Going for gum: Vitamin drinks brand expands into vitamin chewing gum

Get More Vitamin Drinks was founded in 2013 in the UK and, having built up its drinks range over the last few years, the company is now rolling out its Get More Multivitamin Chewing Gum: which the company says delivers 25% of the RDA of 10 different vitamins within 20 minutes’ chewing time.

Vitamin boost

Get More Vitamin Drinks was founded by Chris Arrigoni and Steve Norris, two entrepreneurs with some 30 years experience in the F&B industry (including Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Refresco Gerber, Mars and Campbell’s Soup).

The duo saw an opportunity to offer consumers daily doses of specific vitamins in a convenient and healthy format, with its range of sugar-free drinks made with spring water, natural flavors and less than 10 calories per bottle. The Get More 500ml range includes Vitamin A, B, C, D and Multivitamin variants; and includes still and sparkling varieties.

“We feel Get More is different because many other vitamin drinks on the market contain a blend of vitamins in low doses (usually only Vitamins B and C) and often contain a high sugar content,” Norris told this publication. “We’ve sought to provide a tasty, refreshing and credible alternative to vitamin supplements to enable consumers to keep their vitamin levels topped up on the go, as well as staying hydrated.”

Going for gum

However, the brand saw the opportunity to go beyond drinks and into confectionery with the launch of Get More Multivitamin Chewing Gum. Each piece of Get More Multivitamin Chewing Gum contains 25% of the RDA of 10 different vitamins: B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B6, B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), B12, as well as vitamin C, D, E and K. Like the drinks range, the gum is sugar-free.

“We had the idea for a vitamin chewing gum soon after we launched the drinks but it took us a few years to develop the product and bring it to market,” said Norris.

“We are the first beverage brand to expand into the chewing gum market and furthermore our new Multivitamin Chewing Gum, available in breath-freshening peppermint and spearmint flavors, was the first of its kind in the UK. Similar to the drinks we felt that a vitamin chewing gum would offer an easy, convenient and innovative way of topping up your vitamin levels on the go.

"Of equal importance is the taste and we have sought to create a quality product that consumers enjoy chewing as a gum that has the added benefit of providing a 25% daily dose of 10 vitamins in each piece.

“It took us just over 2 years to develop the product working with a chewing gum manufacturing partner who specialises in adding functional ingredients to gum products. We guarantee that 20 minutes’ chewing will release all the vitamins contained in each piece sugar-free gum.”

On-the-go vitamins

Norris sees similarities between the gum and the drinks in that both products appeal to health-conscious consumers who want products on-the-go.

“As we produce both adults’ and kids’ vitamin drinks, our target market spans all ages. Meanwhile our chewing-gum is targeted at anyone who usually buys chewing gum, or individuals who are actively trying to increase their vitamin intake and keep their body healthy,” he said.

“There is certainly an overlap in the target market of our drinks and chewing gum, as the consumers who buy our drinks are more likely to consider their bodies vitamin levels, and therefore look for other ways to top up their vitamin levels on the go.”

Get More Multivitamin Gum was launched exclusively with Tesco last summer and distribution has since growth to 2,000 stores, including Tesco’s smaller convenience stores. It is also now available in WH Smith and independent retailers.