MyObvi: How a Collagen Brand Built a $40M Empire Through Community

In the crowded supplement space, brands constantly battle for attention. Yet occasionally, a newcomer disrupts the market so effectively that industry veterans take notice. Obvi is precisely such a case.

Founded in 2019, Obvi has transformed from startup to supplement powerhouse, reaching $40 million in annual revenue by 2024 while remaining profitable. As someone who's analyzed countless eCommerce success stories over two decades, Obvi's trajectory offers a masterclass in modern brand building.

Let's dissect how this millennial-focused collagen brand created massive growth through strategic channel management, community cultivation, and pitch-perfect branding.

The Multi-Channel Masterplan: How Obvi Maximized Revenue Streams

Obvi's channel strategy demonstrates sophisticated understanding of modern commerce ecosystems. Rather than following the tired DTC-only playbook, they've orchestrated a harmonious balance between direct sales, marketplace presence, and strategic retail expansion.

Direct-to-Consumer: The Brand's Foundation

Obvi built its business on a robust DTC foundation via its Shopify Plus website. The site excels at conversion optimization through intelligent bundling and upsells that significantly boost average order value.

Take their approach to bundling: When Obvi discovered their collagen-infused fat burner performed well individually, they developed complementary products (a night formula and a fasting formula) and packaged all three as their "Triple Burn Bundle." This tactic not only increased basket size but created a more comprehensive solution for customers.

Their subscription program deserves particular attention. Recognizing that young consumers often hesitate to subscribe to supplements (since benefits aren't instant), Obvi implemented three clever strategies:

1. Flexible subscription management (easy pausing/adjusting)

2. Subscription pricing 15% below standard retail

3. "Surprise and delight" gifts every few months (branded backpacks, frothers, even free product)

The result? A loyal subscriber base that provides predictable revenue and higher lifetime value.

Amazon: The Strategic Secondary Channel

While many DTC brands fear Amazon's margin compression, Obvi leverages the marketplace intelligently as an acquisition and convenience channel. They maintain a strong Amazon presence without actively pushing their website visitors there.

Their Amazon strategy serves several purposes:

• Capturing customers who exclusively shop on Amazon or prefer Prime shipping

• Providing social proof through reviews (many shoppers check Amazon reviews even if they ultimately purchase elsewhere)

• Expanding reach beyond their direct marketing efforts

Particularly noteworthy is their product performance: Obvi's newer Collagenic Burn Elite quickly became a category bestseller, reaching #9 in Amazon's Fat Burner Supplements category shortly after launch. This demonstrates their ability to create products that perform well in marketplaces despite fierce competition.

Retail Expansion: Scaling Through Strategic Partnerships

In 2023, Obvi made significant retail moves, launching in Walmart and Rite Aid nationwide. This decision marked a pivotal transition from purely digital to omnichannel distribution.

What's fascinating is how they learned from early mistakes. Their initial foray into The Vitamin Shoppe underperformed because their vibrant DTC packaging failed to communicate value on crowded retail shelves. As co-founder Ankit Patel explained, the packaging didn't answer three critical retail questions: "who we are, how we help, and why shoppers should trust us."

Before the Walmart launch, Obvi completely overhauled their packaging design, using consumer testing to ensure it would perform in physical retail environments. The refreshed designs maintained the brand's signature vibrancy while clearly communicating benefits ("Supports Youthful Hair, Skin & Nails") directly on front labels.

This adaptability has allowed them to secure prime retail placements and expand their audience beyond digital natives.

Building a Brand That "Vibrates Against the Sea of Gray and White"

Obvi's branding is a masterclass in differentiation. In a category dominated by clinical white labels and staid marketing, Obvi created a visual identity that founder Ankit Patel describes as "vibrating against the sea of gray and white lining health store shelves."

The Power of Pink: Visual Identity That Pops

Obvi's signature neon pink packaging wasn't just an aesthetic choice—it was strategic disruption. The name itself (inspired by the colloquial "obvi" from Mean Girls) signals something more playful and accessible than traditional supplement brands.

This vibrant visual identity accomplishes several marketing objectives:

• Creates instant recognition on shelves and in social feeds

• Appeals to younger demographics previously uninterested in collagen

• Makes the product Instagram-worthy, encouraging social sharing

• Signals a departure from the clinical, medicinal approach of competitors

Flavors That Spark Joy and Nostalgia

Where competitors offered unflavored or mildly flavored collagen, Obvi created formulations that taste like childhood treats: Fruity Cereal, Birthday Cupcakes, Cocoa Cereal. This nostalgia-driven approach transformed a daily supplement routine into something consumers actually look forward to.

Their partnerships with beloved food brands amplify this strategy. Collaborations with Entenmann's to create limited-edition flavors like Rich Frosted Chocolate Donut and Chocolate Chip Cookie generated excitement beyond typical supplement launches. These creative flavors solved the compliance problem plaguing many supplements—people actually enjoy taking them.

Pricing Strategy: Premium But Justified

Obvi positions itself at the premium end of the supplement market without being the most expensive option. Their typical pricing ($44.99 for 30 servings of Super Collagen Protein) places them alongside other lifestyle supplement brands.

To create value perception, they:

1. Enhance formulations beyond basic collagen (adding biotin, vitamins, and other active ingredients)

2. Create tiered pricing through subscriptions (15% off) and bundles

3. Frame the daily cost in accessible terms ("less than your daily coffee")

4. Deliver exceptional customer experience, particularly through community engagement

This pricing approach allows them to maintain healthy margins while offering perceived value to their target demographic.

The Community-First Marketing Approach

Perhaps Obvi's greatest strategic advantage is their community-building prowess. Unlike brands that treat social media as a broadcast channel, Obvi has cultivated genuine relationships at scale.

The Power of 105,000 "Obvi Queens"

Obvi's Facebook community has grown to over 105,000 members, making it the largest collagen-focused group on the platform. What makes this community remarkable is its engagement level—members actively share recipes, results, and support each other's wellness journeys.

The founders engage directly within this community daily, responding to questions and concerns. This real-time feedback loop serves multiple purposes:

• Product development insights (testing new flavor concepts)

• Immediate issue resolution (turning potential negative experiences positive)

• User-generated content creation

• Authentic word-of-mouth marketing

When a customer posts a complaint or suggestion, Obvi's team addresses it directly, often the same day. This transparency builds tremendous trust and loyalty.

Micro-Influencers at Massive Scale

Rather than pursuing celebrity endorsements, Obvi developed a prolific product seeding program that sends packages to 100+ influencers weekly. Their focus on nano- and micro-influencers with engaged followings rather than massive reach has proven extraordinarily effective.

Co-founder Ashvin Melwani's philosophy is telling: "Don't treat influencers as a source of revenue; treat them as an extension of the brand... If they feel part of the brand, they'll go above and beyond for you, and the content comes across more genuine."

This approach has several advantages:

• Higher engagement rates than celebrity endorsements

• More authentic, relatable content

• Greater content volume for the investment

• Diversified risk (not dependent on any single influencer)

Their tiered ambassador program deserves special attention. As influencers generate more sales, they climb tiers with increasing commission rates. This gamification incentivizes ongoing promotion and creates a sense of partnership rather than transactional relationships.

UGC as Marketing Engine

When iOS privacy changes disrupted Facebook advertising effectiveness in 2021, Obvi doubled down on user-generated content instead of scrambling for new ad channels. This pivot proved prescient—their community-generated content became their primary marketing asset.

Hashtags like #ObviBeforeAndAfter gained organic traction on TikTok as users documented their transformations. This authentic social proof accomplished what paid advertising couldn't: overcoming skepticism about supplement efficacy.

Strategic Product Development and Expansion

Obvi's product strategy demonstrates sophisticated understanding of customer needs and purchase behavior.

The "Gateway Product" Approach

Obvi strategically developed their product line to create natural expansion paths for customers. Their collagen protein serves as the gateway product, with many customers later exploring other offerings like their Detox gummies or Burn weight management supplements.

This approach increases customer lifetime value without requiring aggressive upselling—customers naturally discover complementary products through the community or influencer content.

Intelligent Bundling for Higher AOV

Obvi doesn't just create standalone products; they develop comprehensive systems. Their "Triple Burn Bundle" combines three complementary fat-burning supplements (day formula, night formula, fasting formula), increasing average order value while providing customers a more complete solution.

They even market a progressive system—starting customers on a "starter" burner in month one, followed by an "elite" burner next—encouraging repeat purchases and creating a product journey.

International Expansion That Exceeded Expectations

While initially focused on the U.S. market, Obvi's international expansion has become a major growth driver. After implementing cross-border shipping and localization (with platforms like OpenBorder), international sales exploded—within a month, 40% of revenue came from international markets.

By Q4 2024, international markets significantly outpaced U.S. growth:

• Canada: $2.45M (up 40% YoY)

• Australia: $1.63M (up 69% YoY)

• UK: $1.31M (up 45% YoY)

This demonstrates the global appeal of their product positioning and brand voice, now reaching customers in over 75 countries.

Competitive Positioning: How Obvi Stands Against Industry Giants

To truly appreciate Obvi's achievement, we must examine how they've carved out their niche against established competitors.

Vital Proteins: The Category Leader

Vital Proteins dominates the collagen market with mainstream distribution and Jennifer Aniston as Chief Creative Officer. With estimated $100M+ revenue before Nestlé acquired them, they represent the establishment play—clean, clinical branding with broad appeal across demographics.

Obvi differentiated by:

• Targeting younger consumers with vibrant branding versus Vital's clinical approach

• Creating delicious flavors versus Vital's unflavored base products

• Building a dedicated community versus Vital's broad but less engaged audience

• Focusing on collagen+weight management versus pure collagen supplementation

Alani Nu: The Fitness Lifestyle Brand

Alani Nu, founded by fitness influencer Katy Hearn, exploded to $200M+ revenue by 2021 across their product line. While they offer collagen products, their focus remains fitness supplements and energy drinks.

Obvi distinguished itself through:

• Specialized focus on collagen innovation versus Alani's broader supplement range

• Community-based marketing versus Alani's influencer-founder approach

• Grassroots micro-influencer strategy versus Alani's macro-influencer partnerships

• Nostalgic flavor experiences versus Alani's fitness-forward positioning

Bloom Nutrition: The TikTok Phenomenon

Bloom emerged simultaneously with Obvi (founded 2019) but took a different path—going viral on TikTok with their Greens powder for bloating. They reportedly reached "nine figures" in annual sales by 2023.

Obvi differentiated by:

• Building a formal ambassador community versus riding organic TikTok waves

• Focusing on collagen and weight management versus Bloom's greens-forward approach

• Emphasizing nostalgic flavors versus Bloom's clean wellness positioning

• Creating a structured, tiered influencer program versus more opportunistic viral marketing

This competitive analysis reveals Obvi's strategic brilliance—they identified an underserved segment within a growing category and built every aspect of their brand and operations to serve it perfectly.