Prepare to get really smart, because this week's Brand Builder is all about fueling your brain for peak performance.
Our guest is Will Nitze, the founder and CEO of IQ Bar. Based in Boston, IQ has the distinction of being the first and only "brain food bar" that leverages nutrition and neuroscience to boost everyday brain function.
Will has had cognition on the brain for a while. He first became obsessed with brain performance as an undergrad at Harvard, where he studied psychology and neuroscience, but the idea for IQ Bar didn't strike until 2017 while he was working in the software industry. After noticing his own focus and cognition flag during the workday, he started experimenting with ways to boost performance using nutrition. IQ Bar was born in his kitchen soon after.
The concept resonated immediately with consumers. A successful Kickstarter campaign saw $90,000 worth of orders... before Will and his team really had a fully dialed product.
We talked to Will about those early days of IQ, delved into the brand's current challenges, as well as the neuroscience behind the IQ formula. He also lays out why he thinks of the IQ brand as having two-layers - the surface level message, and the deeper meaning, and why that can be a powerful strategy for functional products.
Links
IQ Bar Connect with Will on LinkedInBrand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
