Jason Andree is the CMO of one of the fastest-growing companies in the country, Nufabrx. He grew up on a farm, and showing cattle translates surprisingly well to being a CMO. Jason joined Nufabrx from GlaxoSmithKline, where he led their global digital marketing department, executing marketing strategies across global categories. He is now a senior-level marketing executive with over fifteen years of success within the healthcare industry and is forging a new path in Healthware with Nufabrx.

Nufabrx puts medicine in clothing by making it water-soluble, infusing it into yarn, and coating it onto textiles. The company started in Seattle but soon relocated to Alan’s home state, North Carolina, to be closer to experts in the textile industry. Due to its proximity to suppliers and researchers, Nufabrx is able to source all of its product materials within 90 miles of its manufacturing plant.

In this episode, Jason and I discuss why biohacking is becoming mainstream and the challenges of operating in the “white space” to create a new product in a giant industry. Jason and his team are crafting creative to make people rethink solutions to pain and targeting the demographic that is most familiar with pain: older consumers. Many marketers want to focus on the flashy fun of younger consumers, but older consumers are often overlooked, and Nufabrx is taking the opportunity to fill the gap. As a smaller brand, Nufabrx has to be innovative with its marketing dollars, so they keep a keen eye on performance and know they have to be flexible, take risks, and stay close to consumers. In addition to B2C, Nufabrx operates in the B2B space as well. Jason believes innovation can only come from consumer behavior. By licensing its technology and working with established brands rather than against them, Nufabrx is leading the charge in the construction of a new category.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why we are seeing a ride in mainstream biohacking
  • How to build and think about a new product, brand, and category
  • What is “co-opetition”?

Key Highlights:

  • [01:30] Cowboy Kid
  • [04:00] Jason’s path to Nufabrx
  • [05:50] Nufabrx Overview
  • [09:10] Why is biohacking big right now?
  • [12:30] Building a new brand, new product, and new category leader
  • [15:20] Crafting creative to make people (re)think
  • [19:40] Making less money work more
  • [22:00] “Co-opetition” in B2B
  • [25:10] How to handle your ambition
  • [26:45] Plan your steps, but not too much.
  • [28:10] Less about marketing performance. More about telling better stories
  • [29:50] Biomes to watch
  • [32:10] The Times They Are A-Changin’, fast!

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Post-Production Credits:

Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.