In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Kimberly Breuer, psychologist and founder of LikeMinded, which recently merged with competitor Nilo Health to become the DACH market leader in B2B mental health solutions. After pivoting from B2C to B2B during the pandemic, Kimberly shares how they’ve built a scalable mental health platform that achieves remarkable engagement rates and successfully positions clinical expertise in corporate environments. Her insights reveal the nuanced marketing strategies required when selling wellness solutions in an emerging category where awareness varies dramatically by region.

Topics Discussed:

• Market-driven pivot from B2C to B2B mental health services within three weeks
• Regional disparities in mental health adoption (Germany at awareness stage vs. US 10 years ahead)
• Contrasting buyer motives: sick days ROI vs. employer branding benefits
• Achieving 40% activation rates in a category where 3-10% is typical
• Strategic rebranding following competitor merger
• Repositioning clinical expertise for corporate palatability
• Personal brand leverage as a lead generation mechanism

Lessons For Consumer Marketers:

Recognize When Clinical Expertise Becomes a Marketing Liability

Despite being founded by psychologists, both Nilo and LikeMinded discovered their clinical-forward positioning inadvertently positioned them as “crisis intervention” products. This created unintended friction with HR buyers who didn’t want to imply their workforce was “sick.” Their rebranding strategy deliberately reframed psychological expertise around prevention and professional development while maintaining scientific credibility.

Segment Your B2B Value Proposition by Decision-Maker Role

Nilo identified a critical stakeholder dynamic: HR teams make emotional purchase decisions while CEOs make financial ones. They equipped HR champions with tailored ROI calculators and financial metrics specifically designed to move budget conversations forward with leadership. This dual-track approach addresses both the emotional need (“my people are struggling”) and the financial justification (“here’s the impact on our bottom line”).

Achieve 4x Industry-Standard Adoption Through Multi-Channel Activation

Nilo’s 40% registration rate (versus industry average 3-10%) results from a systematized three-month activation blueprint combining digital and in-person touch points. They’ve found corporate wellness benefits fail when companies rely on email announcements alone. Their approach includes mandatory live kickoffs, personalized onboarding sequences, and on-site activation events for larger clients—creating multiple pathways for employee discovery.

Use Human-to-Human Connection to Differentiate in the Wellness Space

The merger revealed distinct brand personalities: Nilo appeared more corporate/clinical while LikeMinded had stronger human approachability through Kimberly’s visible leadership. This insight directly informed their rebranding strategy, with approximately 30-50% of clients citing LinkedIn touchpoints with Kimberly as influential in their purchasing decision. This demonstrates founder visibility creates disproportionate advantages in wellness categories where trust is paramount.

Build Community Leadership to Generate Self-Qualifying Leads

Beyond standard LinkedIn content, Nilo identified offline HR community events as their highest-converting lead source. By positioning themselves as conveners rather than vendors in these settings, they’ve created environments where prospects self-qualify based on genuine interest in mental health advancement. This approach generates fewer but significantly higher-quality leads than digital campaigns alone.

Calibrate Growth Strategy to Regional Market Maturity

Recognizing Germany lags a decade behind the US in mental health awareness, Nilo adapted their go-to-market accordingly. They deliberately targeted tech companies first (early adopters), followed by forward-thinking mid-size businesses (early majority), before approaching more traditional industries. This sequencing approach allowed them to refine messaging and product-market fit with receptive audiences before tackling more resistant market segments.

Increase Retention Through Accountability Design

Nilo’s product design intentionally incorporates human-to-human accountability mechanisms that drive engagement. While content and self-guided tools create initial value, they found scheduled interactions with coaches create the commitment mechanisms necessary for ongoing engagement. This human accountability framework consistently outperforms purely digital wellness solutions in retention metrics, which Kimberly notes raises important considerations about the limitations of AI-only mental health interventions.