The Health Marketing Daily

The Health Marketing Daily

By Marco & KlaraBusinessEducationMarketing
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The Health Marketing Daily episodes

  • Walmart Bets on Mood Drinks, Perelel Hits $100M

    Walmart just gave functional mood drinks permanent shelf space — a retail signal every supplement and beverage brand needs to act on. Plus: Perelel Health hits $100M and a glucosamine finding that will have joint supplement brands on crisis comms watch.

    In this episode:

    • A phase 2 clinical trial found daily Vitamin C supplementation was associated with lower mortality in patients with precancerous or low-risk blood cancers, giving science-led brands credible new evidence beyond immune health positioning.
    • A large health-records analysis found glucosamine users had a 25% higher likelihood of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to full Alzheimer's dementia — an observational finding that will pressure joint supplement brands across European pharmacy and health retail to prepare communications responses.
    • Walmart is creating a permanent dedicated 'Mood & Mind' in-store section for cognitive and emotional wellness beverages, one of the largest retail commitments to the category to date and a signal that will influence European buyer decisions.
    • Women's supplement brand Perelel Health has reached a $100 million annual run rate and hired the former Rare Beauty CMO, signalling that prestige beauty brand-building talent and techniques are migrating into the supplement sector.

      • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

      Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

      Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

      9 min
    • Walmart Launches Mood & Mind Shelf, Boots Nears Weston Deal

      Walmart just gave mood and mind beverages their own shelf — and the Weston family may be about to take control of Boots. Two structural retail shifts that demand attention from every supplement and functional food brand this week.

      In this episode:

      • Walmart has created a permanent named shelf set called 'Mood & Mind' for functional beverages targeting emotional and cognitive wellbeing, giving the category its biggest mass-market retail visibility moment to date.
      • The UK's Food and Drink Federation has publicly warned that frequent health policy shifts and rising regulatory costs are deterring manufacturers from investing in healthier product reformulation and innovation.
      • The Canadian Weston family is reportedly close to acquiring Boots, which operates over 2,200 stores across the UK and Ireland and is a primary retail channel for supplement, skincare, and wellness brands.
      • Germany's Max Rubner-Institut has launched a new database enabling significantly more precise calculation of protein content in foods, with direct implications for nutritional labelling and health claim substantiation in sports nutrition and functional food markets.

        • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

        Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

        Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

        10 min
      • Superdrug Goes 24/7, Grindr Buys Health Platform for $250M

        Superdrug just became an always-on supplement retailer via Just Eat — and Grindr spent $250M to own a healthcare channel. Both moves redefine where health brands must show up.

        In this episode:

        • Superdrug is launching 24/7 delivery across 8,000 products in London via Just Eat, starting in Brixton and Kingston — giving supplement brands with a Superdrug listing a permanent impulse-purchase window for the first time.
        • Arla is expanding manufacturing capacity for skyr and cottage cheese at its German facilities to meet surging European protein demand, putting affordable, grocery-shelf dairy in direct competition with dedicated supplement and protein snack brands.
        • Drink sales across Europe's six largest grocery markets grew 2.9% last year driven entirely by value, not volume, as shoppers cut alcohol and traded up into functional and wellness-positioned beverages — a structural spending shift, not a fad.
        • Grindr is acquiring LGBTQ+-focused digital healthcare platform Freddie Health for $250 million, embedding PrEP access and sexual health services directly into its existing user base and creating a community-specific direct-to-consumer health channel.

          • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

          Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

          Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

          9 min
        • Huel Banned by ASA, Mulberry Targets Gut Health

          Huel just got a public ruling from the UK ad watchdog — and it's a warning for every functional brand making video content. Plus mulberry science, brain health studios, and hemp beverage data that reframes the relaxation category.

          In this episode:

          • Huel was formally reprimanded by the UK Advertising Standards Authority after an online video was ruled irresponsible for containing unauthorised health claims, setting a public precedent for functional nutrition brands across the UK.
          • New research found that mulberry-derived compounds reshape the gut microbiome to support intestinal health and metabolism, with synergistic compound combinations pointing toward dual-action formulation potential for supplement and functional food brands.
          • The founders of sauna franchise SweatHouz and the P90X fitness programme are jointly launching a brain health 'daydream studio' concept, backed by Atlanta-based Founders Row, signalling a major operator shift from body to cognitive wellness experiences.
          • The intoxicating hemp beverage category has hit an estimated $300 million in sales, with category data showing relaxation and stress relief — not recreation — as the dominant consumer motivations driving purchases.

            • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

            Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

            Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

            9 min
          • The Health Marketing Daily | Perelel Health hits $100 million run | California enacts non-ultraprocessed label despite food | Research highlights health trends that are
            The Health Marketing Daily — September 30, 2026
            In this episode:
            • A women's supplement brand hitting nine-figure revenue and poaching a prestige beauty CMO signals that the wellness supplement category is now competing directly with luxury beauty for top marketing talent.
            • California's new non-ultraprocessed food label creates a precedent that European functional food and wellness brands should watch closely — because label-based health positioning is about to get more competitive and more contested.
            • New UK research showing that only 1 in 4 Brits have tried a health or food trend in the past year — and half have already quit — is a critical reality check for wellness brands over-indexing on early adopter behaviour.
            • A $33 million Series B for at-home microbiome testing startup Tiny Health shows that gut health is moving fast from supplement aisle to data-driven personalised health — and brands not building into that ecosystem risk being left behind.
            Hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.
            Tags: health marketing, nutraceuticals, supplements, functional nutrition, wellness, clinical evidence, regulatory, consumer health
            10 min
          • Unilever Bets on Beauty-Wellness Merger, GLP-1s Go Lifestyle

            Unilever just told the market that beauty and wellness are one category — and GLP-1 manufacturers are now chasing the same consumer positioning your supplement brand owns. Both moves demand a strategic response.

            In this episode:

            • Unilever Wellbeing has publicly named GLP-1 drug adoption and AI-driven health data as the two structural forces behind its strategy to treat beauty and wellness as a single integrated category, not adjacent ones.
            • GLP-1 manufacturers including the makers of Ozempic and Wegovy are deliberately replacing the word 'patient' with 'customer' and repositioning their drugs as lifestyle products, directly competing with the emotional territory premium wellness supplements have owned for a decade.
            • Bayerische Milchindustrie, one of Germany's largest dairy cooperatives, is launching a high-protein cheese range onto mainstream German supermarket shelves, bringing established dairy infrastructure into direct competition with specialist protein food brands.
            • Morrisons has begun selling off its in-store pharmacy estate as part of a grocery-focused turnaround, removing a significant UK retail channel for supplements, vitamins, and OTC wellness products from one of Britain's largest supermarket chains.

              • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

              Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

              Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

              10 min
            • Glucosamine Alzheimer's Risk & McDonald's GLP-1 Menu Bet

              McDonald's just named GLP-1 users a core menu audience with an $8B commitment — and glucosamine, one of Europe's top joint supplements, is now linked to faster Alzheimer's progression. Both stories demand action from supplement and functional food marketers today.

              In this episode:

              • A large health-record analysis found glucosamine users face a 25% higher likelihood of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to full dementia, putting serious reputational pressure on one of Europe's best-selling joint supplements.
              • McDonald's has announced an $8B-plus strategic investment that explicitly redesigns its menu for GLP-1 drug users seeking smaller portions and higher protein density — the first global fast food chain to publicly name Ozempic-era consumers as a core audience.
              • A topical senolytic compound cleared aged skin cells in older mice, dramatically accelerating wound healing and reversing biological ageing markers — adding scientific momentum to the quercetin and fisetin ingredient category already in European longevity supplement pipelines.
              • Impossible Foods has entered UK retail grocery for the first time with a new plant-based protein range, making a high-stakes bet on health-positioned products in one of Europe's most competitive grocery markets amid wider category decline.

                • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

                Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

                Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

                9 min
              • Calcium & Vitamin D Fail, Little Spoon Enters Supplements

                A landmark meta-analysis is shaking the bone health supplement category, Little Spoon is converting food trust into supplement revenue, and GLP-1 drugs are creating a new paediatric micronutrient gap nobody has claimed yet.

                In this episode:

                • A meta-analysis of over 153,000 adults finds calcium and vitamin D supplements, alone or combined, offer little protection against fractures or falls, directly threatening one of the supplement industry's largest revenue categories.
                • New research shows nearly one in six children taking GLP-1 drugs including Ozempic and Saxenda develop nutritional deficiencies due to appetite suppression, opening an unclaimed white space for paediatric micronutrient brands.
                • Little Spoon, the US DTC baby and kids food brand, is launching its first daily multivitamin, using parental trust and existing DTC infrastructure to cross from food into the higher-margin supplement category.
                • Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is suing Botanic Tonics, maker of the Feel Free kratom shot brand, for illegal marketing, escalating regulatory pressure on the functional botanical beverage category with likely implications for EU novel food scrutiny.

                  • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

                  Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

                  Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

                  9 min
                • McDonald's Bets $8B on Ozempic Era, Red Bull vs. Kroger

                  McDonald's just spent $8 billion signalling that GLP-1 drugs have permanently changed food strategy. If the world's biggest QSR is reformulating, supplement and functional food brands need to act now.

                  In this episode:

                  • McDonald's announced an $8B+ menu and strategy overhaul explicitly framed around GLP-1 drug adoption, signalling that nutrient-dense, smaller-format products are now a structural market requirement for all food and supplement brands.
                  • New research published in Science Daily found that a topical senolytic compound cleared senescent 'zombie' cells in older mice, significantly accelerating skin wound healing and raising the scientific bar for ingredient claims in longevity skincare.
                  • Kroger is drawing a hard line on pricing with Red Bull — one of the world's most dominant beverage brands — exposing a structural shift in retailer-brand power dynamics that European functional drink and supplement brands entering retail must plan for from day one.
                  • SunOpta is expanding plant-based manufacturing capacity while Maple Leaf simultaneously retreats from the category, creating both supply chain opportunities and risks for wellness and functional food brands relying on plant-based ingredient suppliers through 2026 and beyond.

                    • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

                    Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

                    Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

                    9 min
                  • GLP-1 Kids Gap, REWE Backs Longevity & Apothékary Goes Experiential

                    REWE's buyers have put longevity on the official retail agenda — and new GLP-1 research just opened an uncontested paediatric supplement niche. If you sell into European health channels, today's briefing is a ranging and positioning checklist.

                    In this episode:

                    • New research found nutritional deficiencies in nearly 1 in 6 children taking GLP-1 drugs including Ozempic, Saxenda and Trulicity — a paediatric supplement gap no European brand has yet moved to fill.
                    • At the 173rd MLF trade meeting hosted by REWE Engelhardt in Herten, longevity was named a defining category megatrend, signalling that German grocery buyers are actively ready to range longevity-positioned products.
                    • European industry players are significantly increasing investment in fungi-based meat alternatives, with mushroom protein positioned as a premium, whole-food reset for a plant-based category hit by consumer fatigue and retailer delistings.
                    • Apothékary founder Shizu Okusa is expanding the US supplement brand beyond product retail into experiential wellness — including a Kyoto retreat concept — as a direct strategy to escape supplement market commoditisation.

                      • The Health Marketing Daily is a concise briefing for marketers and founders in supplements, functional food and consumer health, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day.

                      Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us.

                      Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Digital Commerce Daily

                      9 min

                    About The Health Marketing Daily

                    From the publisher's feed

                    The daily briefing for professionals in health, nutrition, and wellness marketing. Every episode covers an ingredient of the day, the latest science and regulatory updates from EFSA and beyond, and…