Brand x Performance: The New Rules for Fashion & Beauty Growth ft. Ana Andjelic & Nathan Jun Poekert
It’s the buzzword combo every CMO wants to crack, but few actually have.Recorded live at the Brand Advocacy Summit: New York, this chat dives deep into what it really means to blend culture & performance – with two of the sharpest minds in brand today.Ana Andjelic (Global Chief Brand Officer @ Esprit) and Nathan Jun Poekert (Brand Strategist & CMO Advisor) bring radically different lenses to one big challenge: how do you grow a brand that actually means something and performs?This is a no-fluff, all-strategy conversation.Covering:🧠 Why most marketing is stuck in reactive chaos⭐️ What the best brands are doing differently📊 The missing metric: cultural impact as a KPI (& how to track it across teams)📉 Why influencer marketing fails when measured like performance media🎯 The rise of the "social franchise”🧩 How to structure teams that don’t kill creativity or speed in the name of metricsIf you're a brand, a marketer, or a leader trying to build for the next decade – not just the next quarter – then tune in.Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Culture x Performance (Live from NYC)01:30 – Marketing in Chaos: What’s Really Going On04:10 – The Story vs. The Dashboard06:25 – Why Brand & Performance Still Don’t Work Together08:00 – Measuring Cultural Impact: A New Index10:15 – The Age Problem in Media Optimisation14:30 – Forget Engagement Rates. Track This Instead.20:40 – Virality, Creators & Brand Control22:10 – The Social Franchise Model Explained26:20 – Brand Safety vs. Subculture: The Trade-Off31:45 – Why Paid & Organic Must Sit Together36:35 – From Close Friends to Culture Clubs39:15 – How Stanley Won Facebook MomsRate & review Building Brand Advocacy:Apple PodcastsSpotifyConnect with Ana & Nathan:On Ana’s LinkedInOn Nathan’s LinkedIn
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Red Flags In Marketing: The Low Down From The World’s Biggest Brands
TikTok’s not slowing down. Reddit’s rising. Creators are turning into strategists. And brands? They’re either adapting – or falling behind.Recorded live in New York at the Brand Advocacy Summit, this special episode of Building Brand Advocacy throws six sharp minds into a game show-style debate (hosted by Verity) on what’s actually next in culture, social, and the creator economy.From red flags to green flags, beige flags to bold predictions for the year ahead; this chat doesn’t hold back. Hear from:— Madisen Theobald (Global Director of Social Creative @ M.A.C Cosmetics)— McKinley Hart (Director of Social Media @ SoulCycle)— Gabriel Gomez (Head of Social & Community @ MCoBeauty) — James Denman (Brand Strategy & Marketing Expert)— Brandon Smithwrick (Creator, Advisor & Content Strategist)— Maksim Tokarev (Senior Social Media Manager @ Loop Earplugs)For their hottest takes on why…🧠 AI-generated UGC could get banned🧵 Threads, Reddit & Broadcast Channels are in for discovery📉 YouTube Shorts might not be worth the big bucks (yet)🔑 Intimacy is the new influence & the DMs are where it’s happening… and much more.If your brand is still playing by the 2020 rulebook, stop. Listen. Learn.Chapters:00:00 – Kicking Off01:22 – Hot Takes Begin: Predictions for 202607:34 – Brand Flags: Green, Red, or Beige?23:03 – Watch, Wait, or Walk: What Brands Should Act On, Pause, or Ditch35:25 – Social SEO & AI Content: Future-Proofing Your Brand38:23 – AI Content Ethics: Where Brands Go Wrong40:45 – Closing Out & Audience QuestionsRate & review Building Brand Advocacy:Apple PodcastsSpotifyConnect with the Hot Takers:On Madisen’s LinkedInOn McKinley’s LinkedInOn Gabe’s LinkedInOn James’ LinkedInOn Brandon’s LinkedInOn Maksim’s LinkedIn
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“You’re Tracking Metrics, Not Listening” & It Shows ft. Jazmin Griffith
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.Chapters00:00 – You Think You're Listening. You're Not.02:04 – The Reddit Insight That Sparked a Super Bowl Ad07:46 – Why Most Social Teams Still Get This Wrong12:35 – The 5 Cs That Should Shape Every Strategy18:00 – What Creators Know That Brands Miss22:00 – Listener-Led Briefs > Brand-First Briefs27:56 – Culture Is Not Your Playground30:02 – Community Isn’t Comments36:17 – Where Your Brand Should Actually Show Up41:00 – 3 Signals Smart Marketers Are Already TrackingRate & review Building Brand Advocacy:Apple PodcastsSpotifyConnect with Jazmin:On LinkedIn | On Instagram | On TikTokOn queloque?’s WebsiteSubscribe to the ‘Scroll & Tell’ Newsletter
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“All Marketing Is Brand + Performance” & Aerie Knows It ft. Luke Klein
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 ItRate & review Building Brand Advocacy:🔗 Apple Podcasts 🔗 SpotifyConnect with Luke:On InstagramOn LinkedIn
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Marketing Isn’t Boring, You Are: Inside The Comedy Content Engine That’s Breaking Social's Rules ft. Henry Hayes
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 Marketing05:10 – Building Advocacy Internally10:20 – Marketing at the Speed of Culture14:40 – Why Passionfruit Doesn’t Spend on Ads20:15 – D2C Brands Are Still Playing It Safe25:55 – Let Employees Create (Then Get Out of the Way)31:25 – Comedy Is a Marketing Tactic42:35 – You Are Not the CustomerRate & review Building Brand Advocacy:Apple PodcastsSpotifyConnect with Henry:On LinkedInOn InstagramOn TikTokVia Passionfruit’s LinkedIn
The Building Brand Advocacy podcast is your go-to for tactical conversations with marketing minds from fashion, beauty, wellness, and beyond.
Hosted by Paul Archer and Verity Hurd, this podcast brings together industry leaders and experts to share how they cultivate communities, empower advocates, and drive results at scale.
Whether you’re a founder, CMO, or marketer at a scaling brand, this is your space to stay ahead in modern brand building. From creating authentic connections to mobilizing passionate fans for Social Commerce, learn the principles of building Advocacy.
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