Social media is evolving. Are you adapting? Connect with a community of brand pros and content creators at Social Media Week, May 12–14 in NYC, to learn how to keep pace with new trends and technology. Register now to save 20% on your pass.
Wet weather in typically sunny Southern California couldn’t put a damper on the kickoff to Expo West, the natural products industry’s biggest trade show, in Anaheim last week. Food, beverage, and better-for-you personal care brands gathered for the eagerly anticipated event, where aisles overflowed with protein-packed pretty-much-everything, a slew of products boasting regenerative agricultural practices, an abundance of functional beverages, and noticeably more baby- and child-focused items than in years past.
“I’m already chock full of protein—I don’t need any more today,” muttered a passerby as I collected my badge and stepped into one of several expansive convention halls for the first time this year. It was an omen for what I’d encounter across the show floor in the coming days. “OMG protein water,” a nutritionist friend texted me in exasperation on the second day of the show after I’d just scarfed down a butter-slathered slice of toasted 22-gram-per-serving protein bread.
Like last year, brands crammed protein into every conceivable product category, but the marketing conversation has evolved to prominently highlight quality alongside quantity. While “high-protein” remains the most ubiquitous claim on packaging, more brands are now emphasizing “how” and “from where” in conjunction with eye-popping protein gram counts.
Regenerative agriculture overtook organic messaging, with dairy and meat producers proudly emphasizing how they restore ecosystems as part of their production process in addition to making nutritional claims. And the regenerative theme extended beyond animal products, with ancient grains emblazoned on everything from artisanal crackers to pancakes, breakfast cereals, and pasta.