products have quickly seized market share in the grocery, drug and convenience channels, with sales driven by the brand’s Max Protein line, which contains 33 grams of protein per 12 oz. bottle. Positioning itself within the single serve protein set, L.A. Libations CEO Danny Stepper and Body By Jake founder Jake Steinfeld told BevNET that Don’t Quit! now holds per store a 25% share in SoCal Ralph’s stores and 34% share in CVS within the category. In convenience, where the products are in nearly 1,600 stores including 7-Eleven and am/pm, the brand had a 42% per store share.
Now, according to Stepper, the brand is preparing to ramp up distribution in mainstream channels, including adding accounts like Walmart and expanding to new regions with existing partners Kroger and CVS. In particular, Stepper and Steinfeld noted the support of KDP in the brand’s expansion, pointing to CEO Bob Gamgort as being pivotal to the “entrepreneurial spirit” of the company.
“Like we’re seeing with BodyArmor right now, consumers just want a better-for-you option and you don’t have to overthink it, you don’t have to get too niche and vegan, you don’t have to go through all that,” Stepper said. “You just have to clean up the ingredient panel and really be true to your brand and speak to the consumer.”
Founded last year, Don’t Quit! initially launched with a line of Tetra Pak packaged meal replacements intended as an all-natural disruptor to the adult nutrition category that is dominated by brands like Ensure, Boost and Premier Protein, which frequently use artificial ingredients or corn syrup. However, while the brand was always intended to play across multiple categories, the focus has now shifted to Max Protein, which launched this spring, Stepper said, and the original products are being retooled with plans to drop the carton containers and relaunch in bottles in the near future.
The company has also launched an outdoor advertising campaign in partnership with Zimmerman Advertising, including bus stop ads and billboards throughout the Los Angeles area. In addition to digital ads, Don’t Quit! has also done limited TV spots, Stepper said.
“This is not a category just for the guy running a marathon,” Steinfeld said. “It’s everyday moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, kids — we’re cutting a great swath across all of it. And we’re crushing.”