In our DTC Brand Crush series, we’ll sit down with different members of our Tapcart team and let them, well, gush about what their favorite ecommerce brands are getting so right. It’s a chance for our employees to highlight a brand they love on a human level and then geek out about it on a professional level. After all, here at Tapcart, we’re consumers and shoppers like everybody else — but we have a pulse on the DTC industry. 

This week, we chatted with Courtney Faiella about AG1, a CPG company famous for its delicious nutrient-packed powder — and remarkable brand presence. So without further ado, meet Courtney, a Marketing Development Representative at Tapcart and a DTC retention and conversion superstar.

How AG1 builds community through a robust marketing strategy

From its humble beginnings in New Zealand in 2010 to its current valuation of over $1.2 billion, AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) has catapulted itself to success through a masterful marketing strategy. When it comes to building passionate brand communities, few companies do it as effectively as they do.

This brand is practically everywhere—advertised on the top-ranked podcasts, on the shelves at Target, and probably on your Instagram feed with its distinctive green branding. They’ve not only mastered influencer marketing with athletes and celebrities endorsing their product, but its word-of-mouth game is strong as I’ve personally heard it whispered around the gym. That’s why they're one of my favorite brands when it comes to customer marketing and community building. 

This innovative health and wellness brand has carved out a unique space for itself by redefining what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. They offer a convenient, nutrient-dense daily powder that provides comprehensive support for the mind and body. 

But AG1's secret sauce isn't just its high-quality formulation — it's the brand's laser-focused approach to community marketing. By leveraging influential voices, meeting customers where they are, and providing a wealth of educational resources, AG1 has cultivated a loyal following of enthusiasts who evangelize the brand to their networks.

6 high-converting AG1 marketing strategies that boost customer acquisition and retention

It’s not just the great taste and nutrient-dense formula that sets AG1 apart from the rest of the supplement brands out there– it’s their customer-centric marketing. They’re making sure the customer is at the forefront of everything they do to make sure they stick around. Their audience ranges from athletes to those trying to improve their gut health. With a wide range like that, it can be difficult to market effectively, but AG1 does it perfectly.

In this deep dive, we'll explore 6 key tactics that have helped AG1 master the art of community-driven marketing — and how you can adopt these strategies to amplify your own marketing campaigns. 

1.  Influencer Marketing: Building Trust Through Authentic Voices

In today’s digital age, influencers are a part of most brands' marketing campaigns. A lot will see someone with 100k+ followers and think they’re a great fit to market their product. Not AG1. They are highly selective, prioritizing long-term partnerships with creaters who authentically use and believe in their product. CEO Kat Cole spoke on Leveling Up with Eric Siu about their selection process.   

Pro-tip: It’s important to choose the right influencers to work with as they become ‘a face’ of the brand. Chris Meade, CEO and Founder of CROSSNET, shared his insights on how he chooses his influencers here. 

Of course, for each influencer they have their own promo code or special link. This helps AG1 understand where their audience is coming from and which influencers to double down on. 

One way in which they do this is by running influencer marketing campaigns via Whitelisted Ads. Influencer Whitelisting is when ads run through the influencer's own account. This allows the brand to leverage the influencer's established rapport and reach, rather than relying solely on its own following. It also gives a brand access into the insights and analytics of said post, rather than that living just on the creators side.

Whitelisted ads strategically take advantage of the influencer's credibility, fostering trust and authenticity that traditional brand ads often lack. This approach resonates more organically with audiences, leading to higher conversion rates and stronger brand affinity.

Pro-Tip: Send product samples out to influencers who you think would fit and only ask for a partnership if they genuinely like the product.

2. Targeted Podcast Marketing

546 million people around the world listen to podcasts. If that’s not enough to tell you this is a lucrative channel, 46% of weekly podcast listeners have purchased a product or service as a result of hearing an ad on a podcast. So it’s no wonder why AG1 ranks as the third largest podcast sponsor, behind BetterHelp and Manscaped.

The brand strategically aligns itself with shows that resonate with its health-conscious, intellectually curious target audience — from business and personal growth podcasts to true crime series.

AG1 started small, with Jonathan Corne (CRO at AG1) reaching out to podcasts he loved, and now they have podcasts reaching out to them about sponsorship opportunities. They partner with major shows like The Tim Ferriss Show, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, and The Mindset Mentor. Their thoughtful ad placement, combined with recurring mentions, ensures AG1 remains top of mind for listeners without overwhelming them.

Not only do they work with podcasts that align with their values, these podcasts also have their own landing pages. Notice that both the Dr. Huberman and Rogan landing page have direct quotes from them:

AG1's sophisticated approach to landing page personalization goes far beyond simple cosmetic changes. Each influencer receives a carefully crafted narrative that resonates with their unique audience demographics. 

Take Dr. Andrew Huberman's landing page, which delves deep into the neuroscience and physiological benefits of AG1's formulation, speaking directly to his scientifically-minded followers. In contrast, Joe Rogan's dedicated page emphasizes practical benefits like enhanced energy levels, cardiovascular health, and mental resilience—themes that align perfectly with his audience's interests.

Just another way AG1 shows how great they are at customer-centric marketing. By tailoring their messaging to match both the influencer's expertise and their followers' interests, AG1 creates highly converting experiences that feel personally relevant rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’. This shows their deep understanding of how different audience segments engage with health and wellness content.

Pro-Tip: Personalize the customer experience by diving deep into your customer data to uncover trends and pinpoint individual preferences so you can build stronger loyalty. 

3. Extensive Product Research: Transparency Builds Credibility

81% of food and beverage shoppers rank transparency as important or extremely important whether shopping online or in-store. AG1 is no stranger to this, their commitment to research and transparency is a key part of its community-building strategy. 

The brand doesn't just say its products are high-quality - it proves it, with a team of doctors, rigorous testing protocols, and a slew of peer-reviewed studies to back up its claims.

While AG1 anchors its credibility in rigorous scientific research and transparent testing protocols, the brand excels at translating this complex information into accessible, consumer-friendly content. They feature an FAQ that anticipates and addresses common questions with clarity.

Jess Cervellon, a CX Expert, breaks down strategies to optimize your FAQ for CPG brands. She notes this proactive approach to customer education should permeate every touchpoint of the brand experience.

Not only does having this educational content help reel in new customers, but listening to consumers, identifying their pain points, questions, and concerns, helps to inform product-level and marketing decisions in the future. 

This level of openness and accountability helps cultivate trust with AG1's health-conscious customer base. It demonstrates that the brand isn't just concerned with making a sale, but with empowering consumers to make informed decisions about their wellbeing.

Pro-Tip: If you don’t need science to back you up, use customer testimonials to show social-proof for your product. 

4. Ad Testing: Data-Driven Precision

AG1's commitment to data-driven marketing excellence is particularly evident in their sophisticated ad optimization strategy. 

The brand has comprehensive A/B testing across every campaign element, from copy variations to visual assets and localized messaging. While maintaining consistent brand messaging, AG1 strategically varies its creative elements to address different concerns—whether it's digestive health, nervous system support, or immune function. 

This methodical approach allows them to identify which specific wellness benefits resonate most powerfully with different audience segments.

Rather than funneling all traffic to a generic destination, the brand creates highly targeted landing pages that align with the initial ad touchpoint. For example, users who engage with immunity-focused ads are directed to dedicated pages that deep dive into AG1's immune-supporting benefits.

Meanwhile, broader awareness campaigns lead to comprehensive landing pages that showcase the full spectrum of AG1's health benefits. 

This granular attention to the customer journey, combined with rigorous performance analysis, enables AG1 to continuously optimize its marketing investment and deliver increasingly personalized user experiences.

Pro-Tip: Utilize web optimization tools so you can monitor heat maps, click maps, scroll maps, and more. This way you can see what is resonating the strongest on each page.

5. Organic Search: Proof of a Strong Reputation

According to Nielsen, 88% of global respondents trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel. AG1 proves they are dominating word-of-mouth marketing by having a large organic search presence. 

People aren't just stumbling upon the brand by chance — they're actively seeking it out.

AG1 then uses these organic searches as insights to shape future campaigns.

Pro-Tip: Find the top 5 organic searches for your brand, or related to, and build a campaign around it. 

6. Meet customers where they are (literally)

While AG1 has a very strong digital presence, they certainly make their mark in-person as well. In 2022, they have 40 in-person events, such as Art Basel in Miami and an AG vs Betty Who Softball Game, to promote the brand. 

They also attended SXSW back in March where they teamed up with local boutique fitness studio, Studio 3, for a complimentary class. 

But of course, even these incredible in person events, their online presence still reigns supreme. Afterall, the only way to purchase AG1 is by ordering directly on their site or through Amazon. 

Pro-Tip: Use your current analytics to determine where most of your customers are. If 60% live in LA, try planning an event in that area or see if there is already an event happening that you can join!

AG1's Opportunities for Growth

AG1's dedication to customer engagement shows across multiple touchpoints—from interactive in-person events to targeted influencer partnerships and high-level audience segmentation. While their subscription model provides a great foundation for recurring revenue and customer retention, there's an opportunity to elevate the post-purchase experience beyond basic convenience.

Not everyone is an influencer, so AG1 could extend their successful referral program to their broader customer base— AKA a rewards program! Complete with point accumulation, tiered benefits, and "AG1 cash" redemption options, it would help foster deeper customer engagement with their entire audience.

On top of that, a dedicated mobile app could serve as the central point of their experience. Beyond subscription management and rewards tracking, the app would enable AG1 to leverage their great segmentation capabilities with push notifications. 

Rather than simply sending transaction-related messages, AG1 could send encouragement—such as morning motivation messages that inspire customers to maintain their healthy routines. This strategy reinforces the brand's commitment to customer happiness while subtly strengthening daily engagement habits.

By using the app’s ability for segmentation, they can also send reminders to non-subscribers that drive conversion to the subscription model, while personalized content keeps existing subscribers engaged and loyal.

This no-cost communication channel not only enhances customer lifetime value but also reinforces AG1's position as a trusted wellness partner rather than just another supplement provider.

What Marketers Can Learn from AG1's Community-Driven Success

AG1's masterful approach to community marketing offers valuable lessons for brands seeking to build authentic connections with their audiences. Their success isn't just about having a great product—it's about strategically amplifying their message through trusted voices, meeting customers where they are, and continuously optimizing every touchpoint of the customer journey.

Here are some takeaways you can do to help your brand become customer-first. 

1. Develop a focused influencer strategy that prioritizes authentic partnerships over follower count. Choose partners whose audiences align with your brand values and whose credibility can transform into meaningful conversions.
2. Don’t just market to people’s eyes, go for their ears too. AG1's massive presence in the podcast world demonstrates that ‘listeners’ can be just as valuable as ‘viewers’. 
3. Have your claims speak for themselves.  Whether you have scientific backing or customer testimonials, highlight these insights. It builds credibility and trust amongst new customers.
4. Let organic search insights guide your strategy. By monitoring how customers naturally seek out your brand, you can align your marketing efforts with genuine consumer interest and intent.
5. Create a robust referral program that rewards brand advocacy. Whether through tiered ambassador programs or customer referral initiatives, incentivize your community to share their positive experiences.
6. Centralize the customer experience through a dedicated mobile app. This provides a unified hub for customer interaction, education, and engagement that can transform casual buyers into loyal brand advocates.

Community marketing isn't just about broadcasting your message—it's about creating an environment where customers feel valued, informed, and empowered. By taking cues from AG1's approach and adapting these principles to fit your unique brand context, you can build a marketing framework that doesn't just drive sales, but creates lasting customer relationships.

‍Remember: Successful community marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Start by implementing one or two of these strategies effectively, measure their impact, and gradually expand your approach.