The Playbook for Kepos

Kepos has a single flagship product with a premium price point (about $76) and a clear, high-trust promise: a non-dairy, 'human milk-equivalent' prebiotic superfood powder designed for adult gut health, immune support, and cognitive well-being, especially for people with sensitive digestive systems (IBS, IBD, food sensitivities). That is a strong foundation for partnerships because most shoppers in this category do not buy from a discount link alone. They buy when a trusted person explains why this specific product fits their symptoms, what to expect, and how to use it safely.

The challenge is that generic affiliate links do not carry that context. They often send warm traffic into a cold PDP, forcing the shopper to do mental work (What is this? Is it safe for me? How do I take it? Should I subscribe? Why is it expensive?). That friction lowers conversion, compresses average order value, and makes good partners look 'ineffective' even when their audience is a fit.

CreatorCommerce solves that by turning each partner into a co-branded shopping funnel on your domain: the page looks like Kepos, but it is guided by the partner's story, recommendations, and auto-applied discount. Across Shopify brands, these co-branded funnels typically drive 30%+ higher CVR and 67% higher AOV than regular affiliate links. For Kepos, the upside is especially strong because health shoppers need education and reassurance before spending $76 on a powder.

Step 0: Segment Strategy

Start by deciding which partner segments Kepos should win and how each segment should sell. In health and wellness, the best mix is usually a blend of practitioners (high trust, lower volume, strong conversion) plus educator creators (higher reach, more top-of-funnel, variable conversion). Kepos can run both, but each segment needs different storefront templates and different content requirements.

Recommended segments for Kepos (US-focused): (1) Practitioners: functional medicine doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, gastro-focused RDs, health coaches who work with IBS/IBD/sensitivities. These partners should drive 'protocol-style' funnels with clear guidance. (2) Condition-focused micro-influencers: IBS community creators, gluten-free/dairy-free creators, chronic illness advocates, gut health educators who can speak to sensitivities without over-claiming. (3) High-intent publishers and communities: newsletters, patient resource sites, podcast hosts, and niche forums that can run evergreen 'best prebiotic for sensitive digestion' pages. This segment benefits from more editorial, evidence-forward landing pages.

Because Kepos currently has one product, segmentation is even more important. The path to growth is not 'more SKUs'; it is 'more angles' and 'more credible entry points.' CreatorCommerce storefronts let you do that without making new products: one product, many stories, many partners, many funnels.

Step 1: Partner Enrollment

Enrollment should feel simple and professional, especially for practitioners. The objective is to remove uncertainty: what do they earn, what does their audience get, and what do they need to do after signing up. Use an enrollment flow that collects only the essentials up front, then gradually asks for more details once they see their co-branded page.

Enrollment plan: First, build two entry points: a practitioner program page and a creator/educator program page. Both pages should promise the real differentiator: a personalized Kepos storefront, not just a link. Next, recruit through three channels: (1) product seeding to 30-50 highly targeted practitioners/educators per month, (2) outbound email/DM to practitioners who already speak about IBS/IBD and sensitivities, and (3) inbound capture from your site (a small callout on PDP and in post-purchase: 'Are you a practitioner? Recommend Kepos and get a co-branded patient page'). CreatorCommerce partner apps power the data capture and the storefront creation, while Social Snowball continues to manage core affiliate tracking and payouts.

Make approval fast. A practitioner who is excited today will not be excited after two weeks. Aim for a 24-48 hour approval SLA and an immediate 'your storefront is live' message.

Step 2: Partner Activation by Segment

Activation is where most affiliate programs fail. They hand a link and hope. Kepos should activate partners by giving them something they can confidently share: a page that looks like a professional recommendation and removes shopper friction.

Practitioner activation (high trust, high conversion): First, collect structured inputs via a short form: credentials (RD, MD, coach), patient focus (IBS, IBD, sensitivities, immune support, cognitive), preferred tone (clinical vs friendly), and 3-5 FAQs they hear from patients. Next, CreatorCommerce can generate the first draft of their storefront using those inputs plus AI suggestions (edited by your team): recommended routine, who it is for, who it is not for, and a safe language framework that avoids over-claiming. Then notify the practitioner by email/SMS: their page is live with their name, photo, and discount auto-applied.

Creator/educator activation (higher reach): First, collect their best content angle (symptom story, dairy-free lifestyle, gut routine), their top-performing short-form videos, and a preferred offer (first-bag discount vs subscribe-and-save). Then generate a storefront that embeds their UGC, highlights the 'sensitive digestion' positioning, and answers objections. The goal is to make sharing feel 'new' again: they are not posting another link; they are posting their own Kepos shop.

Whitelisted Meta ads (optional, high leverage): For partners who already produce winning creative, offer 1-click ad authorization so Kepos can run whitelisted ads from the partner handle to their co-branded storefront. This often improves performance because the ad has native social proof and the landing experience stays consistent with the creator identity. Start with 5-10 partners, cap spend, and use clear content approvals.

Step 3: Co-branded Storefronts & Funnels

Now design the actual storefront templates Kepos will scale. With one SKU, the storefront needs to do four jobs: clarify what Kepos is, establish safety/trust for sensitive guts, show how to take it, and make the purchase decision easy (discount applied, subscription explained, and FAQs handled).

Template A: 'IBS-friendly routine' storefront Use a hero that states the partner's role and the shopper promise ('Kepos recommended by [Name], for sensitive digestion'). Add a short 'Start here' section: who it fits, taste/texture expectations, and a simple routine (e.g., start low and titrate). Add an FAQ module focused on tolerability and what to do if symptoms flare. Include the discount auto-applied and a subscription option framed as convenience and consistency.

Template B: 'Immune + cognitive support' storefront This template can target a broader audience without losing credibility. Lead with the partner's story: why they include Kepos in a daily routine. Then add an education module: what prebiotics are, why 'bio-identical' positioning matters, and what 'non-dairy' helps with. Close with testimonials or UGC snippets the partner has permission to use.

Template C: Practitioner patient handoff page This is a simple, clinical-feeling page designed for patients sent directly from a practitioner email. It should include: what to buy, how to use, what to expect, and a direct 'Buy with discount' button. It should also include a 'Questions?' box that routes to Kepos support (not the practitioner) to reduce practitioner burden while still preserving trust.

Funnel tests to run immediately: (1) UGC above the fold vs education above the fold, (2) 'Subscribe and save' default vs one-time default, (3) 1-bag vs 2-bag pack (if available) as the primary offer to lift AOV, (4) condition-specific FAQ ordering (IBS first vs IBD first), and (5) partner headshot + credential badge vs no badge. These tests are simple but matter a lot for health conversion.

Step 4: Funnel Details (Beyond the Landing Page)

The co-branded experience should not stop at the landing page. The product page, cart, and post-purchase steps are where trust is either reinforced or lost. Kepos can use co-branding to keep the shopper feeling guided the entire time.

Co-branded product page: Show the practitioner/creator card on the PDP ('Recommended by [Name]') with a short quote and the discount confirmed. Add a 'How to use' accordion that matches the partner's storefront messaging to avoid inconsistencies. Include a 'sensitive system' callout that is careful and factual (ingredients, free-from claims, testing, and what to discuss with a professional).

Co-branded cart: Cart-based attribution typically captures additional orders that would otherwise be missed when shoppers browse around or return later. In the cart, keep the partner name and discount visible. Add a low-friction upsell that fits a one-product brand: 'Add a second bag' (if allowed), 'Switch to subscribe and save,' or 'Add a gift for a friend who is also sensitive.' The exact upsell depends on your fulfillment economics, but the cart is the best place to test AOV lifts without disrupting the landing page.

Co-branded popups and exits: Use a gentle exit intent module on storefronts: 'Want [Partner]'s routine PDF?' Collect email/SMS with permission. This does two things: it helps the partner feel ownership (their routine), and it gives Kepos a retention channel tied to the partner story.

Claims and compliance: Health brands win by being consistent and careful. Create an approved language library for partners (what to say, what not to say) and bake it into the templates so partners stay on-brand without extra work.

Step 5: Launch & Track

Launch should be structured as a pilot with clear measurement. Because Kepos uses Social Snowball (an affiliate-focused stack), you can keep your existing partner links and route them into CreatorCommerce storefronts behind the scenes. That lowers friction and reduces partner retraining.

Pilot setup (30 days): First, pick 15-25 partners split across segments: about 10 practitioners, 10 micro-influencers/educators, and up to 5 publishers. Next, generate storefronts for each partner using one of the templates above. Then give each partner a 'share kit': 2-3 suggested captions, 3 story frames, 1 short video script, and a reminder that the discount auto-applies on their page.

What to measure: (1) conversion rate from partner sessions, (2) AOV, (3) subscription attach rate (if applicable), (4) email/SMS capture rate on co-branded forms, (5) partner activation rate (partners who share at least once in the first 7 days), and (6) retention signals (repeat purchase rate from storefront-sourced cohorts). Track by partner segment because the success pattern will differ.

Step 6: Optimize

Once the pilot is live, optimization should focus on two outcomes: more partners staying active and more dollars per session. Kepos can do that with a monthly campaign cadence and a set of funnel experiments that compound over time.

Must-have retention flows: Implement co-branded cart abandonment and post-purchase flows where the partner name, discount, and routine remain visible. This is a simple change that can materially impact recovery rates because the shopper remembers who recommended it and why they trusted it. Post-purchase, include 'How to take Kepos' steps, a check-in at day 7-10, and a reorder/subscription prompt timed to realistic usage.

Content campaigns (quarterly plan): (1) 'Sensitive Gut Reset' month: partners share their 7-day approach and Q&A. (2) 'Travel + digestion' season (spring/summer): routines for flights, schedule changes, and gut comfort. (3) 'Back to routine' fall campaign: consistency, sleep, and cognitive well-being support. (4) 'Holiday eating support' campaign: gentle, practical education without fear-based messaging. Each campaign should come with a storefront module update (new FAQs, new UGC block, new routine checklist) so partners feel the program is evolving.

AOV strategy for a one-product catalog: The cleanest levers are packs and subscription. If Kepos can offer a 2-bag option, test it as the default on practitioner pages. If not, test subscription framing: 'most patients see best results with consistency' (careful phrasing) and highlight flexibility (pause/cancel). Because CreatorCommerce storefronts are editable at scale, you can run these tests per segment without rebuilding pages.

Step 7: Advanced (If Relevant)

For top practitioners and publishers, Kepos can go beyond a storefront and offer a deeper co-branded experience. This is most relevant when the partner wants something that feels like part of their own practice or publication, but still lives on Kepos' Shopify infrastructure.

Whitelabel practitioner micro-sites: Create a subdirectory experience (still on trykepos.com) that includes the practitioner's about page, their recommended protocol, and a patient FAQ hub. This can include embedded intake forms (for segmentation: IBS vs IBD vs sensitivities) that dynamically routes to the right storefront variant. The goal is not complexity; it is reducing patient confusion and increasing confidence.

Embeddable product modules for publisher partners: For a newsletter or blog that ranks for 'prebiotic for sensitive stomach,' provide a co-branded embed: a small product card with the partner name, auto-applied offer, and a 'why this' bullet list. This preserves the editorial feel while improving attribution and conversion.

How this ties back to your original strategy: You mentioned scaling the practitioner affiliate program by replacing generic links with custom CreatorCommerce storefronts, each tailored to a specific health story (iron deficiency, IBS). That is exactly the right approach for a one-product brand. The 'health story' becomes the merchandising layer. Social Snowball remains the management layer. CreatorCommerce becomes the conversion layer. With that stack, Kepos could recruit more practitioners, activate them faster, and capture more value from each session through better trust, clearer guidance, and a discount that applies automatically.

If Kepos executes this in phases (pilot, template expansion, seasonal campaigns, then advanced partner experiences), you end up with a program that is measurable, partner-friendly, and hard for competitors to copy because the moat is not just commission; it is the co-branded experience and the content living on your site.