Four months after its acquisition by Nestle, Nuun’s latest innovation offers a glimpse of the company’s new product strategy as it diverges from its flagship tablet line with the launch of Immunity3 stick packs. Nuun’s Director of Product and Innovation Vishal Patel said the brand aims to cater to a more targeted need-state with the new product launch as they also keep up with the nationwide demand for immune-boosting products in the wake of the pandemic.
Nuun first launched into the immune-health space with a dissolvable vitamin-enhanced electrolyte tablet product in 2018. Patel said the 17-year-old company will continue to embrace the foundation it has built as a hydration-solution brand and aims to develop new innovations that build on top of this platform while catering to a variety of use occasions.
Immunity3 comes in two flavors – Mandarin Orange and Super Berry – and marks the first stick pack line extension for Nuun which launched into the format with its Instant line last year. The new product is available online and at select Whole Foods and REI locations nationwide.
According to Patel, Nuun believes embracing this new format will complement and help consumers amplify the functions of its flagship daily-use tablet line. With the primary goal of encouraging consumers to drink more water, Patel said the powdered format is designed to be a “reactive solution” that increases nutrients in the body during periods of immune-related stress whether that is caused by anything from travel to seasonal changes.
“The foundation of having a strong and healthy immune system is hydration,” said Patel. “We know how to do that pretty well so for us it was about realizing that hydration isn’t just for when you are exercising or recovering –it’s about your daily intake of electrolytes and daily intake of immune-supporting products and your daily water intake as well.”
Patel said that principle has guided the development of Immunity3 with multifunctional benefits – in this case, electrolytes, nutrition and prebiotics – that work in unison. Immunity3 contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, E and organic, vegan vitamin D3 in addition to multiple sources of antioxidants. According to Patel the balance of these functions together allow the ingredients to work more effectively by entering the consumers bloodstream quicker. One of the main active ingredients in Immunity3 is the branded Elderberry juice concentrate Eldermune which delivers 175 mg of black elderberry extract per serving.
“There are a lot of really unique aspects of the product, but it isn’t something that is a major overload for your system,” said Patel. “You have electrolytes for hydration, multiple antioxidants sources via the vitamins and minerals – the Eldermune concentrate contributes to that – and the prebiotics for gut health which also have absorption properties as well.”
Patel explained that Immunity3 contains similar properties and ingredients as the tablet format but offers these functions in different volumes and with the added benefit of prebiotics and antioxidants for gut-health support. The electrolytes and antioxidants also serve as a “delivery mechanism” allowing the supplement to be absorbed faster and, although it has a lower electrolyte concentration than Nuun’s Instant sticks, Patel said that is also intentional.
Nuun currently offers a range of electrolyte-based supplements in tablets, pouches and powdered formats with a variety of functions ranging from Sport and Energy to Rest and Recover. According to data from market research firm Innova Market Insights, supplements with an immune-support function accounted for almost half of all new product launches in the supplement category in 2020 with ingredients such as Orange and Elderberry becoming mainstays among new innovations.
“There isn’t one magic formula that works for every single occasion,” said Patel. “We believe there are different products and different need states and want to be flexible in our approach where it’s not just about high-sodium and high-sugar products. Those ingredients are important, but they are important for when you need them.”