Eric Zaltas of PowerBar

Kyle Duford

President/ECD

If you’re an athlete, or have any interest in sport of any kind, you would have heard of PowerBar.

Although it has changed hands over the years, the iconic nature of the brand is unwavering. Today’s guest is Eric Zaltas, who started working at PowerBar over 20 years ago, and who now holds the exclusive license to the product through his own company, Pivot Nutrition. In this episode, you’ll hear about the fascinating roles that Eric has held while working at PowerBar, how the brand manages to retain the appeal of its athlete and non-athlete target markets, and even some of the science behind the formula which he helped create. Eric was first introduced to PowerBar during his time as a long-distance cyclist and he has had to tap into a different kind of endurance power while rebuilding the PowerBar brand, with a great deal of success!

[bctt tweet= "20 years later I’m still connected to this brand, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. — Eric Zaltas."]

Key Points From This Episode:

• 1 An Introduction to PowerBar: A brief history of PowerBar, and Eric’s introduction to the product while he was a professional athlete.
• 2 Eric's Start at PowerBar: Eric’s first role at PowerBar in the early 2000s, and what the work environment was like.
• 3 The PowerBar Culture: The culture that PowerBar created has been sustained over so many years.
• 4 The Story Continues: What Eric’s job as Manager of Scientific Affairs at PowerBar entailed.
• 5 The Science: Tweaks to the PowerBar recipe that Eric was involved with, and the science behind why they changed it.
• 6 Eric Overseas: Eric’s experience of living and working in Switzerland.
• 7 The PowerBar Balance: The two different groups of people which PowerBar appeals to, and managing that balance.
• 8 Changes: Impacts of ownership and location changes.
• 9 Protein Power: Benefits of ingesting regular protein, for athletes and non-athletes alike.
• 10 The Crux: Eric’s crux moment; an endurance event different from the ones he was used to as a cyclist.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eric Zaltas
Pivot Nutrition
PowerBar
PowerBar Sport on Instagram 

Previous Episode:

Nate Checketts of Rhone Apparel

Kyle Duford

President/ECD

Kyle is an executive creative director specializing in crafting outstanding advertising and branding for global brands looking to winnable market share. Kyle’s unique blend of advertising, branding, and digital expertise allows him to create and lead some of the foremost brands through his work at The Brand Leader®. Learn more about Kyle, read his other blogs, or buy his newest book, The Brand Book: A Branding Primer.