Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/960903
Chain Drugstore Daily Monday, April 23, 2018 2 8 CDD: What surprised you most about Amneal? RS: I knew I was walking into a great organization; once inside, I was blown away by the capability, attitude, positive energy and can-do culture. I was also impressed by the strong customer focus and deep relationships, which we will continue to strengthen. CDD: How does your experience serve you in this new role at Amneal? RS: I have spent a considerable part of my career helping companies transform to become stronger, more capable and deliver more value. I see an opportunity to evolve Amneal so it continues to be relevant in a changing healthcare land- scape while also preserving the great qualities that make it unique. CDD: On what do you plan to concen- trate first? RS: My immediate focus is to integrate the Amneal and Impax businesses, ensuring that we preserve our valuable business relationships, enhance cus- tomer confidence without disrupting supply, and maintain a relentless focus on delivering the service and product launches our customers expect. In today's transactional market, price mat- ters – yet so does collaboration, compe- tence and supply. No matter how big Amneal gets, I want to make absolutely sure that we always stay customer cen- tric. That means that we will continue investing in our pipeline, launching high-value products, maintaining reli- able supply and proactively serving our customers. Amneal Pharmaceuticals (Cont'd. from p. 1) CDD: What comes next? RS: Mid-term, my goals include focus- ing investments in R&D to deliver the right products to market: expanding our hospital portfolio and continuing to invest in a high-barrier, complex product portfolio that's valuable to customers. Longer term, my goal is to build a more diversified model with an expanded product offering that could include more specialty branded drugs, injectables and biosimilars as well as niche OTC portfo- lios. The beauty is that we already have the structure to support all of these areas. CDD: What do you say to people who predict the past will repeat itself? RS: Our strategy is not about reusing a playbook; it's about taking our collective experiences and applying them to the current environment. With significant buyer consolidation, market dynamics are dramatically different today than any time over the past decade. As a result, we are compelled to think in new ways about how we allocate our resources and deliv- er value. CDD: What do you think makes Amneal unique? RS: What I've found at Amneal is a per- formance-driven, values-focused culture with superb infrastructure. Now we must deliver on our pipeline strategies and evolve Amneal to the next chapter. I'm very excited about what's ahead, because I'm tremendously impressed with what's here right now. For more information, go to www.amneal.com, call 866.525.7270, email sales@amneal.com or visit table #202. KV: At Nature's Truth, we are committed to satisfying consumers who are taking a more proactive approach to their well- ness. As their needs have changed, we have seen an increase in consumer demand for unique herbal supplements, aromatherapy products and specialty supplements, as well as 'clean' products they can trust. Our latest product innova- tions include our new line of supplement powders, which contains organic ingredi- ents and are non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and free of preservatives, artificial colors and artificial flavors. Our new farm-fresh powders supply con- sumers with the key, trending supple- ments they want in an easy powder form that can be added to their favorite recipe or daily shake. CDD: What products do you see as being hottest this year? KV: According to the most recent data from Nielsen, the aromatherapy seg- ment has grown more than 57 percent over the past year. The segment is pro- jected to grow more than 33 percent by the year 2020 and more than 50 percent in the U.S. drug channel. Retailers can only benefit from this segment. As aro- matherapy continues to rise in popular- ity, we continue to expand our aro- matherapy line by creating unique, innovative items that bring consumers to the category. Aromatherapy isn't the only hot cat- egory trending this year. Consumers are looking for a more holistic and conven- ient approach to wellness, which is why products like our line of supplement powders and our Apple Cider Vinegar capsules are so popular. While our pow- ders are an easy way to consume beet Nature's Truth (Cont'd. from p. 1) root, turmeric and super greens, our Apple Cider Vinegar capsules are a con- venient way for consumers to get their daily dose of apple cider vinegar without vinegar's harsh taste. CDD: How do you adapt your products or services to your consumers' needs? KV: We engage with our customers on a daily basis through our integrated social media campaigns. We are closely con- nected with our consumers through our different social media platforms, which provides us with valuable insight. We use our social media presence to educate our consumers as well as give them fun and interactive ways to use their favorite products. By utilizing social media, we are able to learn what consumers are looking for in their wellness regimen, determine trending items and promote brand awareness. CDD: To what do you attribute your company's success? KV: At Nature's Truth, we take pride in our ability to stay current with the latest trends and to launch products consumers are looking for. We attribute our success to our ability to think 'outside the pill bottle.' Wellness is more than just the tra- ditional vitamins and supplements the VMS category is used to. This belief has led to the development of our Wellness 360 marketing campaign and approach to the category. Wellness 360 is about incor- porating a routine of supplements and other healthy living practices, such as aromatherapy and ingredient based creams and serums, into consumers' lives. For more information, go to www.natures truthproducts.com or www.naturestruth aroma.com. Barry Callebaut Unveils Ruby Chocolate First there was milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Then white chocolate came along. Now Barry Callebaut is offering the fourth type in chocolate, ruby, which is made from the ruby cocoa bean. Ruby chocolate has an intense taste and characteristic reddish color. The bean from which it is produced has a specific set of attributes, including a fresh berry fruitiness and the capacity to reveal the reddish color in processing, which Barry Callebaut managed to unlock through an innovative process that took many years to develop. The beans themselves are grown in many areas of the world. According to quantitative research performed by independent international market and consumer agency Haystack, ruby chocolate meets a consumer need no chocolate ever did before. The inven- tion of ruby chocolate is the work of global research and development cen- ters of Barry Callebaut, based in France and Belgium – part of a global network of 28 research and development centers – the Jacobs University, and over 175 years of expertise in sourcing and man- ufacturing. This fourth type in chocolate offers a totally new taste experience, which is not bitter, milky or sweet, but a tension between berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness. No berries, berry flavor- ing or color is added. Ruby chocolate has been tested and validated through extensive consumer research run by independent global research agencies Haystack and Ipsos in the UK, US, China and Japan. As part of these studies, ruby's consumer appeal and purchase intent have been tested, indicating consumers would buy ruby chocolate at different price points. Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut's Chief Innovation and Quality Officer, said: "Barry Callebaut has established itself as a pioneer and innovator in chocolate and cocoa, globally. Consumer research in very different markets confirms that ruby chocolate not only satis- fies a new consumer need found among Millennials, hedonistic indulgence, but also high purchase intent at different price points. We're looking forward to working with our partners on introduc- ing this innovative breakthrough to the market and making the new ruby choco- late category available to chocolate manufacturers and consumers around the world as the fourth reference next to dark, milk and white chocolate." New Baby Food Introduces Common Allergens Inspired Start is the first and only baby food on the market designed for early introduction of eight common allergens. For years parents were told to avoid feeding their infants allergens, but the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology now says that highly allergenic foods can be introduced just like other solid foods, around four to six months of age. Studies have shown that maintaining a consistent regimen of early introduction is challenging, especially as new parents have so much to think about during the first year of life. Inspired Start was designed to remove some of these barriers for families. Each delicious recipe of Inspired Start includes an organic fruit puree and a small amount of just one allergen per pouch. The pouches are per- fect for on-the-go meals and allow for early introduction without cross contami- nation of dishware in allergic households. Pouches are packed in boxes, each of which offers a specific set of allergens. Pack 1, for instance, introduces peanut, egg, tree nut and soy, and it's intended as the first regimen to be introduced to the infant. The next set of introductions includes wheat, sesame, shrimp and cod. Inspired Start was developed with input from leading industry experts, allergists and nutritionists. Further guid- ance came from a growing panel of 12 Boston-area moms committed to tackling food allergies, which the company calls its "Board of Moms." Inspired Start is currently available for order on the company's website and through other online marketplaces. The products will be launching nationally in retail stores in the near future.