Should the Supplement Industry Be Paying Attention to TB12?
What is the initial descriptor that comes to mind when I say the name Tom Brady?
- NFL Quarterback
- Super Bowl Champion
- Greatest of All-Time
- Married to Gisele Bündchen
How about supplement brand owner?
Yeah, I didn’t think so! But, currently all of those descriptions of Tom Brady are indeed correct…
Tom Brady is a Supplement Brand Owner?
Along with his business partner Alex Guerrero, Tom Brady founded the performance lifestyle brand TB12 (Note: TB12 is made from Brady’s initials and jersey number). Since launching TB12, Brady has been working to incorporate the brand into multiple aspects of today’s fitness economy. TB12 sells all kinds of interesting performance goods, including home gym equipment, apparel, accessories, supplements, and functional foods and beverages. While this merchandising mix might seem odd to the outside eye, they are actually all elements of the TB12 Method of performance that has been mastered with his longtime trainer Alex Guerrero. As Brady notes on the TB12 website, “years and years of conversations with Alex ultimately led to the creation of our TB12 Performance & Recovery Center and the focused, holistic regimen known as the TB12 Method.”
TB12 Method — Overview
With Tom Brady’s impressive longevity and consistent high-performance as an NFL quarterback, it probably makes you curious to know more about the fitness and health methodology that is credited for it, right? The TB12 Method comprises of 12 principles for sustained peak performance, including:
- Pliability
- Holistic and Integrative Training
- Balance and Moderation
- Conditioning for Endurance and Vitality
- No-load Strength Training
- Promoting Anti-Inflammatory Responses
- Promoting Oxygen-Rich Blood Flow
- Hydration
- Healthy Nutrition
- Supplementation
- Brain Exercises
- Brain Rest
These 12 principals feed into a regimen of stretching, cardio, strength training, supplementing appropriately, getting rest, and eating healthy. The TB12 Method healthy diet is devoid of refined sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. Brady has stated that his diet usually consists of 80% vegetables, which includes organic whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, millet and beans. The remaining 20% of his diet consists of lean meats like organic grass-fed steaks and wild salmon.
TB12 Supplement Line
The TB12 supplement line, includes both traditional capsules, pills, and ready-to-mix powders, but also several functional foods and beverages. These include:
- Plant-Based Protein
- Whey Protein Isolate
- Multivitamin (and several other singular vitamins)
- Concentrated Electrolytes Liquid
- Probiotic
- Focus-Aid
- Organic Sweet and Savory Snacks & Protein Bars
G.O.A.T. vs. G.O.A.T.
When I first found out about the TB12 supplement line in late 2018, I instantly thought about the (then newly) launched supplement brand from Lebron James (co-founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cindy Crawford, and Lindsay Vonn) called Ladder. Which greatest of all-time (G.O.A.T.) has the better supplement company in my opinion?
- TB12 is currently a more mature wellness ecosystem that can be implemented by consumers, which I believe is more attractive to the desired target market
- TB12 has more product options, but would be an “all or nothing” type of feeling for non-self-directed consumer that wouldn’t know what was essential and non-essential (which TB12 offers bundles to help that situation)
- TB12 is more extreme in its wellness ecosystem methodologies, which could throw up red flags for some consumers
- Ladder and TB12 are both “meh” from a packaging perspective
- Ladder has a better shopping experience, marketing strategy, and content creation
While TB12 has a potentially strong long-term celebrity-backed ecosystem-driven brand, I believe Ladder is more refined in its business strategy today.
TB12 Acquires VitalFit Nutrition
Earlier this week (1/15/2020), TB12 announced that it has acquired VitalFit Nutrition. The financial terms were not disclosed, but the strategic acquisition is said to support TB12’s mission of “transforming global health and wellness by empowering individuals to prevent injury, improve longevity, and enhance their peak performance.” Founded in 2017, VitalFit Nutrition offered supplements, mostly plant-based recovery products, that were focused on helping young professionals, perform better in their day-to-day lives. As part of the deal, VitalFit founders will join TB12’s product innovation team to develop solutions that help the human body move, recover, and function at its best and will help expand TB12’s line of plant-based nutritional supplements.
What Could Be Next?
After the VitalFit acquisition, is it time for supplement brand competitors to pay closer to Tom Brady and TB12? While TB12 started out as a “side hustle” for Tom Brady, so did Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and that is now worth over $250 million. From the recent press release, it seems this might just be the first of many larger strategic moves to grow the TB12 Method of health and wellness. As Tom Brady gets to the end of his playing days, his focus will shift and TB12 will likely be the beneficiary of his additional free time. That being said, I fully expect Brady to leverage his influence with consumers, but also more importantly to connect with business owners that have available capital and resources to further grow TB12. While the successfulness of TB12 might not be this (or next) year’s Super Bowl favorite, I wouldn’t ever count Tom Brady out…just ask the Atlanta Falcons!
