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
Rate & review Building Brand Advocacy:
Connect with Chloe: