How clinical research is being used as a growth engine

“Some people invest their brand marketing dollars in Super Bowl commercials. This is, in a way, a brand investment, and it does help conversion over time,” CEO Kat Cole said in an interview with Modern Retail. “It brings people into the consideration set, and it helps combat misinformation when there are debates around products or science or nutrition.”

AG1 is among a growing number of brands that fund their own scientific research to serve as a growth engine. The efforts at AG1 and companies like vitamin brand Ritual go beyond paying third-party labs to verify claims about efficacy and safety. Instead, these companies look for gaps in existing research and fund studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals.

The result is research that brands can use to fuel their own innovation and prove how their products are different. This can be a key differentiator for brands in front of a data-hungry public and wholesale buyers looking for smart bets. One 2024 survey from Citruslabs showed that about 85% of consumers are swayed by scientific claims when deciding what to buy.

Katerina Schneider, founder and CEO of Ritual, said clinical research has been a part of the brand’s growth strategy since its founding. The company has devoted at least $5 million to clinical studies and has employed up to 20 full-time equivalent positions focused on research and science.

Schneider said the company has prioritized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies about its products to prove that there are ways they are different compared to what’s already on shelf. “Having a really differentiated claim, because you can make that from the clinical study, does result in higher-performing advertising and sales,” she said.

Why more research can feed brand momentum

One of the strongest business cases for clinical research at AG1 is how it uses its findings to inform its own product development. Cole said the research it did around AG1 NextGen helped it formulate the AG1 Essentials Gummies that launched this summer. Using what it had already learned about nutrient gaps and gut health, the company then figured out how to address those same needs in a formula that could stand up to the gummy formulation process.

Cole also said the company’s research backbone helps it serve as “a thought partner” to customers looking to learn more about nutrition. This helps the brand stand out at a time when some brands may rely on claims from third-party labs they’ve hired. She also said brands may compare their ingredient list to existing research to derive claims, rather than looking at the output of how the product is made.

“We hold ourselves to a very high standard where we don’t make marketing claims without substantiation,” Cole said. “What I would want the customer to understand, and what I tell my sisters and my mom and my friends, is to remember it is so easy for someone to type the words ‘quality’ and ‘third-party certified.’ Anyone can type it on their website and on their package.”

Currently, there’s no official Federal Trade Commission definition of what does or doesn’t qualify as “clinical” research. But there are guidelines to be followed, including having “a reasonable basis for their product claims before disseminating an ad.”

In general, any health benefits claims have to be substantiated with “competent and reliable scientific evidence,” which can include tests, analyses, research or studies that have been done by objective experts, based on FTC findings.

Ritual’s Schneider said that it’s no longer enough for a brand to simply say a product has been clinically studied. That’s partly why the brand has also begun lobbying for more supplement regulations, she said.

“It is only good business if you can make a claim that is vastly different than your peer set when you’re running these studies,” she said.

When research helps brands make bold claims

Ritual has completed at least five clinical studies, three of which have already been peer-reviewed and published. One study published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal shows the difference between folate and folic acid in prenatal vitamins. Another shows how the brand’s patented melatonin delivery system used in its sleep aid mimics the body’s own natural release system, aimed at addressing skepticism around sleep aids. And a yet-to-be-published study focuses on Ritual’s postnatal vitamin and the effect it has on breast milk quality as well as improving a mother’s increased nutrient demands. The study was a 10-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on 64 breastfeeding women.

Schneider said the study came about particularly because so little research about postpartum nutrition existed. Their research specifically looked at human oligosaccharide prebiotic fiber (HMOs), a prebiotic found in breastmilk, and showed how the brand’s postnatal could increase its levels.

“There was very little research, and we wanted to explore that,” she said.

Supplement brands aren’t the only category chasing clinical research. Household cleaning companies, which have also long relied on independent research and certifications to substantiate differentiation, are also dipping their toe into the space.

Eco-friendly cleaning company Blueland, which is approaching $500 million in lifetime sales, has built its brand around being plastic-free. It has its own staff of chemical scientists, owns all of its own formulations and holds over 60 patents. While it hasn’t published peer-reviewed studies about its own products, it commissioned a study several years ago that was published in the International Journal of Environmental and Public Health looking at the effect of plastic-wrapped laundry pods on water quality.

The study found that PVA doesn’t biodegrade fully after dissolving in the wash, causing microplastic particles to be leaked into waterways and soil. Sarah Paiji Yoo, co-founder and CEO of Blueland, said the study led to more brand awareness, both through social media and traditional media outlets. Now that more customers are using AI to research products, she expects it to help continue raising Blueland’s profile as a company known for being plastic-free.

“There is an added value and credibility that comes when the work is done in a rigorous and unbiased way, and when it’s validated by independent and trusted third-party organizations,” she said.

How science-backed research helps products stand out on shelf

Yoo also said that strongly researched products can make a big difference in the wholesale growth of a brand. Blueland is sold in over 2,300 doors, including Target, Costco and Kroger. 

The eco-friendly cleaning space can be full of claims, and having research and third-party certifications that show the products are as or more effective than leading brands can be the difference between getting on the shelf or not, she said. Blueland, for its part, has landed third-party certifications like the EPA Safer Choice and Cradle2Cradle Material Health Certificate that aim to show the products are safe for people and the planet.

“The buyers have needed and wanted defensible and differentiated claims,” Yoo said. “They are very often asking to see the efficacy testing from third-party labs, and I think the certifications also give them confidence in these new formats from a smaller brand.”

Schneider from Ritual said that having its own clinical studies as part of its brand messaging has helped the brand stand out on the shelf as it has expanded its retail presence. The company started direct-to-consumer and is now in over 6,000 doors, including Costco, Target, Whole Foods Market and Ulta Beauty. While many companies may say they’re clinically studied, she said having the research on the brand’s specific products and ingredients makes a difference.

“In wholesale, you have a really short window to put out a message, even shorter than online. And so the message matters more than anything. And how do you stay differentiated?” she said. “The only way is by running a clinical study [yourself]. If you’re next to another product on shelf, it’s not enough to just say you have a clinically studied product. This allows you to hugely differentiate your claims if you’re doing things the right way.”