Probiotic dietary supplements in Brazil are still “developing” and so education is “necessary”

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Reviews, education and niche segments play a big part in increasing uptake and evolving the Brazilian probiotic dietary supplement market, according to Lumina Intelligence.

Analyzing the product data available on the best-selling dietary supplements in Brazil, market data provider, Lumina Intelligence, reveals the specific supplement segments that are proving popular with key target consumers and why.

Lifestyle factors

Consumers often cite diet, nutrition and health-based reasons for adopting and adding a supplement-based routine to their daily eating and nutrition habits.

In Brazil, digestion is the leading health benefit desired by consumers when looking for and buying dietary supplements. Formulators, manufacturers and brand marketers that accentuate the traditional digestive health benefit are expected to engage with active audiences. As these consumers are attracted to the benefit and claim of digestion, it is advantageous for brands to position the health benefit clearly on their labeling.

“In probiotic supplements, we see the traditional health benefit digestion leading online engagement with the top three most reviewed brand variants sold in Brazil all boasting [that they] benefit digestion,” explained Emer Mackle, Market Analyst, Lumina Intelligence.

Alongside digestion, the supplements market is also witnessing the rise of health benefits that are niche and less reviewed. In 2019, for example, weight management and women’s health have started to make an appearance, Mackle noted, indicating potential key trends to watch in 2020 as they fully emerge fully and expand.

Commenting on where probiotic use in Brazil is likely to evolve further in the near future, Mackle emphasizes that as probiotic use in Brazil is closely linked to the demand to support and benefit digestive health, “maybe as consumer knowledge grows, we will see other benefits come into play”.

Dietary supplement awareness

Post-purchase reviews of probiotics supplements in Brazil grew by 86% between December 2017 and July 2019, showing significant uptake, Lumina Intelligence’s data reveals.

Despite the positive contribution to the dietary supplement market via post-purchase reviews, Emer Mackle explains that Brazil is still a “developing market”, and as such, “educating consumers is necessary and will help move the market in the right direction”.

In the Latin American country, online reviews for probiotic supplements “will continue to grow” within the region, alongside the simultaneous increase in consumer interest.

With education a priority to push the probiotics supplements market forward, Brazilian brands can be expected to launch their product offerings with clarity, clinical benefits and claims labeling at the forefront. By adopting this approach, brands can successfully communicate why probiotic supplements answer their specific nutrition and health needs.

Formulators can also build on current demands for traditional digestive support and those lesser-known but growing calls for weight management and women’s health.

Brand power

In Brazil, Mackle notes that the top five probiotic supplement brands leading online engagement in Brazil are manufactured in the US, which include Puritans Pride and PB8. 

For example, nutritional supplement name, Puritans Pride, promotes its probiotics product offerings through highlighting its brand provenance, credibility and authenticity to connect and engage with its target consumers. PB8 uses an e-commerce affiliate approach, whereby its range of probiotics products are available from numerous leading online stores, which encourages reviews and increases access.

Locally-manufactured probiotics supplement producers such as probiotic players, Simbioflora and Colikids, are deemed  “disruptor” brands, Mackle says, and are also leading the segment’s uptake and popularity in Brazil.