The UK’s first-ever drink focused on mental performance has been launched, just two years after its development. Beyond NRG contains nootropics, vitamins, minerals and clean green caffeine, with a claim that it is a functional health drink for to the brain and body, enabling you to sustain peak mental performance.
The drink is designed to serve as a pre-workout energy supplement for the mind or ‘non-physical activity’ and comes in powdered form to be mixed with water before drinking. It contains seven “brain boosting” nootropics that are said to promote endurance, memory, reactivity and learning
Billy Webb, Founder and CEO of Beyond NRG, commented: “We have seen a shift in how people are viewing mental performance and overall brain health – our customer base has gone from mainly e-sports and gaming enthusiasts to a variety of creatives and the wider general public. Formulated for mental performance, Beyond is a supplement made for the digital generation as we head into a new era of connectivity.”
Two observations on why this is interesting.
- It demonstrates how categories evolve and segment to meet specific needs or occasions to create new spaces or premium opportunities. It shows that innovation is still, and has always been, the life blood of brands and consumer-facing categories and how new players can still find niches and enter the market. The current focus on mental health and performance goes much wider and deeper than an energy drink, but as these wider cultural and behavioural trends become mainstream, brand owners integrate them into existing categories and put new twists or add new benefits to stay relevant and distinctive.
- From a positioning perspective, the design and packaging reflect cues from the VMS (Vitamins Minerals & Supplements) category as much as from the drinks/energy category, perhaps more so. The sachet format is part of this, but it also seems a conscious effort to drive perceptions of credibility and efficacy. This in turn shows how the wellness category is evolving. This product is trying to find a space between the established need for energy and the emerging health/wellness needs associated with mental performance.
Only time, consumers, brand building investment and marketing creativity will decide if it is successful, but it shows that brand-led innovation delivers most of what is critical to building dynamic and interesting categories.
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Find out more: beyondnrg.com