Niche Market Profile: PureFit Nutrition Bars

Visit any running store, bike shop, or supermarket and you will be stunned at the selection of nutrition bars along with all the outrageous benefits claimed: low carbohydrate, high protein, low fat, organic, low sugar, low calorie, etc. While some are truly nutritious, others are carefully disguised candy bars. However, one nutrition bar stands out in the crowd and it is called PureFit.

Founded by running enthusiast Robb Dorf, PureFit’s formula is based on the “Zone Diet,” commonly referred to as “40/30/30.” The Zone Diet works on the theory, that excess insulin, a hormone that controls our blood sugar levels, makes us fat and keeps us fat. By regulating our blood sugar levels, the body burns fat more efficiently so that we lose weight. To control blood sugar levels and insulin levels, you need to follow a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet that includes moderate amounts of fat.

Dorf couldn’t find a nutrition bar that complied with the Zone Diet and met his high standards, so he made his own. Experimenting with the ingredients, Dorf wanted to make the best and healthiest bar possible. It is interesting to note what is not included in his nutrition bar: hydrogenated oils, animal products, cholesterol, trans-fat acids, wheat, gluten, dairy, artificial sweeteners, or hidden carbohydrates (sugar alcohol.) PureFit was started in 2000 with the purpose of making the best all-natural, high protein, nutrition bars on the market. Officially launched in November of 2001, PureFit quickly has become one of the most popular bars on the market. In 2004 BIKE Magazine named them “Nutrition Bar of the Year.”

But, the story does not end with the bike and running crowd, where PureFit found initial success. Dorf’s obsession with using only the best ingredients created an unexpected bonus of a new market for his product. It turns out that 1 in 133 people are intolerant to gluten and wheat; this widespread but little known disease is called Celiac Disease. A genetic disorder, it has symptoms that range from classic features such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies but with no gastrointestinal symptoms. If a person with the disease continues to eat gluten, studies have shown that he or she will increase their chances of gastrointestinal cancer by a factor of 40 to 100 times that of the normal population.

Yep, you guessed it. PureFit’s gluten and wheat free nutrition bar is a perfect supplement to the strict dietary requirements of someone suffering from Celiac Disease. With no gluten and wheat, the low carbohydrate and high protein nutrition bar aids the Celiac Disease patient with the daily battle of not eating food containing gluten or wheat, which seem to be in virtually all prepared foods (and, especially nutrition bars). The bar’s reputation has spread through out the Celiac Disease community by word of mouth and is the nutrition bar of choice.

What I like about Robb Dorf’s story is how he built a business based on doing the right things. He wanted to create a product that was healthy, that used only the best ingredients, and that practiced truth in labeling. He did it and he was rewarded by a bonus of an additional niche customer segment that found and values his products.

Good guys do finish first.

John Bradley Jackson

P.S. His bar is un-coated and therefore doesn’t melt, unlike most nutrition bars, which is a real plus on a hot day! See PureFit’s website at http://www.purefit.com/.

© Copyright 2006 All rights reserved.
My new book “First, Best, or Different” is now available at www.firstbestordifferent.com!
Please buy my book!