Issue No. 383 of Fitt Insider reported the deal that says everything about where wellness is headed: Unilever acquired functional gummies brand Grüns for $1.2B. The issue's read is sharp. Unilever did not pay for a recipe. It paid for highly engaged users who take the product almost every single day.
The issue's closing line is the thesis every fitness brand should internalize: ingredients are a commodity, and the next wave of wellness will win on usage, routine, and adherence. That is precisely the problem Cadoo solves.
The $1.2B lesson: adherence is the asset
Per the issue, Grüns scaled to $300M in revenue in two years and ships roughly 10M gummies a day, with about 80% of customers never missing a dose. That last number is the whole story. A daily habit that sticks is worth more than any formula.
Unilever is building a portfolio of daily-use, science-backed routines, having previously acquired Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., and OLLY, per the issue. The common thread across all of them is not a hero ingredient. It is repeat behavior.
Fitness has the exact same moat
Every gym, studio, and fitness app faces the Grüns question: not can we sign members up, but will they keep showing up. Equipment, class formats, and programming are increasingly commoditized. The durable advantage is the habit itself, the member who returns week after week without being reminded.
The issue's other big theme reinforces it. A new study it cites found communal sauna use improves well-being more than solo sessions, and health is becoming a group activity, from squad workouts and run clubs to shared recovery rituals. Adherence and community travel together.
Cadoo manufactures adherence
Cadoo Games is an adherence engine for fitness brands. Members bet money with friends on reaching fitness goals, so the habit is powered by social stakes rather than motivation that fades. Recurring challenges keep the routine alive between visits, turning a membership into a daily-use product like the ones Unilever is buying.
It is reliable and measurable, too. Cadoo-verified workouts confirm the effort: the camera counts reps only. Steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, so operators see real engagement data. And every finished challenge can become a skinned, shareable video, so members promote your brand while they build the habit.
Build the habit, own the outcome
Social wellness brands prove the point. Bathhouse operators like Othership turn recovery into a repeat ritual, and UFC GYM keeps expanding the branded, community-driven club, per the issue. Cadoo layers that stickiness onto any fitness brand by making consistency social and fun.
On our roadmap, not live yet, winnings could convert into credit or perks at your business, tying adherence directly to loyalty. Explore it at cadoo.games/brands or reach the team at Tim@cadoo.io.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this issue say adherence beats ingredients?
Unilever paid $1.2B for Grüns not because of its formula but because its customers take it almost daily. In a market where ingredients are a commodity, the durable asset is a habit that sticks. The same logic applies to fitness, where the winning brand is the one members keep returning to.
How does Cadoo turn a membership into a daily-use habit?
Cadoo runs recurring challenges that members stake money on with friends, so there is a live, social reason to keep moving between visits. That converts a passive membership into an active routine, the kind of repeat behavior this issue shows is worth a premium.
Is Cadoo's engagement measurable for operators?
Yes. The camera counts reps only for supported movements, and steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect. That gives operators trustworthy engagement data on who is actually building the habit, not just who signed up.
Can members redeem their winnings for perks at my brand?
Redeeming winnings for credit or perks at a partner brand is on our roadmap and not live yet. Today, Cadoo's value is adherence, retention, and shareable branded content your members create for you.
