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Michael is a brand and social media strategist known for his work at Ryanair and now through his consultancy, Slice.

In this episode, he explains why most brands do not have a content problem, they have a strategy problem and breaks down the 4 ways brands can actually win on social today.

From fast vs. slow social to prompted vs. unprompted discovery, repeatable formats, search, distribution, measurement, and memorability, this episode offers a sharp, practical breakdown of what brands need to understand if they want social to drive real business impact.

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Timestamps:00:00 Intro + why strategy matters more than ever01:18 The state of social in 2026: fragile platforms, outrage, and rented land04:46 Why trend-chasing is making brands less memorable08:26 The organic social renaissance09:36 Prompted vs unprompted discovery12:10 Fast vs slow social15:11 Fast prompted moments: culture spikes people search for17:11 The 4 ways brands can win on social22:04 Where the biggest opportunity is right now23:53 Brand examples: Currys, Candy Kittens, Confused.com, and more29:47 Slow unprompted content and thinking like TV33:01 How brands should find their real gap / problem / opportunity36:42 The marketing education gap in social41:13 When organic social is and isn’t the answer42:46 Distribution is the missing piece46:49 What brands can learn from podcasts, clipper accounts, creators, and aggregator pages53:26 How to actually implement creative distribution56:45 Why brands struggle to let go of control58:44 What Michael is excited about in 20261:00:47 Brands using social well right now1:02:25 What brands are struggling with most1:05:39 What still works from the Ryanair playbook1:10:05 AI, content abundance, and the return of the all-round marketeer