Q&A: Betterbrand CEO outlines its need-specific approach to supplements

Drug Store News: Tell us about how Betterbrand got started.    
Chris Jackson: Betterbrand was founded while I was attending pharmacy school at The University of Texas at Austin, but the idea started much earlier. It started when I was young as I watched my grandmother struggle with upper respiratory issues. Every child wants to help their family, and we feel powerless when we fail to do so. That feeling of helplessness has always driven me to learn everything I can about the human body and to empower others with that knowledge. So, Betterbrand started when I realized I could provide people with both the ingredients they need for a particular need state and an understanding of how those ingredients serve that need state.

DSN: What are some of your flagship products? 
CJ: Our flagship product is BetterLungs, a natural supplement that supports respiratory health and immune function. I developed BetterLungs for my family and after years of iteration, and when I had something firmly rooted in science, my father (a life-long smoker) started taking the early formula. 

It made an immediate impact on everything from his mood to his energy levels. After seeing the impact supplements made on him, I believe that in the respiratory space, we can be a consumer’s trusted advisor and an extension of their friendly neighborhood pharmacist. Over the last year and a half that we’ve been selling BetterLungs, we’ve received innumerable reviews on how it’s helped them more than anything they’ve taken before. 

We plan to launch additional lung-focused products early in 2022, with the goal of continuing to bring innovative options to an underserved need state.

[Read More: Level Select rolls out CBD gummies nationwide]

DSN: The supplement category is a crowded one — what sets Betterbrand apart, both with its story and on the shelf? 
CJ: Two things set us apart: our reason for being, and our approach to science, education and transparency. We start with worthy need states and build products that genuinely help those we care about. The number of hours spent reviewing clinical data surrounding ingredient benefits, as well as side effects (supplements are not always free of side effects and interactions), is unparalleled. We’re also one of the few brands with a pharmacist behind the scenes, considering the potential interactions for need-specific products. Additionally, we have on our medical advisory board a team of licensed doctors who provide an additional layer of review in the formulation process. Our thinking is, people often like to hear a second opinion in medicine, so our process includes several second opinions baked in. 

When it comes to consumer trust, we are a fully transparent organization that prides itself on doing things right. On the shelf, we stand out due to our clean and simple packaging. We also build trust with on-pack consumer resources, such as an educationally purposed QR code and barcode linkage, to HealthLoq where customers can view the Certificate of Analysis for our products on a lot-by-lot basis.

DSN: What opportunities do you see for need-specific supplements?
CJ: If our reviews tell us anything, the opportunity is to change lives through education and empowerment, and we want to do that in many more need states than respiratory support. I know I’m not alone here, but I believe that everyone knows someone who doesn’t have the quality of life that they deserve. We all know someone who attends their doctors’ appointments, picks up their prescriptions, but still wants to feel in charge of their own health. We all know someone with a barrier preventing them from taking charge. Our goal is to remove those barriers and empower others through supplementation by filling gaps left in their diet and rigorous medical regimen, working alongside their care plan and not in place of it. We leverage health science to help everyone be the best they can be.