Social Creatures

With over 800 million followers across their socials(!), National Geographic is a bonafide powerhouse in the world of media. Since their first published issue over 100 years ago, Nat Geo has blended a passion for nature and conservation with a deep understanding of their follower base to capture curiosity and inspire action. Tulani André is the VP of Social Media at the company, and she has been u...

V Spehar has redefined what it means to engage with social media, using platforms to create authentic, community-driven conversations around news and culture. Whether it's their viral TikTok videos delivering concise, informative updates with a dash of humour, or their commitment to amplifying diverse voices and perspectives, everything V does feels refreshingly real. V's journey on social media t...

Oatly have changed the game in plant based milk, whilst redefining what it means to market their products with authenticity, humour and boldness. Whether it’s their tongue in cheek ads like ‘It’s like milk, but made for humans’ or their innovative approach to turning controversies into opportunities - everything they do is anything but conventional!  Sarah Sutton, Global Media Director at Oatly ha...

If you’re ever having a bad day, the Happy Doggo socials are where you need to be. With over 1.5 million followers across platforms, this animal welfare charity aims to fix the global street dog problem by raising awareness of the issue and promoting the success stories of the dogs they rescue. Its founder, Niall Harbison, founded the charity in 2021 after a near-death experience, and has gone on...

Patagonia is a global brand known not only for their leading outdoor fashion lines, but also for their focus on authenticity when connecting with their customers. Lauren Henshaw, Community & Digital Impact Manager at Patagonia, has been overseeing their social media in Europe and has had huge success in building environmental activism and outdoor communities through socials. Lauren chats to us...

“Sticking to your brand identity, sticking to that brand message is your secret sauce. It’s the only thing that’s gonna drive loyalty” Pujah Shah from Architectural Digest has one of the most exciting jobs in social media. As Global Director for Audience Development, it’s her role to help showcase the world’s most beautiful designs for people to admire and be inspired by, all whilst building their...

“I believe in a world where the social network mimics your personal network, and when you’re a little bit depleted, you can just go and interact like in real life”.  Ramzi Rizk is someone who is sitting at the intersection of technology, psychology and human connection. He is an angel investor, advisor, mentor and founder of multiple businesses. Ramzi’s latest venture is Dunbar. This is a professi...

In the competitive world of social media, even major brands struggle to connect with their audience. Elfried Samba, who Cat enthusiastically proclaims as the ' king of social ,' helped Gymshark grow its following from 1.5 million to 20 million in just seven years. Now, as founder for his own social media agency Butterly 3ffect, he shares his insights on creating engaging content, leveragin...

The race to see who will make it to number one in the UK Christmas charts has always been a hotly contested battle. But by 2009, Simon Cowell’s X Factor winners were the dominant force, with four consecutive wins under their belt. Enter Jon Morter, a social media hellraiser who was out to cause chaos in the charts. Using every social media trick in the book, Jon inspired a movement which toppled t...

When it comes to going viral on social media, the introduction of TikTok changed the landscape for how creators produce content, and how we consume it en masse. Nowhere is this more clear than with Garron Noone, an Irish star who went from starting 2023 with a few thousand subscribers on the platform to having his videos regularly reach millions of followers weekly. His unique brand of Irish comed...

With over 10 million followers across their social platforms, Boiler Room has been dominating the online music scene since their inception in 2010. Their promotion of sets from underground dance artists via live streams has highlighted some of the finest acts in techno, jazz and hip hop from across the globe. Boiler Room’s social strategy has created a new way for audiences to connect with music f...

The internet is buzzing with social media success stories, and we’re back for another season of Social Creatures. We’ll be exploring the secrets behind some of today's biggest social media wins, as well as uncovering some of the key successes behind the rise in influencer popularity.  This season, we’ll be talking to all sorts of people, whether it’s about going viral, driving business results...

In 2017, Fyre Festival captured the world’s attention. For a moment in time it was the hottest ticket in the world and founder Billy McFarland built its initial worldwide excitement and buzz entirely on social media. But the festival dramatically fell from grace when the terrible execution of the event shocked the world, resulting in Billy being convicted of fraud and owing roughly $27 million dol...

Harnessing the power of social marketing to unite people to tackle climate change is a formidable undertaking, and Too Good To Go is paving the way. It’s estimated that a third of all food produced in the world is wasted and 10% of world greenhouse gas emissions come from food waste alone. This impact is greater than of the aviation industry and plastics combined. Too Good To Go is the world's...

Despite the progressive nature of the contemporary art industry, there had never been a huge presence of these artists in the social media space. That is, until Unit London exploded onto the scene in 2013 with a range of pop-up locations highlighting a new group of diverse, unrepresented artists whose talent was to be celebrated in a non-discriminate way. Its founders, Joe Kennedy and Jonny Burt,...

Over the past two decades, the world of social media has undergone a remarkable evolution, reshaping the way we connect, communicate, and consume content. As a seasoned consultant, Matt Navarra has stood as a vigilant observer and an active participant. He's not only witnessed the shifts but has also been at the forefront of guiding brands and institutions through these seismic changes.  In to...

The emergence of luxury fashion houses during the 19th Century marked a transformative moment in history, birthing legendary brands that would shape the landscape of fashion, and define style, trends and sophistication. These exclusive high fashion luxury brands captivate its followers with their exquisite designs and impeccable attention to detail that epitomise desirability.  For the majority of...

From its humble beginnings in 1984, Ryanair has grown to become one of Europe's leading airlines. It has established itself as a prominent and influential brand, known for its innovative approaches to engaging with customers through social media platforms. With a strong emphasis on building a vibrant and humorous online presence, Ryanair has effectively utilised social media channels to connec...

Innocent is a fruit juice and smoothies brand that aims to be Europe’s favourite little drinks company.  Well known for their ability to create emotional connections with people over social media , the premise of Innocent is to ‘leave people better than we found them’.  They have mastered the art of emotional marketing, bringing humour and meaning into the customer experience; making people choose...

Building a large following on social media is often key to the success of many companies. But building a trusted online social community is at the heart of the success of Riley; with honest and realistic promises central to their progressive marketing. They’ve taken the world of period products by storm, combining a health and wellness approach with direct customer-centric social media marketing w...

Faced with challenging economic times and global inflation, businesses across all industries are working hard to get the best return on investment.  As marketing is often the first channel to suffer when it comes to budget cuts, in today's episode we investigate how to maximize marketing with a small social media team .   Capturing the cultural zeitgeist is generally a difficult task for most...

Discover how Oxfam blend fashion, celebrity and social media for Second Hand September to show how sustainable clothing can be chic and good for the environment. More of us are becoming conscious of the impact the modern fashion industry has on the world around us. One of the easiest ways to reduce the impact our fashion choices are having on the environment is by following the 5 R’s of sustainabl...

Social media is a place where any user can be connected to celebrities, influencers, and any public figure in an instant, but sometimes that connection can come at a cost. One of the most pressing ongoing topics on social media is how to address toxic behaviour and internet trolling, with one particularly prominent group at the forefront of that conversation – professional athletes. This is where...

Sitting somewhere between an employee and an influencer, workfluencers are on the rise. Rather than just curating articles on professional milestones and triumphs, workfluencers are known for being more open and honest about day-to-day work life, and consequently are favoured because they provide an authentic look at professional life. As their popularity with audiences grows, brands are increasin...

Social media marketing is a constantly evolving space, and with new trends, topics, and tactics seemingly emerging overnight, it’s sometimes hard to know what to do. That’s why we’re here to help with our social media marketing podcast for professionals like you!  After all the exciting conversations we had on season 1 of Social Creatures , we’re back with a new crop of the best and brightest soci...