Swisse marks return to US market with launch of ‘jelly’ supplements
The supplements, which debuted last week, pair with a line of Australian clay masks in the personal care arena to usher in a new era for the company in the world’s most lucrative market for dietary supplements.
Fast growth, then switching of gears
Swisse was once the fastest growing OTC company in the world in the early 2010s. It made a brief foray into the US market in 2013, but pulled the plug after only nine months or so to focus on what the company termed “global brand building.”
The intent was always to return, and the company made good on that promise in 2017. The company said at the time that it began receiving orders from North America for its products almost as soon as it withdrew from the market, showing that it had gained significant traction even during its brief initial foray.
During the North American market interregnum, Swisse was acquired for $1.7 billion by Hong Kong-based Biostime, which was subsequently renamed Health and Happiness Holdings. The company goes by the name H&H Group.
Building on prior success
Kimberly Weld, vice president of North America for H&H Group, said the new jellies are part of the company’s strategy to build on the brand’s awareness and compete in the market.
“We really had such dramatic consumer demand,” Weld said of the time the brand was on the sidelines.
“The jellies are our first innovation since returning,” she said. “We wanted something that wasn’t a gummy because gummies are so commoditized.”
Weld said the new jellies are packaged in a stick pack. To consume, the end user tears off the end of the pack and pushes the product up. The company says the consistency is said to be similar to a healthy jelly shot with a light texture that won’t stick to your teeth the way gummies can.
“You can slurp it; you can chew it,” Weld said.
Novelty, but functionality, too
Beyond the novelty aspects of the delivery method, Weld said the key was to engineer the formulation so that a sufficient load of bioactives could be carried. This can often be the Achilles heel of gummy formulations.
Weld said the Jelly range is free from gelatin, gluten, soy, dairy and artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners and is available in three versions. All are sold in a package containing ten individual jellies, priced at $2.50 per serving. The products are for sale on Amazon and other health and wellness e-commerce sites serving the US market and beyond.
The three lines are:
- Focus Boost Jelly - supports brain function, memory and concentration, containing Cera-Q, a silk protein hydrolysate which can support cognitive functions, and traditionally prized Yerba Mate and Green Tea extract, in a Blueberry Cherry flavor.
- Immune Support Jelly - boosts healthy immune function, containing Zinc, Selenium, Elderberry & Manuka Honey in an Orange Passionfruit flavor.
- Beauty Boost Jelly - supports radiant skin, containing marine collagen, goji berry extract, Manuka Honey and Aloe Vera in a Raspberry Rose flavor.
