Future of Consumer Marketing

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

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Matt Ovenden, serial entrepreneur and founder of The Wine Engine and Borrow A Boat. After building Borrow A Boat into a 400,000-user platform that transformed the boat charter industry, Matt is now applying his marketplace expertise to wine subscriptions. The Wine Engine represents his shift from low-frequency, high-ticket transactions to high-frequency, subscription-based consumer marketing. Through AI-powered personalization, flexible subscription models, and a focus on making wine more accessible, Matt is challenging traditional wine clubs and major players like Vivino by creating what he calls "the Netflix of wine."
Topics Discussed:
Building subscription-first businesses in traditional industries
Using AI for personalization and consumer education in wine
Transitioning from low-frequency marketplace to high-retention subscription model
Competing against established players without massive marketing budgets
Leveraging crowdfunding as both capital and marketing platform
Evolution of marketing tools and team structures in the AI era
Preparing for the shift from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
 

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Alex Schulze, CEO and Co-Founder of 4ocean. Born from a surf trip to Bali where Alex witnessed devastating plastic pollution, 4ocean has evolved from a simple bracelet company into a vertically integrated ocean cleanup operation that has removed over 41 million pounds of trash from the ocean. What started as a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand leveraging viral marketing has transformed into a multi-faceted business including B2B partnerships, government contracts, and a global network of cleanup crews. Alex shares the brutal realities of scaling a mission-driven company through algorithm changes, health crises, and the challenges of the modern e-commerce landscape.
Topics Discussed:
Building a vertically integrated ocean cleanup operation from a consumer product
Navigating Facebook's political categorization that killed organic reach overnight
Pivoting from viral social media marketing to relationship-based B2B partnerships
Managing the operational complexity of employing hundreds of cleanup crews globally
Surviving the e-commerce bloodbath and why most DTC brands are struggling
Dealing with greenwashing accusations in the sustainability space
The founder's personal health crisis and how it shaped business priorities

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Terri Rockovich, Co-founder and CEO of Jinx. After scaling Casper's marketing budget from $30k to $7M monthly as their first marketing hire, Terri applied those hard-won lessons to building Jinx—a premium dog food brand positioned for mass market accessibility. Jinx has successfully navigated the challenging transition from D2C to retail, launching in 1,000 Walmart stores and expanding to Target, Amazon, and specialty retailers. Through their "specialty for the masses" positioning, they're making premium pet nutrition mainstream while building a community of millennial pet parents who treat their dogs like family.
Topics Discussed:
Scaling paid acquisition budgets efficiently without burning cash on learning
Transitioning from D2C-first to retail-dominant business model
Launching and scaling with major retailers like Walmart and Target
Building "specialty for the masses" brand positioning
Consumer-led product innovation in saturated CPG categories
Managing small, high-output marketing teams in competitive spaces
Balancing founder involvement in marketing without micromanaging

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Patrick Buchanan, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Lulus. Patrick shares how he's building a brand focused on empowering women through authentic storytelling and community-driven marketing. From his early days in product placement working with celebrities like Zac Efron and Kobe Bryant, to scaling marketing teams of nearly 50 people, Patrick reveals the strategic approach behind Lulus' recent momentum - including their current Globetrotter campaign that's driving all-time high brand equity scores across billboards in New York, Nashville, and Miami.
Topics Discussed:
Scaling from product placement to brand marketing leadership across multiple celebrity-backed brands
Building and managing marketing teams of nearly 50 people across brand, creative, and go-to-market functions
Creating campaigns that drive measurable brand equity while maintaining authentic community connection
Balancing performance marketing with creative brand work to maximize efficiency and results
Developing clear KPIs and post-campaign scorecards to measure success and extract learnings
Leveraging storytelling backgrounds from journalism to create marketing that transports audiences
Managing celebrity partnerships and product placement in an evolving influencer landscape

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Jacqueline Parisi, Head of Marketing at Elektra Health. Elektra Health is revolutionizing women's healthcare by providing comprehensive menopause care through telemedicine, combining clinical treatment with wraparound support services like menopause doulas, education, and community. Operating primarily in New York and Connecticut, they're tackling the massive gap in menopause care where only one specialist exists for every 26,000 U.S. women, and 70% of women seeking care don't receive treatment. Through strategic insurance partnerships and localized marketing, Elektra Health has achieved network coverage for four out of every five New York women while becoming the first virtual menopause provider to accept Medicaid and Medicare.
Topics Discussed:
Building a data-driven marketing culture in healthcare
Navigating complex insurance partnerships and state-by-state expansion
Marketing in emotionally charged healthcare categories
Balancing consumer acquisition with B2B health plan relationships
Scaling localized marketing strategies
Differentiating in a crowded emerging market
Managing information overload in newly destigmatized health categories

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Hilary Strong, CMO of smol, the UK-based challenger brand disrupting the laundry and cleaning category. Founded in 2018 by two ex-Unilever colleagues, smol has revolutionized how consumers buy cleaning products by combining D2C subscription delivery with sustainable, high-performance products at accessible prices. Hilary shares how they've built a brand that customers proudly display rather than hide under the sink, while maintaining competitive pricing against mass market giants like Unilever and P&G.
Topics Discussed:
Dual disruption strategy: simultaneously changing product and distribution models
Balancing sustainability with performance and accessible pricing
Creating desirable aesthetics in traditionally hidden product categories
Organizational structure: splitting CMO and Chief Growth Officer roles
Upper funnel brand building vs. performance marketing allocation
International expansion challenges in France and Germany
Consumer behavior evolution around ingredient transparency and sustainability

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Galahad Clark, founder and CEO of Vivobarefoot. Clark is leading a rebellion against "Big Shoe" - the $24 billion global footwear industry dominated by Nike and Adidas. Coming from a 200-year-old Quaker shoemaking family, Clark pivoted from traditional footwear to create barefoot shoes that prioritize foot health over fashion trends. Despite facing near-bankruptcy in the early years, Vivobarefoot has grown into a $120 million business by targeting "conscious mavericks" and building a community-driven brand that challenges conventional wisdom about what shoes should be.
Topics Discussed:
Challenging established industries through education-based marketing
Building a direct-to-community brand in a fashion-driven category
Transitioning from performance marketing to brand marketing at scale
Creating custom, localized manufacturing through 3D printing technology
Positioning against industry giants while maintaining authenticity
Leveraging truth providers and domain experts for credibility
Balancing rational health messaging with emotional brand appeals

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Stefan Lagerqvist, Group CEO of Nick's, a Swedish food tech company revolutionizing the healthy snacking space. Nick's has carved out a unique position by focusing on eliminating the gap between indulgent and healthy, creating products that taste great without the traditional health food compromise. After a major brand pivot based on data-driven consumer insights, Nick's transformed from an angry activist brand to one that celebrates joy and removes guilt from snacking, targeting young urban females who prioritize looking good on social media over traditional health messaging.
Topics Discussed:
Pivoting from activist messaging to joy-focused brand positioning based on consumer research
Using quantitative research to identify and validate target audiences beyond existing customers
Balancing risk-taking in startup marketing versus playing it safe at large corporations
Strategic distribution across physical retail, Amazon, and direct-to-consumer channels
Managing rapid US expansion during COVID with geo-targeted performance marketing
Transitioning from growth-at-all-costs to profitability-focused business model
Leveraging brand building over pure performance marketing in competitive markets

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett interviews Gavin Jocius, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer of SAUNA HOUSE®. SAUNA HOUSE® is building the modern American bathhouse by adapting ancient wellness modalities for US consumers. Operating in a market where communal bathing culture is nascent compared to established markets like Finland, Japan, and Canada, SAUNA HOUSE® has grown from one Asheville location in 2019 to multiple corporate and franchise locations across the Southeast. Through strategic positioning against tech-bro wellness culture and creating intentional analog experiences, they're capitalizing on the convergence of loneliness epidemics, generational shifts away from alcohol, and the growing demand for digital detox experiences.
Topics Discussed:
Adapting international wellness concepts for American market sensibilities
Strategic customer segmentation beyond obvious wellness demographics
Creating forced digital detox environments as a competitive differentiator
Leveraging cultural early adopters as organic brand ambassadors
Building educational content strategy around adventure and expertise archetypes
Scaling intentional community experiences across franchise operations
Positioning against obvious influencer partnerships for authentic brand building