As an avid gym-goer, I have used numerous supplements, such as creatine and protein shakes. However, as I tell some of my friends about the supplements I use, a lot of them seem hesitant about their benefits because of their looks and laboratory creation.

Many fitness brands face the challenge of trying to overcome the skepticism surrounding their products, effectively communicating their benefits, and competing in an oversaturated supplement market.

In a saturated supplement market, successful fitness brands do not just sell products—they sell results, trust, and identity. Creatine, for example, is not new. But the brands that succeed make it feel essential, not optional. What separates a product from a must-have?

I asked our PR and growth experts: How do supplement brands strategically communicate the products they sell, and in which ways and which brand has had the best engagement with the audience and their product?

Here is the insight from our experts.

• Social proof plus facts and data
• Marketing material that teaches first, then sells.
• Connecting the dots between the physical and the mental
• Powerful messaging centered on self-mastery
• Building a bridge between scientific credibility and personal discipline
• Tying creatine to everyday motivation
• For training with purpose
• Revealing exactly what's in the products
• Identity transformation over product benefits
• Make them feel like they’re part of the select few who get it.
• Sell identity

Social proof plus facts and data

Emily Reynolds-Bergh, Owner at R Public Relations

"Bowmar Nutrition has done a great job positioning itself at the forefront of the industry in a short amount of time. The company’s social proof is baked into its story; its founders are renowned fitness influencers, and it only takes a quick scroll on Instagram to see their results. Still, the brand separates itself from its founders by basing its marketing strategy in facts and data. It has managed to strike an enviable balance between emotional and persuasive messaging."

Marketing material that teaches first, then sells.

Jeff Romero, Founder at Octiv Digital

"Momentous targets athletes and elite achievers with a straightforward promise: scientifically confirmed supplements that deliver peak outcomes. Their legitimacy stems from collaborations with professional sports clubs (NFL, NBA) and researchers. Instead of imprecise marketing, they delve further into studies, such as how their collagen peptides promote joint health, including MRI scans as evidence. Their material (podcasts with experts, white papers) teaches first, then sells.

What makes them stand out? They don't pursue trends; instead, they concentrate on established compounds in efficient doses. By partnering with elite athletes, they establish authority, making their products both aspirational and trustworthy."

Connecting the dots between the physical and the mental

Kaz Marzo, Operations Manager at Image Acquire

"In the crowded supplement space, I've seen how the brands that win go beyond the product itself—they sell a lifestyle shift. One standout example for me is Onnit. Their messaging doesn't just promise gains; it connects the dots between the physical and the mental. Their focus on holistic performance—whether it's mental clarity through nootropics or functional strength with kettlebells—makes it feel like you’re buying into a philosophy, not just a product. They also build trust through transparency: they share third-party lab results, clear ingredient sourcing, and educational content that empowers their customers.

What really makes a brand like Onnit stand out is how they redefine the category—not just creatine for creatine’s sake, but creatine as part of an optimized routine that supports your entire fitness journey. That messaging feels personal, actionable, and aspirational. I’d be happy to dive deeper into how emerging supplement brands can model this strategy to break through the noise."

Powerful messaging centered on self-mastery

Chad Walding, Co-Founder & Chief Culture Officer at NativePath

"I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and for several years, I've used my expertise to help people reignite their whole-body health through nutrition and movement. I've researched how powerful messaging can cause a product to become more than just another item on the shelf.

The brand that does this with clarity is Onnit. They don’t just sell creatine - they put it all together into a lifestyle centered on self-mastery. What stood out to me was the way they paired their supplements with mindset, mobility, and functional strength content. In that kind of alignment, it is easy for consumers to see it isn’t just about bulk. It tells them, "This fits into who you are becoming," and that is so much more powerful than listing out grams and benefits.

The real test of how sticky a message is, is how real it feels in the day-to-day grind. If a brand shows me how I can mix their creatine in my morning shake and give me a no-excuses workout plan, then I am more likely to feel consistency. That is what I have done with my own content at NativePath - we offer collagen, but we illustrate how that becomes part of a healthy rhythm aligned with your values and goals."

Building a bridge between scientific credibility and personal discipline

Allan Murphy Bruun, Chief Revenue Officer & Co-Founder at SimplerQMS

"If I were to choose the brand that nails the emotional and scientific framing of creatine as essential to long-term physical progress, it would be Legion Athletics.

What they do is build a bridge between scientific credibility and personal discipline. Their message treats creatine not as a magic fix, but as a non-negotiable piece of the daily routine if you're serious about progress. And they back it up without shouting. Full disclosure of ingredient sourcing, transparent third-party testing, and straight explanations of how each component works. No fluff.

What we can take from them is this: consumers are tired of being sold to. They want to be educated, and they want that education to come without ego. Legion doesn’t dumb anything down, but they don’t talk over anyone’s head either. That straight talk builds long-term trust and creates a brand people stay loyal to because it respects their intelligence and goals."

Tying creatine to everyday motivation

Bert Hofhuis, Entrepreneur & Founder at BankingTimes

"Ghost does this really well. What caught my attention wasn't just the packaging or the usual gym talk, but how they make you feel like you’re part of something. They talk like their customers talk. It’s not dressed up in heavy jargon or polished marketing speak. They’ve managed to tie creatine to everyday motivation, like showing up even when you don’t feel like it or pushing past a mental block. That’s something I relate to. In finance, especially with later-life planning, trust comes from being understood. If your story sounds like theirs, they’ll give you the time of day. Ghost managed to bottle that in a product most people see as a commodity.

What works is that they don’t over-promise. You won’t find wild claims. They just keep showing people using the product in their routines, tagging workouts, meals, and even off days. It’s a lot like building financial trust over time through steady education and clarity. No flash, just repetition and honesty. I’ve spent years trying to make financial planning feel less intimidating and more like a conversation. Ghost does the same for fitness supplements. They talk about creatine as something that helps you get better at being consistent, and that hits the mark."

For training with purpose

Daniel Vasilevski, Owner at Pro Electrical

"As someone who works long days across Sydney relying on energy, focus, and recovery, I’ve got a real-world take on what makes a supplement worth it. I’m not a fitness influencer, but I know what works when you’re pushing your body every day.

Transparent Labs does it best in my book. I’m not someone chasing fitness trends or counting macros every hour, but I work long days and need something reliable to keep my energy steady. What got my attention wasn’t just the product; it was how they explained it. No noise, no empty claims, just real information that made sense. They talked to me like someone who wants to train with purpose, not show off. And they backed it up with clear lab results and ingredient breakdowns that made me feel like I wasn’t guessing.

I remember seeing a post from a bloke juggling shift work and family life, and how creatine helped him stay disciplined with his morning workouts. It wasn’t just about muscle, it was about having more in the tank to keep showing up. That’s what made it click for me. The way they framed creatine as part of a lifestyle that supports discipline and recovery stuck. As a tradesman, I’m all about tools that do what they’re supposed to. I don’t sell a switchboard, I offer safety and reliability. That’s how Transparent Labs comes across. It’s not just a supplement, it’s something that supports you doing your best work, inside the gym or out."

Revealing exactly what's in the products

Khris Steven, Founder at KhrisDigital

"Transparent Labs totally aced the transparency aspect, and that's why I like them. They don't resort to all those hypes or overblown statements. They instead reveal exactly what's in their products, such as their creating, with the support of lab results and customer reviews. When you can actually see the results for yourself and have a breakdown of what you're ingesting, it's much simpler to believe them. It's not about marketing a product; they're establishing credibility because they're being honest. At more than 10,000 positive reviews on their website, it's obvious that customers appreciate honesty rather than clever marketing strategies.

My favorite thing is the way Transparent Labs puts their products into a larger context. They're not selling you a supplement; they're selling you a means to take your fitness to the next level. Take their ads, for example, which tend to be centered around concepts like breaking through plateaus and cultivating discipline—concepts which speak very much to anyone who's serious about working out. That type of messaging appeals both to the emotional and functional aspect of progress. It's not about results; it's about progress that sticks. For early-stage brands, that type of messaging is the basis on which to create trust and long-term relationships, rather than fast sales."

Identity transformation over product benefits

Moattar Ali, VP of Marketing at HARO Link Builder

"Gorilla Mind is the supplement brand that best marries transparency with motivational copy. It sells its creatine monohydrate not as another powder but as "cognitive and physical optimization fuel for high performers." Its copy appeals to identity transformation over product benefits.

What is most unique about Gorilla Mind is its fact-backed storytelling combined with unbridled authenticity. Their founder discusses development choices openly, posts third-party lab test results, and addresses supplement controversies head-on. Such openness builds trust, while their message focuses on mental clarity, long-lasting energy, and peak performance rather than boilerplate muscle-building copy.

The key to success is radical transparency regarding ingredients and testing, coupled with identity-based communications that make consumers feel they belong to a special club of high achievers. Great supplement companies sell the person the consumer wants to be, not merely the thing they are purchasing.

Early brands must establish trust through continuous demonstration before they can successfully sell transformation dreams."

Make them feel like they’re part of the select few who get it.

Paul Allen, Owner at DublinRush

"We worked with a supplement brand recently that didn’t just sell a nootropic-infused creatine blend. They sold the morning ritual of champions. Instead of pushing benefits like “build lean mass,” we flipped the script:

“This isn’t for everyone. It’s for the 6 a.m. grinders, the double-shift lifters, and the ‘skip the snooze’ psychos.”

That single line gave them more brand traction than any clinical study link.

What made their pitch work?
1. Exclusivity-as-identity – People don’t just want results; they want to feel like they’re part of the select few who get it.
2. Transparency with a wink – They showed the science, but also leaned into storytelling with cheeky reels about the “5 stages of creatine bloating denial.”
3. Consistency over virality – Every post was a chapter in the same story: discipline, transformation, and becoming that version of you.

Honestly, brands like Ghost do it brilliantly too—but early-stage companies can absolutely punch above their weight if they stop selling molecules and start selling mythology."

Sell identity

Briana Torres, Marketing & Client Experience Manager at Injectco

"The brand doing it best right now in terms of brand messaging is Ghost. This brand sells identity. The tub is loud. The tone is confident. The content feels like something your gym buddy would post, not some nutritionist with a checklist. It works because it never talks like a supplement. It talks like a movement. Their pre-workout drops feel like sneaker releases, and their creatine shows up as the upgrade, not the starter pack.

The magic is in how they tie performance to personality. They treat consistency like a lifestyle flex, not a grind. Every story they post hits one of three buttons: you want to go harder, you want to feel stronger or you want to look like you train for something. That energy is what makes creatine sound like a no-brainer. When you sell confidence, you do not need to scream benefits."

#PRontheGO