Dr. Oetker is a brand that has a place in every household’s cupboards, but it’s also found its place on everybody’s social feeds - particularly for its baking category. Today’s guest is Josephine Keller, Dr. Oetker’s head of digital marketing, and she joins us to share how the brand has successfully built out its in-house social production capabilities, what the power of both UGC & EGC has been for them (and when to use each) and why old cult classic Facebook Groups is still worth the invest...
Jun 30, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 293
This week, Mil is joined by The Fifth’s associate creative director Joel Newman to break down the need-to-know headlines from the world of social. This time, they’re discussing a suite of new ad tools from both TikTok and Meta, LinkedIn’s new First Impressions Ads and a promising update on Instagram’s trial Reels. We also cover Pinterest’s midyear trends report and, finally, unpack a WPP Media report that says creators are set to generate more revenue than traditional media channels this year. G...
Jun 16, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 292
Procurement isn’t just about cost-cutting anymore. It’s about chemistry, collaboration and long-term value. That’s the message from this week’s guest, Tina Fegent – one of the UK’s first marketing procurement specialists and a leading voice in agency-client relationships. In this episode, we explore how procurement has evolved from tactical to strategic, why “fit over flash” matters in pitches, and how agencies can build lasting partnerships with brands. Tina also shares her take on the future o...
Jun 02, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 291
The Brave Bison team sit down to decode what’s next — from search and social to technology and experience. No jargon. No fluff. Just unfiltered insights, bold opinions, and the real stories behind the strategies shaping growth today. Whether you're scaling campaigns or rethinking the funnel, if it moves the needle — we’re talking about it. Hit follow to be the first to listen to Decoding Discovery — a two-part series diving into how AI and social are reshaping the way people search, discover, an...
May 28, 2025•16 sec
Show your support! Vote for Eve, your SocialMinds host, to win Creative Trailblazer in the Prolific North Creative Awards here: https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/creative-awards-cast-your-vote/ This week, SocialChain strategist Chelsea Noronha joins Mil in the studio to unpack the latest, greatest, and up-and-coming social media features you need to know about. That includes an update to TikTok Ads and its new moderation feature, native reposts on Instagram, and new creator collaboration tools on ...
May 19, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 290
Platforms change, trends come and go. Brand fundamentals must remain. That’s the opinion of this week’s guest, Kathryn Swallow - former worldwide head of Unilever’s deodorants category, previously the global VP for Rexona (Sure) and Dove. Among all of Unilever’s brands, the deodorant category stands out thanks to the global success of those brands as well as Lynx (Axe), and their success is owed in part, Kathryn says, to a deep understanding and respect for a brand’s positioning, purpose and and...
May 05, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 289
In a space where failure is hidden from a wider audience, Surreal embrace the imperfect. A challenger brand within the staid world of cereal marketing, Surreal have emerged as a distinct voice. John Thornton, Senior creative at Surreal breaks down the process of embracing your marketing bluffs and peeling back the veneer of the social economy.
Apr 16, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 288
SocialChain strategy and innovation director Gareth Harrison joins Mil to unpack this month’s Social in Six updates. This time, that’s an update on TikTok’s ban in the US, which has been extended again; a handful of updates from Meta to improve social SEO and make creator partnerships easier; and LinkedIn’s new Trends page that curates videos based on trending workplace topics. Elsewhere, Snapchat has launched a new ad format in Sponsored AI Lenses, while YouTube Shorts has changed the way it me...
Apr 14, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 287
“Have you had your Weetabix?” is an iconic ad slogan as any. But post-pandemic, though Weetabix had become part of online conversations, it wasn’t necessarily translating to consumers’ shopping baskets. In this episode, Lorraine Rothwell, head of marketing at Weetabix, shares the story of how the brand reconnected with its core demographic while remaining relevant to younger audiences. Discover how social informed ad creative, the power of nostalgia in marketing, and how Weetabix continues to su...
Apr 09, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 286
AI is the hot topic on everyone’s lips. One which, if you ask most creatives, will be spoken of with some level of selfish scepticism. But what do you do when a company built on the good of tech has their own department of creatives? This conversation is full of honest questions, thought-provoking answers, and candid discussions on how Ai is actually impacting creativity inside and outside of our studios, Don’t expect another narrative on how “AI is coming for our jobs” (it might yet) but come a...
Apr 07, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 285
Social is changing the face of search and, with that, the impact on how brands and products are discovered has also shifted. Reddit is among the platforms capitalising on this - tapping into consumer habits of adding ‘Reddit’ to the end of every search term, making the brand name the 6th most-Googled term in the US. In this episode with Hannah Walker, Reddit’s Head of Mid-Market for the UK, we find out why platforms are leaning on AI to elevate their search offerings, how brands can benefit from...
Mar 31, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 284
Every time you order a Domino’s pizza, you’re interfacing with countless data-driven touchpoints – whether it’s suggested items or Dom the Pizza Tracker telling you your Pepperoni Passion is in the oven. In this episode, Nick Bamber, digital and data director at Domino’s, unpacks why the brand sees itself as a data company first and a pizza business second. He reveals how leveraging smart data and AI resulted in 10 million app users, the learnings from Domino’s’ journey to become “the Netflix of...
Mar 26, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 283
TikTok Shop has taken over everyone’s For You Page in the last 12 months, and that’s in no small part down to the commerce ambitions of the business. Layer onto that the way TikTok has (and continues to) change the creator economy, and you’re left with an extremely actionable conversation for brands and marketers that will leave you empowered and educated to perform on your commerce objectives whilst still prioritising creativity and content – crucially, how the two must work together if brands ...
Mar 24, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 282
For years, Primark thrived without an online presence, but post-pandemic, that had to change. In this episode, Kymberley Thomson, senior global social media and community manager at Primark, takes us through the retailer’s social evolution - from having no ecommerce channel to building an engaged digital audience. Find out how to adapt a bricks and mortar retail strategy for online conversations, why community isn’t just a nice-to-have, and the role social plays in new product development and ov...
Mar 19, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 281
On this episode of Social in Six, Mil is joined by Callum Woodbridge, senior creative at SocialChain. Together they cover all the headlines you need to know from the world of social, including TikTok Shop’s new feature to get you buying top products, LinkedIn rolling out comment impressions and Pinterest’s plan to stop AI images taking over the feed. Plus, two updates from Instagram, including a possible new standalone Reels app and testimonials for Partnership Ads. Finally, they give you the lo...
Mar 17, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 280
Retail media is booming, and Very Media Group is making big moves to stay ahead. In this episode, Laura Jones, head of Very Media Group, breaks down how the brand is moving beyond its catalogue roots to create scroll-stopping content, data-driven insights, and collaborations with over 2000 brand partners. Expect to hear about how social slots into the full marketing funnel, why balancing brand and performance is crucial, and what’s next for retail media.
Mar 12, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 279
Creator-led brands are on the rise, and heritage brands with decades of equity are finding themselves threatened and losing market share. In this episode, social-born brand Tonic Health speaks on the value of using only social, how being an entrepreneur-fronted brand impacts your approach to transparency, and what most brands don’t realise they’re doing wrong. Expect plenty of candour on what real audiences want, and a welcome reality check on how we can all work to improve and compete with our ...
Mar 10, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 278
Last Summer, Kopparberg decided they needed to win back the favour of customers who’ve turned to trends like craft beer and chicken wine. To do so the brand made an unexpected but genius collaboration with Melanoma Fund, tapping into audiences’ interest in skincare and health at peak summer (Kopparberg’s time to shine). In this episode, Nancy Dales, brand manager at Kopparberg breaks down the case study of that Summer campaign – what worked, what didn’t, and what brands inside and outside of the...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 277
Yorkshire Tea is a well-loved social-first brand leading its category in market share – hard to believe when you consider it was once the underdog amongst its multinational competitors. So how did the brand flip the script? By leaning into what made them different: their Northern-ness. In this episode, Dom Dwight, strategy and innovation director at Taylor’s of Harrogate, breaks down Yorkshire Tea’s approach to social and brand building. Expect insights on the power of consistency, how social we...
Mar 03, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 276
On this episode of Social in Six, SocialChain strategist Chelsea Noronha joins Mil to break down the latest headlines from social. This time that includes: an update on TikTok US, LinkedIn’s new video features for desktop users, and YouTube’s latest partnership to get you posting Shorts. Chelsea and Mil also cover two updates from Instagram, including the platform’s CapCut clone and some changes to the grid. Finally, they break down how Meta’s fact checking program, set to launch next month, wil...
Feb 17, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 275
Football clubs’ social output is a different ball game to traditional B2C brands. As one of the world’s most beloved, Manchester City must both use its channels to please die-hard fans whilst enticing the emerging. In this episode, City’s head of social media and international content, Paul Handler, tells us what makes their fans tick and how their strategy facilitates that. Expect to learn how to convert passion into engagement, why leveraging your content archive is crucial, and how to proacti...
Feb 04, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 274
On a special episode of Social in Six, Mil and our creative director Jake are talking all about TikTok’s imminent ban in the US. They cover everything that’s happened so far, what the short- and long-term impacts of a nationwide ban would be, and what that could mean for the future of social. Plus, they’re ensuring your social strategy is prepared for every possible scenario come Monday with some actionable advice for brands. Download our free fact guide for brands here: https://www.socialchain....
Jan 17, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 273
Pinterest Predicts is the not-yet-trending report that fuels brands and marketers’ plans - and consumers’ wildest imaginations – every year. And, every year, we sit down with Pinterest’s director of marketing for Europe, Louise Richardson, to learn how these trends to be will shape what we wear, eat, dress, decorate with, plan, drive, and experience throughout the next 12 months. No matter your job title, no matter your brand’s category, no matter your personal passions – this report is a non-ne...
Jan 06, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 272
On this episode of Social in Six, Mil and Eve cover two updates from Instagram: a Trials update for Reels, and its latest new features for Broadcast Channels. They also discuss what Australia’s social media ban means for brands, how TikTok is allegedly hoping to boost shopping with TikTok Mini apps, and YouTube’s latest slate of updates to facilitate brand and creator partnerships on platform with BrandConnect. Finally, they cover an ads update from Meta that gives your Traffic campaigns increas...
Dec 16, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 271
When the language learning app’s owl mascot, Duo, first appeared on our TikTok screens, marketers and audiences alike couldn’t look away from the unhinged comedy bits and hilarious community engagement. Now, as Duolingo looks to build on its success and evolve the brand for the future, we sit down with its Regional Marketing Director for Europe & LATAM, Rebeca Ricoy, to learn what the future holds for Duo and the other ensemble cast of characters you interact with on the app. Expect to hear ...
Dec 02, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 270
On this episode of Social in Six, Mil and our associate creator director Emma break down two updates from Instagram, including mythbusting on sponsored content and the news that the platform shows less popular videos in lower quality. Elsewhere, TikTok is tinkering with a new shopping integration, and LinkedIn has some tips to get you optimising for mobile. Plus, YouTube wants to make it easier for you to partner with Shorts creators, and finally, microblogging platforms Bluesky and Threads have...
Nov 18, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 269
Only a decade ago, social platforms were purely that: social. But what started out as places for people to connect and catch up with family and friends has now become an altogether different space. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than TikTok. From entertainment to discovery to search to sale, the explosion of social commerce means TikTok has effectively become a microcosm of the customer journey, launching its ecommerce platform TikTok Shop in 2021. Hear more tips from Jackie, Hannah...
Nov 08, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 268
The creator economy is barely twenty years old, but already, it’s dramatically changed the social landscape for brands and marketers. Audiences crave real life, not challenge videos; excessive gifting is seen as out of touch, not aspirational; and TikTok has levelled the playing field by making creators out of everyday people sharing their stories. But if there’s one thing creators know how to do, it’s adapt. Creators are testing and learning, leaning into new content formats and features, and e...
Nov 06, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 267
This year marks 20 years since Facebook was founded. It's also the year SocialChain celebrated its tenth birthday and welcomed its new CEO Jacinta Faul. Talk about milestone moments. One month into her role, there was no better time for Jacinta to sit down with our CMO Hannah Baker to look back on the past ten years - and pull out some predictions for the future - than at SocialMinds LIVE. For our second Mini Cini session at SocialMinds LIVE: Future Casting Social’s Next 20, Jacinta sat down in ...
Nov 04, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 266
Real people. Real stories. Real moments. Locally created social content can connect with your customers more than generic brand content ever could. At least, that’s the thinking behind Greene King’s social strategy. Leveraging its local teams was a mammoth task for the pub chain, which owns over 2,000 pubs and multiple sub-brands across the country. But with over five million fans across its social channels, the UK’s biggest pub retailer and brewer is clearly doing something right. In this episo...
Nov 01, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 265
