BEAR
What inspired the BEAR brand?
BEAR started organically when my husband Sammy Leetham and I discovered a clear gap in the supplement market. Overwhelmed by choice, we didn’t know which brands to trust and which products would deliver real benefits. We started a journey of research and discovery and worked with a team of naturopaths, compounding pharmacists and medical professionals to develop a bespoke range of Essential Daily Vitamins that contain only the highest quality, simplified ingredients proven in efficacy, safety and stability. With a clean, minimalist aesthetic our products are designed to be seen and used everyday, fitting seamlessly into your morning beauty and grooming routine.
What challenges were hardest to overcome prior to the launch?
We were launching as a new, unknown brand with four health supplements, but wanted to disrupt the category and position ourselves as a modern Australian lifestyle brand. We had to build a strong brand identity and establish trust and credibility with everyone we wanted to work with, from our manufacturer and suppliers, to our graphic designer, PR team, media and retailers. We had a strong vision for BEAR and only wanted to work with people who genuinely believed in our brand and wanted to help us grow from day one. We have built an incredible BEAR family who have helped us craft our brand and communicate with our customers and international community. I think we owe our incredible support and successful launch from slowly developing the BEAR brand for two years prior to launching, and not being afraid to truly do things differently.
Where did the name BEAR come from?
When we notice our energy levels, immunity, and strength decline it is often a sign our bodies are deficient of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Just as a wild grizzly bear prepares for winter hibernation, we as humans need to support and strengthen our bodies to maintain good health throughout the seasons.
How are your bespoke range of Essential Daily Vitamins different to other multivitamins on the market?
We use only the highest quality ingredients in all of our formulations to support individual lifestyles, not genders. BEAR uses activated ingredients at a therapeutic level which are more readily absorbed by the body and can therefore provide more immediate benefits. We also avoid bulking – a practice common within the industry where layers of sub-therapeutic ingredients are included in each tablet or powder but are at such low levels, there’s no evidence to support their health claims.
What lifestyles are your Essential Daily Vitamins designed for?
Protect is designed to strengthen the immune system and contains Vitamin A and the highest quality strain of Echinacea. Perform is for clarity, and contains Vitamin B12 and Bacopa. It is perfect for professionals who work in a corporate environment to assist with mental acuity, memory retention and the symptoms of mild stress and anxiety. Restore is designed for energy and made for people who work on their feet all day, to help support muscle development and bone health with Vitamin K2 and Gingko. Explore is for balance and is full of antioxidants with Rhodiola, Vitamin C, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 and Turmeric of the highest quality and proven efficacy.
In relation, what is your own style of living?
Travel is such an important part of our life and how we stay inspired, creative, open-minded, and forward thinking. Our first product we designed was Explore, built for the modern traveler to help with the production of slow-release energy, assist with mild stress and anxiety and help relieve jet-lag. We have just moved to Byron Bay from Melbourne and love the slower, more mindful lifestyle. When we are home, we love nothing more than starting the day with a long walk or swim in the ocean, and making an espresso before starting work.
How is BEAR making a positive contribution?
We are proud to be working closely with WildArk, a modern Australian conservation movement that helps protect and conserve the natural wonders of the world and the wild animals that inhabit them. WildArk are working to secure identified green belts to protect as much of the world’s biodiversity as possible for future generations. They have just secured Pridelands Conservancy, located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, that opens into the greater Kruger National Park, adding an additional 4500 acres of land to conservation. BEAR donates a fixed dollar amount from each product sold and together, we hope to make a significant difference to species protection and conservation projects worldwide in the years to come