Most products get tried once.
Few get used every week.
Even fewer become part of someone’s daily routine.
That gap is where real value lives.
Aaron Keay Vancouver focuses on that gap. His approach is simple. Find brands that people return to without thinking.
“I don’t ask if people like it,” he says. “I ask if they use it again next week.”
That one question filters everything.
Why Daily Habits Matter in Consumer Brands
Consumer markets are crowded.
New brands launch every day. Most disappear.
The reason is simple. They fail to stick.
Research from Bain & Company shows that increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. Retention drives growth.
Habit drives retention.
If a product becomes part of someone’s routine, it reduces decision-making. It becomes automatic.
That is the goal.
“People don’t wake up wanting more choices,” Keay says. “They want something that works so they don’t have to think about it.”
The First Filter: Frequency of Use
Keay starts with one basic test.
How often will this product be used?
If the answer is once a month, he loses interest.
If the answer is weekly or daily, he leans in.
He gave a simple example during a product review meeting.
“We had two brands,” he says. “One was a premium item people bought twice a year. The other was something people used three times a week. The second one won in five minutes.”
Frequency creates familiarity.
Familiarity builds trust.
Trust drives repeat purchases.
Case Study: Therabody and Routine-Based Products
Therabody fits this model.
It started as a recovery tool. Now it is part of many people’s weekly routine.
Athletes use it after workouts. Office workers use it for muscle tension.
“I’ve watched guys bring it into the locker room every session,” Keay says. “No one tells them to. It just becomes part of what they do.”
That is habit formation.
Not marketing.
Usage.
Products that solve a repeat problem tend to stick.
Pain, recovery, nutrition, and convenience all fall into this category.
Case Study: Truvani and Daily Consumption
Truvani operates in nutrition.
That space depends on repeat consumption.
People who use protein powder or supplements do it regularly.
“Once someone trusts what they’re putting in their body, they don’t switch often,” Keay says. “That’s where loyalty builds.”
The product becomes part of a daily routine.
Morning shake. Post-workout fuel. Meal replacement.
That level of integration matters.
It turns customers into long-term users.
The Role of Brand vs Product
Brand matters.
Product matters more.
Keay has seen brands with strong marketing fail due to weak repeat use.
He has also seen quiet brands grow because the product worked.
“People try things because of attention,” he says. “They stay because of results.”
This is where many early investors get it wrong.
They focus on visibility.
They ignore behavior.
Behavior decides outcomes.
Cali Water and the Attention Factor
Cali Water shows another side of the equation.
The brand has strong visibility through celebrity involvement. Names like Demi Lovato and Vanessa Hudgens draw attention.
That helps at the start.
But it does not guarantee repeat use.
“Attention gets the first purchase,” Keay says. “The product gets the second.”
He looks beyond the launch.
Are people buying it again?
Is it becoming part of daily hydration?
If the answer is yes, the brand has traction.
If not, attention fades.
The Second Filter: Simplicity
Complicated products struggle.
Simple products scale.
Keay looks for clarity.
Can someone understand the product in five seconds?
Can they explain it to a friend?
One founder once pitched a product with multiple use cases.
Keay pushed back.
“I asked him, ‘What does this do on Monday morning?’” he says. “If you can’t answer that, the customer won’t either.”
Simple products reduce friction.
Less friction leads to more use.
The Third Filter: Consistency
Consistency builds trust.
If the product experience changes, the habit breaks.
This applies across categories.
In fitness, class formats need to stay consistent.
In consumer goods, quality needs to stay stable.
In one early review, Keay noticed small differences in product batches.
“It looked minor,” he says. “But if a customer notices, that’s a problem.”
Consistency is invisible when it works.
Obvious when it fails.
Data Supports Habit-Based Growth
Behavioral research backs this approach.
A study from the European Journal of Social Psychology found that it takes about 66 days to form a habit.
Products that support daily or weekly use benefit from this cycle.
Once the habit forms, usage becomes automatic.
Companies with high repeat purchase rates outperform others.
According to McKinsey, brands with strong retention often grow faster with lower marketing costs.
Retention compounds.
Acquisition costs drop.
Margins improve.
Actionable Lessons for Founders
This approach is practical.
Founders can apply it early.
1. Design for Weekly Use
Ask how often customers will use the product.
If it is not weekly, rethink the model.
2. Solve a Clear Problem
Focus on one problem.
Solve it well.
Avoid adding features that dilute the core use case.
3. Measure Repeat Behavior
Track how many customers return.
Do not rely only on initial sales.
Repeat use is the signal.
4. Reduce Friction
Make the product easy to use.
Make it easy to buy again.
Complexity kills habits.
5. Protect Consistency
Ensure every experience matches expectations.
One bad experience can break a routine.
Actionable Lessons for Investors
Investors should adjust their lens.
1. Look Beyond Growth Curves
Early growth can mislead.
Check repeat purchase rates.
2. Watch Customer Behavior
Usage data matters more than marketing reach.
3. Test the Product Yourself
Use it for a week.
If you forget about it, others will too.
4. Ask Simple Questions
Would you use this again?
Would your friends?
If not, move on.
The Bigger Idea
Consumer brands that win are not always the loudest.
They are the most consistent.
They fit into daily life.
They remove decisions.
They solve repeat problems.
“I don’t look for what’s exciting,” Keay says. “I look for what sticks.”
That mindset shapes every investment.
It filters noise.
It focuses on behavior.
And in a crowded market, behavior decides what lasts.
