Market Analysis - Fit Frappe Protein Drink Mix

Let's talk about Big Train Fit Frappe Protein Drink Mix, particularly the Mocha.




This is a curious product that promises

• nutrition
• workout energy
• a breakfast coffee substitute 

...but doesn't deliver on any of those points.

Big Train appears to have a positively reviewed and reasonably sized following, based on internet comments, flavor selections, and wide availability of the product. 

My hat is off to their profit-pool lens approach to product development. Profit-pool lens is a market analysis strategy whereby the horizontal relationships in an industry are compared to find the highest profit areas. In this case we are covering the shelf-stable nutrition beverage market. Powders may be more profitable versus liquids, due to reduced shipping weights, minimized shelf space (and associated payola), revenue per ounce of product produced.

Big Train has tapped a wealth of high profit and trendy areas:

Nutrition market - think Carnation breakfast packets, Ensure meal replacements, Special-K pre-mixed and shelf stable drinks. Beholden consumers, concerned about their own health or aged and benefit from regular and controlled calorie/nutrient intake. 

Workout supplements - Provides protein and caffeine, the essential building blocks for the segment. Most everything else is hype and packaging. Extremely lucrative and socially accepted.

Coffee corollaries - the quick preparation category of high profit, morning ritual beverage formulas. This is populated by Starbucks VIA, Sanka (decaffeinated) and other instant coffees, and Green Mountain (Keurig). A high margin industry, though dependent on Brazilian drought issues (read the linked annual reports, follow the pricing of the JO/CAFE ETFs).

The Tasting

I mixed four ounces (a half serving) of powder into a half-pint of milk (shown). The concoction was shaken for 60 seconds and consumed immediately. 

Post Shakin'

• Bouquet - NesQuik lite - notes of chocolate. Quite good, indicative of a saliva inducing experience.
  
• Appearance - Smooth and soft to the touch. Small particle size, akin to talc. Satisfying neutral brown.
  
• Taste - Notes of Styrofoam and a saccharine finish. Roasted chocolate nib notes coat the tongue. Rather unpleasant.
  
• Nutrition - 8 oz of 1% Milk plus a half serving of powder gave me (optimally)
       130 Calories
       13 grams of protein
       10-20% ODA for variety of minerals/vitamins
       55mg of caffeine (half a cup of coffee)
       50% of daily calcium
  
• Consistency (Post shake) - Gritty and heterogeneous. The product requires a shaker ball or a blender. The casual, low time/utility method of shaking does not work. 

Conclusions
The Big Train Fit Frappe Protein Drink crosses into three lucrative and popular product pools. I have no doubt the rope-a-dope traits will be profitable for the company. The problem is that the product doesn't really work well at any one area.

Casual breakfast users will find the mix labor intensive, fickle, and not very satisfying when gulped down (vice coffee) and low in nutritional value. This isn't close to a multi-vitamin. Additionally, if the casual user is not going to workout afterwards, much of the protein caloric intake is of little use. Better saved for donuts at the office.

Workout users will get a middling amount of caffeine, vice No Xplode and the ilk of super-caffeinated powders, and bloat from the "jack of all trades" approach to ingredients.

But Where is the Nutrition?

Nutrition centered users will received unneeded protein, low nutritional values, and caffeine, which limits flexibility in drinking times.

For 98% of users, I recommend coffee, a multivitamin, and a sensible breakfast item. The Carnation Instant Breakfast is also excellent, as it essentially doubles the vitamin quantities, dissolves easily, provides the same amount of protein in a mixable dose, and is cheaper per ounce.