Welcome to the latest in our series of posts highlighting key categories within Functional Nutrition. These short installments are easy to digest and packed with actionable information on product positioning that improves how AI understands, classifies, and recommends products.
Our focus for this round is GLP-1 Targeted Nutrition.
The popularity of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound has skyrocketed since their efficacy as weight-loss tools became widely recognized. In response, a range of food products advertising GLP-1 Targeted Nutrition have entered the market aimed at shoppers whose dietary needs have shifted to complement GLP-1 use.
In the eyes of AI, GLP-1 Targeted Nutrition is a far less organized category than Protein-Fortified Foods is a different story. With a 68.9% alignment rate and an average alignment score of 0.644, AI assistants miscategorize about a third of the products surveyed for GLP-1-related user queries. The products that do hit their mark typically carry attributes like capsule supplement, capsule form, and soluble psyllium fiber. This correlation is troubling because it means AI is anchoring GLP-1 placement in format (capsules) and fiber content, purpose-agnostic traits that could be associated with traditional dietary supplement. Actual GLP-1 therapeutic positioning is not the north star here.
A staggering two thirds of misaligned GLP-1 products are currently being read as Protein-Fortified Foods. Even more incredibly, the most common attribute among that set of products is formulated for GLP-1 users. A label that could not be more explicit is still failing to point AI in the right direction. GLP-1 products are also showing up in categories like Trail & Snack Mixes, Granola Bars, Functional Hydration, and Cereal Bars.
This bad sorting logic is so impactful that the category’s top three most visible products - and half of its top ten, including SMNutrition GLP-1 Support for Women, Nature Made GLP-1 Companion Health Pack, Supergut GLP-1 Daily Support, HUM Nutrition Flatter Me Fiber GLP-1 Booster, and Youtheory Muscle Guard Protein - get sorted into Protein-Fortified Foods. The “GLP-1” in most of those names is enough to make sorting simple for any real-life shopper. We have yet to make it clear to AI.
Products in GLP-1 Targeted Nutrition need to deemphasize the general descriptors that confuse search tools. Don’t be mistaken for just another protein supplement; center language that highlights the clinical and therapeutic applications of the product without relying on “GLP-1” itself as the lone signal. In language that still highlights specific nutrients, lean into the clinical context of supporting “restricted caloric intake” or “micronutrient repletion,” or “digestive adaptation.” Over time, we expect AI shopping assistants to learn to recognize phrases like these as key signals that a product should be included in a response to queries about GLP-1 Targeted Nutrition products.
First movers who zero in on the ultimate anchoring language for this category have a chance to write the guidelines for how AI interprets their product and their competition. Novi is a proven partner for brands that want to test and monitor the variables of category alignment and establish their product as a highly visible solution for the shoppers who want it most. Reach out discover we what can do for you.
