September 6, 2024
Niclas Luthman has been an entrepreneur his entire career—and frequently has needed a quick meal or snack on the go, reports Food Dive.
“I was always going from one meeting to the next, always on the go, and so I was eating a lot of energy bars. I thought I was pretty healthy, you know I would exercise a lot, until my doctor told me that I was pre-diabetic, right on the edge,” he said to Food Dive in a recent interview.
That was 2014, when the Swedish business owner started taking his health more seriously. A mechanical engineer by trade, Luthman used his scientific background and embarked on an extensive research mission to find a treatment for his condition through food.
m there, Luthman engineered Nick’s, a better-for-you snacking brand that produces ice cream, candy bars, nut bars and protein bars.
The company’s Lighter Ice Cream features Epogee Foods’ fat-replacing ingredient EPG, which is a rapeseed oil-based fat substitute that can reduce fat calories by 92% because the oil cannot be absorbed by the body.
Instead of traditional sugar, the pints are sweetened with natural substitutes, including stevia, monk fruit, erythritol and xylitol. This means that Nick’s products have much fewer calories and sugar than conventional ice cream.
Standing out by leading with taste and smart partnerships
With consumers increasingly prioritizing health and wellness through food and beverage products, the better-for-you space has become inundated with startup brands and novelty products.
“If you taste our ice cream versus Halo Top, for example, there’s no question that ours is better, it’s creamier and gives the feeling of real ice cream,” says Brittany O’Brien, senior brand manager at Nick’s.
“We have to make this an attractive brand for all people, and keep it a sexy brand that tastes good. And all the other benefits just come along with it.”
Luthman said he knows that a diet that is low carb and anti-inflammatory has many health benefits, but that shouldn’t be the number one reason why people reach for his product in the store.
“A lot of people don’t have the time that I have to read scientific articles and really understand all these things. We have to give it to them in the form of a very understandable brand,” said Luthman.
“We try to really be on top of what real science is. And there are fads going on left and right, some that last and some that don’t, but we’re not adjusting to the fads. We adjust to what the best science is out there.”
Finally, Luthman and the marketing team at Nick’s have also been laser-focused on key brand partnerships they think can help them further expand into the United States. The company recently landed a partnership with The Kardashians after sending them products to which they had a positive reaction.
“We were excited to partner with the Kardashians because we want to take [the brand] beyond being diabetic friendly; but we want everyone to have the option to eat sweets how they want—no judgment—and both versions of our products taste delicious.”
Luthman said the company has a lot of “surprising” things on the docket for 2024, but for now, the brand is keen on making its splash with U.S. consumers and maintaining its brand integrity.
Research contact: @FoodDive
