Inside the Mission Behind the Kenetik Brand (With Peter Bayne)

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Peter Bayne, co-founder and COO of Kenetik. Kenetik is revolutionizing the functional beverage space with a ketone-based drink that delivers sustained energy and cognitive enhancement without caffeine or sugar. After building a restaurant empire that the pandemic forced him to pivot from, Peter discovered ketones' cognitive benefits and created a product that tastes like "sweet tart candy" instead of "bile or nail polish remover" like competitors. Through scientific validation with NIH and major universities, direct-to-consumer mastery, and authentic storytelling, Kenetik has built a passionate community of biohackers, endurance athletes, and health-conscious consumers while helping customers with serious medical conditions improve their quality of life.

Topics Discussed:

• Building a premium functional beverage from basement experimentation to clinical validation
• Transitioning from restaurant ownership to CPG during the pandemic
• Creating authentic brand storytelling through personal challenges and vulnerability
• Leveraging scientific partnerships with NIH and universities for credibility
• Mastering direct-to-consumer before expanding to retail
• Building passionate remote teams around mission-driven products
• Navigating TikTok Shop and live selling for beverage brands
• Using endurance sports sponsorships for targeted community building