Grain Brain, by Dr. David Perlmutter, is an expose of the surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar – your brain’s silent killers. Our modern lifestyle is incongruous with our evolutionary needs, and Grain Brain outlines a path towards better brain and body health by changing the food we eat. The author, a well-credentialed expert in his field, was respected in his community, but had little name recognition or platform beyond the industry.
We were brought in by the publisher, Little, Brown, and Company, to build Dr. Perlmutter’s social media presence in anticipation of this September 2013 release. The goal: chart on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
It’s about the man and the message, not just about the book. We established a guiding value that Dr. Perlmutter is a scientist, an academic, a practicing doctor – not just an inspirational figure. By positioning Dr. Perlmutter as the brand, we played the long game – we knew that his message could be seen as out of the box, and we needed to make sure that his audience knew he was credible. Five years and four books later, David Perlmutter is a household name and a leader in the space.
Through a coordinated content strategy that put science first, we grew his Facebook presence alone from just 432 likes to, today, over 400,000 – generating over 350 million impressions in the process. A series of mini-infographics gave Dr. Perlmutter’s fans bite-sized and shareable content that turned them into active ambassadors, spreading our message exponentially. On a regular basis, we saw content reach more than 100% of the page’s audience.
It doesn’t stop at social – the David Perlmutter universe includes a sprawling website with blogs, recipes, and recommended products, as well as a massive email community with benchmark-shattering engagement rates.
Furthermore, we’ve curated content from our years of archives into special “Focus area” funnels that provide both easy-to-access info for users and an SEO-rich lead magnet for the brand.
Dr. Perlmutter has continued to lead in the functional wellness space, engaging with fellow doctors, researchers, and others as he builds the movement. We’re actively engaging in ongoing collaborations via his “Empowering Neurologist” video and podcast series and other activations with the likes of Maria Shriver, Suzanne Somers, JJ Virgin, and more.
The success of Dr. Perlmutter’s message on social helped move the needle, driving sales of Grain Brain through the roof and placing the title at the top of bestseller lists on the New York Times and Amazon. With over a year on the Times list and a perennial spot in the Amazon top 100, Grain Brain has proven to have a lasting impact on the nation’s health conversation – also evidenced by earning the honor of being the overall top selling hardcover non-fiction book of 2014.
A follow-up cookbook was released in September 2014, Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain – for Life debuted in April 2015, and The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan hit shelves in November 2016, all becoming instant bestsellers. Today, with next phase of this journey on the horizon, Dr. Perlmutter’s mission has grown to impact millions through both digital and traditional means.
Most importantly, Grain Brain has helped change lives. We’ve witnessed countless comments, messages, and notes that have shown the powerful impact of the book and its message of empowerment. That’s all we need to see to know its been a job well done.
