Most brands are looking at the wrong data.
Worse still? You don’t know what to do with it.
This week, Verity sits down with Jazmin Griffith (Social Strategist, Content Creator, and Founder @ Social Listening Studio, queloque?). Jazmin pulls back the curtain on what real listening looks like today – and why it’s about far more than sentiment & mentions.
From decoding niche communities to spotting Reddit-born Super Bowl ideas, Jazmin reveals how brands can shift from ‘monitoring’ to meaningful intelligence. If you’ve ever asked, "what do we actually do with this data?", this chat delivers your answers, fast.
Listen to learn how to:
Use The 5 Cs to Guide Listening: Jazmin’s framework covers Content, Culture, Community, Creators, and Channels; and shows how to unlock insights across all of them.
Get Past Vanity Metrics: Surface-level engagement doesn’t tell the whole story. Hear how to uncover what’s really working.
Spot What Creators Aren’t Saying: Jazmin explains how the most valuable signals are often hidden in broadcast channels, DMs, Substacks, and Slack groups.
Build Listener-Led Briefs: Why reactive brands are losing, and what it takes to create culturally relevant, high-performing content today.
Think Beyond the Grid: Why Threads, Reddit, and even Substack might be the whitespace you’re overlooking – and how to know if it’s time to pivot your channel strategy.
This one’s sharp, strategic, and packed with takeaways.If you’re in social or strategy, do not skip it.
Chapters
00:00 – You Think You're Listening. You're Not.
02:04 – The Reddit Insight That Sparked a Super Bowl Ad
07:46 – Why Most Social Teams Still Get This Wrong
12:35 – The 5 Cs That Should Shape Every Strategy
18:00 – What Creators Know That Brands Miss
22:00 – Listener-Led Briefs > Brand-First Briefs
27:56 – Culture Is Not Your Playground
30:02 – Community Isn’t Comments
36:17 – Where Your Brand Should Actually Show Up
41:00 – 3 Signals Smart Marketers Are Already Tracking
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What does a decade of building Brand Advocacy look like in practice?
Back in May, Paul sat down with Luke Klein (Senior Director of Marketing Strategy & Growth @ Aerie) to unpack one of fashion’s longest-running movements: #AerieREAL.
The campaign started in 2014 with a bold commitment: no more retouching. But it was more than a moment; it was a cultural stance. In the 10 years since, Aerie has evolved that stance into a living, breathing ‘brandformance’ strategy that continues to drive relevance & results.
Luke shares how Aerie stays intuitive to their customer (not just reactive), balances brand consistency with performance-first cultural agility, and designs a creator strategy that feels genuinely co-owned.
If you’re looking for smart ways to evolve a brand, this episode is yours.
You’ll learn:
Why Brands Need a Mirror, Not a Magnet – Aerie doesn’t try to manufacture hype. They reflect real conversations their customers are already having; and that’s what earns trust.
The Bow Tie vs The Funnel – A customer journey model that actually reflects how people buy and Advocate today.
Why Brand Is Performance (& Vice Versa) – Luke shares why separating the two is outdated, and how Aerie uses one strategy to drive both impact and immediacy.
How Culture-Driven Content Fuels Strategy – From “Coastal Grandma” to subculture playbooks, Luke breaks down how Aerie turns social listening into scalable strategy.
Why Influencers Should Translate, Not Recite – Scripts are dead. Aerie’s creator strategy starts with values, then lets partners lead with their own voice.
The Underrated Power of Store Associates – When you empower employees to show up authentically, they become some of your best Advocates.
Whether you’re brand-side, agency-side, or founder-led – if you’re serious about scaling with Advocacy, this is one way to do it.
Chapters:
00:00 – Why #AerieREAL Was Never Just a Campaign
02:50 – Evolving the Movement for Gen Z in 2025
08:45 – How Aerie Turns Listening Into Strategy
10:30 – From SEO to Trend Spotting: The Content Nucleus Model
13:00 – Subcultures, Micro-Trends & Translating the Brand
14:00 – Scripts Are Dead: Let Creators Lead With Values
21:00 – Why Brand and Performance Aren’t Separate Anymore
23:00 – The Bow Tie vs The Funnel (and What Actually Works)
26:00 – Segmenting Advocates Beyond Purchase Frequency
30:00 – Store Associates as Advocates: The Untapped Channel
34:00 – The Myth of Message Matching Across Touchpoints
36:30 – Letting the Customer Shape the Brand, Not Just Receive It
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Not Hot Take: Marketing shouldn’t feel like a meeting.
It should move you.
This week, Verity sits down with Henry Hayes – Head of Marketing @ Passionfruit and the comedic content machine reshaping how brands build attention, internally & externally.
Whether you know Henry from his LinkedIn comedy bits or his unconventional marketing strategies at Passionfruit, this conversation peels back the layers on what today’s brand teams really need to nail.
Think funny’s overdone, or simply isn’t for you? Think again.
Press play to hear:
Brand vs. Performance? That’s Old News: Henry shares why separating the two is a risk in 2025 and beyond – and what should be done differently.
Behind the ‘Comedy Content Machine’: From Stan parodies to ‘The Bear for Marketers’, Henry breaks down how he ideates – and why truth always trumps polish.
Why Passionfruit Doesn’t Spend on Ads: And what their founder said that changed everything.
How to Unlock Employee Creators: Why leadership’s job is to get out of the way, and let their teams build personal brands that fuel business growth.
D2C Brands, You’re Still Playing It Too Safe: Henry names names, shares what works, and dissects why brands still treat Instagram like a shop window.
This one’s part tactical teardown, part creative permission slip.
Listen in. Rethink the rulebook. And maybe… be funnier.
Chapters:
00:00 – From Creator to Head of Marketing
05:10 – Building Advocacy Internally
10:20 – Marketing at the Speed of Culture
14:40 – Why Passionfruit Doesn’t Spend on Ads
20:15 – D2C Brands Are Still Playing It Safe
25:55 – Let Employees Create (Then Get Out of the Way)
31:25 – Comedy Is a Marketing Tactic
42:35 – You Are Not the Customer
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Brand budgets? Tighter.
Expectations on creators? Higher.
Welcome to the new era of influencer marketing; where performance matters most, platforms are merging, and brands can’t afford to get it wrong.
Kicking off Season 3, Verity sits down with Lowri Evans – an influencer strategy expert with experience at VIEVE, Coco & Eve, Revive Collagen and more. Fresh from going freelance, Lowri breaks down the real rules of modern creator marketing; from Spark Ads to affiliate programs, and why relationship-building still outperforms pay-to-play.
Turn this episode on & up to learn how to:
Merge Performance & Brand Marketing: It’s time to bin the silos. Lowri shares how results and relationships can (and should) work together.
Get Smart About Affiliate Programs: From ShopMy to real ROI, Lowri explains how the smartest brands are tracking impact without diluting brand.
Build Real Relationships with Creators: Forget transactional. Learn why taking milestones seriously might be your highest-converting move.
Use Spark Ads to Supercharge Results: TikTok content that converts? Spark it. Lowri walks through the what, why, and how.
Turn Customers Into Collaborators: From fans to featured creators, hear how VIEVE and others are turning everyday customers into stars.
If your brand still sends mass gifting with no follow-up, this is your wake-up call.
Listen for the insight (& influencer receipts) you actually need.
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Season 3: Why This Episode Matters
04:00 – Inside the Evolution of Influencer
07:00 – Relationship-First vs. Pay-to-Play
11:00 – Affiliate Strategy That Actually Drives Sales
15:00 – Spark Ads, TikTok Shop & Performance That Converts
20:00 – Why Brand & Performance Must Talk to Each Other
27:00 – Turning Customers Into Creators
34:00 – Building Real Community Through Real People
39:00 – The Problem With TikTok Shop (& How to Use It Right)
44:00 – Are Nano Creators Your Most Powerful Advocates?
49:00 – What Brands Still Get Wrong About Advocacy
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Engineering joy > selling stuff.
It’s really that simple.
(But how do you do it?)
This week, Verity sits down with Content Creator, Social Strategist, and ‘Coldest Creative’ Founder, Joel Marlinarson. Together, they unpack the intersection where fashion, food, music, and culture collide online – and what smart brands are doing about it.
Joel’s built a platform decoding brand moves for his audience (over on @coldestjoel), while building for brands behind the scenes. He shares what’s working, what’s next, and what most brands are missing entirely.
Turn this on & up to learn how to…
Brand Like a Musician: From Cowboy Carter to Brat, musicians are leading the experiential game. Joel breaks down why brands should start thinking more like them.
Win with Small Joys: The "little treat" moment is more than a trend. Discover how food, feeling, and brand identity fuse to create Advocacy-ready experiences.
Track What Actually Matters: Forget followers. Joel shares why repeat commenters and micro-engagements are the real signal of brand love.
Build In-Jokes & Icons: Learn how obscure memes, emoji signals, and recurring brand language can create loyalty (and drive people to comment).
Cast Wider: Gen Z doesn’t have to speak to Gen Z. From retail staff to over-50s creators, Joel shares how unexpected casting builds connection.
Use EGC The Right Way: From ethics to execution, this is how to make employee content fair, diverse, and seriously effective.
From Loewe’s tomato hot air balloons to finding your own “Juno” moment, this chat covers what makes culture tick – and how brands can keep up.
Chapters
00:00 – Why Music Marketing Works Better Than Brand Campaigns
06:00 – Brat. Cowboy Carter. Juno: What Brands Can Learn
08:00 – Food as Feel-Good Branding
10:00 – In-Jokes, Emojis & Repeat Commenters: Signals of True Community
14:00 – Is Sass Out? Why Ryanair’s TOV Might Be Tired
20:00 – Doing EGC Right (& Fair)
26:00 – Weird But Works: The Best Brand Collabs
30:00 – Silver Economy & The Power of Over-50s Influencers
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What do you get when you combine razor-sharp humour, social-first instincts, and a refusal to play by the rules?
An equal-parts entertaining, and practical, deep dive into brand building on social today.
This week, Verity sits down with Gabriel Gomez (Head of Social & Community @ MCoBeauty (US), Creator & Speaker) to explore how one of Australia’s most-followed beauty brands is winning the US market. Spoiler alert: it’s by moving fast, listening closely, and making the right kind of noise online.
Turn this episode on and up to learn how to:
Spot and Scale the Right Cultural Moments, Without 10 Approvals & a Deck: Gabe shares how MCoBeauty gets from idea to action in minutes, thanks to lean teams, shared instincts, and a refusal to overthink the feed.
Build Campaigns with Cross-Functional Input (Without Slowing Things Down): Gabe’s approach flips the usual script: involve people early, keep ideas fluid, and trust that great strategy can come from any level of the org.
Choose Creators Based on Connection, Not Clout: Whether it's scouting emerging talent or inviting creators into the concepting process, Gabe breaks down how MCoBeauty treats creators like consultants, not content machines.
Balance Viral Chaos with Brand Clarity (and Still Forget the Playbook): Social’s a sprint, but that doesn’t mean strategy gets lost. Learn how MCo blends brand consistency with bold, off-script moves that actually land.
Build a Fast-Moving, Emoji-Powered Social Culture that Thrives Under Pressure: From skipping the decks to celebrating team wins with emphasis, Gabe shows how to lead a social team that runs on energy and impact.
Decide What’s a Green Flag (and What’s a Giant Red One): In a rapid-fire game, Gabe shares exactly how he filters pitches, rates brand behaviour, and why he’s definitely deleting your “$50 and a lipstick” offer.
Plus: you’ll hear why TikTok is their #1 Advocacy driver, how Gabe spots red-flag creators, and the surprising platform he opens first every day.
His advice is fast, fresh, and unapologetically honest – just like the brands that win on social now.
Chapters
00:00 – Gabe Gomez & the MCoBeauty Mindset
03:00 – Why Dupes, Not Decks, Drive Beauty Culture Now
07:00 – Crashing Trends & Creating Chaos: Moving at the Speed of Social
12:00 – F*** the Playbook: Balancing Strategy with Spontaneity
17:00 – Creators as Consultants: Rethinking Influence & Partnerships
22:00 – The Green Flag / Red Flag Game: What Brands Get Wrong (and Right)
32:00 – Why TikTok’s Driving Advocacy, And Instagram Isn’t
36:00 – The Platform Breakdown: What’s Working, What’s Next
41:00 – How to Really Build Brand Advocacy (It’s Not a Coupon Code)
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Can you build Brand Advocacy in punchlines?
John Thornton thinks so. Kind of.
Verity sits down with Surreal's Senior Creative (and ex-Innocent wordsmith) to break down how brand voice becomes a business asset, how humour fuels loyalty, and why you should definitely check your QR codes before a campaign launch.
This isn’t another chat about tone of voice. It’s a behind-the-scenes on…
The truth about "funny" copy that drives action.
What most brands misunderstand about distinctiveness.
The forgotten value of comments, not campaigns.
Why authenticity is less about saying the right thing, and more about knowing your place (and being flexible on your fonts).
John shares the good, the bad, and the copy & collaborations that helped Surreal drive major awareness. Innocent, too.
Whether you’re a brand builder, copywriter or just here for the laughs, there’s no fluff; just real talk from someone who knows how to make cereal & smoothies go viral.
Turn it up to learn:
How to Create Copy that Converts, Sans-Corporate Feel: When the tone’s too polished, people scroll past. When it’s too offbeat, they don’t trust you. John shares how to strike the balance – writing copy that’s confident, irreverent, and still converts when it counts.
The One Test John Uses to Decide if a Risky Idea is Actually Risky: If you want to get bold work signed off, use John’s litmus test: “What would the Daily Mail headline be?” If it’s not scandal-worthy, it’s probably just brave. Let’s break down how to push boundaries without blowing up trust, or approval chains.
Why People Love Brands that Hire the “Idiot on Twitter”: It’s not about polish, it’s about presence. John explains why fast, scrappy, weirdly human replies build more loyalty than a year’s worth of branded templates. And why the best moments don’t need strategy decks; just someone funny with a login.
The Difference Between Going Viral and Building Something That Lasts: Viral posts spike and fade. Advocacy sticks around. Together, John & Verity unpack how to turn attention into affinity, using humour and product to build content people choose to share – long after the algorithm moves on.
Listen. Laugh a bit. Rethink your brand copy.
Chapters:
03:10 – Meet John Thornton
07:00 – Why Self-Awareness Beats Tone Guidelines
09:10 – Innocent’s Process (and Freedom to Fail)
11:00 – Writing to Stand Out, Not Just Be Funny
12:50 – A Star Wars CV & Other Power Moves
14:10 – The Best Campaigns Are Barely Planned
15:40 – Defending ‘Vanity’ Metrics
16:30 – The Baked Bean Smoothie ft. Heinz
18:50 – Fonts, Risk & The Daily Mail Test
22:20 – Why Surreal Hides Its Humans
29:50 – Product Posts That Actually Get Shared
31:50 – Advocacy Is a Long Game
36:00 – Turning a Fail Into a Fan Moment
39:00 – The LoveHoney Collab Explained
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Is your brand actually building Advocacy – or are you still buying influence?
This week, Verity’s joined by Sedge Beswick; humbly, one of the most sought-after voices in modern marketing. She’s the exited Founder of Seen Connects, Strategic Advisor to multiple brands, a Public Speaker, Mentor, and the original architect behind the ASOS social team.
From why the term ‘community’ is losing meaning, to what TikTok Shop strategies are still missing, Sedge offers a cutting breakdown of where brands get it wrong – and how to build smarter, bolder, more human-first influence strategies.
Expect insights marketers at every level need to hear, on…
How to Spot (and Support) Your First Advocates – It starts with 10 true believers. Here’s how to find them, involve them, and scale it.
Why Vanity Metrics Are Killing ROI: Brands still chase follower counts and forget to audit audience fit. Sedge explains the one data check every team should make before a partnership.
Creator Briefs Need an Overhaul: Trust and autonomy drive results. Learn what a great 2025 brief looks like, and how to adapt for different tiers of creators.
Performance Isn’t the Enemy of Brand: There’s a new era of collaboration on the cards, right now. Hear how smart teams are reconnecting the full marketing funnel.
From Run Clubs to Book Clubs: Why IRL community isn’t just a trend, it’s your moat. Sedge explains how brands like New Balance are turning participation into brand equity.
Inside REFY’s Influence Model: What makes their creator strategy so sticky? From co-founders to customer-led trips, Sedge unpacks the moves that matter.
It’s time to ditch short-term tactics and rethink what lasting brand love really looks like.
Chapters
00:00 – Bloopers, Blunders & Building a Career in Influence
05:40 – Why Influencer Marketing Fails (And How to Fix It)
10:00 – Followers Aren’t Community: What Some Brands Still Don’t Get
12:30 – Brand vs. Performance? Merge It.
15:15 – How ASOS Built a Creator System That Actually Worked
21:30 – The Data You’re Ignoring (TikTok Shop, Instagram & Beyond)
24:10 – Refy, Glossier & the Real Power of Customer-Led Growth
34:00 – New Balance & The Action Plan for Full-Funnel Advocacy
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This is about more than Gen Z.
It’s about the way they’ve reshaped marketing for everyone.
This week, Paul chats with Lara Stallbaum (CEO & Founder @ Twirl) and Rosie Donoghue (Digital Marketing Manager @ Umberto Giannini) LIVE from London’s Brand Advocacy Summit to unpack:
✨ How to speak Gen Z’s language without losing your brand.
✨ Why performance marketing isn’t enough anymore.
✨ The surprising way Gen Z are reshaping product and brand loyalty.
And of course, the big one…
How to build Advocacy with Gen Z consumers who’ll actually stick around.
You’ll learn:
What Umberto Giannini Found – Taking their products straight to students’ Freshers roadshows became unexpected research labs & Advocacy engines.
Why Raw, Real Content (yes, even with pimple patches) Wins – Because when the vibe is honest, the message lands.
Why Your Top Fans Might Already Be Creators – They’re on your CRM, they’re opening your emails, and they’re ready to create. You just haven’t activated them yet.
When It’s Time To Rethink Brand Guidelines – Control doesn’t have to mean creative restriction, if you curate and brief smarter.
Gen Z don’t just want something different. They want something real.
This episode’s in kind partnership with Twirl; delivering scroll-stopping UGC for ads, sites, and socials, powered by a top-tier network of creators who know how to make brands shine.
Learn more about them about: https://www.usetwirl.com/
Download their ‘Gen Z UGC Playbook’ here: https://www.usetwirl.com/guides/the-gen-z-ugc-playbook
Chapters
00:00 - Why Gen Z Marketing Is Everyone’s Marketing Now
04:00 - From Freshers Pop-ups to UGC Conversions
07:20 - Brand Loyalty vs. Product Loyalty
09:00 - How Connection Turns Customers Into Advocates
15:10 - Brand Guidelines vs. Raw Authenticity
20:00 - Building A Full Funnel UGC Strategy
26:30 - Why Your Customers Might Already Be Your Best Creators
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YouTube has been around for nearly two decades.
So, why are most brands still so bad at it?
For this chat, Paul & Verity sit down with Chloe McCullough (YouTube Lead @ JD Sports & consultant to brands like SheerLuxe) to ask what building a real brand channel looks like.
From scrapping paid media to focusing on organic reach, from creator-first strategies to serialized formats that cut through; Chloe’s taken JD from a confused content mix to a media powerhouse. In this episode, LIVE from the Brand Advocacy Summit: London, she lays out exactly how she did it.
What you'll learn:
Why YouTube Isn’t A Social Channel – And how brands should treat it instead. Chloe explains how its long-form depth, search behaviours, and retention-led success mean it plays by totally different rules.
How JD Built Hit Series, Like ‘The Masked Rapper’, That Scaled Reach & Community – Replicating TV-style content can create cost-effective, bingeable formats that grow your channel.
Why Most YouTube Strategies Fail – Hint: they’re borrowed from TikTok. Hear what marketers get wrong when they treat Shorts like other short-form, and ignore long-form fundamentals.
What Metrics Actually Matter – Learn how to read them like a strategist, so you can optimise your thumbnails, titles, and audience retention with clarity.
When Creators Are Worth The Budget – And what to do if yours isn’t huge.
Why Thumbnails, Titles & SEO Aren’t Afterthoughts – They are the strategy. See how Chloe tests & tweaks to unlock consistent growth, even before you’ve built an audience.
This episode isn’t about gaming the algorithm. It’s about building an audience that stays.
Chapters
00:00 – Why Brands Still Don’t Get YouTube
02:50 – What Makes a Brand Channel Actually Work
05:42 – YouTube SEO, Community & Creator Thinking
13:41 – Titles, Thumbnails & the 1% Rule
15:07 – Serialized Content: Why It Cuts Cost & Builds Audience
19:40 – Shorts Strategy & What Drives Real Growth
23:33 – Community Building & Sentiment Shifts at JD
26:40 – The 3 YouTube Metrics That Actually Matter
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What do pop-ups, playful giant handbags, and hyperlocal partnerships have in common?
They’re not stunts. They’re strategy.
Recorded LIVE at the Brand Advocacy Summit: London, this is the second of four exclusive episodes – straight from the stage.
Verity & Paul sit down with Pascale Montaner (VP of Global Marketing @ Kurt Geiger) and Louisa O’Connor (Managing Director @ Seen Presents) to dig into why the smartest brands are leaning hard into the experience-driven economy.
From transforming storefronts into storytelling tools, to building activations that speak louder than any ad ever could, this is the recipe for building real connection, loyalty, and long-term Advocacy.
What You’ll Learn:
Why We Crave IRL Connection & What Brands Must Do to Earn It: Digital fatigue is real. With 80% of Gen Z reporting loneliness, brands that build real-world spaces of belonging – not just spectacle – are winning attention and loyalty.
How Pop-Ups, Sensory Design & Surprise Drive Advocacy: From stained-glass storefronts to surprise bagel drops, today's most successful brand experiences engage all the senses (as per Louisa’s expert experience); and give people stories worth telling.
Why Customers, Not Celebrities, Are the New Influencers: Kurt Geiger's approach is clear – invite your true brand fans in. They're more trusted, more loyal, and often more impactful than the biggest names on your PR list.
How to Build Experiences That Translate Online (and Why That Matters): In a social-first world, IRL can feel like it matters most when it makes it to the feed. Learn how top brands are creating moments that live beyond the moment, without losing authenticity.
The One Mistake Most Brands Make With Experience: Spoiler: it’s trying to please everyone. The result? Experiences that resonate with no one. Find out how to focus your intent and create memory-making moments that actually move people.
This isn’t about trend-chasing. It’s about experience as the new foundation of brand strategy.
This episode comes to you in partnership with Seen Presents; a global agency creating culturally resonant brand experiences & experiential campaigns. Designed to deliver impact, innovation, and lasting brand fame.
Learn more about the magic they’re making here: https://www.seenpresents.com/
Chapters
00:00 – Why Brand Experience Is the Strategy Now
02:39 – Loneliness, Digital Overload & the Rise of IRL Belonging
04:59 – From Elitism to Inclusion: Democratising Brand Events
07:17 – Trust, TikTok & the Rise of the Authentic Ambassador
09:12 – Building Sensory-First Experiences That Convert
11:05 – Turning Retail Into Storytelling: Inside Kurt Geiger’s Flagship Strategy
15:04 – Pop-Ups, Scale & Global Adaptation on a Budget
18:45 – Using Social to Amplify (Not Replace) Experience
20:14 – How to Make Your Digital Brand Tangible
22:08 – The Biggest Mistake Brands Make With Experiences
23:43 – Why Local Beats Luxury: Cultural Relevance Over Budget
25:20 – Getting Buy-In: How to Prove the ROI of Experience
28:50 – What Brands Overlook When Designing for Emotion
30:17 – When Experience Goes Wrong (& What to Do About It)
31:46 – The Role of AI in Accessibility & Personalisation
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Harsh truth: everything you know about community is outdated.
Let’s get to the heart of a word marketers love to throw around, but rarely define.
This week, join us LIVE from the stage of the Brand Advocacy Summit: London — kicking off a four-part mini series from the day with a heavy hitter.
Verity sits down with Lucy Murray (Brand Director @ Free Soul), Emily Mitchell (Marketing Director @ Tropic Skincare), and Paul Hickey (Group Director @ SAMY Alliance), to unpack what brand love actually looks like in 2025.
Together, they cover:
The 3 Truths Behind Community: From off-the-grid connections to consumer-run spaces, find out what today’s best brands know.
Real Talk on Events, Activations & Intimacy: Smaller, meaningful events trump 400-person spectacles. You know this, so hear the real best practice for acting on it. When the time comes, scale doesn’t have to mean soulless, either.
What Listening Actually Looks Like: Learn how Tropic’s 20k-strong ambassador base & Free Soul’s biggest Advocates guide product and marketing decisions – no red tape needed.
Why Emotional Connection Still Wins: From Free Soul’s community-built retreats to grassroots wellness events (touching grass, wholly included), discover what keeps customers coming back.
Social Listening with a Human Lens: Hear how SAMY Alliance challenges traditional sentiment tracking with one goal; to get under the skin of what audiences really think.
This one is for any brand that wants to build community beyond a hashtag & follow back.
No fluff. No filter. Just what works.
This episode is in partnership with SAMY Alliance; a global network of creative and data-driven marketing agencies helping brands grow through cutting-edge insights, human connection, and digital innovation.
You can learn more about these good folk here: https://samy.com/en/
Chapters
00:00 – What Is Community in 2025, Really?
03:48 – Free Soul’s Ground-Up Community Strategy
06:01 – When Wellness Events Build Real Belonging
08:56 – How Tropic Skincare Co-Creates With Its Ambassadors
10:27 – Listening Without Red Tape (And Acting On It)
12:15 – Why Social Listening Needs a Human Lens
14:01 – Tropic’s Infinite Purpose (And How It Drives Loyalty)
16:04 – Building Emotional Connection at Scale
18:35 – The Tangible Impact of Products Like Free Soul’s
21:33 – Personalisation & Segmentation That Actually Resonates
22:50 – Accountability: The Ultimate Signal of Community
24:27 – When Customers Speak To Each Other
27:00 – Copied Community Strategy? Blinkers On.
28:55 – Authentic Customer Stories: The Real Advocacy Engine
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There’s no brand magic without brand meaning.
The biggest names in beauty know this.
This week, Verity sits down with Coryn Brisbane (Brand & Marketing Consultant | ex-VIEVE, Charlotte Tilbury, Flannels, Glossybox) to talk brand values, internal Advocacy, and what happens when beauty brands scale too fast, too superficially.
With a powerhouse CV and a fierce belief in brands that live their values, not just listing them, Coryn’s sharing unmissable insider advice from the industry’s front-lines.
She’s led product launches, like Pillow Talk Mascara and Airbrush Bronzer. She’s scaled brands from startup to sell-out. But her insights go deeper than shade names and social content. This is about embedding brand from the inside out; and protecting it (flexibly) at all costs.
Hit play to learn how to:
Challenge Surface-Level Values: Coryn breaks down how to tell if your brand pillars exist only on paper, or are actually embedded across the team.
Build Employee Advocacy That Lasts: From EGC to onboarding, Coryn shares why Charlotte Tilbury got it right – and how to recreate that magic.
Avoid the Short-Term Trap: See firsthand how chasing quick wins chips away at long-term trust (and what to do instead).
Reframe the Role of Brand Teams: Brand isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the function that unifies every customer touchpoint. Ignore it now at your brand’s future peril.
Ask Better Questions, To Build Smarter Brands: The best marketers don’t just have answers – they ask the right questions. Start with “Why?”
If you’ve ever felt like your team’s running a hundred miles an hour without a clear direction, this one will hit home.
Listen. Challenge. Build Advocacy from the inside out.
Chapters:
00:00 – Why Team Advocacy Beats Surface Values
02:22 – Building Strategy from Brand Pillars
05:13 – What Brand Storytelling Should Really Do
08:20 – Employee Advocacy: What It Looks Like (When It Works)
11:31 – How Charlotte Tilbury Built Belief Internally
13:35 – The Danger of Chasing Short-Term Wins
15:15 – Staying True to Your Brand as You Grow
18:35 – The Influencer Myth That Still Hurts Brands
22:11 – How to Nurture Creators for the Long-Term
27:10 – Why Brand Teams Are Not “Nice-to-Haves”
31:20 – What Founders Get Wrong About Community
36:45 – Defining Community (And If You Even Have One)
39:10 – Turning Insight Into Product Innovation
42:46 – Decipher: A Case Study in Customer-Led Branding
45:08 – The Question Marketers Should Ask More Often
48:30 – The Real Way You Build Brand Advocacy
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What happens when you build brand love from the ground up – and actually mean it?
You get an approach that’s part Nike discipline, part Bugaboo heart, and it works.
Dives into the tactical how of scaling a brand through hyper-local community building, influencer relationships that last years, and turning your customer service team into your brand’s secret weapon.
Paul sits down with Jeanelle Teves (Chief Commercial Officer @ Bugaboo | ex-Nike) to unpack the brand’s standout growth in North America, hearing exactly how they’re rewriting the rulebook for consumer-first marketing.
Jeanelle’s expertise in blending brand heritage, innovation & Advocacy offers a masterclass in what today’s fashion, beauty & lifestyle brands should be laser-focused on.
Turn this one up to learn how to...
Niche Down to Scale Up: Bugaboo’s local-first strategy is a sharp reminder that deeper beats wider. Jeanelle shares how focusing on key territories and growing real-world communities supercharges digital brand perception, and why brands spreading themselves too thin risk irrelevance.
Build Advocacy That Outlasts Campaigns: From long-term creator relationships to micro-level community events, Jeanelle lays out why the future is loyalty over reach; and how Bugaboo turns everyday parents into lifelong Brand Advocates.
Mine Your Service Team for Gold: Forget surface-level insights. Bugaboo’s customer service team solves more than problems – they’re shaping product development, content strategy, and sales. Jeanelle explains how integrating service into marketing unlocks growth most brands miss.
Let Creators Lead, Their Way: Authenticity is more than a buzzword. Jeanelle breaks down Bugaboo’s philosophy of letting creators share stories their way – without rigid scripts – and how that trust translates into Advocacy that’s credible and contagious.
This is a rare look at what it really takes to build brand equity in a crowded market – straight from a leader who’s done it at the top.
Listen. Note-take. Implement.
Chapters
00:00 How Engagement Builds Real Community
02:06 Brand Lessons from the School of Nike
05:40 Designing Products Around the Consumer
09:52 Customer Listening: Where The Insight Starts
11:43 Making DTC Work
12:12 Bridging Customer Service & Product Innovation
17:13 What Modern Parents Really Want
20:52 Why Awards Still Shape Consumer Trust
22:32 Turning Advocacy into a Marketing Engine
24:31 Driving Community Through Local Events
27:01 The Impact of Personal Connection
28:32 Building Your Personal Board of Directors
30:13 How Strong Relationships Drive Loyalty
32:37 Meeting Consumers Where They Scroll
35:05 Localisation that Scales
39:31 Double Down on Core Communities
45:04 Sustainability as a Non-Negotiable Brand Value
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Disruption isn’t a claim. It’s a commitment.
This week, Verity sits down with Leah Uka (Chief Brand Officer @ Jewells) who shares how to build a brand that actually does things differently. From Combat Medic to Founder to global Brand Leader, Leah’s path defies the expected – and so does her approach to brand-building.
Jewells is set to reframe the jewelry space by making every product personal, every store unforgettable, and every customer a potential Advocate. Leah’s insights are razor-sharp; cutting through the noise around content, community, and scale to deliver real lessons for fashion, beauty & retail marketers.
Dive in. Unpack how to:
Find Your First 10 Advocates & Grow from There: Leah explains why early believers are the backbone of any successful brand, and how to identify and nurture them from day one.
Create Products That Do More Than Look Good: Jewells’ Memory Stacks are designed to layer meaning and memory – not just metal. A product strategy built on emotion, beyond aesthetics.
Build an Omnichannel Experience That’s Worth Talking About: From scent to sound, Jewells’ in-store experience extends online – seamlessly. It’s about making every customer touchpoint memorable and Advocacy-ready.
Scale at Speed, Without Cutting Corners: The myth of "selling out in five minutes"? Leah calls it bad planning. She’s lifting the lid on "community events” that don’t translate to revenue, too. This is how to build systems that support real, sustainable growth.
If you’re tired of copycat tactics and looking for original thinking, this conversation’s for you.
Listen in. Rethink what disruption should look like, when it’s done right.
Chapters
00:00 The Real Power of Brand Advocacy
02:10 Retail Disruption: What’s Changing Fast
08:07 A Career Path Like No Other
12:03 How to Build Trust in Emerging Categories
18:15 Engaging Advocates Who Drive Growth
20:05 Crafting a Consistent Global Brand
21:43 Delivering a True Omni-Channel Experience
23:39 How to Scale & Scale Fast
24:23 Making Customer Experience Seamless
25:51 Why Team Engagement Is Non-Negotiable
29:26 When Employee Advocacy Pays Off
30:32 The Must-Know Steps for Global Scaling
32:53 The Brands Breaking New Ground
34:11 Authenticity vs. Content Overload: Striking the Balance
40:40 What’s Fueling Excitement for New Launches
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Affiliate links? No thanks.
Pop-ups over panels? Think again.
A content creator using AI to replace herself? Now we’re listening.
Season 2 of Building Brand Advocacy is officially in-swing.
This week, Verity’s in New York with Gigi Robinson – a Creator Expert, Social Specialist, Founder, Chronic Illness Advocate, and trusted partner to brands like Liquid IV, obé Fitness, and Stanford University (yes, really).
If you want a real-time pulse check on how creators are thinking (and how your brand should be collaborating) you won’t find a realer guide than Gigi.
The partnerships that worked in 2017? They don’t land in 2025. The best creators now expect co-creation, cross-platform collaboration, and a seat at the strategy table.
It’s time to ditch the playbook, and build something better.
Turn this episode on & up to learn how to…
Bin the Conversion-at-All-Costs Model: Gigi breaks down why affiliate deals often miss the mark, and how misaligned incentives turn creators into unpaid salespeople. Instead: hybrid models, consent-first structures, and a focus on value over volume.
Build with Creators, Not Just Through Them: The smartest brands are already collaborating before content hits the feed. When creators understand the “why,” they deliver work that moves people – not just products.
Rethink the Role of Real-Life: Pop-ups get attention. Panels and curated dinners create Advocates. Learn why deeper, more intentional offline moments are the real unlock for connection.
Use AI the Way Creators Actually Are: From replacing assistants to scaling content across five platforms from one idea, creators are using AI now. Marketers who embrace this shift can brief better, expect more, and move faster.
Understand the Creator Lifecycle: Micro, macro, mega – it’s not a straight line anymore. Learn what marketers are missing when creators ‘grow out’ of their lane, and how to evolve with them instead of cycling them out.
This isn’t about more than content. It’s about connection.
This conversation will challenge you, while giving you the steps to start again, smarter.
Listen. Rethink. Build better partnerships.
Chapters
00:00 – Finding What Authenticity Really Looks Like
07:05 – The Creator Economy Has Only Just Begun
13:04 – Why Affiliate Models Are Missing the Mark
18:56 – How Brand-Creator Relationships Are Evolving
25:10 – AI, Live Shopping & the Future of Content
32:06 – What Brands Still Get Wrong About Advocacy
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What’s rarer than viral growth, and more powerful than performance marketing?
Sustained Advocacy.
It’s what the brands on this show have built, and what this 100th episode is here to celebrate.
To mark the special milestone, Paul & Verity are looking back on the unforgettable moments, tactics, and truths from 100 conversations with the sharpest minds in brand building – the CMOs, Founders, and community-first Marketers behind some of the world’s fastest-growing names.
This is more than a recap. It’s a look ahead to where marketing is heading next.
Hit play to learn how to…
Build With, Not For: Advocacy-first brands don’t sell at their audience – they co-create with them. From skincare brands embracing mixed-brand content to companies inviting creators into the strategy room, the path forward is participatory.
Scale Without Losing Soul: From The Inkey List’s £100M+ brand honesty to Beekman 1802’s gamified kindness, the most loved brands lead with how they do things, not just what they sell. Culture isn't the garnish. It's the growth engine.
Trade Vanity For Substance: Forget follower counts. Nanos & micros are winning: because they educate, convert, and care more. Real fans > rented reach. Brands like REFY, Never Fully Dressed, and Symprove are proving that depth leads to scale, when building trust.
Make Your Tactics Transparent: Today’s marketers are done with vague playbooks. The best ones don’t just share philosophy – they share the numbers. Budgets, CAC, conversion rates, channel tests. It’s what the industry needs; a space for open, actionable learning.
Whether you’ve listened to one episode or all 100, this one marks a turning point.
Because the brands that will thrive in the next 10 years aren’t chasing trends. They’re building for Advocacy.
Press play. Learn from the best. Build what lasts.
Chapters
00:00 Kicking Off With A Vocal Warm-Up
01:10 What Brand Advocacy Really Means
02:26 Celebrating 100 Episodes of the Podcast
04:23 What 100 Episodes Taught Us
08:32 Why Tactical Marketing Matters
11:11 What Surprised Us
15:27 What’s Next & Why Feedback Fuels It
16:31 Episodes Worth Repeating
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Why do polished brands stall, while real ones build Advocacy?
Because today’s consumers don’t want perfection. They want proof.
This week, Erica Cocilova (Chief Executive Officer @ Ethique Beauty) joins Verity in New York to unpack why substance, imperfection, and product obsession are the future of brand building. From rebrands & B Corp audits to salon takeovers that win over skeptics, Erica’s approach proves brand trust isn’t bought – it’s built.
Solid product, transparent leadership, and customer service that actually puts you in contact with the CEO? They’re the building blocks to scaling with integrity.
Rethink what brand love looks like, as you learn…
How To Build Advocacy Through Service, Beyond Storytelling: Every customer DM, email, and piece of outreach gets a reply; and it’s personal. Real care builds real loyalty. It’s about accountability, not automation, when you build Advocacy this way.
Ways To Turn IRL Conversations Into Scalable Content: From salon takeovers to consumer-led debates on hair washing habits, Erica shares how small, real-world moments are fuelling content that converts – and creating better educated, enthusiastic Advocates in the process.
How To Audit Your Brand’s True Impact: Erica’s first move at Ethique was to strip back 20+ sustainability claims and anchor the brand to one: eliminating plastic. Learn how to run an impact audit that narrows focus, sharpens storytelling, and guides strategy.
Advice For Taking Bold, Human Decisions In Public: Erica and her team didn’t hide behind the rebrand, they fronted it. Blogs, open Slack huddles; even customer support tickets answered by the CFO. Transparency isn’t a ‘for the sake of it’ tactic for Ethique, but is part of the team’s culture.
Why Bridging Purpose & Product Should Be Seamless: Ethique’s haircare bars aren’t sustainable in spite of their format – they’re better because of it. Function & mission shouldn’t compete. They should compound.
This is what it sounds like when a brand listens, adapts, and leads without losing its soul.
Chapters
00:00 Turning Skeptics into Believers
03:30 Branding at the Crossroads of Sustainability & Efficacy
08:40 What It Takes to Become a B Corp
12:34 Staying Real with Brand Purpose
14:36 Building a Community That Advocates
18:42 Starting Real Conversations with Consumers
20:41 Why Inclusive Events Build Stronger Communities
23:39 Authentic Engagement Starts with Listening
24:36 How Brand Advocates Are Made
25:56 Why First Impressions Still Matter
27:12 Shifting the Consumer Mindset
28:34 What Legacy Brands Got Right
29:45 Direct-to-Consumer: What the Data Shows
32:52 Moving Past Fear to Innovate
36:14 Building Culture Through Transparency
37:26 Rebranding to Be Understood
39:36 Helping Consumers Choose Simply
41:53 Why Scalp Care Deserves the Spotlight
42:22 Getting the Brand Message Right
43:47 Advocacy Is Built on Connection
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The strongest brands aren’t built through ads. They’re built through people.
Welcome to a special Advocacy 101 episode, where five expert insights are remixed into one helpful guide. The time, it’s Founders’ takes on turning creators, customers, and those in your brand network into your most powerful brand champions.
Featuring lessons from Lucy Aylen (Founder @ Never Fully Dressed), Marielle Wyse (Founder & Director @ WYSE London), Haeni Kim (Founder & Creative Director @ KITRI), Lucy Toone (Founder @ TOMM Jewellery), and Francesca Kelly (Co-Founder @ Soru Jewellery), this episode breaks down how modern brands win by putting real people at the center of their marketing.
Tune in to learn why you should…
Make Customers Your Best Influencers: Before influencer marketing was an industry engine, Never Fully Dressed built a brand powered by everyday customers. Lucy shares why micro-influencers and engaged buyers drive more sustainable growth than big-name creators.
Understand That Not Every Founder Should Be the Face: WYSE London’s Marielle explains why pushing a founder into the spotlight doesn’t always work – and how brands can find the right voices to represent them.
Turn Negative Feedback Into Opportunities For Advocacy – KITRI’s Haeni reveals how handling complaints well can transform unhappy customers into loyal Advocates. Direct customer feedback always fuels better product development.
Go For ‘An Army of Ants Over a Queen Bee’: TOMM Jewellery’s Lucy shares why working with an engaged network of smaller Advocates often outperforms investing in one big creator.
Collaborate with Creators Who Truly Align: Francesca shares why the best partnerships start with a simple question: Does this person genuinely inspire us? Every one of Soru Jewellery’s collaborations hit this mark, or they don’t happen.
Listen in. Take notes. Build real Advocacy.
Chapters 00:00 – The Power of Word of Mouth Marketing 02:09 – Building Brand Advocacy Through Community Engagement 04:53 – The Role of Founders in Brand Representation 07:29 – Turning Customer Feedback into Brand Advocacy 09:49 – Collaborating with Influencers: Quality Over Quantity
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Catch their full episodes:
Lucy Aylen on Creating Word-Of-Mouth Magic
Marielle on Turning Feedback To Fan-Led Advocacy
Haeni’s Formula For Fashion Community
How do some brands thrive on social while others struggle to make an impact?
The best know they’re not just competing with other brands – they’re competing with viral creators, meme accounts, and even second-screens.
So, here’s your tactical framework for standing out in the never-ending scroll.
This week, Miranda Shanahan (Brand Consultant & Content Creator on @mirandadoesbrands) joins Verity to break down how brands can win attention, keep it, and convert it into lasting impact. With a career spent dissecting what makes content perform (and what makes it flop), Miranda offers tried & tested advice for short-form success.
By now, it’s clear – brands need to think like creators. The ones that do are building entertainment-first content worlds, owning trends instead of chasing them, and turning social engagement into real business results.
Turn this episode on and up to learn how to…
Ditch The ‘Viral’ Mentality & Build A Repeatable Content Engine: Going viral is not a strategy. Miranda explains why the brands that win are the ones who nail scalable, signature content formats – and why 90% of your content should be proven, with 10% for experimentation.
Stop Competing With Other Brands & Hold Your Own Against Creators: You’re up against influencers, memes, and multi-screen distractions (like YouTube or Netflix). Brands that only benchmark against competitors are already behind. Instead, Miranda shares how to create content that holds attention in a TikTok-first world.
Why Short-Form Must Deliver One or Both of These: Entertainment + Value = the key to short-form. Miranda breaks down the forumla to creating memorable, shareable content – and why the biggest mistake brands make is overcomplicating it.
Nail Your Hooks & Micro-Engagements: Most brands can get the first three seconds of content right, but lose attention soon after. Learn why the most effective short-form content is structured around multiple hooks – visual, verbal, and text – layered throughout to keep people engaged until the last second.
See Why The Future Is Social TV: From LuvJus’ dating show to Mela’s creator-led mini-series, brands are acting like content studios. The best part? You don’t need Netflix-level budgets to do it; only Miranda’s advice & some dedication.
Listen, learn, and start creating content people will actually want to watch.
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Chapters
00:00 – Why branding with personality is the only way to stand out
01:45 – Brand Advocacy 101: What the best get right
02:47 – Short-form content is the battleground for attention
06:56 – Legacy brands vs. disruptors: Who’s winning and why it matters
08:44 – The viral illusion: What actually drives brand growth
12:01 – Not every trend is worth your time, here’s how to decide
14:30 – How to craft scroll-stopping content that actually engages
18:08 – Founder-led content isn’t enough anymore
20:58 – Storytelling that sells: The balance of entertainment & value
24:02 – Going niche to go big: Why the smallest audiences build the biggest brands
26:01 – The social TV era: Why more brands are becoming broadcasters
27:59 – Creators and brands are uniting in new ways: Here’s how to do it right
30:58 – Frameworks that actually work (and scale) for brand content
35:00 – Most brands ignore these hidden growth tracks