Having spent over a decade in CPG marketing, from unpaid intern to Senior Marketing Manager at Quest Nutrition, to working with category leaders like Magic Spoon, OWYN, Outer Aisle, and more with my agency––Growthbuster–– I've watched the industry evolve through numerous transformations. Nestlé's latest launch of their GLP-1-focused Boost drink marks another significant shift in how food & beverage companies are approaching metabolic health.
A Pivotal Market Moment
When the world's largest food company creates a product specifically for the GLP-1 consumer, everyone in CPG should pay attention. This isn't just another line extension – it's validation that the industry is fundamentally changing. But beyond the boardroom celebrations and market projections lies a deeper question that deserves our consideration: Will we measure the success of this shift in shareholder value, or in its meaningful impact on human lives?
The statistics tell a sobering story – rising rates of Type 2 Diabetes and pre-diabetes continue to reshape the health landscape of America. As industry leaders, we have a unique opportunity – perhaps even a responsibility – to be part of the solution. But that requires looking beyond quarterly earnings and asking ourselves the harder questions about true innovation and genuine consumer benefit.
When we strip away the marketing language and trend analysis, we're left with a simple truth: our choices as manufacturers and marketers have real consequences in people's daily lives. The products we create either contribute to the problem or help pave the path toward better health outcomes.
As this market continues to evolve, the real measure of success won't be found in profit margins alone, but in whether we've helped move the needle on the health challenges facing our communities. That's the standard against which we should judge every innovation, every product launch, every strategic decision.
Complex Realities of Scale
The formulation choices in Nestlé's new product illuminate the hard truths of mass-market innovation. From my years at Quest Nutrition, I understand intimately the challenges of scaling better-for-you products. Every ingredient decision carries massive implications for cost, stability, and consumer acceptance.
During my time at Quest, we faced this firsthand. We actually maintained two separate product lines – one sweetened with natural stevia for our most health-conscious consumers, and our mainstream line using sucralose. This dual approach taught me valuable lessons about meeting different consumer needs while scaling a brand.
However, I have to be direct about Nestlé's choice to include Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) in a product targeting the GLP-1 and metabolic health consumer. While I understand the complexities of formulation at scale, this decision feels misaligned with their target consumer's needs and values. Ace-K is known to trick the pancreas into secreting insulin and can contribute to insulin resistance over time – the very issues many of their target consumers are working to address.
This isn't about perfectionism in formulation – it's about recognizing that today's health-conscious consumers, especially those invested enough in their metabolic health to use GLP-1 medications, deserve thoughtfully formulated products that truly support their health journey.
The Market
Morgan Stanley's projection of a $105 billion market for obesity drugs by 2030 tells a compelling story about where consumer health is heading. But numbers only capture part of the transformation we're witnessing in CPG. Working on breakthrough brands like Quest, Magic Spoon, Outer Aisle, and Perfy, I've seen firsthand how high protein, low carb brands are reshaping consumer relationships with food and drink.
This insight, along with personal need, is why I began developing Perfy, my own better-for-you soda brand, in 2021. The market opportunity is clear, but what's more interesting is how these medications are prompting us to reimagine what consumers need and expect from their food and beverages. It's no longer just about portion control or calorie counts (do 100 calorie bags still exist?!) – we're seeing a sophisticated consumer who understands metabolic health and demands products that genuinely support their wellness journey.
As brands rush to serve this emerging market, the real opportunity lies in creating products that don't just fit within new consumption patterns, but actively support consumers in their pursuit of better health. Whether you're a global giant or a challenger brand, the mandate is clear: innovate with intention and integrity.
Lessons for Emerging Brands
Having helped scaled multiple brands from concept to market leaders, here's what emerging companies should consider:
- Speed matters, but not at the expense of thoughtful formulation
- Consumer education about ingredients has reached unprecedented levels
- The better-for-you space demands authenticity and transparency
- There's room for multiple approaches and price points in metabolic health
The Innovation Challenge
From my agency's perspective, working with category-defining brands while building my own, I see this market shift with unique clarity. The contrast between how Nestlé and challenger brands are approaching the GLP-1 consumer tells an interesting story about innovation in modern CPG.
The established players like Nestlé bring immense resources, robust R&D capabilities, and the power to shape market conversations through sheer force of scale. But their size often means moving with the calculated precision of a chess player – methodical, strategic, and sometimes constrained by their own magnitude.
Challenger brands, on the other hand, can dance. They can pivot quickly, take bold stances on ingredients, and often maintain a more intimate dialogue with their core consumers. I see this daily at Growthbuster, where brands aren't just launching products – they're rewriting category rules with the speed and agility that only independence allows.
In the months ahead, expect to see this dynamic play out in fascinating ways. Challenger brands will likely throw faster, bolder punches – launching innovative products that push boundaries in formulation and positioning. Meanwhile, the giants will make fewer but more seismic moves, leveraging their massive distribution networks and R&D budgets to create waves that reshape entire categories.
This isn't about David versus Goliath – it's about different approaches to serving an evolving consumer. And in this rapidly shifting landscape, there's room for both the swift jabs of challengers and the powerful hooks of industry giants.
The Dawn of a New Consumer Era
The emergence of GLP-1 medications isn't just another headline in the endless cycle of industry trends – it's catalyzing a fundamental shift in how we think about nourishment, portion control, and metabolic wellness. I've witnessed this evolution from multiple vantage points: watching Quest Nutrition grow from startup to billion-dollar brand, guiding challenger brands like Magic Spoon and Outer Aisle through rapid scaling, and now creating Perfy in response to a changing consumer landscape.
Success in this new era won't come from simply slapping "GLP-1 friendly" labels (cough. Conagra. cough!) on existing products or rushing to market with artificial sweeteners that may do more harm than good. It demands a deeper understanding – of the science, of the consumer journey, and of what it means to create products that genuinely support metabolic health.
The brands that will define this next chapter won't just be the ones with the biggest R&D budgets or the fastest time to market. They'll be the ones who approach this shift with integrity, who prioritize both innovation and ingredient quality, who understand that their products play a crucial role in people's health journeys.
As this market continues to evolve, we have a responsibility to do more than just capitalize on a trend. We have an opportunity to reimagine how CPG brands can contribute to genuine wellness, one thoughtful formulation at a time.
The Path Ahead
As someone who's grown from unpaid intern to agency owner, and now beverage founder, I've learned that the most significant opportunities often emerge when the market is in flux. We're living in one of those pivotal moments – when consumer needs are evolving faster than most brands can adapt, and when artificial sweeteners seem to be the default answer to complex metabolic challenges.
That's why at Perfy, we didn't just want to create another beverage. Our tagline – BOOST MOODS NOT BLOOD SUGAR – isn't just clever marketing. It's a stand. A promise. A reflection of our understanding that what consumers need isn't another product that might compromise their metabolic health in the name of innovation.
The winners in this new landscape won't be determined by market size or speed to shelf. They'll be the brands who have the courage to stand behind every ingredient choice, who see beyond the immediate market opportunity to the real human impact of their formulations. In a world rushing to capitalize on the GLP-1 revolution, sometimes the boldest move is simply to do what's right for the consumer.
This isn't just business strategy – it's about recognizing that every product we create becomes part of someone's daily ritual, their health journey, their path to wellbeing. The brands that embrace this responsibility with genuine conviction won't just win market share; they'll earn the trust and loyalty of consumers who are more educated and intentional about their choices than ever before.
The path ahead is clear for those willing to see it: innovation driven by integrity, growth fueled by genuine care for consumer health, and success measured not just in sales, but in the positive impact we create in people's lives.
What's your take on how the GLP-1 revolution will reshape product development in CPG?
About the Author: Vasa Martinez began his CPG journey as an unpaid intern at Quest Nutrition, where he was fortunate to learn from and contribute to the brand's growth. Those early days taught him invaluable lessons about scaling challenger brands, wisdom he now shares through his agency Growthbuster, partnering with inspiring better-for-you brands like Magic Spoon, OWYN, and Outer Aisle. His passion for meaningful change in the industry, paired with deeply personal motivations, led him to create Perfy – a better-for-you soda brand born from the belief that every food & beverage should positively impact both mind & body.
