How brands like BelliWelli and Olipop stand out in a sea of gut health products

“We’ve all heard from some point from someone than we need more fiber,” co-founder and CEO Katie Wilson said. “Most people can’t articulate why, but they just know they’re supposed to eat fiber.”

This year, it seems as if gut health brands are taking over supermarket aisles. BelliWelli, which started off in snack bars, is seeing viral success with its powder that has 4 milligrams of fiber per serving along with collagen, electrolytes and probiotics to help with overall motility and ease of digestion. Functional beverage brand Blume’s best-selling product, Superbelly, has netted sales of $1.8 million and launched in Sprouts’ stores this month. Cleveland Kitchen in July started selling its Kimchi Pickles in Walmart, touting the health benefits of fermented foods on its label. On the canned better-for-you beverage side, Poppi has pummeled shoppers with $43 million worth of advertising in the first four months of 2024, while competitor Olipop is expanding products and flavors.

Much of this growth in response to consumer demand. While supplements or remedies for constipation or stomaches have been sold over the counter for decades — Metamucil was developed in the 1930s — the 21st century version of gut health is broader, focused on the well-being of the digestive system. McKinsey’s 2024 Future of Wellness survey found more than 80% of customers in China, the UK and the US consider gut health important.

But for brands that are trying to win over those consumers, it can be a delicate dance to deliver a message that resonates. That comes down to messaging beyond the blanket phrase “gut health” or “digestion,” and using specific wellness buzzwords like probiotics or favor. Beyond copy, there’s also a focus on colorful and approachable packaging; BelliWelli’s jars come with hot pink,can’t-miss-it lids. But there’s also a big focus on flavor and taste to make sure the products stand out to shoppers who aren’t likely to change their behaviors.

At BelliWelli, Wilson leans in on the use of the word “fiber,” knowing there are many people that understand it is an important part of their diet. Its next set of billboards going up later this month say “Hot Girls Need More Fiber.”

She compares the space to skin care, where there could be products calling out benefits for acne, dryness or fine lines. In the gut health space, that might look like highlighting benefits like improved hydration, increased energy, reduced bloating, and feeling fuller between meals.

“I don’t think launching a generic gut health brand is going to work,” Wilson said. “We’ve never seen that. You have to speak to specific needs.”

Wilson also credits the success of BelliWelli to a TikTok strategy that has helped the brand gain awareness, generating around 49 million views over 16 days. Many videos feature Wilson, often outfitted in a hot pink BelliWelli shirt, goes to Walmart and talks to shoppers taking it off the shelves, leading to frank and honest content about what they like about the product.

Olipop, one of the leaders in the better-for-you soda space, has also found success in focusing on the benefits of its products. The cans say that the soda “supports digestive health,” and includes probiotics and plant fiber. Eleanor Hayden, founder of Hayden Consultancy who has worked with Olipop’s marketing campaigns, said one of the keys to success in the space is leaning into how the product is a fun or different treat — rather than something that’s simply being taken for its health benefits.

“People want the health benefits, but not change their behavior,” she said. “It gives people a chance to have a soda, and not feel so bad about it.”

So far the strategy is working; the six-year-old company is on track to hit $500 million in sales this year, according to Bloomberg. And it’s continuing to offer new products, teasing out a new flavor coming this fall. And while its products typically require refrigeration, the company this summer began rolling out a releasing a shelf-stable multipack at H-E-B-, Walmart and Meijer.

As the gut health boom continues, though, some legacy players are also revamping their strategies. Mariani Packaging Co., a family-owned dried fruit company, switched out its prunes packaging around 2018. Now labeled Probiotic Prunes, the product has seen a 12.1% CAGR over time, versus a 7.9% CAGR for prunes without the buzzword. “It was the single most successful product we ever introduced in our company,” said Mariani’s president, George Sousa Jr.

Part of the reason for the relabeling was because it erased some stigma from prunes connected to constipation. “If you took the name away, and you just listed all the attributes, people would eat these all day long, because they probably have the most healthy attributes of any product that we sell,” he said. “You have to get past the stigma.”

That’s where adding words like probiotic and prebiotic comes in. Sousa said the re-labeling helped tap new customers in the company’s target demographic of adults and parents who want to focus on gut health or overall wellness benefits. “There’s much more of a focus on sort of a food is medicine approach that or has been in the past,” he said.