From Simmer to Shelf: How Kettle & Fire Brewed a Retail Revolution with Strategic Marketing
What began as a niche direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand has become a supermarket staple, proving that even the oldest culinary staples can disrupt the food aisle.
Here’s how founders Justin and Nick Mares transformed simmered bones into a simmering success story, blending authenticity, education, and data-driven grit.
Phase 1: The DTC Simmer – Building a Broth Brotherhood
Kettle & Fire launched in 2015, targeting health enthusiasts, specifically the cross-fit niche.
Their recipe? Premium ingredients (grass-fed beef) and a mission to make bone broth’s ancient health benefits convenient for modern lifestyles.
The DTC Playbook:
- Content as the Secret Stock: Before selling a single carton, Kettle & Fire poured resources into blogs, guides, and recipes. Think “Why Bone Broth is the Ultimate Superfood”. This content didn’t just attract SEO traffic, it positioned them as the authority on bone broth.
- Influencers, Two Ways: They partnered with lifestyle influencers for aspirational meal prep posts and healthcare pros (nutritionists, dietitians) to validate health claims.
- Community-Driven Growth: Early adopters weren’t just buyers, they were evangelists.
Phase 2: The Retail Rollout – From Pantry to Prominence
By 2018, Kettle & Fire had simmered long enough. With a loyal DTC base and proven demand, they marched into retail.
The Retail Recipe:
- Strategic Shelf Placement: They targeted retailers like Whole Foods and Sprouts, where health-conscious shoppers already roamed. Later expansions into Walmart and Kroger brought them mainstream accessibility.
- Timing is Everything: Waiting until they’d built an online brand gave them leverage. Retailers weren’t just taking a chance, they were investing in a proven winner.
- Omnichannel Flavor: QR codes on packaging linked to recipes, while in-store demos introduced newbies to bone broth’s benefits. Seamless online-offline integration kept the brand sticky.
The Marketing Mix: 6 Ingredients to Kettle & Fire’s Success
- Content Marketing as a Nutrient-Rich Base
Their blog is the backbone. By answering “Why bone broth?” before pushing sales, they built trust. - Influencer Layers: Lifestyle + Authority
A fitness influencer’s post about post-workout broth sipping paired with a nutritionist’s YouTube explainer on collagen. Together, they catered to both hearts and minds. - Data-Driven Ads: No Guesswork, Just ROI
Social ads targeted keto devotees and paleo parents. - UGC: Let Customers Stir the Pot
Reposting customer photos and hosting recipe contests turned buyers into co-creators. Authenticity > polished ads. - Quality as the Main Ingredient
“Grass-fed,” “organic,” and “24-hour simmer” weren’t just labels - they were headlines. Transparency built a premium perception. - Education Over Aggression
They didn’t assume shoppers knew bone broth from stock. Explainer videos, “How to Use” guides, and even collagen content demystified the product.
Why It Worked: Trust, Timing, and a Dash of Data
Kettle & Fire’s success boils down to three key elements:
- Trust First: They educated before they sold, earning credibility in a skeptical market.
- Retail Readiness: Waiting for DTC validation meant retailers saw minimal risk.
- Agile Adaptation: From TikTok recipes to TV ads, they evolved without losing their core identity.
The Future of Food Brands? Think Omnichannel
Kettle & Fire’s journey is a masterclass in modern brand-building. For legacy brands, the lesson is clear:
- Start niche, then scale. Dominate a passionate community before chasing mass appeal.
- Blend digital and physical. Use online insights to fuel retail strategy (and vice versa).
- Educate to elevate. Even ancient foods need a fresh story.
Keep Crushing!
- Sales Guy