For many consumer brands, growth initially comes from solving a specific problem.
A product gains traction, a customer base begins to form, and the focus naturally shifts towards scaling acquisition, expanding channels, and building commercial momentum. In highly competitive sectors like sports nutrition and wellness, that pressure can become even more intense as brands fight for attention in increasingly crowded markets.
The challenge is that products alone rarely create long-term differentiation.
Formulations can be copied, trends move quickly, and customer loyalty is often far more fragile than businesses initially expect. The brands that sustain momentum over time are usually the ones that manage to build something customers emotionally connect with beyond the product itself.
That was one of the most interesting themes explored during a recent episode of The FODcast, where we sat down with Daniel Temm, CEO of Puresport, to discuss how the business evolved from a CBD-focused startup into a broader sports nutrition brand centred around performance, ambition, and community.
From professional sport into entrepreneurship
Daniel’s own journey into the business played a significant role in shaping the direction of the brand.
Originally from New Zealand, he spent close to a decade playing professional rugby in England before eventually stepping into the world of entrepreneurship through Puresport. At the time, the business was still heavily focused on CBD products, but the wider opportunity quickly became apparent.
As Daniel explained during the conversation, one of the defining moments came during the pandemic when sport paused and the business suddenly had more time to focus on its customer community. Online fitness campaigns and digital engagement began creating deeper conversations with customers, many of whom connected with the wider lifestyle and mindset behind the brand rather than simply the products themselves.
That shift changed the trajectory of the business.
What started as a CBD product company increasingly became a broader brand centred around helping ambitious people perform better, recover better, and ultimately feel connected to something bigger than a transactional purchase.
Why community became a competitive advantage
One of the clearest themes throughout the discussion was the importance of community in modern brand building.
In categories like sports nutrition, consumers are exposed to huge amounts of product messaging every day. New supplements, ingredients, wellness products, and performance claims constantly enter the market, making it increasingly difficult for brands to stand out through features alone.
Puresport’s approach has instead focused heavily on creating emotional connection and shared identity.
As Daniel discussed, the goal was not simply to sell hydration or recovery products. It is to create an environment where customers feel connected to a wider group of people trying to improve themselves, whether that relates to fitness, health, performance, or personal ambition more broadly.
That sense of belonging can become incredibly powerful commercially because it moves the relationship beyond simple product comparison.
Why omnichannel growth became essential
Another interesting part of the conversation focused on the realities of scaling a modern consumer brand.
Puresport initially grew as a direct-to-consumer business, which is a common route for challenger brands. However, Daniel was very open about the limitations of relying purely on owned ecommerce channels long term.
As he explained, most customers are not necessarily shopping directly through branded websites. They are already purchasing through marketplaces, retail environments, and established platforms where buying behaviour already exists.
That meant Puresport needed to evolve into a more omnichannel business.
Expansion into channels like Amazon and physical retail was not simply about visibility. It was about meeting customers where they already were, rather than expecting them to completely change their purchasing habits.
This reflects a wider trend across digital commerce, where many brands are reassessing the balance between direct-to-consumer growth and broader channel diversification.
The changing reality of ecommerce brand building
One of the more interesting points Daniel raised was around the common perception that ecommerce growth is now almost entirely dependent on paid social advertising platforms.
Because of restrictions around CBD advertising, Puresport was initially unable to rely heavily on channels like Meta in the same way many other consumer brands had. That forced the business to think differently about how it built awareness and customer trust.
In hindsight, that limitation may actually have strengthened the brand.
Rather than relying purely on performance marketing, the business invested more heavily in community engagement, partnerships, customer connection, and offline interaction. As a result, the brand identity became rooted more deeply in lifestyle, ambition, and experience rather than simply customer acquisition efficiency.
That feels increasingly relevant now as more brands face rising advertising costs and growing competition across digital acquisition channels.
The leadership challenge behind scaling a brand
Another strong theme throughout the conversation was the reality of leadership during periods of rapid growth.
As businesses scale, the structure, processes, and decision-making required to operate effectively change significantly. Daniel spoke openly about how the skills that make businesses successful in startup mode do not always translate neatly into the next stage of growth.
That is something many scaling businesses experience.
What works in a smaller, fast-moving startup environment can quickly become difficult to sustain as teams expand, operational complexity increases, and businesses mature commercially. Leadership therefore becomes less about reacting quickly and more about building structure, consistency, and long-term capability.
Daniel also discussed the importance of mentorship throughout that process, referencing the support and guidance he has received from experienced leaders within the industry. That willingness to seek external perspective often becomes critical during periods of sustained growth, particularly for founders and leadership teams navigating unfamiliar challenges.
The capability challenge behind modern consumer brands
One of the wider themes that continues to emerge across digital commerce is the growing overlap between brand, community, operational strategy, and customer experience.
Modern consumer brands increasingly need teams capable of understanding not just ecommerce performance, but also storytelling, partnerships, retention, customer behaviour, and long-term brand positioning. Those capabilities rarely sit neatly within one traditional discipline anymore.
From our perspective, this is another example of how brand building is becoming increasingly interconnected with broader commercial strategy. The businesses creating long-term loyalty are often the ones capable of combining operational execution with genuine customer understanding and emotional connection.
Final thoughts
What came through clearly in this conversation is that the strongest brands are rarely built purely around products alone.
As Daniel highlighted, long-term growth increasingly depends on building connection, trust, and shared identity alongside commercial performance. Products may create the initial entry point, but community, experience, and purpose are often what sustain momentum over time.
For brands operating in competitive consumer markets, that means thinking beyond acquisition metrics alone and focusing more closely on the wider relationship being built with customers.
A big thank you to Daniel for sharing his insight and experience on this topic. If consumer brand growth, or omnichannel strategy is something your business is currently exploring, the full episode is below and well worth a listen on your next run or work out!
