Easy methods to Disrupt a Legacy Market with Innovation and Genuine Advertising. (A case examine that includes Justin Gardner, CEO of Energetic Pores and skin Restore)

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Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Hey, and welcome to our podcast. I’m Stewart Gandolf, and at present I’m joined by Justin Gardner, founder and CMO of Energetic Pores and skin Restore. We’re going to speak about how one can launch a profitable healthcare client product in a saturated market. To start with, welcome, Justin. 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Thanks, Stewart. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Good to talk with you once more. After we set this up a number of weeks in the past, I used to be actually intrigued by the story of the way you’ve constructed your organization and the way you’re persevering with to construct IT. There’s lots to speak about right here. First, inform us a bit of about your background, and the way you got here to discovered—and now be the Chief Advertising Officer for—Energetic Pores and skin Restore. 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Certain. My background has all the time been in healthcare advertising and marketing. I began at Johnson & Johnson, then moved to a startup biotech/med gadget firm with a regenerative Technology for diabetic foot ulcers and venous stasis ulcers, and helped market that for about six or seven years. After that, I began my very own advertising and marketing company, primarily serving to extra startup firms launch merchandise into the hospital house. Due to my expertise in regenerative drugs and wound care, a variety of our shoppers got here from that house. 
Whereas working that company, I found hypochlorous acid. I helped a shopper launch IT into the hospital house—that’s the Technology behind Energetic Pores and skin Restore. Lengthy story brief, I offered my company, licensed the hypochlorous acid formulation from that medical gadget firm, and introduced IT to market. As a substitute of launching into hospitals, we used the OTC 510(ok) pathway and launched direct-to-consumer. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
That’s nice. For these unfamiliar with hypochlorous acid, inform us what your product is for. Increase on Energetic Pores and skin Restore for the patron market—what does IT do, how does IT work, and the way do you place IT? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Hypochlorous acid is similar molecule your white blood cells produce. For those who get a lower, scrape, or burn, your physique’s immune response sends white blood cells to the harm; inside these cells is hypochlorous acid. IT does three major issues: IT’s a strong antimicrobial (kills 99.9% of micro organism, viruses, and fungi inside 15 seconds—even advanced ones like MRSA and C. diff), IT helps cut back irritation, and IT speeds the pure therapeutic course of. 
As a result of IT’s innate to your immune system, there aren’t any allergic reactions. IT can exchange poisonous antiseptics and topical artificial antibiotics. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Once I grew up, IT was hydrogen peroxide and merthiolate—issues have come a good distance. IT’s humorous how vital this product is. I scratched myself a pair weeks in the past and all of a sudden had an an infection—gosh, that stinks. I want to recollect to purchase some off your cart. I’ve heard of hypochlorous acid with different shoppers, however not in a client setting. Are there different B2B or B2C merchandise on the market utilizing IT? Is that rising? What’s taking place? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
IT’s rising like loopy. The molecule’s been round perpetually—IT’s innate to our immune system. Scientists replicated IT within the 1800s, however the massive leap got here 15–20 years in the past once we discovered how one can stabilize IT and maintain a good pH (5–7), sustaining antimicrobial efficacy for as much as two years in a bottle. That meant IT now not needed to be made bedside. 
We have been one of many first actual OTC manufacturers to launch hypochlorous acid. Traditionally IT was utilized in surgical procedure and continual wound care (e.g., outpatient facilities for diabetic and venous ulcers), not OTC. We launched IT to customers. Now there are in all probability 30+ manufacturers. IT actually took off round COVID on TikTok as an zits facial spray. What makes us completely different: we’ve FDA 510(ok) clearance for use on open pores and skin. About 95% of the others are cosmetics. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
We additionally talked about Neosporin. After we met, I’d simply gotten stitches after path working. The pressing care of us stated I shouldn’t have used Neosporin—so IT’s not good. What are the challenges in competing with and differentiating from such a family model? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
IT’s an enormous family model—because the Fifties—and has J&J affiliation, which builds belief. However Neosporin has a excessive allergic response price (round 15–20% to one of many artificial antibiotics). Due to that, most clinicians don’t advocate IT. IT’s petroleum-based, which many need to keep away from on pores and skin, and makes use of artificial antibiotics—bringing all the problems that include them. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Fast pause—we’ll edit this out. Are you able to examine Zoom video settings and ensure HD is on? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
IT is… not. (Permits HD.) 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
That’s higher. Do you thoughts re-recording the opening? Truly, let’s simply go ahead—IT’ll be fantastic. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Given these adjustments, how do you place your product otherwise out there—and who’s your target market? Does that fluctuate? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
We’ll begin with the target market. After we launched, we have been bootstrapped—no capital for mass retail. Competing with Neosporin and massive pharma in CVS/Walgreens wasn’t real looking, so we went into specialty retail the place we may create a model expertise and educate workers—out of doors sports activities, surf retailers, bike retailers, climbing gyms. We constructed a cult following, however that market wasn’t big. 
We realized the true hero buyer is mothers with younger youngsters. Pores and skin points—cuts, scrapes, diaper rash—are each day. Extra particularly, our “Complete Meals mother,” who values clear, non-toxic options and pays a bit of extra for a greater product. With that buyer in thoughts, differentiation from Neosporin is simple: petroleum and artificial antibiotics vs. a cleaner, efficacious different. That message resonated. The clear magnificence/wellness class has exploded over the past five-plus years, so the viewers is rising. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
What channels are you utilizing now—Amazon, your web site? Are you in Complete Meals or different retail? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Specialty retail is a good place to construct a model—to not earn money. We nonetheless have a number of hundred specialty accounts, however that’s now <1% of income. Our enterprise is actually cut up between our web site and Amazon. We have been among the many first hypochlorous manufacturers on Amazon in 2017. Critiques have been robust, and we noticed instant traction. 
Round 2020, we discovered Instagram influencer advertising and marketing—mother and non-toxic influencers explaining the model and household makes use of. That created the flywheel for our DTC web site. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Let’s speak Amazon technique. Past critiques, what issues for launching and scaling there? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Amazon at present is completely different than eight years in the past. We view IT like a rain catcher—IT’s the place most customers begin, and Prime shifted a variety of first-aid procuring out of pharmacy to Amazon (same- or next-day). We spend money on key phrase search—bidding towards “Neosporin,” plus generic phrases like cuts, scrapes, rashes, diaper rash—and present why we’re completely different. 
We additionally run off-channel media. Podcasts, for instance, might present low ROAS on-site through coupon codes, however we see an Amazon carry once they’re reside. Omni-channel feeds Amazon. For launching, these first ~100 critiques at ≥4.5 stars are crucial. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Inform us extra about influencers and podcasts—any particular ideas? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Instagram Tales have labored finest. Our influencer funds is round $1M, working 5–15 companions a month. The primary filter: do they attain our mother? Ninety-five % of consumers are girls 25–45. Too younger or too previous skews poorly. We like “one-plus child,” and credibility in Health/wellness. Many concentrate on better-for-you merchandise, clear substances, wholesome household recipes—these do nicely. 
We deal with IT like a portfolio: some will hit 2x ROAS, others 0.5x. We intention for ~1.5x total on spend tracked through swipe-up hyperlinks with auto-applied coupon codes. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Are you utilizing Instagram, TikTok, Fb—what’s working? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
~95% Instagram Tales. We’re simply getting occurring TikTok; traditionally IT skewed youthful and hasn’t carried out for us. We’re exploring extra YouTube video, however Instagram is the workhorse. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
How do you discover influencers—company or in-house? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Each. We’ve somebody in-house (30–40% of her position) scouting and managing social, watching which creators comparable “clear” manufacturers use. We additionally use businesses for recruitment. One rule: the influencer should really use the product first, perceive IT, and have actual tales—particularly household use. Genuine perception drives efficiency. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Paid social—what’s your expertise? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
We do paid. Early on IT was powerful to scale; over the past two years we’ve scaled to about $1M in paid. Roughly 70% of spend is on Meta, ~30% Google/YouTube. Scaling got here from rising the first-party funnel (so we will retarget) and continuously iterating inventive to search out winners. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
You experimented with linear TV—how did that go? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
We’re seasonal (Might–August). We ran TV then. We’re very performance-oriented, so lack of direct attribution on linear made IT powerful to quantify, although we did see an Amazon carry. If we transfer into mass retail, linear might have a bigger position. This yr we’re shifting to linked TV—greater CPM, however higher concentrating on and significantly better attribution. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
For anybody launching a brand new services or products in a crowded market—what have you ever realized? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
First-aid/pores and skin Health was a dusty class—no innovation for ~70 years—so IT was ripe for disruption. Having one thing actually distinctive issues. Hypochlorous acid is a strong Technology customers didn’t learn about; that differentiation was crucial. 
All the time search for what’s subsequent. We obtained onto Amazon on the proper time and have been early on influencer advertising and marketing (2018–2022 ROAS was unimaginable). Now we’re watching how AI adjustments search and how one can keep related in LLM-driven discovery. Maintain scanning for platforms/tech that may be significant. 
Additionally, suppose exterior the field. Constructing a cult following in out of doors/specialty retail wasn’t scalable income, however IT created model uniqueness. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
I all the time come again to the P’s—product being crucial. You had a uniquely helpful product in a mature market, which makes the wave simpler to create. And I really like the modern testing and pivoting—congrats on the success. 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Listening to the shopper was big. Coming from doctor advertising and marketing, I believed medical proof could be #1, however for customers IT was really #5. “Pure/non-toxic” was #1. We tailored rapidly to guide with what mattered most to them. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
So true. In client markets, a single testimonial can outperform piles of research. That’s exhausting to simply accept coming from healthcare tradition, however IT’s actual. 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
We realized that with influencer advertising and marketing. I used to temporary creators on all of the science, and people posts carried out worse than once we allow them to be genuine—use IT with their households, converse in their very own phrases, preserve IT easy. Authenticity beat didactic science each time. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Nice bonus perception. Some in my viewers are your goal prospects. You probably have a consumer code, I’m blissful to share IT. 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
I’ll get one for you and you’ll put IT within the present notes. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Nice. For those who’re listening and don’t see IT but, examine healthcaresuccess.com—or go on to your web site? 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
ActiveSkinRepair.com. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Good. IT’s been nice having you, Justin. I admire your time—superior dialog. 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Thanks, sir. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
I want I’d thought concerning the consumer code beforehand, however we’ll add IT to the present notes. This was nice—good story, actionable anecdotes, and broader advertising and marketing precepts that transcend client vs. supplier. There are healthcare leaders on this viewers—hopefully this sparks some fascinating conversations. Thanks once more! 

Justin Gardner (Energetic Pores and skin Restore) 
Alright, thanks, Stewart. 

Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success) 
Thanks. Bye.