It is crazy to think we’re already turning our attention to the potential 2019 Shield of Excellence Supplement Award for Brand of the Year. We are officially over one month into the new year (2019) and several brands are already putting a stake in the ground to be considered the best in 2019.
Before we dive into our way-too-early nominees for the 2019 Brand of the Year, it is important to understand the qualifications to be considered into the Brand of the Year conversation.
Brand of the Year Consideration Attributes
- Full Catalog of Products: it is important that the brand have more than one or two products. To be considered a Brand of the Year candidate, the brand MUST have multiple products across their brand in multiple categories (i.e. pre-workout, intra-workout, post-workout, gut health, digestive health, etc)
- Product Quality: the brand must meet minimum product quality requirements. Brands who distribute a catalog of underdosed products will not be considered (with that said, the brand also does NOT need to make the most effectively dosed, highly innovative products on the market as there’s more to a brand than just this)
- Innovation: the brand MUST have 2019 innovation planned or already executed. The innovation ideas planned or executed need to be successful, a failed launch doesn’t do any good for the brand
- Distribution: it is important that the brand can be found online and in brick and mortar stores. If the brand only has their direct-to-consumer website, they lack the distribution needed to be considered into the larger set of brands that are distributed across multiple channels, nationally and globally
- Dollar Volume Growth: the brand MUST be growing. The brand cannot be declining in dollar volume.
- “Coolness” Factor: the brand must be sought out by consumers based not just on product quality, but on branding and the appeal of the brand – this can be accomplished through effective marketing strategies and executions
Now that the parameters have been set, let’s jump into our way-too-early nominees for 2019 Brand of the Year.
2019 Way-To-Early Brand of the Year Nominees
The following brands are front-runners to the 2019 Brand of the Year Award based on the criteria laid out above.
NOTE: the following brands are in no particular order; placement is not an indicator of status in the 2019 Brand of the Year Award.
RedCon1
It would be crazy to talk about nominees for the 2019 Brand of the Year without mentioning our reigning 2018 Brand of the Year RedCon1. RedCon1 grew 300% in 2018 from 2017, and it is hard to believe they can duplicate that growth, but I don’t foresee any signs of RedCon1 slowing down. I had a conversation with Aaron Singerman in December 2018 and the goal was to break $100 million in 2019. With what the brand is doing, it is a very good possibility that this happens.
Innovation has been at the center of RedCon1’s success. In 2018 they launched the very popular MRE series which includes the amazing MRE Bar, the MRE powder and MRE Lite.
RedCon1 has some great innovation in 2019. They already launched their Total War RTD (ready-to-drink), which is a fully-dosed pre-workout that is pre-made and amazing. Coming in February they are launching three new protein bars, called B.A.R. These are protein cereal bars, featuring real cereal pieces and whey protein. RedCon1 will also be adding to their MRE Bar line with a Cinnamon Bun flavor (coming soon) that we’ve tried and enjoyed. They are also looking to expand their MRE line in general with a possible RTD coming sometime later in 2019. As always, RedCon1 is expanding flavors on their current products to offer the consumers more selection.
RedCon1 also expanding distribution coming into 2019. They signed agreements with Academy Outdoors to carry their products across those stores. HEB, the grocery chain, also picked up certain RedCon1 products to carry across Texas. They expanded into Vitamin Shoppe in 2018 that should see major growth in 2019. Finally, RedCon1 finally put some of their products into Europa, a major sports nutrition distributor.
RedCon1 may not make a lot of noise on the innovation front this year (although that B.A.R. should be huge), but with a goal of expanding distribution nationally and internationally, RedCon1 is primed for major growth in 2019.
NutraBio
NutraBio is back! NutraBio was the winner of our inaugural Brand of the Year award in 2017. After a very quiet 2018, NutraBio hit the ground running in 2019…I mean literally!
NutraBio took 2018 to truly listen to their consumers and their wants, and then used the year to work on items that meet or exceeds those wants/needs from the consumer. The business changed over that year, but as a result, the company is moving faster than ever.
So far in 2019 (as of this writing) the company has launched 10 products! They launched new breakfast inspired whey protein isolates: Pancakes and Maple Syrup, Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Sugar Donut. They added Dragon Fruit Flavor to their Pure EAA, Intra Blast, BCAA 5000 and PRE series. I will vouch and say that this is their best flavor ever made. They also launched a KSM66 Ashwagandha supplement, Alpha GPC supplement and a 5-HTP supplement. The company has also announced the launch of Alpha EAA, a nootropic infused EAA supplement. Remember, it is only February.
The company tells me that they have over 60 products scheduled for launch in 2019. No, that wasn’t a typo…that was SIXTY products in 2019. Out of those 60, about half are new flavors and half are truly brand new products to the NutraBio catalog. This number could vary each way depending on when ingredient certifications come through, but NutraBio is poised for a huge 2019.
On innovation alone, NutraBio is challenging the industry to keep up. The company will continue to work on distribution and branding through their sales team and marketing team, but innovation is going to carry this company into the consideration set for 2019 Brand of the Year.
GHOST
GHOST finished in second place in 2018 in the Brand of the Year running, and ultimately lost to RedCon1. One of the knocks on GHOST is their lack of distribution in the US. They are available direct-to-consumer through their website and GNC locations. I will say this, the move with GNC was purely strategic and from a business point-of-view I understand it, but I think 2019 may be a bit different for the brand.
I am not sure there is a brand with a bigger “cool factor” than GHOST. They KILL it on their YouTube channel, their packaging is the best in the game and their formulas are solid (and very transparent). People want to wear GHOST swag, they want to Instagram the containers and they want to be part of this GHOST Lifestyle. That is creating a brand.
GHOST does have products and they do have innovation planned in 2019. Although we cannot release specific details, I can tell you that the brand tells me they are releasing a bunch this year. They’ve already announced their deal with Welch Grape Juice to bring that flavor to life. If you follow their YouTube channel you also see they’ve teased a new amino, a new thermogenic for global markets, a mysterious cherry flavor, Cinnamon Cereal Milk and a crazy spin on Legend, bringing new ingredients to market.
In 2019 you can expect GHOST to drop a bunch of new products and flavors. You can expect more content from the brand that will increase their brand appeal. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see expanding distribution from the brand outside of GNC…time will tell.
One thing about GHOST is they are not a quiet brand. That bodes well for their chances in the 2019 Brand of the Year consideration set.
MuscleSport
MuscleSport is a really large brand that is quiet on the digital front due to their business model. That does not mean they should be excluded from our consideration set. I know that in 2019 the brand plans to focus on their direct-to-consumer model more, but traditionally the brand was setup to support the brick and mortar stores, that was their bread and butter.
MuscleSport makes some really cool products. They have a cereal inspired protein series, that is one of the higher quality proteins on the market. They also have a plethora of other items across categories including aminos, pre-workout, post-workout, fat burners and more. In 2019 the brand is looking to accelerate and expand.
The brand has signed a deal with Vitamin Shoppe to get their products on store shelves. There is also talk to get them into GNC. These are the two largest retailers of sports nutrition supplements in the traditional brick and mortar stores. The Vitamin Shoppe deal is massive, and if the GNC deal comes to fruition you can expect dollar volume growth to be huge.
A representative from the brand also tells FI that they have 20+ launches planned for 2019. Although we were not given any specifics, we’ve seen some teasers and it looks pretty cool. One of these innovations in particular is going to make a lot of noise.
MuscleSport is big on branding, they have some of the best social media on the internet today, in this space. They also release unique flavors and have brand assets like the unicorn, which is super hot right now.
If you have not done much with this brand in the past, I bet you will in the very near future. Stay tuned to FI for more info on MuscleSport as they make their quest to become our 2019 Brand of the Year.
The Genius Brand
The Genius Brand is making a lot of noise in 2019. This brand, primarily available on Amazon, has double-digit product innovation planned for 2019, as well as increased distribution with their direct-to-consumer model.
The Genius Brand’s biggest knock was the fact that they weren’t available off of the Amazon platform. The brand is pushing their direct-to-consumer website model more in 2019. They are also looking at specific retailers to expand into stores, if it is a good fit.
The brand, as mentioned before, is launches a bunch of new products in 2019. On a recent episode of the “Be Informed. Live Fit.” podcast, CEO Robert Oliver told us it will be a big year for The Genius Brand.
The brand has already launched their new Digestion Optimizer. This was one product of many coming this year. I know that The Genius Brand is about all-natural ingredients and effective dosages. The year should be big for The Genius Brand. If they are able to expand their distribution, do more through their website and get into stores, more people will understand how great this brand is and would agree that they should be considered for 2019 Brand of the Year.
Olympus Labs
A brand that did a lot too late last year to be considered the 2018 Brand of the Year, but enough to be in consideration for 2019 is Olympus Labs. They launched their new Superior Protein late in 2018, and this is a game changer in terms of protein. It is one of the best tasting proteins we’ve ever had here at FI. They also toss in real cereal pieces.
Olympus also reformulated their Bloodshr3d, a popular fat burner, and named it their Black Edition. This is one of our top rated fat burners on the site due to the innovative ingredients and effectiveness. This was all 2018, but the brand has big things planned for 2019.
The brand has already announced a new pump product coming in 2019 featuring a plant-based ingredient called S7. The brand tells us that this will quickly become a favorite among pump product users.
A representative from the company also tells FI that they are going to be coming out with over a half dozen new products in 2019, multiple novel ingredients brought to market and overhauling their flavoring systems. This is all exciting to hear, because Olympus Labs makes some of the best products, most innovative products on the market, but some of their powders (outside the protein) could use some flavoring work (in my opinion) and if they perfect that…watch out.
I also know that the company is working hard on their re-brand. You can see that they changed their logo to more “mainstream” to appeal to a broader range of consumers. This should help with their “coolness factor” and ultimately their quest for 2019 Brand of the Year.
MTS Nutrition
MTS Nutrition is one of the larger brands in the space, that not a lot of people talk about. Owned by Marc Lobliner, the brand has been around for a long time and has always delivered on product quality and consistency. Not too mention the brand makes some of the best tasting protein powders on the market (literally so yum!) We see 2019 being a big year for the brand.
In late 2018, MTS Nutrition launched a protein bar under the Outright Bar name. This is our #1 rated protein bar due to how clean this bar is. It is made with single digit ingredients and gives us 15g of protein per bar. That was 2018, but the brand is launching more flavors including a Almond Butter bar and a Butterscotch bar. MTS Outright brand also launched protein spreads (these are also so delicious). Outright Bar continues to expand into distribution channels.
MTS, the sports nutrition side of things, has a lot of innovation planned for 2019. Marc is very close-to-the-chest with his business ideas, and rightfully so (he built Scivation and other companies to be successful) but he has told me that 2019 will be a big year for the brand in terms of products launched. Marc has his hands on a lot of brands, and I think 2019 will be the year we get more focus on MTS. Due to this, they are a way-too-early nominee for 2019 Brand of the Year.
MuscleTech
By far the largest brand on our way-too-early nominees for 2019 Brand of the Year is MuscleTech. As you sit there and scratch your head and wonder why FI would put them on the list, you need to understand what is going on with this company. Yes, they are big. Yes, they have a responsibility to profit margins. However, the company has shifted their focus and innovation strategy to create products that are marginally positive, but also dosed appropriately for the consumer.
The brand actually made the 2018 Brand of the Year list over at our friend’s website Stack3d. I saw many people were upset about that. The brand released late in 2018 Vapor One, their new clinically dosed pre-workout, and Shatter Pump8, a clinically dosed pump product. We were so impressed with these two products that they instantly jumped on our radar.
The brand also launched NitroTech Iso-Whey, featuring 97% biopro whey protein islolate with Prohydrolase. Another great product. We’ve talked with the company, and they have plans to launch a plethora of new products in 2019, all following in the same footsteps as the products listed above.
The fact is MuscleTech is still sought out by consumers. Consumers of old have a nostalgic feel with the brand. MuscleTech got them into sports nutrition. MuscelTech has massive distribution as well. The fact that this company is refocusing their efforts on quality innovation is a breath of fresh air, and smaller brands who have used this as an advantage now must compete with the big boys again.
If MuscleTech truly does deliver on their promise to keep this going, 2019 is going to be a fantastic year for the brand and ultimately they will be considered in the Brand of the Year conversation.=
Honorable Mentions
The following brands are on-the-rise, making moves on the scene, but may not have the distribution or full brand appeal to be fully considered a front-runner for 2019 Brand of the Year.
RYSE
RYSE is not an old brand. In fact, as of this writing, they are just over a year old. The brand is making the correct moves on the marketing side to make people aware of their existence. RYSE is also expanding distribution into retailers across the US, and their direct-to-consumer website does a lot of traffic and sales.
In 2019 the brand has big things planned. I spoke with their CEO recently, and although I cannot disclose the information we talked about, I can say you are going to have a massive launch from this brand later this year. The launch will bring new customers to the brand and a newfound interest into product labels.
RYSE may not be big enough…yet, to be considered the 2019 Brand fo the Year, but if this launch goes well and they continue to expand their distribution, this could be a brand that needs to be looked at hard later this year.
Performax Labs
If you’ve watched any of our reviews on Performax Labs, I start them all with saying that I think Performax Labs is one of the most underrated brands on the planet. This is a brand that makes great products, but lacks brand appeal and distribution to be considered a massive brand…for now.
Performax Labs is starting 2019 off with a bang. They launched their HyperMax Extreme which we got to test and we loved. We will be getting a full unit to review, but fully expect to fall-in-love with the product. One product launch isn’t enough to be considered in the Brand of the Year conversation, but the brand tells me they have a bunch coming in 2019.
The brand plans on launching products in the protein powder category, an anti-stress supplement featuring hemp, a joint health product, a general health and liver supplement as well as a multitude of new flavors. This is all exciting stuff.
If you’ve had the brand, you know that their flavors are limited, the addition of new flavors will help appeal to more consumers and bring them into the brand.
Will Performax Labs rise enough to be a legit contender in 2019…maybe, but our hope is that they do because they make too good of products to not be well-known. If they can get the brand appeal right, increase distribution and have successful product launches, this could be a brand to consider in 2019.
Final Takeaway
This is going to be a really fun year for brands and for the industry. Many brands over promise and under deliver, but I don’t foresee that being an issue with the brands listed here. Will this list change month-over-month? I would think so. There could be a brand that makes a late run, or a massive impact with a launch that we are unaware of. That is why this is our way-too-early list of 2019 Brand of the Year nominees.
Throughout this year we will update this list and bring you news on the brands across the industry. Our goal is to educate you on what is going on in this space and shed light on brands who are killing it.
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