62. Tonic Health: boosting immune health, one vitamin at a time

Marketing Award Nominee

To recognise the startups that demonstrate the most creative and effective method for building early-stage brand awareness.

Startups 100: Marketing Award

Founder: Sunna van Kampen
Year founded: 2019
Website: tonichealth.co

During his career at Barclays Bank, Sunna van Kampen often found himself getting a cold 4-5 times during the winter season. But this wasn’t because of bad luck or sick colleagues. Rather, it was nutrient deficiencies that were affecting his immune system. 

Stocking up on vitamins didn’t help either, as Kampen discovered most were designed to prevent certain illnesses rather than supporting optimal health.

This is when Tonic Health came to life. Its mission? To boost immune health through convenient and all-in-one vitamin drinks and gummies, designed to provide essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc.

But while it had a great product, the challenge now was getting customers to understand the importance of vitamins and how Tonic’s offerings could make a difference to daily wellness.

So, Kampen and his team leveraged the power of digital marketing, reaching users through platforms like TikTok and Instagram. In fact, Kampen’s educational health channel has gone viral, impressing the Startups judges with its creativity and impact. 

Tonic Health now boasts one million followers on its social media channels, with an average of 45 million monthly organic views. This remarkable achievement makes the company a strong contender for the Startups 100 Marketing Award. 

Partnerships with major supermarket chains like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, and Morrisons have also helped to expand Tonic Health’s reach and drive its growth to become one of the fastest-growing vitamin brands in the UK (and it’s also partnered with Walmart in the US).

Tonic Health has had a huge impact in the supplements sector, establishing itself as a frontrunner in immune support with its product offerings. This, along with its super-healthy digital marketing strategies, makes it a valuable addition to this year’s Startups 100 Index.