Vital Cryo

This project asked us to solve a business problem through research, not assumptions, to understand how customers actually experienced cryotherapy, from first visit to whichever visit they stopped coming back.

Vital Cryotherapy was attracting new customers, but not keeping them. Low repeat visits meant low lifetime value. The real question: how could Vital increase retention while standing apart from every other recovery option in Vancouver?

We ran a Qualtrics survey across Vancouver-area wellness consumers, 183 validated responses (±7.25% margin of error, 95% confidence interval), segmenting by usage frequency, fit with Vital's points of difference, and willingness-to-pay, benchmarked against direct competitors AetherHaus and Regen Recovery. It produced six distinct segments, from Biohackers who use whole-body cryo weekly to Fresher Fionas who've never tried it, inside a total addressable market north of $143 billion across cold exposure, wellness, and clinical recovery services.

Positioned around convenience: "8 Minutes. Stay Dry. More Living."

Designed the Recharge Zone, a cooling activation for runners and athletes at the BMO Vancouver Marathon, RBC GranFondo Whistler, and Hyrox Vancouver, backed by a messaging strategy, testimonial campaign, and customer journey improvements.

Built a "Cryo vs. Ice" campaign pairing an experiential brand activation (an ice bath vs. whole-body cryo comparison) with a social series following a small group of participants through the challenge, to make the comfort and time argument tangible instead of just claimed.

Proposed a nano-influencer brand ambassador program and a gym trainer referral program, since 75% of Biohackers and Dabblers trust personal referrals and 95% value scientific evidence when choosing a wellness service.

Designed a 3-email post-session nurture sequence, a personalized recovery plan on day 0, social proof on day 2-3, and a usage reminder at month end, to bridge trial into repeat, multi-session usage.

The biggest lesson wasn't how to market cryotherapy. It was that the real barrier was never pricing. People weren't comparing competitors, they were deciding whether cryotherapy deserved a place in their week at all.