How does Onnit marketing work, and what can you copy?

Onnit marketing runs on podcast hosts and media buying affiliates. See how the Joe Rogan deal, the payouts and the ads work, and which moves to copy.

Dennis Ksendzov

Founder · November 10, 2026 · 3 min read

Hand-drawn sketch of How Onnit Markets: Podcast hosts to Affiliate ads to Retention team

Onnit markets through podcast hosts, led by Joe Rogan, and through affiliates who buy its ads. (Onnit) (Triple Whale)

Podcasting has been by far its most successful strategy, and media buying affiliates delivered 30 to 60 percent of net new customers daily at Onnit and Goli Nutrition. (Onnit) (Marketing Operators)

I was an early adopter to podcast advertising. So, I actually approached him before he had any advertisers for a different company. And I was like, "Hey man, I'd love to sponsor your podcast."
Onnit

To find the playbook in the weeds, we talked with the CMO of AG1, the CEO of Onnit & the CMO of Feastables.

How does Onnit work with podcast hosts?

Earn the host first, then track every show

Founder Aubrey Marcus set up a 30 minute meeting with Joe Rogan about an ad deal for another company. It ran 4 hours, the friendship came first, and he was later willing to give up a large share of Onnit to partner with Rogan. (Onnit)
Onnit sent one host a box of its products. He picked the jump rope, number 60 of 63 in importance, because he is an old boxer, talked about it honestly, and the campaign worked. (Onnit)
Track each show with a code or its own page: code Rogan for 10 percent off, or onnit.com/ellis for Jason Ellis. Both leak, since codes land on coupon sites and people drop the end of the URL. (Onnit)
Give it time. Many customers hear the brand across podcasts before buying, and someone who heard 80 Onnit ads finally buys on a sluggish day. (Onnit)

Hosts earn the trust, and the next group turns that trust into daily orders.

How does Onnit get affiliates to run its ads?

Outbid every other offer and hand affiliates your best footage

Onnit paid affiliates about 120 dollars on a funnel with a 60 to 70 dollar average order, so every affiliate would favour its offer. (D2C Diaries)
Its affiliates cut a one hour founders video of Joe Rogan and CEO Aubrey Marcus into new ads, and any ad with Joe Rogan in it worked very well. (Yaron Been)
That awareness lifted Onnit's Amazon sales, and to a lesser extent its own site. (D2C Diaries)

Alpha Brain ads are mostly run by affiliates, so the in house team works on retention. (Triple Whale)

Coffee was inconsistent. Energy drinks were overwhelming. Supplements were inconvenient. Neuro's our story page

Next, look at the creators in those ads.

Does Onnit use influencers in its ads?

Put creators into the ads and rebook the ones who sell

Onnit made 12 sponsored YouTube videos in the last 12 months, all from one channel, and none of its 191 live Meta ads runs with a creator from youtube (except Joe Rogan).

In all, Onnit ran 71 sponsored videos with 10 creators. It bought 5 of the 10 once and held 3 through a second booking 6 or more months later or a standing discount code.

Its creators name Alpha BRAIN in 17 of 71 videos, while 145 of its 191 live ads point at Total Human.
Onnit: put creators into the Meta ads that now run with media companies, and rebuild YouTube from the 63 channels two or more of its rivals already paid.

Hosts, affiliates and creators each need their own deal and their own tracking.

More on this:

Can someone run all of this for my brand?

We build and run this for consumer brands, from the first creator to the ads behind them.

Put ad money behind the creator content that already works.

If you have some of the steps in place, we audit what's missing in each and how to take it further.