Скачать или смотреть How Early Brands Built Community Before “Influencer Marketing” Was a Thing

Back in 2012, influencer marketing wasn’t a buzzword—it was a handful of passionate people sharing products they genuinely loved. In this clip, I chat with Oiselle CEO, Arielle Knutson, and revisit the early days of Energy Bits and Nuun, when brand partnerships meant building trust, not chasing algorithms.

You’ll hear:
How early-stage brands modeled success from one another
Why trust-driven communities outperformed traditional ads
The role of everyday athletes and moms as brand evangelists
Why relationships—not just sales—fuel long-term growth

This is a look at the roots of community-first marketing—and why it still matters today.

Listen to the full episode with Arielle 👇

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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:16 - Community First
3:20 - Leadership Being People-First
6:00 - Volée Community at Oiselle
8:30 - Building Skills Through Your Career
10:17 - Creating a Fail-Forward Culture

Long Run Labs is a weekly series exploring the intersection of endurance and entrepreneurship from the team that brings you For The Long Run Podcast. From brand builders to movement makers, we spotlight the runners driving change in the outdoor and endurance space.

These are the untold stories behind the tools, companies, and communities that shape the industry, told with curiosity, honesty, and heart.

Hosted by running enthusiast, Jonathan Levitt.