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Welcome to Dig In, the podcast brought to you by the minds at Dig Insights. We're interviewing some of the most inspiring brand professionals in marketing, innovation, and insights to discover the story behind the story of their most exciting innovations.
Jess Gaedeke (00:00)
Hi everybody. Welcome to Dig Inspiration. I recently had the pleasure of talking with Brian Leckner with Premier Nutrition and he's someone that I've known for a long time.
as has Erin Mays, who is our EVP of Trends Innovation here at DIG. So I said, who is better for me to chat with about that episode than Erin? So Erin, you're a busy gal. I really appreciate you taking some time.
Erin Mays (01:03)
Of course, I'm so happy to be here.
Jess Gaedeke (01:05)
Yeah, so there obviously was a one core, core topic that we talked about and it was protein. And the whole conversation was about protein. And I know you know a lot about protein because your team has done such incredible work in this space. And one of the things that I found super fascinating was how protein basically has become shorthand for strength, stability, everyday wellness, like kind of a big deal, right? So.
It's a cultural obsession is kind of what I was picking up. So I'm just curious how you think about that and how that reveals like how consumers now define health and like how has it evolved from what was a diet culture when I was growing up, right? To now this new definition of health. So just like chat to me, chat to me about this cultural obsession.
Erin Mays (01:53)
Yeah, definitely. I think actually it's funny because protein has really become the new language of health. So you're talking about defining health and I would say protein is that. Protein is health. We've seen the going exactly what you said, that old diet culture of just don't eat this, restrict this, don't take too many calories to now we're actually finally having this conversation around what actually makes us feel good. What helps us feel
strong, what helps us feel capable, what helps us feel steady in the things that we're trying to accomplish every day. And so we're moving from this thing about restriction that just doesn't feel good into resilience. And we've seen this move in diet culture, which was inherently restrictive. And we all have really bad memories of that into something that is now feeling durable, something that you feel you can embrace longer because it actually makes you feel good. We're seeing
people focused on stamina and energy and good sleep and what it means to live a long life around longevity. And so it's not just about fitting into that smaller pair of jeans and feeling like you need to constantly trim down and monitor everything, but rather think about how can I get my body to run well for the long haul? So thinking about longevity and I would say that protein is this.
signal now of control and self-care and now that we don't have to think about thinness all the time, it's more about capability and consistency and something that makes you feel like you're doing a good job and you're doing it for yourself and you're not working against yourself, which for so long was a very painful part of the process. And there were people who diet, who were always on a diet and people who weren't on a diet. And was something that you're always thinking about and it consumed a lot of us.
during our social interactions and when we're trying to have fun and live freely. And so I think that this is the biggest mindset shift that we've seen in diet culture in a really long time that people want to know about the good things. What can I do for myself versus constantly thinking about what I need to restrict or monitor or cut out. so symbolically, it's that protein represents this empowerment and nourishment that's happening in the world where wellness can really feel.
good rather than chaotic and health is really coming to the forefront. How well can I function? How can I feel good instead of how little do I need to consume? And so I think that's really how we're thinking about health now, especially as it relates to protein.
Jess Gaedeke (04:27)
Yeah, and it's crazy how like a little thing like protein can do all of that. It just feels like it's such a massive shift of how we're thinking. I don't know, we're both moms. Like, you know, when I think about how to educate and support my kids and like healthy lifestyle, it's definitely the former. Every day we're like, so what protein have you had today? It's how much water have you had to drink and how much, you know, how much protein. So it's definitely part of our life. Yeah.
Another part of the conversation was this idea of how the category went from pretty niche to basically universal, right? And this is another thing that you know everything about because trends that move from the margins into the mainstream, like how does that happen? And what makes some of these wellness movements really stick?
Erin Mays (04:58)
for him.
yeah, I love this question and I love framing it from niche to universal. And when we think about trends, it's about identifying those early signals, those early fringe indicators of where something is going to grow into. And
think that this is such a great example of how trends can scale when they're inclusive. And so we know, like what you just said, we all know about protein. So it's like, how did we get here? But it's because protein started in the gym.
We saw it being about muscle recovery and performance nutrition, but we've now allowed it to evolve into letting people define what it means to them. And now it's everywhere. So we're seeing it in coffee. We're seeing protein in cereals. We're seeing it in snacks or even seeing it in water. Starbucks has protein for people's habitual morning coffee.
Brands, I would say came into this space and stopped making protein feel like it was for the special club of people, whether that's bodybuilders or those people who are avoiding carbs and started making it more accessible, thinking more broadly about anyone who wants to feel good and get their protein in their daily life. Let's offer them protein in these different formats and let's talk about it differently. And I think occasions played a big role in this also.
You now have protein accessible in new occasions, such as breakfast, you have it when you travel, you can have it in the car, on the go, grab protein for better mental focus or meal replacement. You're even seeing how you can, like what you said, getting your kids. And so we're seeing it replace.
other things that were in different day parts and different occasions. And now you have protein fitting into every part of your life. And so that was a huge shift that we saw protein going from niche to universal because it was finding more of a space in people's lives.
also we shouldn't forget taste and texture innovation that has come so far. Protein for the longest time. And I'm sure you remember this was very
chalky and it just didn't taste that good and you knew you were trying to accomplish something but you sort of really wish you didn't have to. But now with the innovation it's really unlocked this massive appeal because it's delicious and we're also seeing retailers jump in and help with it also. We're seeing sampling, we're seeing education, we're actually even seeing better in-store visibility with end caps and actually highlighting it on the shelf. And so I think when I think about protein and this evolution
It's that there's this bigger lesson that trends are the ones that are more inclusive. Think about more occasions, think about more people, think about the functionality and the pleasurable nature of an end product or a usage occasion and not just elitist or extremists, I would like to say. And so, yeah, it's universal. It's here to stay and there's tons of options.
Jess Gaedeke (07:57)
Yeah, I love that point about trends being inclusive. I hadn't thought about it that way. That's a really, really good point. you know, I can't get out of any conversation with these guests, which I love anyone that's in really any industry, but certainly, food industry, GLP 1s and the impact that GLP ones are having about how people think about food and metabolism. So I know, again, your team has done so much work in this space. do you think
medical, those behavioral shifts are gonna influence consumer expectations for nutrition. And really what's the role of brand? Like how do brands the demands without overstepping?
Erin Mays (08:34)
Yeah, no doubt. I mean, you hit the nail on the head that GLP ones are everywhere. We cannot escape the conversation, whether you're in food or beverage or even peripherally in other spaces, everyone's being impacted, even grocery chains. And so they're at this point of really shaking things up. And when people's appetites are shrinking, suddenly every calorie starts to really count. protein, it was starting to come into an interest area.
by way of the nutrition that it offers, but then with the shrinking appetites, it essentially put protein on the center stage. And so we're seeing this mindful consumer come. They're like, well, I'm losing weight and I'm not as hungry anymore. I need to make sure that I'm nourishing and taking care of my body, which is interesting because before it was very restrictive and what not to put in their body. And so there's this new type of consumer coming about who's paying a lot more attention to the fact that they're eating less often.
They need to make sure that every calorie and everything that they put in their bodies is really, really working for them. And so we're seeing them looking for things like things that are nutrient dense, things with clean labels, high quality So we're seeing new sorts of functionality and benefits rise to the forefront. And so when I think about the key brands that we're working with, what's important for them is to support the lifestyle of these individuals and not just think of the label. So we don't want to do that.
We used to call it greenwashing when we think about sustainability. We don't want to do GLP washing. We don't want to just say like, hey, you're on GLP ones. Here's a great product. We don't want to make these products all about the medication. Rather, we'd like to see brands. And we think the most success comes from leaning into these new behaviors and actually inspiring people with smaller portions, smart fueling, focus, strength, recovery, and weight loss and feeling good about yourself.
in a different type of way. And so it's really about reframing the conversation, moving away from medical element of it and thinking about wellness and health and nutrition and how can you do that intelligently because you are more restricted in what you're eating. And we're essentially trying to help people get the most out of eating less. And that's what brands really should be focusing on.
Jess Gaedeke (10:47)
Yeah. And related to that, see retailers, see brands like really scrambling to try to keep up with this massive, you know, wealth of information and products around protein. So I'm just curious as well, like what are some of the biggest challenges, but also the opportunities?
for those companies that are trying to be very authentic in how they approach innovation in this space that's just moving so fast.
Erin Mays (11:08)
Yeah, definitely. It's a great question. it's a bit of a gold rush right now with everyone trying to proteinify, everything. Everyone's adding protein to everything. It's like, how can we get on this bandwagon? But as we see in the market, and we've seen this with other trends in the past, it creates a lot of noise. There's so much everywhere that people can get fatigued and they don't really know which direction to go. And honestly, not every format works. Not every format is...
Jess Gaedeke (11:14)
There you go.
Erin Mays (11:33)
conducive to proteinification. some, as a result, of course, some products are feeling overly processed or chalky, like I said before, and they're just not, they're not doing it right. And so consumers are smart. They see what's going on. They start to get skeptical about additives and artificial ingredients. And so we know that taste and trust and quality are the real differentiators that brands should be leaning into as they try to participate in this.
important movement that's happening right now. I would say that on the opportunity side of things, innovation is happening a lot around life moments. things like clear or sparkling protein drinks and that combine mind and muscle benefits together.
Things that are more transparency. Transparency has always been huge, but it's really huge here because shorter lists of ingredients are important. Clear sourcing, where is that protein coming from? Calling out protein and the quality of the protein is really important because something is in the forefront, people start pulling it apart and dissecting it and things get layered. What is real, what is not real, that sort of thing. And so we want to make sure that the brands are leaning into this in a way that's authentic and not just
protein-ifying everything. would also say there's an opportunity here for retail partners. They can really shine with better education around protein, clear signage because people are actively looking for it in the shopper journey, zones that make it easier for brands to know where to place this and where for shoppers they can find it to fit the goals as they're shopping. So it's there's really lifestyle element that can combine the products they're searching for as well as how they're searching for it.
And there's also a ton of room to grow. A really cool stat is that 80 % of households are buying energy drinks, but only about half are buying protein drinks. And so you can just see where there's space right now as this of everything continues to grow, doing it right, there's a lot of potential.
Jess Gaedeke (13:35)
Yeah, absolutely. looking ahead, which is what you do on a daily basis, the conversation kind of suggests that protein will still be the next protein. Like it's not going anywhere. So I'm just curious, what do you think is the next evolution of functional wellness and how do cultural forces, things like longevity, mental health, like does that shape where it goes next?
Erin Mays (13:58)
Yeah, great question. would say in our analysis and what we're seeing exactly what you said, protein is not going anywhere. Protein is essentially the next protein. It's getting smarter though. And so what we'll see in this next wave is about making protein feel lighter, feel more refreshing, have it feel more holistic rather than specific protein inputs. Think about new textures and flavors. So not just a thick shape.
or something that is a bar, but think of something that might be sparkling or hydrating. So new formats are going to come out. We're also seeing this idea of stacked functionality. So protein plus hydration or protein plus focus or gut health. So now that protein has become this baseline that people are looking for, what can we add to it to make it even more something that is specific to what we're looking for? And I would say that
The audience for protein is broadening also. Women and older generations are huge consumers of protein. They're actually driving growth in this category. And so with that, we're gonna see the focus shifting from aesthetics and muscle building to things like longevity and vitality. And so a lot of health. And also when we see women really entering into a category with a lot of gusto and really driving growth.
we see a lot of trickle down to children and to kids, of course. And so there's some new spaces that we will start to explore where protein can continue to grow. And I would say culturally, health is becoming a lot about mental clarity, longevity, long-term functionality. And so we're seeing this movement of nutrition as stability. And so I think...
protein will play a big role in that as well. Protein allows people to do something a lot more consistently than some of the other fads that we've seen in diets where people are really yo-yoing. And so we'll get a lot of stability out of this. I think it'll last longer than some of the other things that we've seen. And the trends that endure, like I said earlier, are the ones that are inclusive and meeting the needs of consumers. And right now there is so much around energy, satiation.
time management, but doing this with pleasure and with trust, we'll see that protein has the ability to move us from macro counting and a lot of the diet culture that we've seen in the past to things that are very meaningful, like food as fueling my body, food as making me feel really good, food as making me prepare for my future and the longevity of my body and of my mind. And this is a major shift that
as food brands and people in CPG, we need to be paying attention to that we're playing a major role in people's lives and not just labeling things and adding additives for the sake of being on top of this trend because it's here to stay. And that's today and the future.
Jess Gaedeke (16:59)
Yeah. Well, I mean, I was pumped about protein coming into this conversation, but I am like really pumped about protein now because what you just described is such an optimistic viewpoint of where it will go from here. So I don't think we're done with this topic, but for today, I just really appreciate you taking time to chat, Erin. It's always good to see you. It's only been an hour. you so much today.
Erin Mays (17:16)
Yeah, likewise. course. Thanks
for including me. I'll talk to you soon.