Building Brand Advocacy

Are communities replacing influencers? In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Paul sits down with Nicola Gunby, co-founder of CLIQ,  to talk about why the brands winning right now aren't chasing reach, they're building belonging.

We go deep on the concept of the 'third space' and why it might be the most underutilised tool in your brand's growth strategy right now.

In this episode we cover:
The journey behind CLIQ and why Nicola built it

What 'third space' communities are and why they matter for brands

What it actually takes to build real, lasting community (it's not what you think)

How brands can use CLIQ as a community-building tool

Frameworks for measuring community impact — beyond vanity metrics

Online vs IRL: which builds deeper brand loyalty?

This one is essential listening if you're a CMO or marketing lead questioning where influencer budgets should actually go in 2025.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
04:29 Community as the Third Place
08:19 Where Brands Go Wrong with Community
13:59 Cliq Brand Case Studies 
19:21 Measuring Community ROI
26:17 Measuring Community Event Demand
28:30 Tap Into Existing Communities
29:40 Samsung Community Case Study
35:17 Online vs In Person Community 
37:34 Sub Communities Strategy
41:40 Geo Local Community
44:18 Cringe Or Community

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.

CONNECT WITH NICOLA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolargunby/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-gunby/
CLIQ: https://www.instagram.com/findyourcliq/

Is influencer marketing dead? Jordan Schwarzenberger, the man behind the Sidemen's evolution from creators to a multi-million pound enterprise, thinks brands have got content eco-systems wrong. In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we break down why the smartest brands are ditching traditional influencer marketing and becoming organic content engines instead.
Jordan reveals the exact content strategy that scaled the Sidemen from a YouTube group into a business empire and how any brand can steal from the creator economy strategy. We go deep on building a content hemisphere, why entertainment-first marketing beats ads, and how to turn community into customers through brand advocacy.
In this episode we cover:
Sidemen evolution from creators to an enterprise business.

The opportunity for brands to become content engines.

Why influencer marketing is dead.

Why brands and 10 years behind in content and how to create a solution to get ahead.

Whether you're a CMO, marketer or brand founder, this episode is your blueprint for building a content marketing strategy that actually compounds.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
02:38 Building the LADBible Agency
07:16 Scaling The Sidemen Businesses
11:16 Defining A Content Infrastructure
12:27 Side Plus Membership Model
17:27 How Brands Should Be Working With Creators
20:23 End Of The Transactional Influencer Model 
23:04 Discovery IS Replacing Followers
26:07 The Influencer Economy Collapse
28:33 Traditional Campaigns Are Dead
30:04 Monoculture To Micro Communities
38:24 The CMO Playbook 
41:40 Contribution Marketing To Serve Then Sell

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.

CONNECT WITH JORDAN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanschwarzenberger/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanschwarz/
TiKTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@jordanschwarzenberger

FOLLOW US
Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy
Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy

AI for brands is already here. It’s making a shift and as marketing teams, we should be reactive. But the reality is that most brands are still figuring out where to start.
In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we break down the real state of AI for brands right now. What's working, what's just noise and how to make AI work for YOU without losing the human touch that drives real brand advocacy.

In this episode, we cover: 
The current state of AI for brands
How to make AI work for you and your team today
How AI will reshape marketing resources and team structures
Practical ways to use AI in your day-to-day work life
Using AI to create real efficiencies across your content and marketing ops
How to build, scale, and manage an AI team from scratch

CHAPTERS
00:00 Build Your AI Native Dream Team
02:32 Manager of Infinite Minds
03:54 Onboarding and Feedback Loop
09:49 Future Proof Marketing Roles Form AI 
15:14 Building AI Agents into Your Workflow
22:30 Repurposing Content With Agents
25:54 Scaling To 11 Agents
31:58 AI Native Mindset Shift
34:45 Create A Preference Sheet for AI
38:34 Training Cadence And Growth

Whether you're a brand team trying to do more with less, or a marketing leader figuring out how to upskill your team, this episode is your AI starter kit.

🔔 Subscribe to watch our new episodes every Tuesday.

CONNECT WITH PAUL & VERITY
Paul: www.linkedin.com/in/paulkarcher/
Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

FOLLOW US
Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy
Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy

In this mastermind episode, Sophie Miller (founder of Pretty Little Marketer) breaks down the exact tactical steps she’d take to build a high-engagement community from scratch in 2026.

If you’re a brand, marketer or founder trying to turn followers into a real community engine, this episode is a step-by-step guide to catapult your community strategy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
00:00 Introduction to community building 
00:56 The Platform Strategy
05:06 Step 1: Connection Point
08:19 Step 2: Mission Sentence
11:09 Step 3: Connection To You, Connection To Each Other
16:24 Step 4: Thin Content
🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.

CONNECT WITH SOPHIE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiealicemiller/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiemillerrrr/
Pretty Little Marketer: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prettylittlemarketer/

FOLLOW US
Subscribe: ⁠www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy⁠
Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy⁠
TikTok: ⁠www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy⁠
Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

Are you building a real community around your brand or just spending budget on meaningless partnerships and vanity metrics? 
In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Verity sits down with marketing consultant Lauren Spearman who has worked with Global brands including Benefit Cosmetics, MADE.com, Trinny London to unpack what genuine advocacy looks like today vs. a decade ago and why most influencer strategies are still stuck in 2014.

We go deep on how to move from fabricated, performance-led “community” to truly invested brand advocates who buy, refer, and defend your brand online.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
Evolution of brand advocacy over the last 10 years

How Benefit Cosmetics build a ‘warm’ brand through effective influencer strategies 

How to find organic advocacy in your existing community 

How to build real relationships with your influencer partners 

What went into creative authentic advocacy at MADE.com

The work behind Trinny London Tribe

CMOs, brand and social leads, and anyone tired of pouring budget into influencer campaigns that don’t convert into real advocacy, retention, or revenue, this episode is for you. 

CHAPTERS
02:37 Netmums and Real Community
06:24 Inside Benefit Cosmetics  
12:20 Employee Advocacy in Action
19:33 Benefit Mascara Maldives Launch
21:37 Reframing advocacy at MADE.com
24:52 Building the Advocacy at MADE.com
30:28 Brand Advocacy vs Performance
34:26 Treating Creators as True Partners
37:26 Behind the Trinny Tribe Community
40:36 Quick fire and Wrap Up

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.

CONNECT WITH LAUREN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenspearman/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenspearman/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spearmanlauren

FOLLOW US
Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy
Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy