Every brand wants to build brand love. If you’re not actively working on it, you’re actively falling behind the competition.

Do you know the one thing it takes to get there?

Building a Brand Universe first.

By giving your community something to fall for, you build a world your customers, creators & Brand Advocates can find meaning and love in.

That’s why, this week, Verity’s welcoming Sekai Masunda (Senior Brand & Content Marketing Manager | ex-Jigsaw, ex-lululemon, ex-Pangaia) to the podcast.

From a marketing career affirmed when lululemon slid into her DMs, Sekai has fast become an industry go-to for all things content, brand & Advocacy. While she never intended to go into brand building, brand building found her; and the rest is history.

Now, she’s sharing her tried-and-tested tactics for turning your customers into Advocates via Brand Universes and tapping into taste communities (a term coined by our past guest, Ana Andjelic). From Sekia’s exact formula for good content to her take on why brands must stop taking themselves too seriously, there’s disruptive wisdom afoot.

Tune in to hear Sekai’s expert advice on…

• Making Money While Making Room for Brand: To drive impactful Brand Advocacy while helping the bottom line, bridging the gap between community feedback and C-Suite decisions is crucial. It’s not just listening to what your community says; it’s seamlessly translating those insights into strategic actions. Sekai knows how.

• Actually Knowing Your Advocates: REFY set a new standard, with community events that put their customers in the spotlight. Lululemon’s affinity for community led the charge and, while at Jigsaw, all VIP events hosted through Sekai were also customer-only. While influencers still play a role in brand strategy, your customers are now your most powerful Advocates. Each customer and every store has unique needs. It’s time to get on the ground, understand those differences, and deliver what your customers truly want — not what you assume they want.

• The Key to Disruptive 360° Campaigns: Dive into the data behind Jigsaw’s ‘New Age Denim’ campaign. This campaign was all about authenticity — featuring real bodies and real store managers, wearing their favorite denim as uniform. With a focus on understanding the customer journey, Sekai asked; when do people actually buy denim, and how can we address their fit concerns? From there, her team built category awareness step-by-step. Now, she’s sharing the playbook.

  
  

Listen. Learn. Build better brand love.

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Connect with Sekai:

• On LinkedIn
  

When building Advocacy, customers fast become your brand’s new creators.

Does this spell the end of the powerhouse beauty influencer, once and for all?

Grown Alchemist doesn’t think so. The cult brand sees a place for megas, micros & nano-creators in every influencer & Advocacy strategy – when each is done right.

Here’s how you crack the content code to every. single. creator. approach.

Join Verity in welcoming Colby Wood (Global Social, Content & Community Manager @ Grown Alchemist | ex-Vieve, ex-L’Oréal) to this week’s episode of Building Brand Advocacy. Together, they unpack the playbook for global growth like Grown Alchemist’s.

From launching Lancôme’s first community to turning down a Parisian-headquartered role to partner with an influencer-founded brand, Colby’s career has been shaped by marketing to – and for – passionate people.

Now, she’s sharing expert advice for keeping up with these industry trends, operating on a lean team (even a team of one!), and intentionally activating influencers & creators along the entire marketing funnel.

Listen in to learn from Colby’s take on…

• Cultivating US Communities: Take it from a marketer who’s made it. Breaking a global brand like Grown Alchemist into the US market hasn’t been easy, but it’s happened. Colby’s learnt the lessons you need to hear about, so you can take her shortcuts to sustainable growth. Hear her top piece of advice for any brand looking to do the same, alongside every difference to prepare for when it comes to the inner workings of TikTok Shop across two countries.

• The Influencer vs Community Event Knock-Out: Does a brand have to choose one, or can there be space for both? The answer, according to Colby, is to let them share intentional spaces in your community engagement strategy. By having a good mix of both influencer-led and community-only events in your brand calendar, you can achieve the most important thing – true relevance of the events to the specific community attending. Apply her advice to see your events take off.

• Nailing the Content Split per Social Channel: You’ll learn exactly which platforms Grown Alchemist uses, where they see results, and why they’re there. Colby breaks down each platforms ideal content-fit, and the 5 types of community they should be engaging.

This is how you stand out & earn Brand Advocates in the beauty space.

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Connect with Colby:

• On LinkedIn

• On Instagram

• On Grown Alchemist’s Instagram

• 
  On Grown Alchemist’s TikTok

New Look has been a staple on the British high street for 50+ years.

Now, they’re fast adopting new frontiers. Ready, testing, and learning.

For this episode, Paul had the pleasure of interviewing long-time peer and industry pal, Raine Peake (Head of Marketing & Customer Growth @ New Look | ex-Director @ Jigsaw, Mint Velvet & Farfetch).

Together, they dive deep into the importance of – and tactics behind – investing in the right brand strategies to purpose-build passionate communities. Their expert takes on personalization through AI, engaging gamification, Out-Of-Home advertising, store refurbishments & influencer marketing are all included.

Tune in to hear Raine’s advice for…

• Creating Strategic Squads to Build Local Communities: Right now, New Look is running a highly successful experiment. The brand has overhauled one of their stores in Manchester, supported with numerous marketing activations – led by a dedicated in-house ‘Squad’. Taking up 25% of the assigned team members’ time, the benefits seen in awareness, growth, and conversion have far outweighed the cost. Now you can learn Raine’s formula for ‘Squad’ success, too.

• Turning Employees into your Biggest Advocates: Often overlooked, at the expense of your easiest brand win. Your employees are easily your best Advocates – a fact that’s especially true when it comes to fashion brands. They know everything about your product, are (ideally!) incredibly passionate about the brand, and (one better) often model the clothes themselves. Learn why the next frontier of building Brand Advocacy lies with them.

• Knowing the Place of AI, Personalization & Gamification: Big buzzwords here, for good reason. As Raine explores these domains for New Look, she openly shares her favorite insights so far. Her north star in these realms? Data, data, and data.

All the practical and tactical advice any Brand Builder needs from Raine is waiting.

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Connect with Raine:

• On LinkedIn
  

Understanding your customer is one thing. Crafting content that actually resonates with them is another.

The cheat code to nailing this?

Building for brands you would actually buy from.

For this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Verity is joined by Stefani O’Sullivan (Marketing Consultant and Head of Growth & Marketing @ Staud). It’s a conversation fashion marketers won’t want to tune out from, spanning all of today’s hottest industry topics.

Join the pair as they explore how fashion brands are fostering genuine connections, tactically cultivating communities of loyal superfans by seeking them out to create with – just like Glossier, Savage x Fenty, and more.

Their discussion dives deep into the impact of private sharing on socials, the success-stories of ‘storytelling-first’ brands, and what the future looks like for creative marketing.

Listen to hear Stef’s take on…

• The Role of Creators in Driving Brand Advocacy: Co-creation is the past, present, and future of content marketing. It’s why seeing the customer as your influencer is revolutionizing Brand Advocacy. The strategic value of nano and micro-influencers in building robust communities and driving that word-of-mouth marketing cannot be overlooked any longer.

  
  

• The Future of Brand Stunts & Reactive Marketing: One of the biggest powers any brand holds with their community lies here. Put on a remarkable show, impactfully join a timely conversation, and know the boxes you need to tick. Stef shows you them.

  
  

• Integrating Brand & Growth Teams: Right now, Stef sees a critical need for diverse perspectives in brand marketing. To her, brand and growth are not two sides of the same coin – they’re the solid material it’s made from. Integrate these halves into a whole and watch the brand community you’ve sought for come together.

  
  

Apply these tips. Soak up Stef’s knowledge. Elevate your brand’s Advocacy game.

Rate & review Building Brand Advocacy:

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Connect with Stefani:

• On her Website

• On LinkedIn
  

Pair ‘fun’ with ‘leading fashion’ and a handful of brands come to mind. Add ‘community-built’ to the mix, and there’s only one – Never Fully Dressed.

Join Verity for today’s exclusive episode, as she sits down with Lucy Aylen (Founder @ NFD). This is your chance to learn from an industry titan, levelling up your career savvy and brand strategy in the process.

From the brand’s first days in her parents attic to sell-out drops, packed events, and a ride-or-die community that spans the globe, Lucy walks us through the moments that transformed Never Fully Dressed’s trajectory. The CEO, entrepreneur & training Doula stops at Spitalfields Market, a first NYC pop-up (you and Kendall Jenner’s memorable t-shirt know the one), and more from the last 15 years along the way.

Tune in to hear Lucy’s Founder story, and her practical advice on…

• The Power of Long-Term Relationships: Establishing long-term, meaningful connections with customers, employees, and partners is an essential part of NFD’s sustainable brand growth. By taking the ‘spikes’ caused by short-term success out of the business, these enduring relationships are built on trust, foster loyalty, and ensure consistent support. Each is key to navigating market fluctuations, to drive continuous development and innovation.

• Making Customers Your Influencers: When it comes to community-building, NFD lead the industry for good reason. Creating the fun and empowering culture the brand is known for has fostered belonging and loyalty with superfans. Bonus: it naturally turns loving customers into genuine Brand Advocates, too. Building these deep bonds passes on the power of influence, as each Advocate leverages their authentic voice to promote the brand and enhance its credibility.

• Amplifying Brand Voice: Encouraging this user-generated content, as well as implementing loyalty programs and rewarded referrals, has created a strong sense of belonging among NFD’s customers. As the brand expands to new markets, Lucy is looking to further amplifying the brand's voice through community projects and charitable support. Everything is done in favor of the heroes behind the brand (aka their customers), and never product-first.

Expect brand lessons, expert-but-humble entrepreneurial know-how, and the first-hand Advocacy tactics you can only learn from Lucy.

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Connect with Lucy:

• Lucy’s Instagram

• NFD on Instagram

• NFD on TikTok

• NFD’s Website
  

People are the fuel that keeps brands going. Without them, you simply don’t have a brand.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to build companies that connect with customers on a personal level. Lucy Toone knows this intimately.

Join Verity in this episode of Building Brand Advocacy to hear from a Brand Builder who perfectly practices what Brand Advocacy marketing preaches. Lucy (Founder & CEO @ Tomm Jewellery) shares the importance of creating a community, the power of founder-led marketing, and the value of working with micro-influencers over the megas.

By making difficult calls to optimize for sustainable, long-term growth – opting out of $190k+ months and downsizing in the process – Lucy is a Founder with heart in all the right places.

Tune in to hear…

• The Value of Vulnerability: Embracing vulnerability as a brand fosters genuine connections with your audience, creating a sense of authenticity and trust. By sharing real stories, challenges, and behind-the-scenes moments, Tomm Jewellery humanizes themselves and engages more deeply with their customers – ultimately building stronger loyalty and community.

• How To Harness Livestreaming’s Potential: Leveraging the power of Livestreaming on TikTok has significantly boosted Tomm’s engagement and reach, Lucy has found – allowing for real-time interaction and immediate feedback from her viewers. An agile team is crucial to capitalize on this potential, as they can quickly respond to trends, interact with viewers, and adapt content on the fly to maintain relevance and maximize impact.

• Finding Balance: To prioritize your company, you have to prioritize your personal well-being. Having learnt this lesson through live experience, Lucy knows you can avoid burnout, maintain a positive mindset, and enhance your creativity by stepping away to step back stronger.

You won’t forget what you learn here.

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Connect with Lucy:

• Lucy’s LinkedIn

• Tomm Jewellery on Instagram

• Tomm Jewellery on TikTok

• Tomm Jewellery’s Website
  

Giving up brand control to creators can be frightening. Now though, it’s one of the last near-assured ways to grow.

Time to face the fear, place your trust in authentic Advocates, and achieve maximum growth through the creators that love you; like Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Brooklinen already do.

Join Paul & Verity LIVE from the last of the Social Commerce Summit: New York sessions, where they’re joined in conversation by Taylor Cameron (Director of Public Relations @ Victoria’s Secret), Stacie (@ Abercrombie & Fitch), and Janna Neinken (Head of Brand @ Grüns, ex-Director of Influencer Marketing & Partnerships @ Brooklinen).

Here, they reveal the strategies their brands utilize to harness aligned influence for growth. Each one is built around developing engaging and creative content that actually converts.

From staying ahead in the rapidly evolving social media landscape and quickly adopting new content formats (Alpha and Beta tests with the platforms included), to leveraging new algorithm updates, the guests’ advice is as insightful as it is tactical.

Listen on to learn about…

• Creating Viral Content through Customer Feedback: Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria’s Secret are making successful comebacks for a reason. By directly engaging their actual customers, and the creators in their networks, they’ve been able to rebrand and own it – creating entirely new product lines from customer preferences and signing contracts with creators who previously avoided them.

• Balancing Brand Guidelines with Creator Freedom: This is key to maintaining authenticity in creator marketing (but you already knew that). Learn how these iconic brands give up control of their aesthetic, image, and storylines to reap the rewards in community love and awareness. Case studies from all three names highlight the how-tos of successful creator partnerships.

• Differentiating Content Streams & Creator Tiers: Knowing the destination of your content is crucial. Like Victoria’s Secret has, your brand will benefit from practicing differentiating levels of content curation depending on intended audiences. By tailoring creator activities to appeal to niche markets and specific customer segments, these brands tap into the power of micro and nano-influencers to drive engagement and conversion.

Tune in. Take note. Grow.

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Connect with Taylor, Janna & Abercrombie:

• Taylor’s LinkedIn

• Janna’s LinkedIn

• Abercrombie’s Website
  

Abercrombie & Fitch are blazing trails in Brand Advocacy.

Having seen their shares grow 222% this year, compared to the fashion industry’s average of 12%, the brand is onto something. They’ve been busy leveraging the dynamism of Social Commerce and the authentic voices of their community to win.

Join Paul & Verity LIVE from the Social Commerce Summit: New York, as they delve into Abercrombie’s remarkable transformation story with the team.

Uncover the tactics Abercrombie applied to deliver a strategic brand pivot – one that empowers their customers and creators, giving them the freedom to tell the brand’s story through their own eyes.

Tune in to discover…

• Listening to Customers & Taking Action: Feedback from Abercrombie’s brand community informs every move these marketers make. In fact, this feedback informs every single team in the business. By listening to their customers closely – and actually taking action on the thoughts, feelings, and ideas they share – Abercrombie has launched hyper-successful new lines, collections, and activations.

• Choosing Authentic Advocates: Authenticity is key when selecting Advocates, as the brand looks for influencers who entirely align with their brand purpose. Working with creators across various niches – from weddings, to workouts, to everyday staples – Abercrombie taps into their insights to drive brand awareness in new ways.

• Tapping into Unexpected Audiences: Abercrombie is now built around the idea of outfitting their customers for the perfect long weekend. Every product is an answer to a customer's direct needs. That’s how the brand has found success tapping into unexpected audiences to expand their reach. You can, too.

  
  

Listen. Learn something. Apply it. Evolve.

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Via their website