🟣 Drive Subscriber Growth with Optimized “Subscribe & Save” Tactics

Commerce Tips: Maximize subscriber growth by defaulting wellness products to “Subscribe & Save” on your product pages. Learn why companies like AG1 prioritize subscription models and how small changes can boost your CLTV.

$100M+ Brand Stories: Discover how Seed Health built a $1B gut health empire through scientific rigor, minimal product offerings, and influencer-driven marketing.

Mindset of Winners: Kawhi Leonard teaches us to block out distractions. By quieting the noise, you create space for clarity and sharpen your focus.

On the Pod 🎧

Lastest episodes:

• S9 E52: From $10M → $20M: How Tiege Hanley Doubled Revenue While Staying Profitable → Kelley Thornton, CEO
  

• S9:E51: Ex-PepsiCo Strategist Unveils Brand Positioning Frameworks that Transform DTC Brands → Kathy Guzman

• Cutout 8: Building a Barbecue Brand that Keeps Customers Coming Back → Kosmo Khosravi

• Cutout 7: Why Community-Driven Brands Are Disrupting Traditional Markets → Oren Schauble

• Cutout 6: How to Build a Polarizing Brand that Drives $40M in Revenue → Alex Neist

COMMERCE TIPS

Subscribe and Save Tips for Wellness Brands

As I start implementing insights from my DNA test, I’ve been reorganizing and restacking my supplements. It’s been a bit wild—I take about 10 different supplements daily (but that’s a story for another post).

Through the process, I wanted to simplify things by sourcing all my supplements from no more than three places. That led me to Fushi, an amazing Ayurvedic wellness brand. But I noticed something I see far too often with wellness brands—a costly mistake: not defaulting to subscriptions on their product description pages (PDPs).

Here’s what I found: on Fushi’s PDP for their organic flaxseed oil, the default option was set to a one-time purchase at £8. In terms of choice architecture, most people stick with the default. A 2010 Medicare study showed that 72-88% of participants stuck with their default health insurance plan, even when switching would have saved them money. It’s critical that your PDP defaults serve both your business and your customers for the long run.

Then I checked out Healf, a vertical marketplace for health-conscious shoppers, and saw a different approach. Their version of the same product was defaulted to a Subscribe & Save option, with clear savings displayed.

One metric I obsess over with our PPC agencies is subscriber growth—because if that number isn’t growing, neither is your business. The same product, with different PDP defaults, will deliver drastically different outcomes for these merchants.

For an extreme example, look at AG1—they’ve eliminated the “Add to Cart” button entirely, focusing solely on subscriptions. That’s a bold strategy, but it proves how powerful defaulting to subscriptions can be.

Now’s a good time to check your own PDP. If it defaults to one-time purchases, this is an easy fix that could bring in more subscribers and increase your CLTV.

If you plan to make changes, hit reply to this email and let me know—I’d love to hear how it works out for you.

$100M+ BRAND STORIES

How Seed Health Built a $1 Billion Gut Health Empire 🌱

If you live in North America, you’ve probably seen Seed Health’s Synbiotics in wellness circles, or read about their bold claims of microbiome science on social media. But what you might not know is that this company; co-founded by Ara Katz and Raja Dhir, is on track to become a billion-dollar leader in gut health, driven by its minimalist product range and commitment to scientific rigor. Seed’s explosive success stems from a unique blend of direct-to-consumer (DTC) innovation, top-tier research, and a community-first approach to marketing that has transformed them into a leader in the wellness space.

Let’s break down how Seed Health became a powerhouse, focusing on product innovation, operations, marketing, and finance.

1. Product: A Focused, Minimalist Approach

Seed Health bucks the trend of releasing numerous SKUs by offering just three core products: the Daily Synbiotic, PDS-08™ Pediatric Synbiotic, and DS-01™ Daily Synbiotic. Their minimalist approach mirrors other successful wellness brands like Athletic Greens (AG1), which only offers its flagship greens powder, and MudWtr, with a handful of coffee alternative SKUs. Their focus on fewer products ensures scientific precision and high product efficacy. It is almost like a SaaS company focused on a single problem.

Ara Katz, Seed’s co-founder, has emphasized the importance of staying focused: “We believe in creating fewer, better things”.

2. Operations: Scientific Rigor Meets Sustainability

Seed’s operations are built on a foundation of scientific rigor. They have assembled a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of leading experts in fields such as gynecology, obstetrics, immunology, and gastroenterology, ensuring that their probiotic formulations are backed by cutting-edge research and clinical studies. This board guides product development to target specific health conditions with precision, aligning Seed’s products with the latest scientific advancements.

Additionally, Seed incorporates sustainability at every level of their operations, from compostable packaging to eco-friendly shipping practices. Co-founder Raja Dhir has spoken about the importance of integrating sustainability: “Every decision we make considers the impact on the environment, alongside the impact on human health”.

3. Marketing: Community-Led, Influencer-Driven

Seed’s marketing strategy is community-driven, focusing on education around gut health to engage its audience. They collaborate with influencers who are experts in health, science, and wellness, including doctors, nutritionists, and health professionals such as Dr. Will Cole, a functional medicine expert, and Dr. Robin Berzin, CEO of Parsley Health. These influencers help Seed create a credible and authentic presence among health-conscious consumers by integrating product recommendations into educational content .

Seed also has a strong presence on gut-health-focused podcasts, which align with their science-first mission. They frequently appear on and advertise through popular wellness and health podcasts like “The Doctor’s Farmacy” with Dr. Mark Hyman and “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her”, which have large, health-focused audiences. This podcast strategy allows them to reach listeners who are already invested in learning about health and wellness.

The middle and bottom-of-funnel of their community-building efforts is paid marketing on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Their paid ads focus on storytelling and education, making their message resonate deeply with their target audience. Ara Katz, Seed’s co-founder, emphasized, “Our goal is to use education as the backbone of our marketing to shift people’s understanding of probiotics and gut health” .

4. Finance: Scaling Through Predictable Revenue

Seed has built its financial success on the strength of its subscription model, which generates predictable, recurring revenue. This allows the company to scale steadily while maintaining strong cash flow. The company raised $40 million in Series A funding in 2021, with backing from The Craftory and ARTIS Ventures, to fuel its growth in research and marketing.

Reports indicate that Seed is exploring a potential sale with a valuation estimated at over $1 billion, signaling strong investor confidence and future potential.

My Key Takeaways:

1. Product Selection Strategy: Seed keeps a minimalist product lineup, focusing on a few high-quality SKUs like their DS-01 Daily Synbiotic. Which allows them invest in rigorous scientific validation for each product. The lesson here is clear: even if you’re not a biotech brand, focusing on fewer, better products is a winning strategy.
   

2. Biotech Positioning: Seed appeals to investors because of its focus on science-backed innovation. Their products undergo clinical trials, which helps build trust not only with consumers but also with investors. Now, while most wellness brands won’t need to go the full biotech route, ensuring evidence-backed claims and transparency in your products can significantly elevate your brand’s credibility and longevity.

Seed’s path might not be for everyone, but the focus on scientific rigor and product excellence should resonate with any brand looking to grow sustainably.

Commerce headlines

• PayPal partners with Shopify to process U.S. Shopify Payments, integrating PayPal wallets for smoother merchant transactions.
  

• Retail businesses in the UK dodge £4.4bn in taxes annually through scams like sales suppression and phoenix companies, while HMRC struggles without a focused strategy to tackle the issue.

• Canva is raising its Teams subscription by up to 300%, citing new AI features like Magic Studio as justification.
  

• OpenAI’s SearchGPT shows promise but is still too rough around the edges to rival Google.
  

• Shopify survey reveals social media and influencer marketing are crucial for retailers.

HEALTH IS WEALTH

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MINDSET OF WINNERS

Kawhi Leonard – Quiet the Noise

Noise steals your focus, but you can take it back. Block it out, and your vision sharpens. Turn off social media, put on headphones—drown distractions, and reorient yourself. When negativity creeps in, shift your mindset and distance yourself from that energy.

Kawhi Leonard embodies this mindset. His ability to block out distractions is key to his greatness. “I don’t need to be a celebrity or a superstar. I just want to take care of my family,” he said. His focus on what truly matters makes him unstoppable  .

Takeaway:
When you quiet the noise, you create space for clarity.
Focus sharpens, and progress follows.