BY LOREN MASON-GERE
When we released Fully Charged nearly two years ago, it immediately sold out. What we thought was an initial three months' supply vanished from our warehouses in two weeks' time. How could a newly released, never-used product be such a huge hit - instantly?
The answer lies in Hammer's approach to business as a whole, and product creation specifically.
From Brian Frank's outset in 1987, the approach has been the same. Rather than thinking of something to sell and then devising a way to convince people they need it, he identified problems or unmet desires in peoples' lives and then created products to solve them. Exercise-induced fatigue and health decline? He fixed that with high-potency CoQ10 in E-Caps (later reformulated and innovated into its current iteration - Race Caps Supreme, which serves countless other purposes as well). Unstable energy and stomach upset due to consumption of highly acidic, sugar-based sports drinks? Out came Hammer's sports drink alternatives (Sustained Energy and later HEED). Regardless of the product, the story's the same.
Therefore, when initial research and development of pre-exercise formulas began, we were motivated by customers' requests for a healthy and effective pre-workout they could trust. What our market investigations identified was terrifying. There is a sea of dirty, artificially flavored/colored caffeine bombs (upwards of 600 mg of caffeine/serving!) with audacious claims - and equally stunning health warnings - filling the market. Typically targeted towards weight lifters and cross-fitters, the category has grown, attracting endurance athletes and other traditional Hammer customers. After all, we all want a competitive advantage.
Our challenge was clear, and now held a moral imperative. We needed to fulfill this demand, but also had to spare people from the health- and performance-wrecking impact of the horrible products currently on the shelves. Since Hammer products would never offer performance gains at the expense of overall health and well-being, we had to make a wholesome pre-workout that would work with the body to produce better athletic outcomes.
After a year of trials, we knew we had a winner. Our sponsored athletes and friends involved in testing were blown away. They got unintentional PR's. Their friends were amazed by their sudden unexplained boosts in their performance. Local heroes smashed their own KOM's. Power meters don't lie - and they were all saying the same thing - that this formula was a GAME CHANGER!
The magic of Fully Charged comes down to its perfect balance of fruit extracts, vegetable extracts, and amino acids designed to increase blood flow and prepare all the body's physiological systems to optimally perform. It also contains nutrients to support mental acuity and clarity, and a little natural caffeine (from green tea) to give that extra boost in motivation. Like any great product, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
But still, how does this account for the unprecedented sales of its initial release? Those buyers had never tried this product before. They didn't need to. With 31 years of proven results and trustworthy products, Hammer is a company to trust. The products we make do what we say they will - always. So when we released a pre-exercise ignitor designed to increase performance of all varieties, people knew it was true. Additionally, people were actively seeking a product to meet this very need - some of them compromising their morals or health and choosing to use the questionable offerings already out there. Fully Charged came to the rescue, meeting the need, saving folks from the health-sacrificing alternatives, and improving their performance in the process.
This is what lights our fire at Hammer Nutrition. We're here to help people - to improve performances, maximize health, and have a good time while we're doing it. That's the thought behind every product we've ever made, will make, or are currently making.
Whether it's Fully Charged, or another of our up-and-coming supplement or fuel superstars, you can jump on board knowing you'll get the benefits we promise, with no sacrifice. Call us today if you want to learn more.
