by Matt Weik
The keto craze is upon us and from the looks of it, brands are going to continue launching products in 2019 that align with the trend. One such brand is SlimFast. I know what you’re thinking… “SlimFast keto products?” I had the same reaction actually.
Back in Q4 of 2018, sports nutrition giant, Glanbia purchased SlimFast from Kainos for $350M. For those who aren’t familiar with Glanbia, they also own ABB, Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Isopure, thinkThin, among other brands. When it comes to the sports nutrition industry, Glanbia is the big black gorilla in the room.
SlimFast was once the leading weight loss beverage company and secured around 46% share of the weight loss market (for powder and liquids). We’ve all seen the old school SlimFast commercials and people were buying their products by the case to help with their weight management goals. Eventually, sales started to slip and SlimFast needed to strategize their next move to once again build their name back up in the sports nutrition industry.
SlimFast Keto Products
Is this a smart move for the brand? Will SlimFast keto products sell? Is Glanbia aligning them for success or failure? In my opinion, it’s a smart move. SlimFast has a reputation in the industry for weight loss and weight management products and with the keto craze right now, it only makes sense. With some marketing dollars behind it and a push in FDM (food, drug, mass), I can see sales soaring for SlimFast.
Looking at the SlimFast website, it appears that they are launching SlimFast keto protein shakes, SlimFast keto bars, SlimFast keto meal replacement powders, and SlimFast keto snack options. As SlimFast has been known for, the products are meant to be used as convenience items for quick grab-and-go consumption for keto-following consumers.
All SlimFast keto products will have a high fat and moderate protein profile. They will contain ingredients such as grass-fed butter and medium chain triglycerides. Looking at the protein itself, it appears that it will be composed of whey protein as well as grass-fed collagen. Obviously, being a ketogenic-friendly product line, the carbohydrates will be low and the sweeteners used are the very popular stevia and erythritol.
SlimFast keto products claim to be “keto made easy!” and can help consumers utilize fat for energy as well as helping turn your body into a fat-burning machine.
Will SlimFast Take a W or L?
Will their sales explode? I think they actually will. Those who have been brand-loyalists for years will more than likely get behind the SlimFast keto products. If they’ve tried various diets in the past, the ketogenic diet only seems like the next step in their weight loss journey. In the end, the sales numbers don’t lie and we’ll just have to wait until the release quarterly sales to see if it’s a hit or not.
Would you give SlimFast keto products a shot? The flavors sound interesting and the profile looks decent. I’d love to hear your feedback and comments about this launch. Do you think it will do well or will SlimFast take a loss on this one?
