AdExchanger Talks: "Healthy Growth In The Age Of AI" (March 10, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, AdExchanger’s Managing Editor Allison Schiff sits down with Mary Beach, Chief Growth Officer of wellness brand Thorne, to explore how the company is transforming marketing from a support function into a true growth engine. The conversation spans Thorne’s unique approach to marketing and business structure, the advent of answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative AI in content discovery, the crucial task of building trust among skeptical Gen Z consumers, and the operational challenges of responsibly navigating personalization, data, and regulation in the wellness space.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Mary Beach’s Journey & Thorne’s Evolution

• Personal Backstory:
  • Mary shares her late-blooming passion for running, marathon experience, and her accidental fall during a high school mile run. ["If you find joy in it, then do it. If you don't find joy in it, find something else." – Mary, 03:20]
• Thorne’s Business Model:
  • Began as a supplement provider for healthcare professionals; D2C launch on Amazon (2015), then own website (2018).
  • Thorne focuses on quality, clinical rigor, and consumer education, standing out amid a "loud" and crowded market. [04:34–05:21]

Redefining Marketing’s Role

• Chief Growth Officer vs. Traditional CMO:
  • Mary’s CGO role integrates D2C, strategy, and marketing as core business levers.
  • Marketing is accountable not only for awareness/acquisition but for the business's P&L—a structural shift making the team more decision-focused and eliminating silos between commerce and marketing.
    • "Being accountable...to the business, that I think makes me a better marketer. It forces better decisions." (Mary Beach, 08:10)
• Finance Partnership & Experimentation:
  • Advocates collaboration and transparency with the CFO.
  • Culture allows for experimentation and "fail fast" learning, focusing attention on scalable, high-ROI initiatives.
    • "You want a CFO who has some experience with marketing, who is open to taking risks..." (Mary Beach, 09:01)

Growth Metrics & Consumer Education

• Beyond Conversion: Emphasizing Education & Consideration:
  • Thorne values site visits for education, not just transactions; many consumers are on a longer, emotional wellness journey.
  • "65% of people find it easier to do their taxes than to pick a supplement." (Mary Beach, 12:01)
• Mindshare & Non-Conversion Metrics:
  • Brand aims to turn confusion into confidence using educational content, not just pushing products.

Building Trust in the Age of Misinformation

• The ‘Now I Know’ Campaign:
  • Responds to consumer confusion with a dual strategy: "Know me, show me."
    • "Gen Z and Millennials...they have extreme interest in wellness at a much earlier age...but they find it...overwhelming and confusing. That to us was just like, wow, that is such an opportunity as a brand..." (Mary Beach, 14:25)
  • Campaign’s “show me” layer delivers detailed proof points: clinical evidence, certifications, process rigor.
  • Key insight: Even granular, technical data resonates with this audience—they crave transparency.

AI, Answer Engines, and the Future of Discovery

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) vs. SEO

• Content Pipeline Evolution:
  • Thorne benefits from a decade-old, medically curated blog ("Take Five Daily"), making their data 'AI-readable' and strong in answer engines.
  • About 5% of Thorne customers now cite an AI engine as their discovery path (up from virtually 0% a year ago). [18:16–18:32]
• AEO Strategy:
  • Success based on longstanding, well-structured content built for consumer clarity—now a boon for generative AI discovery.

Thorne’s Proprietary AI: Taya

• In-House AI Wellness Advisor:
  • Taya is trained only on Thorne’s internal data and medical expertise—complying with DSHEA regulations and avoiding medical misinformation.
  • Accessible as an optional chatbot or a “smart search” behind the scenes, Taya personalizes recommendations based on genetics, lifestyle, and need states.
    • ["We do put skills before pills." – Mary Beach, 22:13]
• Transparency, Safety, and Regulation:
  • All messaging must be reviewed for regulatory compliance; AI recommendations are explicitly prevented from making unsupportable health claims. [28:27–29:10]

Combatting AI Misinformation & Content Authenticity

• Fact-checking & Monitoring Outputs:
  • Ongoing monitoring of AI outputs for accuracy and prompt correction.
  • Misinformation-driven trends are avoided; instead, all content is richly sourced and rooted in clinical data. [31:26–32:44]
• Traditional SEO: Still Relevant
  • No near-term reallocation away from traditional SEO; foundational principles (“structuring information, the accuracy…the way it shows up”) remain applicable for both SEO and AEO. [32:57–33:46]

Investment Shifts and Responsible Targeting

• Budgeting & Partnerships:
  • While in-house content investments were already substantial, Thorne shifts some spend toward partnerships with high-reputation, information-rich platforms like Healthline.
  • Some ad spend reduced in channels (e.g., podcasts) that didn't perform; new spend supports owned/educational content and trusted third-party placements. [34:15]
• Respectful Targeting & Privacy
  • All marketing and targeting undergo rigorous medical and regulatory review.
  • Targeting is contextual rather than disease-specific—focused on those demonstrably interested in wellness, not exploiting or assuming health conditions. [36:31–37:20]

Engaging (and Earning the Trust of) Gen Z

• Gen Z’s Distinct Needs:
  • Gen Z leads the trend toward early, holistic wellness; they're values-driven, skeptical, and highly engaged in research.
  • Messaging must be “atomized” (tailored) for different platforms and generations.
  • “Rigor” (clinical proof, certifications, technical data) content outperforms influencer/community-focused content with Gen Z. [38:57]
    • "They want to follow up with that proof." (Mary Beach, 39:41)
• Influencers & Community:
  • Creator program prioritizes authenticity and education.
  • Success is less about follower count and more about engaged, niche audiences—especially those resonating with Gen Z’s priorities.

Real-World AI Applications in Marketing

• AI in the Stack:
  • Experimenting with AI for customer persona simulations (“Persona IQ”), creative brainstorming, event planning, and copy testing.
    • It serves as a generative “gut check,” but is never a substitute for direct consumer research or human oversight.
    • ["It doesn't replace first-party research or just human decision making. But it's really interesting to get insight that you might not have thought of..." – Mary Beach, 44:14]
• AI for Creative:
  • Real bottlenecks remain in AI-generated imagery—brand assets (like bottles) are hard for AI to represent accurately, so creative application is still largely experimental.

Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Finding Joy and Perseverance ([03:20]):
  • Mary Beach: "If you find joy in it, then do it. If you don't find joy in it, find something else."
• On Customer Confusion ([12:01]):
  • Mary Beach: "65% of people find it easier to do their taxes than to pick a supplement."
• On Gen Z’s Mindset ([14:25]):
  • Mary Beach: "[Gen Z and Millennials] have extreme interest in wellness at a much earlier age...but they find it...overwhelming and confusing. That to us was just like, wow, that is such an opportunity as a brand..."
• On Marketing Accountability ([08:10]):
  • Mary Beach: "Being accountable...to the business, that I think makes me a better marketer. It forces better decisions."
• On Organizational Culture ([09:01]):
  • Mary Beach: "You want a CFO who has some experience with marketing, who is open to taking risks."
• On Training Their AI ([18:16]):
  • Mary Beach: "About 5% of our consumers today...hear about us through an AI engine, and that's pretty amazing when that number was 0% a year ago."
• On “Skills Before Pills” Philosophy ([22:13]):
  • Mary Beach: "I love Thorne because you put skills before pills. And I never heard it said that way, but I was like, I like that expression."
• On Gen Z’s Healthy Skepticism ([40:34]):
  • Allison Schiff: "Would you call it healthy skepticism?"
  • Mary Beach: "I think you should always be a little skeptical."
• On AI in Marketing Ops ([44:14]):
  • Mary Beach: "It doesn't replace first-party research or just human decision making. But it's really interesting to get insight that you might not have thought of..."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:00 – Mary’s personal story, running journey
• 04:34 – Thorne’s evolution, D2C challenge
• 06:56 – CGO structure, marketing as a growth engine
• 09:01 – CFO/finance relationship, experimentation culture
• 12:01 – Consumer confusion: “Tax vs. Supplements” stat
• 14:15 – Gen Z/Millennial trust gap & Now I Know campaign
• 18:16 – AEO and the rise of AI discovery (5% via AI)
• 22:13 – "Skills before pills" philosophy
• 28:27 – Taya AI: regulatory aspects, content control
• 31:26 – AI misinformation, fact-checking
• 34:15 – Shifting investments, Healthline partnership
• 36:31 – Responsible targeting, privacy issues
• 38:57 – Gen Z: skepticism, values, transparency
• 41:06 – Creator/influencer program insights
• 43:37 – AI in marketing stack, Persona IQ
• 46:32 – Desert island supplement question (probiotic)

Episode Takeaways

• Modern Marketing = Core Growth Engine: Thorne’s organizational model integrates marketing, D2C, data, and cross-functional collaboration for accountability and nimbleness.
• AI and AEO are Disrupting Discovery—But Trust Matters Most: Thorne leverages its foundation of credible, well-structured content to excel in answer engines and ensure accuracy amid generative AI’s risks.
• Gen Z Demands Proof, Not Platitudes: Gen Z’s skepticism and focus on transparency shape all aspects of Thorne’s communication and content strategy.
• Ethical Personalization, Not Exploitation: In the highly regulated wellness category, patient safety, clear sourcing, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable—marketing must add value, not exploit fears or conditions.
• AI Is a Tool, Not a Silver Bullet: While AI unlocks efficiencies (e.g., persona modeling, content adaptation), human judgment, first-party research, and regulatory discipline remain essential.

This summary provides both a detailed roadmap and the most important insights from this episode, offering value to those who missed the conversation or want to revisit its main lessons.