With a combined social media following of over 10 million, Smith and Williamson are social media connoisseurs. While Smith is known for his evidence-based approach to fitness and straight-talking persona, Williamson is renowned for his Modern Wisdom podcast, which focuses on self-improvement and philosophy.
But their large online presence has only played a small role in Neutonic’s success, according to Smith, who says the brand’s unique product offering sets it apart from competitors.
Spotting a gap in the market
Neutonic was created to meet an unmet consumer need. While the energy drink market is saturated with sugar-filled, caffeine-packed beverages, Smith and Williamson spotted an untapped opportunity: a sugar-free productivity drink, packed with cognitive health ingredients and energy-boosting properties.
“Shan, one of our partners, has been working with influencers to help them monetize for years. He’d bought a few ideas to us in the past, like launching a branded protein or creatine, which we rejected. One day, he came to us with the idea of launching a productivity drink,” Smith told NutraIngredients.
“He said ‘I think productivity could be the next fitness’, and that really stuck with me. I’m a pretty average person talent wise, I can’t run that fast and I can’t lift that heavy, but if there is one thing I’ve been over the years, it’s productive. I finally felt like there was an area of the market that I might be able to excel in.”
Smith felt he was Neutonic’s ideal target consumer, being someone who regularly consumed energy drinks but felt largely unsatisfied with how most made him feel.
“When we started doing shows and events, I became very particular about what I would drink before I did a talk. The drink became a pivotal part in how I felt—too much caffeine and I’d get jittery, and not enough I’d feel underwhelmed. I realized I’d formed a relationship with energy drinks, so when we started formulating, I became the avatar.”
The goal was to create an alternative—a refreshing, lightly carbonated beverage designed to improve focus and fuel productivity, without relying solely on caffeine. Most of all, the pair wanted it to taste good.
“For the first testing session we did, Chris quite literally filled an entire suitcase with competitor products, and nearly every single one was too sweet,” he said. “Chris became an energy drink connoisseur; he was meticulous with it and didn’t stop until we had it exactly how we wanted. To the point where, when we were first launching, we ended up taking $60,000 worth of stock offline after realizing the taste was off. Taste has been such an imperative part of our whole journey.”
Neutonic’s productivity drinks currently come in three flavours: Tropical Ice, Orange Sunrise and Wild Citrus, with each formulated with 120 mg of natural caffeine, as well as Cognizin, Rhodiola rosea, L-theanine, Panax ginseng and B vitamins.
Each of the ingredients have been carefully chosen based on the latest scientific evidence, with adequate dosing to match.
Expanding the product offering
Following the success of the beverage launch, Neutonic launched two caffeine-free products—‘Brain Capsules’ and a powdered ‘Focus Blend’ (in Wild Berry, Peach and Mango, and Watermelon and Mint)—as alternative brain-boosting products for caffeine-opposed consumers.
Both products also contain similar ingredients to the drinks, with the addition of Bacopa monnieri and Ginkgo biloba in the capsules.
Now, Neutonic has sold over three million cans of its productivity drink, and has secured $3.7 million in its first funding round, backed by a high-profile group including fitness influencer Kayla Itsines and Grenade founder Alan Barratt. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
“Our first year was a disaster. We were sold out of stock the majority of the time, and we’d bought too many of some flavours and not enough of others. We had supply chain issues. We couldn’t get into Australia which is one of our main territories,” Smith said.
“In our second year, we’re overcoming all these hurdles. We’ve managed to do so much in a short space of time, and now we’re just trying to get more and more people to try it. More than 50% of our US customers order again, so we’re putting a lot of work into marketing and sending out samples to encourage repeat business.”
Now, Neutonic is entering the next phase in its expansion, scaling their workforce to drive growth, and expanding its retail presence across both the UK and the US.
This expansion will also see new products come to market, including new powder and drinks flavours launching this summer.