Darren Rayner has been shaping how brands tell stories online for more than two decades. As the founder of Magnafire , a Vancouver-based creative agency working with Red Bull, Arc’teryx, and Lululemon, Darren shares how his early days running a snowboard apparel brand gave him a unique lens on content long before “content” was a thing. In this episode, we trace his journey from spray-painting t-shirts and hacking video streams in 2001 to leading a team producing some of the most effective short-form content in the outdoor industry today. Darren breaks down why short videos outperform long ones, how brands can use the “content pyramid” to stretch their budgets, and why founder-led storytelling matters more than ever. It’s a practical, inspiring conversation for any entrepreneur who wants to use video strategically without overcomplicating it. Learn more about KORE Outdoors Highlights from the conversation: Darren’s apparel brand and the ahead-of-its-time content strategy that helped them grow The shift from long-form to short-form video and how brands adapted Magnifier’s “content pyramid” framework for efficient content creation Founder-led storytelling and building trust through transparency Brand vs performance marketing budgets (70/30 approach) and evolving funnels Connect with Darren on LinkedIn Connect with Christian on LinkedIn Links to things mentioned in the conversation: Magnafire Zendaya x On Running - Zone Dreamers Satisfy Running - I Think I Saw You On My Run Today Liquid Death's YouTube Channel Gucci short film starring Demi Moore & Edward Norton For more about the KORE Outdoors Podcast, visit https://koreoutdoors.org/podcast/ The KORE Outdoors Podcast is supported by the Province of British Columbia.
