Bare Performance Nutrition: A Marketing Case Study

How did a $20,000 dollar loan convert to a $50 million dollar business? No need to look further than successful supplement company, Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN). Within its 12 year history, BPN has managed to grow a brand that not only results in the best products available, but also brings the best versions of people 24/7. It’s products have certainly played a factor, but its marketing is the vehicle that has taken them from one exciting journey to the next. This marketing case study breaks down the successful strategies used by Bare Performance Nutrition, how they have built an unshakable ethos, and why its community ecosystem is resulting in the highest conversion rates in the businessworld.

After its founding in 2012, Nick Bare and his brother, Preston, began building the skeleton to what we now know as Bare Performance Nutrition. From taking out a $20,000 loan, to selling products from his barracks, to now soaring past 50 million in revenue, Nick not only navigated an incredible journey, but documented it for his fans to see. With his personal YouTube channel surpassing 1.1 million subscribers, his podcast channel with 50,000+ subscribers, and BPN’s channel having 25,000+ subscribers, creating and documenting content isn’t new to Bare. In fact, his YouTube channels are seen as a strong pillar to his several streams of income.

BPN's Successful Marketing Strategies

For a brand to emerge from a $20,000 loan to surpassing $50 million in revenue (2023), it must have a portfolio of successful strategies that can be stretched and leveraged along the way. For BPN, they not only have a promising portfolio, but a strong, supporting cast that has forged BPN’s culture, ethos, and success for over 10 years.

- Influencer Marketing: This is BPN’s greatest asset for attracting new customers towards its brand. Bare and BPN continually reach new audiences by partnering with fitness influencers, professional athletes, and olympians to share the brands latest products and apparel. BPN’s influencer network spans from audiences in the NFL, powerlifting, ultra-running, olympic weightlifting, crossfit, and more - and is only expanding as they continue to grow.

- Employers Are Extension of Influencer Ecosystem: BPN has one of the strongest support systems from its employees, and it should be no surprise as to why. The brand not only prioritizes its team members, but encourages them through community in and outside of the office. When employees are willing to promote and stand behind the products they sell, they not only have a higher morale, but also provide a testament to the products and how effective they truly are. This in of itself could be a case study - this is a diamond in the rough that 99% of companies search for.

- Emphasis on Community: BPN takes pride in its community and the events they host nationwide. Whether its through the ‘World Tour’ Run Club, sponsoring major marathons, or inviting runners for their own ‘Go One More’ marathon or ‘BPN 50-miler,’ the team knows how to throw great events and to excite its audience. In most cases, BPN will also provide electrolytes and other supplements to fuel the runners during their event - and may even provide sneak-peaks at an upcoming product. 

BPN's Bulletproof Branding & Ethos

Bare Performance Nutrition has maintained a healthy brand image through these three pillars. These pillars are continually on display within the brand’s website, content, marketing, and most importantly, its supplements.

- Transparency: BPN doesn't shy away from its product ingredients and manufacturing process. In fact, Nick Bare documents this journey on several occasions on his YouTube channel, and the brand often shares the ingredients to make its products. In addition, BPN also breaks down how each of their products work, how to use them, and WHY they work. The brand will illustrate their points through several studies, and display them frequently on product pages. Truthfully, transparency is the pillar that not only attracts new customers to the brand, but it also retains its audience, ensuring that their products are not only top-of-the-line, but also clean for your body. 

- Camaraderie: The buck doesn't stop at running events, BPN has built its brand around camaraderie not just within its internal team, but through its rapidly-growing community. Customers often including product photos when leaving reviews on the website, but even more so, they frequently interact and engage with BPN’s content on social media. With the average Instagram post receiving 3,500+ likes, BPN continues to grow in both social following and interaction to fulfill its mission statement: ‘Go One More.’

- Excellence: In everything they do, BPN pushes for excellence. However, it's not just within the races they hold, or the events they sponsor, BPN strives for excellence in its marketing, brand strategy, its storytelling, and their products. In fact, BPN has improved its products several times through re-releasing product flavors and product lines altogether. Recently, BPN did this with its mint-chocolate chip whey protein powder. After years of perfecting the flavor and blend, BPN released the product once again in 2023, and was one of the most successful relaunches in the brand’s history. 

The Sole Reason Why BPN is the Greatest Supplement Company in 2024

Yes, BPN has strong competition between 1stPhorm, Ghost, Ryse, and others; yet, its the ecosystem of communities is what separates BPN from its competitors. These are the ways BPN connects and markets its audience - and a few might surprise you.

- YouTube: With a combined following of 1.1 million subscribers, this is the second largest channel for BPN to market its products, athletes, and company. However, its greatest component is being able to create long-form content that not only tells a compelling story, but also builds an emotional attachment with the customer who is interested in purchasing through them.

- Instagram: As its largest audience with nearly 1.5 million followers, Nick Bare and BPN continually pump content through this channel as most of its target audience grew up with Instagram. With most of its following being millennials and gen-z, it's no surprise why Instagram is the best platform to advertise to new and recurring customers.

- LinkedIn: Yes, BPN is even on LinkedIn! The brand will often show its latest video production or campaign, and usually receives strong feedback in return. With most companies having a sub-par presence on LinkedIn, BPN understands this is an untapped market, and is making greater efforts to reach its audience from a professional perspective.

- SMS Text Marketing: BPN’s SMS marketing is its greatest weapon when attracting recurring customers towards new products. They not only use SMS to launch new products, but have also been known for releasing products early to those on the SMS list. This is a great strategy for building lists, and engaging with its audience.

- Email Marketing: Similar to its SMS, BPN leverages its email list to promote new products and marketing campaigns to its audience. In addition to product launches and new athletes, BPN will periodically reach out for warehouse employment during its busy season or when they have sales throughout the year.

- BPN Performance App: This is BPN’s way of practicing what they preach. Their performance app is used by thousands of customers that can find the perfect plan for their goals. Whether its to run a marathon for the first time, train for their first powerlifting meet, or to build a strong hybrid structure, BPN takes pride in its app, and regularly promotes it on its social networks.

Conclusion

Bare Performance Nutrition is a premier health and wellness brand that not only specializes in clean, effective supplements, but also in building communities that are bigger than the brand itself. BPN’s biggest seller isn’t its products, or apparel, or subscriptions within their app. The brand’s biggest seller is the attitude and mindset of ‘going one more’ in life - whether through business, family, faith, you name it. It has helped them built an unshakable ethos and a uber-successful conversion rate within its SMS and email marketing; and fortunately for BPN, the sky is the limit on its potential and for them to ‘Go One More.’