If you take vitamins and supplements, you don’t need me to tell you how crazy this category can be. You want to be healthy, but when you go into a store for help, some teenage clerk is advising you on the benefits of one product or brand over another. Vitamins are a $37B category, and the majority sell through retail. The vitamin industry sells confusion with a capital C.
Even if you eat a healthy diet, supplements can help you improve your health by making sure you are getting enough of what your body needs. I take a daily vitamin, but my doctor said I need more Vitamin E after doing blood work. There are 432 choices online of Vitamin E so a reliable resource would be helpful and an untrained clerk is of no help. Although they try, pharmacists don’t seem as well-trained in OTC products like vitamins and understanding the brands and quality issue. And, they don’t have the data at their fingertips and time to help consumers to provide advice.
A Better Experience
Craig Elbert and Akash Shah had an insight that if they could make this process easier for consumers, they could make this a much more convenient method. With help from advisors from Harvard School of Public Health and Tufts Human Nutrition Center on Aging, they could create trust and provide a hyper-personalized service.
Their company, Care/Of to bring a more personalized and delightful experience for the consumer. With recommendations from consumers, the platform offers convenience and a sense of humor. Like Pill Pack (now owned by Amazon), this company provides an alternative path to serve the market from traditional retail purchasing. And they can advise with access to large databases.
By starting with a crisp problem to be solved, the founders didn’t create a brand and then market it. The innovation and convenience is built into the marketing of their offerings.
Since Elbert was a marketer at Bonobos, he understood that if he could use technology to make buying vitamins, minerals and supplements easier, they could make this a more accessible experience like how Uber changed the concept of getting a taxi ride. The founders had a clear narrative and story to tell. And they knew that a sense of humor could be a big differentiator.
Like Winc in the wine industry, Care/Of is trying to learn about you as a consumer and then offer what is right for you. By putting the vitamins into packs, they simplify the process by proportioning what you need. Think of this as vitamin curation.
A common marketing mistake is not connecting a story with a brand promise. If McDonald’s brags about clean bathrooms, they better have the systems in place to make this happen. For Care/Of, they knew that it was important to blend creative, narrative and performance. Everything has to work together to be successful. It is vital to align the consumer’s experience with a narrative, imagery, and tone.
Another aspect of Care/Of that is essential is being smart in their messaging. You can’t bombard consumers with advertising anymore, so to get attention, you got to peak curiosity with a voice that aligns with your target. Dollar Shave Club is an excellent example of how being creative can beat the giants with a refreshing story. Each pack comes with a customized message or trivia fact that makes it engaging and fun or a daily challenge. Think of funny fortune cookies filled with your daily dose of nutrition. Just add water.
A Prescription for a Healthy Brand
- Bring the category a new and fresh way to buy that adds convenience
- Insights about a buyer’s experience can help shine a light on the opportunity. Find a pain point and solve that problem
- If you want customers to tell your story, add delight and joy to the experience. People want to share happy experiences, especially when they are unexpected.
Need vitamins, minerals or supplements to support your health, maybe you need someone to help take Care/Of you.
Need a supplement to your team? Would a fractional marketing strategic leader help your business? You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Try my new chat feature on my site if you have a quick question.
Photo courtesy of Care/Of
