Pumping the Potential of Creatine Supplements: create Founder Reveals His Recipe for Operational Success
Join re:COGs Host Mike Gelb as he mixes it up with Dan McCormick, founder of the irresistible creatine-infused gummy, create, to uncover the winning growth strategies that super-charged this sweet supplement.
From flavor profiles to financing, this appetizing discussion details what it took to create the gummy supplement, create and the process of developing a supplement brand that fuels muscle gains, empowers peak performance, and busts brand myths.
A Modern Take on a Classic Creation
Dan McCormick founded create to reinvent creatine, a proven and powerful supplement often misunderstood and surrounded by stigma. create delivers creatine in the form of uniquely formulated gummies, prized for their taste, convenience, and purity. Dan’s personal experience with creatine revealed an opportunity to develop an innovative product that improves strength, muscle recovery, brain function, and more.
Crafting the First Creatine Gummy
In developing create’s hero product, Dan explored uncharted territory, conducting extensive R&D to produce the first creatine gummy. The gummies are vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and feature premium ingredients, so he had to speak to many manufacturers to achieve an edible experience that emphasized the desired flavor and texture characteristics. Dan also discusses his blended DTC and Amazon go-to-market strategy when launching create.
Behind the Business of Subscription Supplements
Dan dives into create’s business model, highlighting the advantages of subscription-based products. By taking full advantage of meta-acquisition channels from the outset, create built recurring revenue streams and a scalable funnel. Critical metrics like LTV and first-order profitability provide create data-driven insights. Dan also shares perspectives on financing inventory, managing supply chain complexities, and strategically scaling subscriptions.
Omnichannel Expansion and the Alignment of Superstar Brands
Shifting focus to sales strategy, Dan analyzes approaches to financing and maps out create’s omnichannel expansion. The conversation weighs the pros and cons of various channels, from DTC to Amazon to specialty retailers. Pricing, meta spend, and choosing entry points to grocery and big box stores are explored. Dan also explains how aligning with premium brands like Equinox builds credibility and consumer trust.
Listen in as Dan generously shares his playbook, offering fellow founders a glimpse of what it takes to dance among the stars when launching and scaling a stellar supplement brand. This enlightening discussion overflows with tasty tidbits and high-impact insights that any CPG company can digest.
Listen In:
Unveiling the Journey of Creating and Scaling a Modern Creatine Brand with Dan McCormick, Founder of Create
This discussion highlights:
- Dan McCormick’s founding of create, a modern creatine brand offering creatine gummies
- The development process for creating the first-ever creatine gummy
- Finding the right flavor, texture, and consumption experience for the gummies
- Making the gummies vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free
- Go-to-market strategy combining DTC and Amazon
- The advantages of subscription-based products like create
- Leveraging the meta-acquisition channel for customer acquisition
- Importance of metrics like LTV (Lifetime Value) and first-order profitability
- Financing and scaling a subscription business from an inventory perspective
- Approaches to financing consumer brands – bootstrapping vs. investors
- Evaluating the pros and cons of various sales channels
- Pricing and meta-spend strategies
- Determining the right timing to enter grocery and big box stores
- Building brand credibility by partnering with premium brands like Equinox
- Managing customer data and omnichannel expansion
- CASH or COGs? Navigating supply chain complexities and the value of cash vs. inventory
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