C4 Energy is aiming for a slam dunk with a NIL initiative, C4 Bracket Breakers, signing one player from each men’s and women’s basketball team to compete in upcoming collegiate events. Johni Broome, Mark Sears, Madison Booker, and Lauren Betts are among the athletes featured on the 128-player roster.

The latest move from the energy drink brand follows its national ad campaign, “Made for Athletes. Certified for Sport,” highlighting the NSF certification of its C4 beverages.

“The energy, passion and culture of college basketball aligns perfectly with our brand,” CMO Robert Zajac said. “By assembling the C4 Bracket Breakers squad, we’re not just celebrating the athletes—we’re supporting their journeys, their victories and the unforgettable moments that define the competition with a safe product that they use and trust.”

The athletes will be featured in several formats, including athlete-driven storytelling and exclusive locker room content.

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C4 Energy owner Nutrabolt has launched a new national brand campaign celebrating athleticism and featuring football stars Bijan Robinson, CJ Stroud and Cam Ward.

The message? Drink at your own risk…of excellence.

The campaign also highlights C4 Energy’s NSF Certified for Sport certification — a mark trusted by leading sports organizations.

“The C4 team was clear from the outset — C4 is the athlete’s energy drink — and they wanted a campaign that paid homage to that,” independent creative agency Flower Shop co-founder and CCO Al Merry said. “The fact that C4 is NSF certified as ‘safe for sport’ provided us with a unique way in: the drink is rigorously tested and optimized for peak performance, without breaking any rules. This speaks to the nature of elite sport and the athlete mindset, and the goal in the campaign was to channel this focus at every touch point. We wanted the creative to feel like it had been made on the run, drinking a can of C4. Hopefully we were able to achieve that.”

Nutrabolt chief marketing officer Robert Zajac noted that the C4 brand has long been synonymous with performance, but that the new campaign reinforces the brand as an authority in sports and fitness.

“This campaign marks the latest chapter in educating consumers on our dedication to athletic performance and ingredient safety, while also underscoring our commitment to sports,” he said. “Our formulas and NSF certification set us apart, earning the trust of athletes, consumers and organizations through rigorous testing that make C4 a great choice both on and off the field.”

The energy drink market is buzzing, especially among Gen Z, and is projected to reach $104 billion by 2030, according to a market research report from Mordor Intelligence.

Energy drink brand Celsius recently made a $1.65 billion play for competitor Alani Nu, which has won over female consumers. Celsius also appointed PepsiCo veteran Eric Hanson to a newly created role of chief operating officer as the brand expands into the hydration space with caffeine-free powder sticks. This summer, Anheuser-Busch, which has teamed with 1st Phorm and UFC CEO Dana White, is set to debut its own energy product.

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Nutrabolt, a health and wellness company that makes functional beverages and active nutrition products including C4 Energy, has made a significant minority investment into Bloom Nutrition, giving Nutrabolt a 20% ownership stake and making it Bloom’s largest investor.

The female-founded Bloom Nutrition concentrates on supplements in the greens and superfoods category, selling pre-workout blends, whey isolate proteins, collagen peptides, collagen creamers and blending accessories.

The investment is part of a larger $90 million financing that includes investor Clayton Christopher, who will join Bloom’s board, and consumer investment firm Amberstone.

Bloom is the brainchild of Mari Llewellyn, a fitness and wellness influencer who shared her inspiring weight loss journey and monetized PDF workout guides and exercise bands before launching the supplement brand in 2019 alongside her husband, Gregory LaVecchia. 

With an audience north of a million Instagram followers, Llewellyn’s Bloom Nutrition quickly landed partnerships with retail powerhouses such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Target. 

The couple, who were listed on Forbes’ coveted “30 under 30” list, will remain Bloom’s majority shareholders. 

“We are very excited to partner with Mari and Greg, two outstanding entrepreneurial founders, during the next phase of their company’s growth,” said Doss Cunningham, Nutrabolt chairman and CEO. The deal sees him represent Nutrabolt on Bloom’s board of directors. 

“They’ve built an incredibly strong brand and business over the past 4.5 years, yet there is still tremendous whitespace to pursue in the form of new product platforms and distribution opportunities,” Cunningham added.

The funding will be used to accelerate Bloom’s demand-generation activities and product innovation.

“When we started this company, we could’ve never imagined building such a huge community, and inspiring so many to begin their wellness journeys,” Llewellyn said. “Our goal at Bloom has always been to help everyone ‘bloom’ into their best selves through nutritious and delicious supplements. It’s an incredible honor to have Nutrabolt join us in extending our mission further.” 

LaVecchia added that partnering with Nutrabolt will take Bloom to new heights.

“Their expertise and resources as industry leaders will enable us to scale effectively, fuel sales growth and accelerate innovation,” he remarked. “This is a significant leap forward, and we could not be more excited to embark on this next phase of growth together.” 

The vitamin and supplement sector accounts for a sizable portion of consumer spending, with over 90% household penetration. Recent data from NIQ, a data intelligence service provider, revealed the revenue power of vitamins and supplements, with sales booming to $13.5 billion last year.

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Xponential Fitness has partnered with Territory Foods, a direct-to-consumer and ready-to-eat meal delivery service. The move furthers Xponential’s commitment to overall health and adds to its “fully energized” 2023 entrance.

The global boutique fitness franchisor says its latest collaboration will span four of its brands – Pure Barre, Row House, Rumble Boxing, and StretchLab.

With the new partnership, Territory Foods has created customized nutrient-packed menus of freshly prepared meals. The meals are designed to complement each of the fitness programs offered under Xponential, allowing members to maximize the benefits of the workout of their choice. 

Pure Barre members may find lean proteins, whole greens, and vegetables to target lean muscle growth and calm inflammation. StretchLab clients, on the other hand, may find hydrating foods with antioxidants, omega-3s, fiber, and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Territory Foods says that such food sources are designed to maximize mobility and assist with flushing out lactic acid and toxins released with stretching workouts.

“Xponential Fitness studios provide world-class fitness and wellness experiences across a variety of modalities, but a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle also requires a nutritious diet,” said Sarah Luna, President of Xponential Fitness. “That’s where Territory Foods can enhance the member experience, ensuring that our members’ exercise and movement goals are supported by healthy eating. This exciting partnership allows us to further expand the value and benefit our members receive from their studio membership, while supporting their overall health & well-being.”

Territory Foods, which was founded in 2011, says that its healthy food options can help drive total results for Xponential members by merging fitness and nutrition through its curated programs.

“Our dietitian-designed, expertly chef-crafted product will improve members’ health and wellness, and allow studios to offer a new service and benefit that will improve member engagement, all with the click of a button and no retail footprint required,” said Ellis McCue, CEO of Territory Foods.

The food delivery service is tech-forward, utilizing machine learning algorithms and data science to target the ideal meals regionally based on taste preferences, lifestyle, and protein trends.

Menus change weekly to add in new and seasonal options, and each meal is delivered completely cooked, prepared fresh, and without preservatives, binders, and fillers. 

Xponential has been laser-focused on collaborations as a method to drive growth. The boutique fitness franchisor has teamed up with LA Fitness and energy drink brands, like Celsius, an official energy drink partner of CycleBar, and C4 Energy, a performance drink partner of Row House and Rumble studios.

In early March, Xponential Fitness is slated to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2022 results and provide a full-year 2023 outlook.

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KDP and Nutrabolt have forged a strategic partnership that includes a definitive agreement for a long-term sales and distribution arrangement. The deal also includes an $863 million investment by KDP in the health and wellness company in exchange for preferred equity and approximately a 30% stake.

The investment, expected to close by the end of the year, will make KDP the largest investor in Nutrabolt after its founder, chairman, and CEO, Doss Cunningham.

Nutrabolt, a global active health and wellness company that just celebrated its 20th anniversary, includes an array of functional beverage and active nutrition offerings. The company’s fitness-forward portfolio includes performance energy drink C4 Energy, C4 Pre-Workout, and post-workout recovery brand XTEND.

The collaboration will enable the beverage and coffee maker company to sell and distribute C4 Energy in its direct store distribution territories, increasing brand availability and growth, while Nutrabolt will continue to distribute its products directly or through its health club and fitness channels.

KDP Chairman and CEO Bob Gamgort described the latest collaboration as a win-win for both companies.

“KDP gains significant presence in the rapidly growing performance energy drink market and Nutrabolt gains access to a strategic investor with extensive sales and distribution capabilities to further accelerate its growth,” Gamgort said in a statement. “We believe that bringing together the resources, talent and expertise of both companies will accelerate innovation and growth and drive significant value creation over time.”

According to Nutrabolt’s CEO, the new partnership has solidified the company’s direction and vision for the future.

“Over the past 20 years, Nutrabolt has grown from a bootstrap startup to become one of the fastest growing global active health and wellness companies in the world,” Cunningham said. “This is an amazing moment for our company, and it is because of the incredible contributions of our team members, commercial partners and those who have financially backed us over the years, namely MidOcean Partners, and CPG veterans and equity investors Brian Goldberg and Clayton Christopher.” 

Bryan Spillane, Equity Analyst with BofA Securities, will host a fireside chat to discuss the new partnership on Dec. 15, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.

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In an earnings call, Xponential Fitness, the largest boutique fitness franchisor in the United States, has reported strong second-quarter results. In the Q2 2022, the California-based largest global franchise group of boutique fitness brands sold 251 franchise licenses and opened 128 new studios, increasing revenue by 66% to nearly $60 million. 

“We experienced a strong year-over-year increase in members and grew our system-wide sales across North America for the eighth consecutive time in the second quarter. For the remainder of the year, we expect the strong growth in the business to continue. Accordingly, we are increasing our fiscal 2022 outlook to reflect 39% revenue growth and 156% Adjusted EBITDA growth at the midpoint of our outlook ranges compared to 2021,” said Anthony Geisler, CEO of Xponential Fitness, Inc. 

Here are some key highlights from the Xponential Fitness Q2 earnings call:

Coasting through challenging times

Geisler explained on the recent Xponential Fitness earnings call that studio openings are not expected to slow anytime soon, continuing to drive profitability. Even in the midst of a challenging economic landscape that includes inflation, labor, and supply chain issues, Geisler said the business has remained resilient. 

The boutique fitness franchisor also indicated that it hasn’t experienced operational headwinds in regards to talent acquisition or supply chain management. Since many fitness and health-related businesses have closed permanently due to the pandemic, there is a sufficient supply of fitness instructors available, noted Geisler. 

“Despite the uncertain macroeconomic environment, we remain confident about the go-forward trajectory of our business, particularly as the positive momentum has continued into the third quarter,” Geisler said.

The prioritization of health & wellness has led to increased visitation rates

Geisler said that Xponential’s customers do not consider fitness to be a luxury expense, and that the majority of the members have a household income of around $130,000 and subscribe to recurring membership packages. As a result, Geisler said, the company is able to benefit from “highly predictable reoccurring revenue streams and limited ongoing capital requirements.”

According to Sarah Luna, President, Xponential consumers have engaged with brands both in-studio and digitally, with visitation rates increasing 28% year over year. “We’re continuing to see membership up, usage up, the consumers continue to spend money,” Geisler shared on the call.

Looking ahead: Are share buybacks or dividends in the future for Xponential?

Geisler said the company will concentrate on expanding its franchise studio base across all of its brands in North America, as well as growing its brands and studios internationally. At the end of the second quarter, the fitness franchisor had 2,357 global studios, with 128 new studios added.

According to John Meloun, Chief Financial Officer, Xponential has some other ideas on the table, as well. “Long term, if you look out two years, three years, four years, the company will be putting off a lot of cash. So things that we have considered and talked about is the opportunity to do things like share buybacks or potentially dividends. And we’ll continue to evaluate that this year and into the next year,” he said. “Our focus right now is driving operations and in parallel, looking at how we could potentially change the capital structure, so it’s more efficient for us long term,” Meloun continued.

Demand for franchise licenses & top performing brands

XPOF has experienced strong demand for its franchise licenses, selling 251 in the second quarter. “In North America, we have almost 1,900 licenses sold and contractually obligated to open and have a replenishing pipeline of organic new studio expansion, offering us four years to five years of visibility into our growth. On the international front, we have almost 1,000 studios obligated to be open, and we continue to gain traction in terms of international expansion. We recently announced new master franchise agreements or MFAs for Club Pilates in the U.K. and CycleBar in Japan,” Geisler said.

Club Pilates is a top performer, as is StretchLab, which also sold a lot of licensees that are translating to studio openings. The newly acquired BFT is also listed among the top three performing brands under Xponential.

Successful collaborations are driving growth

XPOF’s digital offerings are expanding, as evidenced by its collaboration with Lululemon’s MIRROR. Pure Barre, Rumble, YogaSix, and AKT from Xponential are expected to launch on the MIRROR this fall, confirmed Luna.

The collaboration between Xponential and LA Fitness has also aided in studio expansion. With seven studios already in LA Fitness locations, the partnership grants Xponential the exclusive right to open its studios within LA Fitness facilities.

Xponential has also teamed up with energy drink brands, recently collaborating with Celsius, which is now the official energy drink partner of CycleBar, while C4 Energy has been named the performance drink partner of Row House and Rumble studios.

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