What do you think of when you mention protein powder? Muscle man to eat muscle artifact? Training supermodel shape ingredients? These impressions of yours may be about to change.

 

On December 4th, the health food brand ffit8 launched its latest product ffit 8 Probiotic Protein Powder. According to ffit8 founder Zhang guangming, This could be a revolutionary product for the protein powder industry. We hope to use this product to break the traditional impression that only muscle men need protein powder.Protein powder to achieve a complete broken circle, become the daily choice of ordinary consumers。

 

FIT8 probiotic protein 

powderPhoto: ffit8

Founded just a year ago, ffit8 has become one of the fastest-growing startups in the health food sector this year. According to the brand introduction,2020 FFIT 8 sales have broken billionsDuring Singles Day this year, the total volume of orders through all channels increased by 2003% year on year.In the Tmall platform protein bar category, Jingdong platform and millet products and other channels of protein bar category, sales are ranked first.ZhangguangmingTell us, the new protein powder is another one after the protein bar “Strategic product” , tooWill be an important step in realizing the overall strategy of FIT8 Protein Company.

 

What does this protein powder new product mean for ffit8, a fast-growing start-up health food brand? Why does Zhang Guangming say that ffit 8 probiotic protein powder may be a revolutionary product to subvert the industry? Protein this big field, what trend is worth paying attention to in the future? With these questions, we had an exclusive interview with Zhang Guangming, founder of ffit8.

01 A “Little Red Bottle” was hidden in ffit8 protein powder industry ambition

 

Revolutionary is the complete subversion of the original. It needs a product that makes a difference in the industry. Zhang Xiaoyu, a business researcher, once defined it simply: After such a product, almost every product in the industry looks like it 1 . flexom, initiate delivery observed on ancientural ad.

 

Originally, there were countless kinds of iPhone, but when the iPhone came out, all the iPhone looked almost the same. Originally, video games came in myriad forms, but with Super Mario, all games started to look the same. The iPhone and Super Mario are revolutionary products in their respective fields.

 

Left: the iPhone before the iPhone right: the iPhone after the iPhone

Photo: technobezz

 

So, in the opinion of Zhang Guangming and ffit8, why is such a protein powder revolutionary? What kind of changes do they want to make to the protein powder category through this new product?

 

First,  to redefine the target population of protein powder

 

Traditional protein powder, basically only two types. One is a jar full of muscle men. This protein powder is aimed at fitness professionals. Another similar to the elderly to eat health care products, biased to protect the normal physical function of the elderly.

 

Two types of traditional protein powders

Photo: Tomson Better Tmall flagship store, Shancun Tmall flagship store

 

Zhang Guangming revealed that ffit8 this new protein powder core target population is two kinds of very wide distribution of young groups:Light exercise group and sedentary groupAnd the applicable population of this protein powder, it is 3 years old and above all the population.

FIT8 probiotic protein powder

Photo: ffit8

 

In Zhang Guangmings view, the traditional impression that only professional fitness athletes need to supplement protein through protein powder is inaccurate. For people who only run and stretch every day, after each exercise, there will be slight tears and injuries in the muscles, and protein supplementation is needed to help the muscles complete the repair process. For batters who sit in the office for a long time, they also need protein to help maintain the repair and normal growth of skin, muscles, bones and hair.

 

In fact, proteins are closely related to all people. Protein can maintain the growth, renewal and repair of human tissues, regulate human physiological function, catalyze metabolism, and provide necessary energy for the human body. Also, protein needs to be replenished daily and stored continuously. Protein supplement this thing, in fact, is the daily nutrition compulsory course.

 

So, you can eat eggs, drink milk, and eat beef to supplement protein? Yes, but the protein content of these ingredients are generally low, beef in about 20%, eggs in about 12%, milk is only 3% ~ 4%. If you rely entirely on these methods, you will eat a lot of fat, carbs and other substances while you supplement your protein, which will weaken the effect of exercise and increase the burden on your body.

 

The protein content of FIT8 is over 50%, which is 17 times higher than milk, and the protein digestibility is 99%. Can meet the daily needs of the human body very well, and do not add unnecessary burden for the body.

 

Therefore, ffit8 hope to use this new product, in a wider consumer groups to cultivate the use of protein powder habits, so that protein powder to achieve a complete break the circle, into the lives of ordinary consumers.

 

Second, to redefine the use of protein powder

 

Since we hope that the use of protein powder is no longer just a gym, it is bound to create a more diverse use of the scene, at this point, ffit8 is how to do it?

 

First of all, the traditional protein powder is basically a similar milk powder big pot design, and can only be fixed in the home or gym locker. The new protein powder is packaged in a 12g / piece little red bottle. One is the amount of a meal, not only completely solving the traditional large cans of protein powder exist damp, dirty spoon problems, more convenient for consumers to carry, use.

 

FIT8 probiotic protein powder

Photo: ffit8

 

Secondly, ffit8 optimized the taste of protein powder. Because of its clear functional properties, traditional protein powder is usually not satisfactory in taste, and some protein powder with soybean as raw material even has bean smell, which is one of the reasons why protein powder has been unable to get out of the professional fitness circle.

 

The ffit8 uses a mixture of four high quality protein sources, including New Zealand natural milk powder, to make the new product taste better.

 

On the basis of taste, this protein powder can be combined with a variety of ingredients. With coffee, it becomes a cup of latte; With black tea, it becomes a cup of milk tea; With bubble water, it becomes a cup of Corbius; Even, you can eat it directly.

 

Zhang Guangming also shared with us his favorite way to eat: pour a small amount of water directly into the little red bottle, cover it with a lid, shake and drink it. The fragrant milk fragrance is absolutely unforgettable.

 

Convenient to carry, excellent taste, variety collocation, multiple use scenarios, for the protein powder category gives more possibilities.

 

Third,  to redefine the purpose of protein powder

 

As mentioned above, the purpose of using traditional protein powder, basically only muscle and health care two, From the products name ffit 8 probiotic protein powder, we can see that this is a probiotic added protein powder. Zhang also told us that he hopes protein powder can become a healthy food for consumers to use everyday.

FIT8 probiotic protein 

powderPhoto: ffit8

The protein powder, which has been added to the protein powder, has been approved by regulators for its effectiveness and safety, which has been approved by regulators. Live tablets containing Bacillus clot can treat acute and chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation, abdominal distension and dyspepsia caused by intestinal flora disorders, according to the official website of the State Drug Administration. 2 Zhang Guangming also revealed that the probiotic bacteria can stably tolerate gastric acid and bile, and finally reach the survival rate of more than 95% in the intestinal tract.

 

At the same time, FIT8 also added 10 vitamins and 4 minerals in the protein powder, supplementing the body’s daily needs, which add more functional properties to the protein powders. In the words of Zhang Guangming, this protein powder is “A bottle of double enjoy” , which can not only supplement daily protein, but also supplement probiotics and other functional substances beneficial to health, greatly expanding the use purpose of protein powder.

02 Protein bar, protein powder is the starting point, their goal is to become ffit8 protein company

 

Founded just a year ago, ffit8 has become one of the fastest-growing startups in the health food sector this year. In 2020, their total brand sales have broken, and was rated by 36 krypton venture capital institute in 2020 China consumer brand and life category “Most Influential Enterprise” one.

 

Ffit8 brand first year, they successfully created a protein bar this super single product, In this year’s Double 11, ffit8 protein bar sales exceeded the root, ranking Tmall protein bar and bar category sales first. It can be said that ffit8 has firmly occupied the head position of the domestic bar food substitute market.

 

FIT8 protein bars

Photo: ffit8

 

Zhang guangming revealed that this new protein powder will be a strategic product of ffit 8, and they hope to make protein powder into the second super single product of ffit8. 

 

Protein powder will be ffit8 key to seize the market in 2021. In the end, they will deepen the overall positioning of ffit8 protein company by seizing one protein category after another.

 

So, in what ways can such a new protein powder enhance the brand image of ffit8, so much so that ffit8 calls it a strategic product?

 

First, is to strengthen the brands cool attributes. The ffit8s every move is trendy in China, cool and burning, and they hope to use this way, close to the brands core users.

 

This time the protein powder new product, not only small red bottle product appearance is very fashionable and trendy, ffit8 also closely adheres to the environmental protection trend, has designed the Planet 8 regeneration plan similar to the three and a half return voyage plan for the new product, the consumer will use the small red bottle to collect and return to the ffit8, can exchange to the brand new protein powder product.

 

Ffit8 will recycle small red bottles and use them to make common items in daily life. Zhang Guangming revealed to us that in the future, ffit8 will use recycled small red bottles to make limited brand peripheral products, strengthen brand cool attributes at the same time, further strengthen the connection with consumers.

 

Second, enhance the brands technology attributes.In a previous interview with Zhang Guangming, he told us that ffit8 is more of a technology company than a food company.They have science and technology wind product conference, have Luo Yonghao and other technology partners, as well as high-tech products.

 

The new protein powder still has a very high technological content. From the independent packaging of the Little Red Bottle to the sledge-shaped stirrer, the FIT8 patented design is a patent armed to the teeth innovative product.

 

FIT8 sled-shaped stirring stick designed for the new product

Photo: ffit8

 

At the same time, in order to ensure that the taste of protein powder exceeded that of traditional protein powder, ffit8 finally determined the compound formula design of four protein sources: WPC concentrated whey protein, WPI separated whey protein, MPC concentrated milk protein and WMP full fat milk powder. WPC concentrate whey protein provides high protein content, small molecule WPI separation whey protein provides instant properties and high absorptivity, MPC concentrated milk protein and WMP full-fat milk powder provide strong frankincense. This is also the latest research results of ffit8 protein Innovation quality Laboratory.

 

Finally, is an important step in the process of strategic layout of ffit8 Protein Company。The ffit8 protein Innovation quality Laboratory mentioned above is a professional laboratory set up by ffit8 in August this year for innovative research, development and testing of proteins in the field of functional foods, dedicated to the unification of healthy eating and better taste.

Ffit8 Protein Innovation 

LabPhoto: ffit8

 

And protein powder, almost the largest market for protein supplements. Studies have shown that in the United States, protein powder accounts for more than half of the total protein supplement market, 5-6 times larger than ffit8s signature protein bar 3 . Including Nestle, Danone, Abbott, including well-known food and beverage brands, have been in the field of protein powder.

 

U.S. protein supplement market size, purple protein powder

Photo: Grand View Research

 

Zhang Guangming revealed that ffit8 expects to make the protein powder after the protein bar second super single product. But this is far from the end, their ultimate goal.Is to become a ffit 8 protein company. The traditional impression of a series of unhealthy food, can be re-made with protein ffit8. In the future, will there be moreMore Protein X appears? Lets look forward to it.

03 Protein to do all food, protein innovation and what is possible?

 

As mentioned above, the ultimate mission of Zhang Guangming and FIT8 is to become the young people of the future to eat healthily through scientific and technological innovation.ffit8 protein company」。

 

So, why protein?

 

In biology, protein and carbohydrate, fat and known as the life of the three basic nutrients, they and the maintenance of human and even all biological normal body functions are most closely related.

 

Among the three basic nutrients, human beings have basically got rid of the problem of insufficient sugar and fat. On the contrary, the current problem is excess. All kinds of sugar reduction and oil reduction food have become a new trend.But in protein, most people are severely deficient.。

 

Zhang Guangming once shared with us a set of data: In the past 20 years, the living standard of Chinese residents has improved significantly. However, the protein intake in the whole diet did not increase, but decreased slightly, far from reaching the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016) average intake standard.

 

At the same time, from the perspective of the whole human, protein is also facing a serious shortage of threats. Alfa Laval Senior Process Engineer has said: 30 years later, the world population is expected to grow to 9.7 billion in 2050, which means that human beings need to produce 260 million tons of protein every year to meet the demand. But that gap cannot be bridged with the resources we have available or with most processing technologies 4 。

 

The importance of protein is not only reflected in eating, agriculture, aquaculture, pharmaceutical and other fields, can not be separated from it. Take pharmaceuticals, for example, if asked what the world is most looking forward to, COVID-19 vaccine may be at the top of the list, everyone is looking forward to the launch of the vaccine to put the world back on track. At present, almost all the vaccines being developed in the world, from Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, which was 90 percent efficient in brushing the circle of friends, to the Chinese biological inactivated vaccine (BBIBP-CorV), which has high hopes from Chinese people, are targeted to identify a special protein S protein in novel coronavirus shell, so as to protect our health.

 

In 2017, Harvard University also created the Protein Innovation Institute ( Institute for Protein Innovation, IPI), Promoting Protein Science to accelerate research and improve human health.

 

Harvard University Institute for Protein Innovation

Photo: Harvard University Institute for Protein Innovation

 

In the food and beverage space, protein is also a constant source of innovation. On Wednesday, US food technology start-up EatJuly announced that itsChicken in cell culture was approved for sale in Singaporeto become the world’s first cell-cultured meat to be regulated and approved. This kind of artificial meat is different from the common soybean, pea and other plant ingredients as raw material plant meat, is from the real chicken cells, the use of cell culture technology, and the reverse culture of the whole chicken. The cell culture chicken is superior to the traditional farmed chicken in microbial content, cleanliness, protein content, amino acid composition and other aspects.

 

cell culture broiler meat

Photo: Eat Just

 

At the end of last month, Remilk, an Israeli food technology start-up also announced the development of a new technology to produce milk protein without the need for cows by extracting milk protein gene coding-inserting a single-celled microorganism-to reconstruct milk protein. In Remilks own words, they want to be the first dairy company in the world that doesn’t need cattle 5.

 

The day before yesterday, Nestle also announced the launch of its ownPlant-based food brand Jia Zhi YaoThat means Nestlé, the world’s largest food maker, is also moving into plant-based protein. According to Nestle, in the future they will create delicious, healthy, innovative plant-based products using plant-based protein ingredients, and provide professional catering solutions. 6

 

Jiazhi Cuisine Products

Photo: Nestle

 

04 Summary

 

Today, we start with the new product of ffit8 probiotic protein powder, and discuss its significance to the protein powder industry, to the fast-growing start-up brand of ffit8, and even to the whole protein field.