For decades, brands like Jamieson and Natural Factors owned the Canadian supplement aisle through shelf space, TV spots, and “trusted since 1922” positioning. But Gen Z is discovering supplements on TikTok Shop, podcasts, and Instagram Stories, not in Sunday flyers. The result: 2‑month‑old, creator‑led brands can generate more demand in a week than legacy brands create in a quarter of traditional media.
Why Legacy Brands Are Losing Gen Z
1. Built for pharmacies, not For You pages
Jamieson’s core playbook is still 360‑degree, mass‑market marketing: TVCs, in‑store displays, broad influencer campaigns, and brand‑safe educational content.
Natural‑health incumbents often lean on print, standard digital, and retailer co‑op marketing that speak more to families and boomers than to creators and micro‑communities
These strategies still move volume in Shoppers Drug Mart, but they don’t generate the “TikTok made me buy it” moments Gen Z uses to discover new products.
2. Product lines are bloated, stories are blurry
Legacy brands carry hundreds of SKUs across every vitamin and condition, which makes messaging diffuse and hard to translate into a simple, viral story
AG1, by contrast, built a billion‑dollar valuation on a single green powder SKU plus a tiny set of add‑ons, making it incredibly easy to explain, film, and ritualize: one scoop, once a day, for “foundational nutrition.
Gen Z doesn’t want to decode 40 different SKUs; they want a ritual they can film, share, and feel
3. Compliance mindset over creator speed
Canadian health brands operate under strict advertising rules, which pushes them toward conservative messaging and lengthy approval cycles.
Meanwhile, brands like Snap Supplements are iterating creative weekly inside TikTok Shop, testing hooks, creators, and angles, then scaling only what converts
The gap isn’t just regulation; it’s operational speed. New brands build systems to ship 50–100 creatives a month. Legacy teams still think in quarterly campaigns.
How New‑Age Gen Z Brands Exploit AI, Content, and Social
1. AI‑driven growth engines, not static funnels
Modern DTC supplement brands increasingly use AI across the lifecycle: to segment audiences, test creative, personalize offers, and orchestrate multi‑channel journeys
Creative testing: Tools now auto‑generate dozens of short‑form video variants, swap hooks, and learn which angles convert (sleep, focus, gut health) for each audience segment.
Dynamic journeys: Instead of a one‑time quiz, AI systems adapt email, SMS, and in‑app messaging based on behaviour, refill patterns, and even wearable data.
Legacy: a static welcome flow and monthly newsletter. New‑age: a living “health OS” that updates your stack and content based on how you behave.
2. Content as the product wrapper
AG1 didn’t just sell powder; it sold an identity: busy, high‑performance people who “stack wins” by starting the day with a green ritual.
Heavy podcast and influencer placements allowed long‑form education and story, which is ideal for a premium product that needs justification.
TikTok creators and users generate organic UGC—unboxings, morning routines, travel hacks—turning the product into a daily content format.
Snap Supplements uses TikTok Shop as a direct sales channel, relying on native content and affiliates to move high‑intent products like prostate formulas in real time. In all these cases, “content” isn’t a support function; it’s the primary distribution.
Gen Z supplement discovery is now:
See creator routine on TikTok or Instagram
Click native shop link or quiz
Get a personalized bundle or subscription
Share your own ritual and results online
This loop is where AG1, Snap Supplements, and emerging Gen Z brands live. Legacy brands are often absent or running repurposed TV spots that feel like ads rather than content.
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