SPIRU-TEIN Reigns Supreme

Imagine the indulgent, creamy sensation of old-fashioned ice cream parlor shakes...

SPIRU-TEIN is synonymous with “incredibly delicious.”

This I understood from day one as the Lead Copywriter of Nature’s Plus. Founder Gerald Kessler’s always positioned SPIRU-TEIN as an amazing taste sensation. And in truth, SPIRU-TEIN was the first great-tasting protein powder supplement. When I arrived at Nature’s Plus, I elevated Kessler’s taste-centric strategy to a whole new level. More than delicious, I made SPIRU-TEIN a rich, creamy, decadent sensory experience — and in doing so, contributed to one of the Industry’s most enduring and influential products. And here’s an industry insider scoop: SPIRU-TEIN is about to come out with a product that will change everything. Stay tuned.

The Lesson: Strong descriptive writing is a critical step in differentiating your product and claiming your place as King of the Mountain. But don’t B.S. your potential customers. The advertisements below only work ’cause SPIRU-TEIN truly is incredibly delicious.

Iron Chef-inspired SPIRU-TEIN Supreme ad copy
Sinfully delicious & oh-so naughty. That's Sexy Nutrition.
Even more delicious than Boo Berry frosted cereal.

Gonzo Anti-Aging Solutions

When I took over editorial direction of Energy Times magazine,
one of my first tasks was our annual Anti-Aging issue.
I assembled my own team of writers to inject new life into the mag. Unfortunately, one of my new writers, two weeks prior to deadline, completely bailed on her story. What a quandary!

But the Natural Health Writer is catlike — he always lands on his feet. At the zero hour, I coordinated a story that sent three writers to undergo three anti-aging procedures. These subjects and the practitioners gave first-person accounts of how the treatments worked. The article was great… It changed the magazine’s editorial direction with gonzo journalism and pictorial presentation. Plus, it integrated nutrition by promoting the anti-aging benefits of collagen, hyaluronic acid, green tea and other nutrients.

The Lesson: Hire the wrong writer, and you might be left high and dry. The Natural Health Writer will never, ever bail on you. Quite the contrary, I have a proven track record of executing zero-hour solutions that exceed the original plans that fell through.

Booming Brain Health: Ginkgo

As Woody Allen once said, “My brain? That’s my second favorite organ.” But for Boomers seeking peak quality of life in their golden years, the brain is priority #1.

Mental sharpness. Cognitive performance. Crystal-clear memory. The Brain Health segment is a supplement industry goldmine. Neuronutrients’ potency in promoting peak brain health is backed by reams of research. At right is a piece I wrote on Ginkgo Biloba, one of the most famous brain-boosters. This PDF is part of a larger marketing book that discusses several other neuronutrients in detail.

The Lesson: Brain health is a booming category. Effective educational marketing materials are the key to supercharging supplement sales in this all-important sector. The Natural Health Writer is a neuronutrient marketing expert.

The Art of Nutrition

"First, do no harm."

In 2010, I worked on the re-branding of Physiologics, a physicians’ nutritional supplement line. This category is poised for explosive growth. To add some sex appeal to the typically bland marketing materials of doctors’ supplements, I incorporated quotes from the Hippocratic Oath, which worked beautifully with the branding of doctors’ supplements.

Quality is a hallmark differentiator that is critically important in the successful marketing of supplements. It’s not easy to write about! For this catalog, we brainstormed a quality theme called The Art of Nutrition. Read the PDF at right for the full story.

The Lesson: My client on this project (a true marketing genius) fixated on discussing quality without using the word “quality.” He was right — when you differentiate down to a subtle microscopic level, you strengthen your brand from the bottom up.

Protein (R)evolution

Stay a step (or 3!) ahead of your competition.

In 2007, global sports beverage sales was $25 billion. That number is projected to increase to $87 billion in 2013.* Sports drink sales are booming… and protein powder supplements are a key reason why.

Protein supplementation has evolved to meet new demand. While dairy-based whey has historically dominated, the expanding protein market created a need for diverse protein formulas — including vegetarian protein supplements.

One SPIRU-TEIN marketing/writing campaign I worked on involved just such a vegetarian protein formula: The Tri-Part Protein Blend, derived from soy, rice, and peas.

The campaign strengthened the SPIRU-TEIN brand while elevating it above its many imitators. Since SPIRU-TEIN is over 25 years old… that’s a lot of knock-off soy/spirulina shakes. Category leaders like SPIRU-TEIN blaze new trails to maintain their competitive edge.

The Lesson: What’s different about your protein formula? Without that key differentiator, you risk losing your product in a saturated protein market.


*Global Sports Nutrition Market Topped $27.2B in 2007http://bccresearch.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/global-sports-nutrition-market-topped-272b-in-2007/, 2007.

Old(er) and in the Whey

Bicycle shorts while rollerblading: A crime against humanity

Below are links to three Nature’s Plus Spiru-Tein Whey brochures that I wrote. Clearly this is for an older crowd than the Jersey Shore demographic we discussed in an earlier post. I mean, come on… look at this guy on the rollerblades. You think a Jersey Shore type would buy a protein powder supplement from that??

Don’t scoff, though. Read and consider how the brochures target a wealthier whey demographic: Buff Boomers.

SPIRU-TEIN whey protein shake brochure – original flavors.

SPIRU-TEIN whey protein shake brochure – new flavors.

SPIRU-TEIN whey brochure for low-carb diets.

The Lesson: Whey protein powder is an agile supplement that crosses demographic boundaries. Speak to your audience — sports nutrition success will follow.