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- Why research doesn’t always translate into purchases
- How Thorne expanded from practitioner roots into omnichannel retail
- Measuring brand health: new metrics on the dashboard
- From lab coats to lifestyle ads: creative choices that matter
- Testing channels: what converts and what doesn’t
- Leveraging content and AI to nudge shoppers down the funnel
- Where Thorne is placing its bets next
Most supplement shoppers dig into research before hitting buy. But Thorne, the longtime nutraceutical brand, found that facts and figures alone no longer seal the deal. The company is blending science, storytelling and technology to win customers who want both evidence and inspiration.
Why research doesn’t always translate into purchases
Thorne’s internal data shows nearly nine in 10 supplement buyers research products first. Yet that discovery phase rarely guarantees a sale.
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Mary Beech, Thorne’s chief growth officer, says the brand discovered a gap between knowledge and emotional connection. To bridge it, the company shifted from purely informational messaging to a broader brand narrative.
Thorne moved beyond product specs into aspirational marketing, aiming to reach shoppers who seek excellence and trust, not just facts.
How Thorne expanded from practitioner roots into omnichannel retail
The company began supplying healthcare practitioners decades ago. Over time it opened new routes to market and now sells across multiple platforms.
- Joined Amazon in 2015.
- Operates a direct-to-consumer website.
- Appears on retail sites like Target and the Mayo Clinic Store.
Today Thorne manages more than 170 SKUs across protein, creatine, magnesium and hydration. Last year the brand reported about $500 million in revenue. Customer numbers rose from roughly 4 million in 2024 to about 7 million now.
Direct-to-consumer sales grew rapidly, with the DTC channel alone up 63% year over year. Beech says the team prioritizes new customer acquisition and aims to make purchase convenient, regardless of channel or margin.
Measuring brand health: new metrics on the dashboard
As the brand moves up-funnel, measurement changed. Thorne now reports upper-funnel signals to the board and finance leaders.
- Branded search volume on Thorne.com and Amazon.
- Trust and consideration scores.
- Visibility in answer engines and content platforms.
These inputs complement traditional performance metrics and help the company justify investments in creative, brand-first campaigns.
From lab coats to lifestyle ads: creative choices that matter
Marketing used to be dominated by medical evidence. Now the creative team runs campaigns with a fashion and lifestyle sensibility to appeal to younger shoppers.
Beech says Thorne launched six major creative campaigns with an agency focused on high-quality visuals and storytelling. This is a cultural shift for a brand with deep ties to medical affairs.
“Know me, show me” guides the creative brief:
- Know me — start with the customer and their goals.
- Show me — follow up with evidence about testing and certifications.
Testing channels: what converts and what doesn’t
Thorne targets Gen Z and millennial shoppers. These groups make up about half the brand’s customer base and respond differently across platforms.
Podcast advertising was tested but failed to produce reliable returns. With a broad product catalog and no single blockbuster SKU, podcasts didn’t deliver clear performance.
By contrast, community and long-form formats worked better:
- Reddit AMAs offered detailed, candid exchanges that built trust.
- YouTube, through paid influencers and Thorne’s medical staff, drove awareness.
- An affiliate ambassador program launched in late 2024 began contributing to growth.
Leveraging content and AI to nudge shoppers down the funnel
Thorne has invested in content for more than a decade. A 13-year-old blog and a partnership with Mayo Clinic created expert-authored material that ranks in answer engines.
This content improves Thorne’s visibility in AI-driven search results and helps the brand show up in tools like Claude and ChatGPT.
Building a site assistant: Taia, Thorne’s LLM-powered concierge
Beyond external AEO, Thorne repurposed its medical and product content into an internal large language model named Taia.
- Taia acts as a wellness advisor on the DTC site.
- It answers questions, assists with product comparisons and provides usage guidance.
- Buttons on product pages prompt Taia with queries like “How do I use this product?” and “More info on ingredients.”
Shoppers who engage with Taia tend to show higher average order value and lifetime value. Yet conversion start rates for the tool remain modest, which means there’s room to grow engagement.
Where Thorne is placing its bets next
The brand is doubling down on investments that connect content, AI and creative. That includes improving how Taia supports search and comparison flows and continuing to develop aspirational campaigns.
Beech says the company will keep experimenting with channels that reach younger health-conscious consumers while maintaining the scientific rigor that built the brand’s reputation.
