As Interest Soars, Immunity Seeks to Define Its Place

Martín Caballero

Has fear of the Coronavirus ushered in the age of immunity?

Over the past decade, consumer interest in immunity boosting products and ingredients has been steadily on the rise, part of the overall movement towards health and wellness. But the outbreak of the coronavirus has pushed that into overdrive: Between January and April, social posts mentioning “immunity” increased 134%, according to flavor provider FONA International. Meanwhile, according to a survey by SPINS, 41% of consumers say that proactively managing their health is more important than it was in 2019, while 43% said eating healthy food was more important.

Though preventative medicine is routinely of consumer interest, the onset of the coronavirus has made immune support a hot topic, particularly as no treatment, cure or vaccine currently exists. Until they are found, supporting a healthy immune system is seen– and shopped — widely as one of the ways individuals can be proactive in the fight against the virus.

It’s also seen as one of the ways that brands can gain an edge.

“In the short term, to preserve immune function and protection against viruses or even mitigate the infection risk due to long-term conditions, brands should follow closely the changes in consumer responses to the crisis and respond with effective nutrition solutions, personalized to their current, and ideally future, needs,” said Rick Miller, food and drink associate director for specialized nutrition at Mintel, in March.

As a general callout, “immunity” can apply to a wide range of ingredients and formulations. Ginger and turmeric, for example, are recognized as immunity boosting ingredients, but does that make every drink with ginger and turmeric an “immunity drink”? The same goes for products featuring certain mushrooms, fruits, herbs and botanicals, as well as fermented food and drinks that feature healthy bacteria and probiotics. In addition, many of those ingredients are available as supplements, in capsules or other formats.

That wide classification can make tracking “immunity” products as a general category challenging. On a macro level, over a 12-week period ended on April 19, food and beverage products positioned for “immunity” have seen massive growth in both natural (175.6%) and MULO (127.6%) sales compared to the same period last year. Refrigerated products were the biggest gainers in both channels, growing 322% during the period in natural and 827.9% in MULO, compared to 62% and 64.8% for shelf-stable.

Yet that classification only encompasses less than $8 million in sales during the period, and getting a more detailed view of the immunity requires a look into individual products and channels. Sales of wellness teas with immune support callouts were up 57.1% in natural retailers and 87.3% in MULO during the 12-week period, while probiotic products were up 2.5% and 6.8%, respectively. In both channels, sales of products that feature echinacea, elderberry, oregano, goldenseal, vitamin C (ester and non ester C) and zinc all rose by at least double digits.

Vive Organic, which sells cold-pressed juice shots, has made immunity a cornerstone of its brand through “doctor crafted” products like Wellness Defense and Immunity Boost.

“We are thankful that we are not in a position to be chasing” the immunity trend, said Vive co-founder Wyatt Taubman. Rather than any external decisions made by brand marketers, he noted, consumers are showing a rising interest in immunity and overall holistic health thanks in part to the lockdown restrictions.

“I do believe that, with more time on people’s hands and a heightened level of concern around getting sick, the more holistic approach to boosting the immune system is something that’s more top of mind than it was pre-COVID,” Taubman said. “People have more time on their hands when they are stuck at home and because of that, people are able to think more about other areas that will make them feel good and healthy and happy and put more time and energy towards them.”

Since the beginning of the outbreak in March, Nate Clifford, co-owner of Cornucopia Natural Wellness Market in Northampton, Mass., has shifted his retail operation online, a change that he said has allowed him to gain a new perspective about what products and categories are truly driving consumer shopping habits. Medicinal mushrooms like reishi, Lion’s Mane and Turkey Tail — delivered in the form of supplements and powders, or as a featured ingredient in food or beverage — are in high demand, along with fresh produce. Clifford said the experience has convinced him to narrow the store’s focus on a smaller range of products and brands that stimulate the most demand — including immunity.

“We’ve always had an immunity product section, but we are changing what products we are going to focus on in terms of displaying at eye-level and really calling out products that we think are safe and effective,” he said.

Brands have responded to the situation in various ways; some through new product innovation, such as Sparkling Ice’s launch of its new immunity focused Essentials line last week. Others, like tart cherry juice drink CHERRiSH, have undergone a more subtle strategy change by bringing greater attention to certain functional benefits.

“We knew that our product had strong immune boosting properties, and so decided to focus on educating our customers more on that aspect in our point of sale in-store materials, our social media content, print magazine articles and through our sales reps out in the field,” said CEO Dan Haggart. “Up until that point, we had focused a lot on the muscle recovery, anti-inflammatory, and sleep optimization aspects of CHERRiSH, but knew that the potent antioxidant and immune-boosting powers of the cherries were also right up there at the top of the benefits list, so we decided to pivot slightly.”

For other brands, the recent spike in immunity interest simply confirms that their messaging and positioning is resonating with consumers. According to market research firm SPINS, demand for food and beverages associated with gut health — including yogurt (39%), cottage cheese (29%), refrigerated kombucha (28%), refrigerated juice and functional drinks (23%) and refrigerated pickled and marinated vegetables (58%) — has increased in health and wellness retailers. Yet over a 12-week period ended on April 19, sales of kombucha and fermented beverages fell 6.8% in natural retail while growing 7.6% at MULO.

“For products like ours that are built around gut health, a lot of times our messaging tends to end at digestive health, but it can actually expand into immunity health and overall wellness,” said GT Dave, Founder and CEO of GT’s Living Foods. “At the end of the day, your gut is like your second brain; in many ways, it’s the nucleus of your immune system. For example, compromised digestive health can cause poor nutrient absorption, toxicity, and bad elimination. All of these can slowly create an imbalance in your body making you more susceptible to illnesses like COVID-19. A healthy gut boosts immunity by helping your body stay resilient.”

Moringa-based food and beverage brand Kuli Kuli saw a 70% increase in sales during March and a 48% lift in April, with wellness shots performing better than the usual top-seller, moringa powders. In particular, Kuli Kuli’s citrus ‘Get Well Soon’ shot saw a “nice spike,” founder and CEO Lisa Curtis said. The brand also sells smoothie mix, tea, and fruit and nut-based bars, which are a smaller part of the business, Curtis noted, and sell better when placed outside the bar set.

But the backbone of the brand is moringa, a superfood plant that may require more explanation for consumers. For that element, the company relies on research: Kuli Kuli has a scientific advisory board that provides content for the company blog. Additionally, the brand last week hosted a webinar with a UC Davis scientist, a holistic medicine practitioner and a Uganda-based moringa farmer and entrepreneur.

“We try to dive into that complexity because we think consumers deserve a nuanced explanation of how products do or don’t boost immunity,” she said.

Yet protecting your immune system may not so much rely on a specific ingredient or product, but rather how they are incorporated into a generally healthy lifestyle that includes nutrition, exercise and sleep. Brands like Snoooze and SOM Sleep seem to have tuned into the rise in consumer consciousness around that last one: A recent press release for Snoooze pointed out that a variety of studies have linked healthy sleep habits to increasing white cell counts and improving the body’s ability to fight harmful pathogens. Speaking to CNBC, oncologist Dr. Steven Tucker offered this comparison: “There’s no organic bee pollen smoothie that is going to improve your immunity compared with a good night’s rest.”

Yet regardless of how consumers interpret what the true value looks like in immunity drinks or foods, the fact that they are paying more attention could have potentially long-lasting results.

“Health is better than wealth,” said Dave. “I think a lot of people are seeing that more than ever.”

Beth Kaiserman also contributed to this story.