Stratum Nutrition's® marketing team works at the intersection of creativity and compliance, brainstorming and executing campaigns and materials that educate and entertain while sticking to strict regulatory standards. Throughout this interview, we get an inside look at their goofy side and learn a little bit about how they blend scientific data with humor to highlight the benefits of our ingredients. From navigating the complexities of nutraceutical marketing regulations to making sure their messages resonate with customers and stakeholders, the team shares their thoughts on both silly and serious matters. 

1. If you could describe the Stratum Nutrition® brand as an animal, what would it be and how does that animal’s personality reflect our marketing? 

Alexis: I wanted to pick unicorn at first, but I feel like that’s a cop out. If I had to go with a real animal, I would say we are a platypus because a platypus is capable of doing so many different things and refuses to be put in a box. Our Marketing team is capable of tackling so many different tasks, and we keep our marketing creative and outside the box, too. Platypuses (platypi?) also lay eggs, but they feed their young milk like a mammal. I feel like with our flagship ingredients being egg-derived, I had to choose an animal that lays eggs. The platypus is made up of so many random components but they all work together to make a creature that is extraordinary and able to thrive in its environment. A furry body, with a duck bill, and a beaver tail, and poison-barbed feet somehow all came together to make an awesome critter. I feel like our team, with our different personalities, backgrounds, and expertise comes together in the same way.  

David: The obvious answer here would be the chicken, based on our egg-cellent portfolio of egg ingredients and our flagship ingredient, NEM® eggshell membrane. However, I’m going with the dolphin here. Dolphins are intelligent and exhibit advanced problem-solving skills. That intelligence reflects the robust science behind our ingredients. Dolphins are also known for their playful behavior. If you follow us on our socials or have been around us at trade shows, you know just how much fun we like to have! From “funny” (obviously I’m biased) Dad jokes to our fun take on ingredient news with “The Twisted Pill” newsletter, we embody the fun and curious nature of the playful dolphin. 

Julianne: I’m going to go with otters because they are fun and playful and they’re very intelligent problem solvers! They are great at adapting to new challenges and they have deep connections to their kind with an emphasis on cooperation and care. This reflects the Stratum brand because our purpose is in caring about the ingredients we provide in order to help our customers adapt to the ever-changing challenges that arise in our industry. We’ve established our brand around this and do our best to create marketing that accurately reflects the intelligence and science behind our carefully selected ingredients in a fun and playful way. 

2. If you could collaborate with any fictional character to promote one of our ingredients, who would it be, which ingredient would it be and why? 

Alexis: I would love to see Foghorn Leghorn promoting NEM®. That voice is iconic. 

David: Oh, this is easy! Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool would be perfect for promoting our NEM® eggshell membrane in his irreverent, sarcastic, and over-the-top style. With his combination of humor, unfiltered personality, and knack for breaking the fourth wall, he’d make an unforgettable pitch for joint health with NEM® eggshell membrane. 

I can already see it now: (Deadpool all covered in bandages) "Alright, so I heal fast. I get it. But you know what I can’t heal from? Joint pain. That stuff sticks around longer than an ex at a family reunion. (Looks into camera and says, “You know what I’m talking about, Hugh.”) 

Enter: NEM® eggshell membrane, the magical gift from the world’s most underappreciated breakfast food. It helps rebuild cartilage, keeps your joints smooth like butter, and takes the edge off after too many... um, questionable decisions involving swords and explosives."   

Tagline: “NEM® Eggshell membrane—because even Deadpool’s joints need a little TLC. Fight back against the grind of everyday life… or just one more sword fight.”   

Julianne: Rafiki from The Lion King would be the perfect spokes-mandrill for SageXtra™. He’s a good representation of preserving wisdom and passing it down through generations, much like sage has been used for centuries. His role as the keeper of Simba’s legacy parallels SageXtra’s™ ability to support memory retention, making sure that the lessons and memories we cherish stay vivid. Rafiki is also a guide to clarity and he helps Simba understand his path with simple and profound insights. SageXtra™ offers a similar function for cognitive health—sharp focus and mental clarity. The tagline could be, “Like Rafiki, SageXtra™ helps you remember what matters.” 

3. If the Stratum Nutrition® brand had its own theme song, what genre would it be? What would you write for the lyrics? 

Alexis: There are too many fun options here. I pictured the opening of CSI Miami. Who needs words when you have so much cool? Then, my brain started constructing lyrics of how we got started to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies…so, there you go. 

David: I guess I’m on a Deadpool kick 'cause now I’m imagining Deadpool singing and dancing to Bye, Bye, Bye by NSYNC but changing the lyrics to “With Stratum’s NEM®, joint pain goes bye bye bye, bye-bye.”   

Julianne: I’m picking Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band because it represents the beginning of our company with chicken eggshells that we still use today, and the simplicity of life just like the simplicity of the ingredients we provide. The opening line could go, “You know I like my health to shine, with Stratum pride and wellness vibes.” 

4. Imagine you’re hosting a party where every guest represents one of our ingredients. Who’s the life of the party and who’s quietly observing and taking it all in?   

Alexis: I think NEM® is the older guest quietly observing all the new kids on the block who still don’t have their act together compared to this veteran ingredient. I think the whole party would be lively because of how international the party would be. South Korean ORACMU™, French Humiome® Post LB, British Bimuno® and Ahiflower®, Indian-American CurQ+®, and then our home-grown egg-ingredients, NEM®, ESC®, and Ovolux™. What a cool gathering. 

David: I think the life of the party is ORACMU™, feeling confident and fresh with that great breath and OVOLUX™ is looking radiant and youthful, mingling with all the guests. NEM® is surveying the room and taking it all in, watching the new youth movement, but grinning from ear to ear because they know it won’t be long before NEM® is teaching them cool breakdancing moves.   

Julianne: NEM® is the life of the party, charismatic, versatile, and everyone wants to know its secret to keeping people feeling so good. Ahiflower® is the party’s environmental advocate, leading discussions about regenerative agriculture and how everyone can do their part to protect the planet. Bimuno® is in a cozy corner engaging other guests in deep conversations about the nuances of health and wellness. CurQ+® has a vibrant energy that draws people in. OVOLUX™ is the creative soul of the party, dazzling guests with artistic ideas. SageXtra™ is the more mature and steady energy, open to strategy board games and reminiscing about the past. 

5. If you had to pitch one of our ingredients using only emojis, which ingredient would you pick and which emojis would you use?  

Alexis: Humiome® Post LB is easy, zombie + bacteria = poop emoji + “no more” symbol.

David: I’ve gotta go Humiome® Post LB here paired with the poo emoji for that "slow the go." 

Julianne: SageXtra™ with the brain and arm flexing emojis because it helps you flex your focus and memory muscles.  

6. What do you see as the biggest challenge in marketing nutraceutical products today and how do we overcome it?   

Alexis: I think the biggest challenge in marketing products to brands is standing out from the herd. Every company can start to look and sound the same. Also, making sure the unique aspects that set your ingredients apart are marketing in a succinct way that grabs attention. If our marketing makes it easier for a brand’s marketing team to see the end consumer pitch for our ingredient, we win. 

David: I think one of the biggest challenges is overcrowding. Consumers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices, and many products can appear similar, making it difficult for any single ingredient or brand to stand out. Additionally, many consumers are unsure of the actual benefits of certain ingredients, leading to confusion. One way to overcome it is with clear, fun, relatable educational marketing. Companies need to take the time to explain not just what their products do, but why they are effective and present the supporting science in ways the consumer can understand. 

Julianne: I think there are a few big challenges that coincide with each other. Consumers are seeking clear, trustworthy information about the products they’re looking for in the nutraceutical industry in order to make informed decisions, but they face challenges when it comes to deciphering scientific lingo, exaggerated claims, or conflicting advice and misinformation. Misinformation and skepticism around the supplement and nutraceutical industry add another layer of complexity, making transparency and credibility absolutely vital. On top of these challenges, consumer preferences change consistently, influenced by ever-evolving scientific research, the power of social media and the trends that come with it, and shifting cultural priorities like longevity, sustainability, convenience, etc. I think these challenges can be overcome as mentioned above through transparency paired with credibility in order to stand out. Companies and brands are remiss in the long run if they don’t pursue third party testing and credible certifications to guarantee that what they offer is legit and they can back it up without hesitation in the oversaturated market.  

7. How do you measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and what metrics are most important to you?   

Alexis: We go on feedback (from customers, competitors – yes, they compliment our marketing!, and the company). It is really hard to measure the value of being seen, because good luck tracking how that led to an opportunity.   

David: This is a tricky one, there are a few things we look at but also we can’t be going and telling all our secrets now, can we?   

Julianne: B2B marketing is a different animal compared to B2C. If we measured our success like B2C marketers, we might look like we were failing, but we’re not. While tracking the nitty gritty numbers may not always be an accurate depiction of our success, we know it’s working when people come up to us at tradeshows or email us and tell us how much they liked something of ours they saw online or in a magazine, or when they tell us they heard about us from a colleague or friend. Those are some of our most valued metrics and the hardest to track numerically.  

8. How do you balance creativity with compliance when it comes to marketing in the natural product industry?   

Alexis: I put compliance first, but that is not an issue because creativity actually increases when there are boundaries. We have to know what we can work with first before we get the creative juices flowing. I think our ability to stay compliant yet eye-catching and fun drives a lot of the positive feedback we receive. 

David: Compliance is always key, but we like to challenge the norm. There is always the element of risk/reward that comes into play. If a complex idea doesn’t fit risk-wise, we don’t just go with the half version of it for the sake of using it.

Julianne: First and foremost, we have to be sure we’re compliant by regulatory standards, always. The accuracy of the science and information we share is crucial. And I think making sure the science is understandable and accurate takes its own method of creativity along with how we present it visually. Once we know the bounds we can work in, that’s when we have the most fun getting goofy during our brainstorming sessions and throwing out some of what seem like the most random ideas. As random as some of these ideas may seem, they often lead us and inspire us along the way to our next creative destination.