Podcast
Building Brand Advocacy
Hosted by Paul Archer and Verity Hurd · EN
Building Brand Advocacy is a tactical marketing podcast exploring how the world’s most impactful brands grow.
Hosted by Paul Archer and Verity Hurd, the show explores the tactics and strategies behind modern brand building.
Each episode breaks down how category-defining brands, platform leaders, and industry insiders rewriting the rules of growth and the tactics, strategies, and decisions other brands can apply immediately.
This podcast is your marketing playbook.
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
All Brand Marketing Starts With Advocacy | Camilla Craven on AI, Community & Modern Brand Building
5d ago00:51:43Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Camilla Craven, former Global Brand & Marketing Director at FaceGym and now Fractional CMO & Consultant to multiple beauty brands, unpacks why advocacy is becoming the backbone of modern marketing strategy, from the operational realities of building community to the rise of employee-generated content and AI's growing role. We also dig into why the best marketing leaders aren't just measuring advocacy, they're listening.In this episode, we cover:Advocacy's place in modern marketing and why it's no longer a nice-to-haveCommunity, influencers, and the power of actually listeningTuning out industry noise to focus on what genuinely makes impactOperational struggles, team structures, and the rise of employee-generated contentAI's growing role in how brands build and scale advocacyChapters00:00 Welcome Back Camilla02:45 Advocacy Over Performance10:20 What To Believe When Everyone’s an Expert16:28 Fractional CMO Patterns20:10 Tools, Data, and Adoption21:57 The importance Of Listening First23:41 Measuring Advocacy Impact25:30 Influencer Performance Nuance27:07 Future Generations and The Social Media Ban28:29 Martha Stewart MAC Campaign33:39 The Rise In Employee Generated Content (ECG)39:39 AI Tool Consolidation43:14 Who Does Advocacy Best?44:41 TikTok Shop Brand Dilution49:56 Cringe or Community Game51:39 Wrap Up🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.FOLLOW CAMILLACamilla Craven: https://www.instagram.com/camillablyss/FOLLOW USSubscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyVerity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Transcribe →Behind LOOKFANTASTIC: Rebuilding a £1B Retail Empire From the Inside
3w ago00:56:08Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Verity sits down with Georgie Fox, Head of Brand at LOOKFANTASTIC, to dissect what it actually takes to rebuild a brand's foundation from the inside out, and how community became their sharpest growth lever.This episode covers the brand-partnership relationship, why consumer connection has to run deeper than product, and how brands can fill the gap left by traditional media. Georgie shares the internal culture shifts that made it possible, LOOKFANTASTIC’s anti-gatekeeping approach to knowledge, and the "sausage machine" analogy that redefines what good marketing looks like. In this episode, we cover:Rebuilding LOOKFANTASTIC's brand foundation, closing the business-social understanding gap, and why consumer connection must run deeper than productHow brands can fill the void left by traditional media and publishing, using community as the gateway through accessWhat good marketing actually looks like and how to measure it effectively using the "sausage machine" analogy Building a fuelled 360 creator and affiliate strategy, from nurturing genuine partnership relationships to scaling the brand x partner modelAnti-gatekeeping as strategy, making employee content creation part of the role and earning real buy-in across the businessChapters00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro05:47 The Home of Iconic Beauty09:09 Building Brand Foundations16:29 Proving Brand Impact21:45 Anti Gatekeeping Strategy27:30 Creators and LOOKFANTASTIC’s Aspiration Balance29:43 Influencer Strategy Origins31:31 From Funnel To Flywheel37:29 Reddit And Authenticity41:12 Molly Mae’s Evolution42:51 Ambassadors Within The Community53:04 The Future Of Brand Marketing54:58 Cringe Or Community Quickfire56:01 Wrap Up🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.FOLLOW LOOKFANTASTICLOOKFANTASTIC: https://www.instagram.com/lookfantastic/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lookfantastic?lang=enFOLLOW USSubscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyVerity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Transcribe →The 5- Step Framework to Fast & Slow Social Strategy: Beth & Michael from Slice Social
Jul 100:55:21Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Beth & Michael, founders of Slice social media agency, break down their 5-Step Social Strategy: Discovery, Storytelling, Challenge, Problem-Tension-Goal, and Solution. Plus, why the "Fast & Slow" approach to social is the framework that separates brands that win from brands that just post.This is an episode designed to give you direction in social media, to integrate a purpose into your posting and work strategically to reach your end objective. In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction 05:15 The 5-Step Social Media Strategy06:45 Step 1: Discovery20:06 Step 2: Storytelling through strategy 29:24 Step 3: The Challenge33:39 Step 4: Problem, Tension, Goal 34:50 Step 5: Solution 44:17 The Fast & Slow Approach To Social 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.CONNECT WITH BETH & MICHAELBeth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betheleanorthomas/Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrichardcorcoran/Slice Social: https://www.slice-social.com/FOLLOW USSubscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyPaul: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyVerity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Transcribe →Cannes Lions CMO on Community, Advocacy & What Actually Moves Revenue
Jun 2200:45:38Tap to summarizeIn this weeks episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we invite the CMO of Cannes Lions to join us ahead of the festival to unpack what's actually shifting in advocacy, creator marketing, and how the Lions are judged in 2026. plus hard strategies for measuring community, elevating marketing in the boardroom, and driving real ROI.In this episode, we cover:What to expect from Cannes Lions in 2026 What’s changing in advocacy & creator marketingThe Lion judgement process at CannesOpportunities for CMOs to elevate marketing in boardrooms How to effectively measure community The next generation of CEO & CMO’sBuilding community through credibility Chapters00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:36 How Cannes Lions Has Evolved05:20 CMO Pressure and Priorities09:05 How Cannes Lions Judging Works15:12 Proof Creativity Drives Growth18:31 Merging Brand and Performance22:14 Boardroom Alignment and Metrics29:31 How to Measure Community Impact34:19 The CMO of 203039:25 You Cannot Buy Attention42:28 AI and Creative Possibility45:01 Cannes Week Wrap Up🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.CONNECT WITH ILARIALinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ilariapasquinelliFOLLOW USSubscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyPaul: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyVerity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Transcribe →Is The Creator Economy Broken? ft. Manuel Albuquerque
Jun 1000:18:11Tap to summarizeIn this live episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Verity sits down with Manuel Albuquerque, founder & CEO of Prime Tag, to unpack the AI revolution reshaping the creator economy from the inside out. From the real pressures facing time-poor marketing teams to the problems AI is actually solving (and the myths it's not), Manuel brings the entrepreneur's perspective that brand builders need right now.In this episode, we cover:Manuel’s journey to entrepreneurship in the influencer spaceThe time poor pressures of marketing teamsHow AI is influencing the creator economy The problem that AI is solving for marketing teamsBusting AI myths around the creator economy If you're navigating influencer strategy in an AI-first world, this one is essential listening.CHAPTERS00:00 People And Data First01:18 Creator Economy Boom01:59 From Basketball To Tech Startup04:08 The Influencer Stigma Debate05:24 Current Status: Bad Data And No Time06:38 AI Mindset Myth09:02 Augmented Intelligence Not Artificial Intelligence10:42 Myth Busting Rapid Fire12:17 How AI Is Changing Business Models15:29 Finding Effective Creator X Brand Matches16:45 Brand Advocacy Advice🔔 Subscribe to Building Brand Advocacy for weekly conversations with the people reshaping how brands grow.CONNECT WITH MANUELLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuelvicalbuquerque/PrimeTag: https://www.primetag.com/FOLLOW USVerity: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy
Transcribe →How Grace Andrews Builds A Content Strategy In 5 Steps
May 2700:39:29Tap to summarizeWe’re back with another mastermind episode. This week, Grace Andrews takes us through her 5 step framework for building a high performance content engine, from identifying content signals (before selecting platforms) to measuring success metrics that are relevant to you and your brand.In this episode, we cover:07:05 Step 1: Identifying Content Signals 11:47 Step 2: Approach To Content Formats26:31 Step 3: The Platform Specific Strategy28:43 Step 4: Where Creators Fit Into Your Content Strategy32:56 Step 5: How To Measure For Success 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.CONNECT WITH GRACEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/graceandrewsss/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@graceandrewsssTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@graceandrews7FOLLOW USSubscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyPaul: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyVerity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Transcribe →Building TRIP: How a Challenger Brand Conquered the Wellness Drinks Market
May 1300:49:51Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, I sit down with Alice Ratcliffe, Head of Brand at TRIP — the wellness drinks brand rewriting the rules of brand positioning in one of the most crowded categories on the market.Alice pulls back the curtain on how TRIP went from scrappy challenger to a brand that commands culture, loyalty, and shelf space — and what it's really taken to scale that story into the US.In this episode, we cover:How to stand out in a saturated wellness & drinks marketTRIP's influencer strategy and why it's built differently to most other brandsIntegrating celebrities into your brand without losing authenticityThe real strategy for brand building in the USWhy employee advocacy is one of the most underrated tools in a marketer's arsenalHow to integrate AI for effective brand building in 2026The honest challenges of being the underdog and how to turn them into an advantageCHAPTERS00:00 The Polished Brand Problem02:03 Finding Branded White Space06:00 Regulation Into Advantage07:36 Always On Brand Building10:17 How To Earn Consumer Trust16:06 Creators Influencers Celebs23:25 US Expansion Playbook26:30 Approaching Employee Advocacy28:39 Scaling Without Gatekeeping29:51 Email List vs Community31:15 AI Vs IRL 33:36 Hosting Inclusive Brand Events35:50 Winning on TikTok Shop39:52 Global Growth and Accounts44:26 Powerful Founder Partnerships🔔 Subscribe to Building Brand Advocacy for weekly conversations with the people reshaping how brands grow.CONNECT WITH TRIPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/trip.drinks/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@trip.drinksFOLLOW USVerity: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy
Transcribe →Is your brand engineered for advocacy? | The Advocacy Maturity Model
Apr 2900:31:09Tap to summarizeIn this mastermind episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we break down the Advocacy Maturity Model, a strategic framework for diagnosing exactly where your brand sits on the advocacy spectrum and the precise steps to move from passive mentions to a fully activated community-led growth engine.Think of it as your strategic advocacy playbook, the kind of session your brand team needs to align on advocacy as a core brand lever rather than a marketing afterthought.Inside this episode:The 5 stages of brand advocacy maturity and how to identify which stage you're at right nowWhy most brands plateau at stage 2 and never break through to genuine brand loveThe structural shifts your team needs to make at each stage of the modelHow to turn community-led growth into a measurable brand assetThe metrics that actually matter when tracking advocacy momentumIf you’re a marketing leader trying to restructure your team's advocacy strategy, this episode gives you the framework to stop guessing and start growing with intention.🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.FOLLOW USSubscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacyVerity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/
Transcribe →Grace Andrews: Why Your Employees Are Your Most Powerful Brand Asset in 2026
Apr 2200:37:16Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Verity sits down with Grace Andrews to unpack the real shifts happening in social right now and what forward-thinking brands are doing to stay ahead in 2026 and beyond.Grace brings a sharp, strategic lens to one of the most underutilised growth levers in marketing today: employee advocacy. We go deep on why building brand growth from the inside out isn't just about brand culture but something much bigger.We then go onto discuss how to build an effective and experimental content eco-system as well as understanding how to navigate YouTube as long form presence is growing within the digital landscape. In this episode, we cover:The evolution of social trends shaping brand strategy in 2026A strategic framework for building genuine employee advocacyHow to drive real brand growth through your people not just your paid channelsEffective content experimentation strategies that actually move the needleWhy YouTube is the deepest, most underrated content channel for brand buildingThe trends smart brands are already preparing for in 2026/2027CHAPTERS00:00 Episode Trailer 01:30 Meet Grace Andrews02:23 2024 Trend Check 06:52 Employee Advocacy Basics09:20 Building The Employees Advocacy Infrastructure14:52 Ownership And Founder Role17:11 Incentivising Employee Advocacy19:22 Building A Content Experimentation System22:29Dummy Social Channels for Safe Testing24:09 Case Study of the Shameless Network28:48 YouTube vs Social Scrolling31:29 Where YouTube Fits into Teams33:48 Low Lift YouTube for Brands35:30 Future Creator Brand PartnershipsWhether you're a founder, marketing lead, or brand strategist — this conversation will change how you think about where your next wave of growth actually comes from.🔔 Subscribe to Building Brand Advocacy for weekly conversations with the people reshaping how brands grow.CONNECT WITH GRACEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/graceandrewsss/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@graceandrewsssTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@graceandrews7FOLLOW USVerity: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy
Transcribe →Why more brands should become entertainment first | The Red Bull Strategy
Apr 800:06:11Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we're unpacking the seismic shift happening in marketing right now: is branded entertainment replacing paid ads? We dig into why the smartest brands are investing in long-form content, storytelling, and entertainment-led campaigns, and how this changes everything from team structure to ROI measurement.What we cover:Should brands have Global or local social media accountsThe perfect niche to scale strategy Branded entertainment vs paid adsThe Redbull playbookWhether you're a founder, a marketing lead, or a brand builder trying to do more with less — this is the episode that reframes where your budget should actually be going.🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode.CONNECT WITH PAUL & VERITYPaul: www.linkedin.com/in/paulkarcher/Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/FOLLOW USPaul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulkarcher/Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacyInstagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacyTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy
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