Set up by Carl Marks, Harrison King and Nonu Dadlani, the start-up will be launching products in the whey protein, electrolytes, and creatine categories.
Examples include Protein Matrix 100% Whey (in Dutch Chocolate and Vanilla), Electrolyte Hydration Formula (Tropical Berry), Advanced Power Pre-Workout (in Watermelon and Blue Ice), and Pure Monohydrate Creatine Powder (Unflavoured).
Although there is a common perception that protein supplements are consumed by elite athletes, Marks and King believe that protein supplements could become a “much bigger staple” in everyday life in Hong Kong.
At the moment, there is already a growing emphasis on health and fitness in Hong Kong, where people are trying to be more active and conscious of the way they are living.
“As the trend grows and as people go through their fitness journeys, they’d need the supplements to help them, and this is where PPN is going to come in. Our core products are meant to maximize the understanding of supplementation and their performance,” Marks told NutraIngredients.
The growth potential can also be gleaned from a growing number of run clubs and fitness gyms.
“If you look at the number of run clubs and fitness gyms that have opened in Hong Kong over the past year, we will be targeting a variety of different groups. Our brand isn’t just for one set of people and our products are for everyone,” he added.
Addressing awareness gaps
At the same time, the duo said that there were awareness gaps in protein and creatine supplements that needed to be addressed to increase consumer uptake in Hong Kong.
“A big thing for us is education. We want to empower our consumers with the knowledge on why and how to use our products the right way to benefit from them,” Marks said.
An example of an awareness gap is using protein powder as a meal replacement instead of using it to improve their protein intake.
“One thing we are definitely focusing on, is educating people on how to effectively use protein powder not really as a meal replacement, but to enhance their protein intake on a daily basis to promote better health, weight management, and performance.”
This also means that everyone can potentially benefit from protein supplementation - not just the high-performance athletes. In the case of creatine, supplementation has also been shown to provide cognitive health benefits, apart from improving sports performance.
“An increase in protein intake and adding creatine into their diet can see them having massive health benefits further down the line,” Marks said.
With more consumer education, King believes that protein supplements will play a bigger role in everyday life in the years ahead.
“It’ll be something that people are more attuned to taking once they have a little bit more education around it, and once they actually understand what these supplements are and how they can benefit from them rather than just sporting individuals.”
Product launch strategies
The brand worked closely with its US partner to formulate the products, adopting a holistic approach centred on taste and mixability.
“If the powder doesn’t taste nice and doesn’t mix well with products such as yogurts, people would end up not using it.
“Rather than just focusing on a big protein content figure, we made sure to develop good-quality products that consumers can use every day effectively,” King said.
Each serving of the company’s protein product is said to contain about 22g of protein - a standard amount compared to most products on the market.
In addition, its protein formula is incorporated with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and L-glutamine to facilitate protein absorption, leading to enhanced muscle growth and recovery, and better performance.
Its electrolyte formula, on the other hand, is enriched with myriad vitamins and minerals for comprehensive support.
Apart from a launch event, there are plans to roll out marketing activations, including partnerships with sports clubs and running communities, and sponsorship of Premiership rugby teams.
The products can be shipped globally from Hong Kong, and there are plans to enter general health stores and online channels.
“This includes our website that we are busy designing now, and a few other e-commerce platforms, such as iHerb and HKTVmall.
“Additionally, we’re working with a company called Walla, which is a sports and performance platform that has a solid presence online. We will be stocking our products with them and selling to their clients.”
