Go-To-Market clarity for Protemine; protein ice cream fighting hospital malnutrition

Company: Protemine

Sector: Health & nutrition: protein-enriched ice cream for care patients

Stage: Early-stage, product-market fit still forming

Challenge: Strong product, ideology and mission, but no clear ICP, proposition or GTM plan

Outcome: Prioritised beachhead segment, sharpened proposition, and a concrete marketing plan to act on

Time to Impact: A structured GTM workshop + follow-up strategy sessions; 3 weeks

The challenge

Protemine makes protein-enriched ice cream designed to help care patients, many of them elderly, fight malnutrition and protein deficiency, in a way people actually enjoy eating. The product had real traction: it was already used with enthusiasm in several care institutions, and the founders were deeply driven by mission and purpose.

Although there was a lot of knowledge about the product and the market, based on research and tests, there was no clear ideal customer profile, no prioritised market segment, and no sharp proposition to convince the people who actually decide whether a hospital, care institution or retailer adopts the product. The team was talking to hospitals, elderly care, home care and even supermarkets simultaneously, without knowing which of these markets deserved focus first. Internally, they also felt their mission, vision and values weren't yet doing justice to the impact they were trying to create. Making it harder to convince partners, buyers and investors of the bigger story behind the ice cream.

The method

We ran a structured, multi-session GTM and brand strategy process with the founding team, going deeper than a single workshop to properly work through segmentation, proposition and go-to-market planning.

Step 1: Who: segments & ICP

We mapped all the markets Protemine was pursuing - hospitals, elderly care (public and private), home care, and retail - and scored each against clear criteria: strength of the pain point, willingness to pay, growth potential, ease of access, and whether it could act as a stepping stone into a larger market. This made explicit trade-offs visible and became the basis for choosing a beachhead segment to focus resources on, rather than spreading thin across four markets at once.

Step 2: What: value proposition

Using a structured value proposition formula, we translated Protemine's mission into a proposition tied directly to what the buying committee at hospitals and care institutions actually cares about: faster recovery, easier compliance with nutrition protocols (including the 20-gram protein threshold used in some care guidelines), and a product patients are willing to eat, unlike many existing high-protein alternatives. We also stress-tested emerging value prop directions.

Step 3: How: business model

We worked through the business model canvas together: revenue streams, channels to market (direct, distributor, retail, etc), customer relationships (dietitians, buyers, chefs and taste committees all play a role in the decision), key activities, resources, partners and cost structure. This exposed the multi-stakeholder buying process in healthcare and what that means for how Protemine needs to sell.

Step 4: Why: mission, vision & values

Because Protemine's founders lead with ideology and purpose, we dedicated real time to sharpening the mission and vision so it authentically reflects why the company exists; for patients, for care institutions, and for the team. This included exploring value-driven language and themes that could feed directly into future messaging, packaging and campaigns.

From workshop to plan

All of this was captured and translated into a concrete go-to-market plan: prioritised segment, sharpened proposition, key messaging themes, and a practical set of next steps the team could start executing immediately. Covering how to approach dietitians and buyers, how to run credible in-institution trials, and which channels to prioritise first.

The results

The engagement gave Protemine something it didn't have before: a single, shared, evidence-based answer to "who are we for, and why do they buy", plus a plan to act on it.

Strategic Shift Overview

Market Focus

Initially, the approach involved pursuing hospitals, elderly care, home care, and retail simultaneously. The strategy has now shifted to clear, ranked segments with one prioritised beachhead to focus resources on.

Value Proposition

Previously, the value proposition was product-led and mission-driven, but not sharply defined for buyers. It has now evolved into a structured value proposition directly tied to buyer priorities.

Business Model

The earlier business model was informal, relying on early contracts and ad hoc outreach. It has now been transformed into a fully mapped business model canvas, making channels, partners, revenue streams, and the buying process explicit.

Mission, Vision & Values

While the foundation was strong on ideology, it was previously underdeveloped in its articulation. The mission and vision direction have since been sharpened, establishing core messaging themes that are ready to use in communications and pitches.

Go-To-Market

The initial go-to-market approach lacked a documented plan and depended on reactive outreach. This has been replaced with a concrete GTM plan featuring a prioritised segment, a clear proposition, and practical next steps.

Key outcomes:

Removed internal doubt about which segment and buying committee to prioritise first
Gave the founding team a proposition they can consistently repeat to dietitians, buyers and chefs
Converted scattered ideas on mission, positioning and messaging into a usable, shared foundation for future marketing and sales