Re-Energizing a Customer Base in the Supplement Industry
Client Snapshot:
A well-established supplement brand with a strong reputation among older consumers faced a growing challenge: new customer acquisition efforts were yielding results, but most first-time buyers weren’t coming back. The brand needed to address high attrition while also engaging a younger, more digitally fluent audience.
Challenge:
While the brand had a loyal customer base, it was aging—and efforts to attract younger buyers often resulted in one-time purchases. Without a unified view of the customer or a clear understanding of emerging behaviors, the company struggled to convert initial interest into lasting relationships.
Our Approach:
We set out to build a more holistic understanding of the customer base through data integration and behavioral segmentation. By combining first-party transactional data with third-party lifestyle and demographic insights, we created a more complete picture of who was buying, how often, and why they stopped.
Segmentation work revealed key differences across customer types, allowing us to isolate four distinct audience groups, each with unique motivations, purchase patterns, and communication preferences.
Using these insights, we developed tailored contact strategies for each segment. For younger, first-time buyers, we implemented proactive replenishment reminders, onboarding education, and lifestyle-aligned messaging. For long-term loyalists, the strategy focused on retention and cross-sell opportunities.
Key Findings and Results:
While acquisition strategies continued to attract younger customers, analysis revealed that 66 percent did not return for a second purchase.
Tailored engagement strategies directly addressed this gap, converting a meaningful share into repeat buyers.
For every small percentage shift in customers moved into recurring purchasing behavior, the brand saw measurable gains in annual revenue.
Segment-specific strategies also unlocked new value from the existing base—by focusing not only on frequency of purchase but also on evolving needs and preferences within each group.
Future Directions:
The brand is now investing in more advanced personalization, exploring AI-driven content delivery and lifecycle-based journey mapping to deepen engagement. Ongoing behavioral monitoring will help refine strategies and ensure the brand stays aligned with shifting consumer expectations.
The Takeaway:
This case demonstrates the power of combining integrated data, segmentation, and tailored engagement to solve one of the toughest challenges in the supplement space: turning first-time buyers into loyal customers. By aligning strategy to the unique needs of different customer types, the brand successfully rejuvenated its base and positioned itself for long-term, sustainable growth.