Tim Brooks Sep 30, 2026
Build it and they will come... ...but not necessarily!
Sports nutrition was once a niche category, sold in specialist shops to athletes and bodybuilders. Protein powders came in large unfriendly tubs, and the mainstream supermarket shopper wasn't the target. That has changed substantially, and Glanbia's Optimum Nutrition brand has risen in popularity with a more mainstream audience.
Optimum Nutrition is positioned as the most trusted sports nutrition brand in the world, with leading positions in protein, creatine and energy, as well as offerings across ready-to-eat, ready-to-drink, capsules and tablets. The brand has a strong history of harnessing athlete advocacy, alongside consumer education and product innovation - with elite partnerships including McLaren Formula 1 alongside a network of local personal trainers and influencers in individual markets.
Innovation highlights for 2025 included Optimum Nutrition Creatine Plus and Optimum Nutrition Clear Whey + Collagen - the latter targeting the growing consumer interest in collagen as a functional ingredient, extending the brand's relevance beyond the traditional gym-going consumer and into a broader health-conscious audience.
Interest in protein, creatine and functional nutrition has moved well beyond sport into everyday health - driven by increasing awareness among women, older consumers and those who simply want to eat and supplement more deliberately.
Most categories have examples where the insight is telling you that there is an opportunity but, for whatever reason, the key players can never seem to unlock it. The world is full of great ideas or audience extensions that barely slam and never dunk! This is because creating new behaviours is diamond-hard.
The idea that the protein and supplement products used in elite sports and body building world could be positioned in a more mainstream context has been bouncing around for a long time. Many have tried few have succeeded. Sometimes it needs changes in macro-behaviours to make these ideas find their moment. In this case a wellness revolution has helped. Simplistically this has been underpinned by a transition from a focus on transactional problem-solution approaches to brands positioning against a lifestyle context in search of more holistic health and fitness linked to an emphasis on prevention and protection.
That is what makes this a great example of #whatbrandsdo. Glanbia and their brand, Optimum Nutrition, has built a powerful platform that does just this. The focus on quality and evidence means it still works for elite athletes (i.e. it has credibility), but they have made sure it also fulfils more everyday needs and delivers specific benefits to a much broader audience.
Protein is this year’s black – so more opportunity knocks. Optimum Nutrition is perfectly placed to leverage this because it has spent the last decade building a brand not just flogging stuff. This is based on understanding needs and defining benefits; consistent communication; channel expansion; innovation; endorsement; partnerships etc. This leads to the creation of the real, tangible and protectable value – brand equity. There is no quick fix. This is the only way to build sustainable, repeatable profit. To Glanbia - chapeau!
