Case Study: One Year Scaling Functional Beverage, KA-EX, in the US
From 300 to 1,500+ Retail Doors and a National GNC Listing
Summary
- KA-EX® is a Swiss-engineered sports nutrition brand built around a fast-acting cortisol stress reducer for athletes and high-performers — and now expanded into KA-EX BOOSTER+, creatine and EAA+ ready-to-drink workout booster.
- One year on from its US launch, MFG has helped scale KA-EX from 300+ to 1,500+ active retail doors nationwide, secure a national GNC listing (~2,000 doors) and unlock KeHE's 30,000-door distribution network.
- MFG deployed capital in phased tranches: an initial ~$2M tranche launched the brand across New York City and Los Angeles, followed by a further ~$3M tranche to scale it nationally across California, New York, Florida and Texas.
- The national scale phase delivered 171M+ impressions (107% of plan), reached 20.3M people, and drove +318% YoY website sessions and +33% month-over-month DTC order growth.
- A dedicated New York campaign for the new BOOSTER+ line added 34M+ impressions as KA-EX prepares for its GNC rollout in August 2026.
With MFG, we're not just accessing airtime, we're tapping into a strategic, omnichannel system for brand building. Their diverse media stack and integrated approach are designed to turn audience reach into real commercial momentum, and that's exactly the kind of partner we want at this stage of growth.— Pedro Pablo Schmidt, Founder and CEO of KA-EX®
Brief
Twelve months ago, KA-EX® set out to launch in the United States as the first fast-acting, clinically-backed cortisol stress reducer in a highly competitive wellness market. With limited brand recognition in the US, the challenge was to build awareness while simultaneously generating conversion and retailer interest. First in a concentrated regional window, then at national scale.
The one-year ambition was to move from proving demand in two cities to building a genuinely national brand. The program aimed to:
- Scale retail distribution from a regional base to a national footprint across major US markets and e-commerce platforms.
- Build broad awareness for KA-EX and its category among athletes and high-performers.
- Drive DTC trial, repeat purchase and retail velocity in parallel.
- Support the launch of a new product line — Creatine EAA+ BOOSTER — extending the brand from recovery into pre-workout performance.
Strategic Approach
Rather than a single burst of spend, MFG deployed an omni-channel, phased system designed to convert audience reach into commercial momentum, executed in tranches that each built on the last.
1. Tranche I — Proving demand (Jul–Oct 2025 · NYC & LA · 3 channels)
The launch concentrated media in two markets to prove demand and convert awareness into retail interest.
- TV and streaming anchored visibility on Tennis Channel around the US Open, supported by geo-targeted health & wellness streaming
- A New York Post print-and-digital takeover ran near gyms and parks
- Digital out-of-home bus shelters converted awareness into demand;
- And always-on social plus Amazon Sponsored Ads drove direct response at the lowest cost of acquisition.
The phase secured 300+ retail doors and 30x sales growth across its first two quarters, alongside a 10x uplift in major B2B orders.
2. Tranche II — Scaling nationally (Jan–Apr 2026 · CA·NY·FL·TX)
With demand proven, MFG expanded the media stack to six channels — CTV, linear TV, digital, radio, OOH and print — across four states.
The phase delivered 171M+ impressions at 107% of plan, reached 20.3M people, and isolated a +75% revenue lift in radio markets against a held-out control (versus a +30.9% national average).
3. Product-line expansion — KA-EX BOOSTER+ (Apr–Jun 2026 · New York)
As distribution scaled, KA-EX extended beyond recovery into performance with Creatine EAA+ BOOSTER, a ready-to-drink workout booster.
A concentrated New York campaign built trial and awareness for the new format across digital OOH, experiential activations, podcasts and digital — Outfront and JCDecaux (out-of-home), the Audacy / Draymond Green Show and iHeartRadio (audio), Bleacher Report and the New York Post (digital and social), and a HyperVSN holographic truck activation.
The campaign delivered 34M+ impressions at roughly 125% of plan, with every confirmed partner delivering at or above contracted volumes.
Key Results
- US sales outgrew all other international sales in less than 12 months since launching the brand in the US
- Scaled from 300+ to 1,500+ active retail doors in twelve months — a 4x+ increase in national distribution.
- Secured a national GNC listing (~2,000 doors), now shipping for an August 2026 launch.
- Unlocked KeHE's 30,000-door distribution network and 1,000+ independent gyms and studios.
- Delivered 171M+ impressions (107% of plan) and reached 20.3M people in the national scale phase.
- Grew website sessions +318% year-over-year and DTC orders +33% month-over-month.
Flight 3 is now in progress as KA-EX heads into its GNC rollout and continued national expansion.
