VMS through a format lens

Vitamin and mineral supplements have long been confined to the traditional capsule and tablet format conventions, but just as every other active nutrition category continues to undergo a mainstream makeover, the traditional VMS category is no exception.

After all, through the lens of the consumer, you have to ask yourself: how can we make a habit stick? How can we make it enjoyable? And how can we make it fun?

And that’s precisely where format comes into play. Because the format itself not only reimagines the experiential lens as a new route of engagement, it also creates an opportunity for flavour, texture, delivery and even ritual to come through. In many ways, what was once a relatively one-dimensional VMS proposition can suddenly become a much more layered execution. And the scope of executions unfolding points towards a collective VMS landscape that is evolving.

One route beginning to emerge are functional jellies, just as liposomal liquids continue to offer another point of differentiation, and the ever-evolving confectionery angle enters the VMS innovation pool. Taken together, the latest launches point towards a VMS category where format is becoming far more than the vessel carrying the active. Format is driving the experiential lens, but there’s still a lot of whitespace left to be explored.

That said, there’s still format-driven innovation left to be explored by positioning a more extensive range of vitamins and minerals towards specific needstates, or through format-led phased systems that form more ‘fun’ supplement routines.

Ultimately, this could drive familiar VMS ingredients into less familiar territories, and in doing so, unlock new VMS potential. Because at the end of the day, the opportunity isn't simply to put vitamins and minerals into new formats – it's to reimagine what taking a vitamin or mineral supplement can actually feel like.

‍