SocialMinds - A Social Media Marketing Podcast

On this episode of Social in Six, SocialChain's senior account manager Taylor Mitchell joins Mil in the studio to unpack the hottest social headlines. This time that includes the news that Meta is experimenting with ads for its chatbot Meta AI and a big measurement update that should make reporting easier. Plus, TikTok has rolled out its Local feed to the US, Pinterest shares tips for better ad creative, and creators are speaking out against Instagram's controversial shopping feature. Finally, X has quietly launched a new tool in the hopes of curbing inappropriate Grok usage. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

Since we last heard from Kopparberg at our live podcast session at MAD//North in 2025, a lot has happened for the UK's largest fruit cider brand – namely, the launch of its refreshed creator and influencer strategy last spring. Since then, the brand has been on a mission to entice its core audience of young adults and maintain salience for shoppers in the Beer and Cider aisle through savvy partnerships with creators. In this episode, we're joined once again by Kopparberg's senior customer marketing manager Nancy Dales to deep dive the role of creators in bringing creativity (one of Kopparberg's brand pillars) to life on social. Expect to learn why Kopparberg had to learn to let go when handing over the creative reins, what it takes to get internal buy-in for your riskiest campaign ideas, and how to sustain cultural relevance outside of your busiest sales period. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

It's our first Social in Six episode of 2026! This time our social media manager Emily Harrison is joining Mil to unpack all the latest and greatest from the world of social. First up, they're breaking down what brands need to know about X's ongoing AI image controversy, plus a handful of Instagram updates including: Customise Your Algorithm, an official launch for its new CTV app, and a so-called "likes recession". Elsewhere, YouTube has a new post format for Shorts, and Mil and Em unpack why Pinterest is increasingly becoming Gen Z's favourite platform. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

When Argos's social team set out to level up their social channels a year ago, they had their work cut out for them. Now, their TikToks are pulling in views by the millions. Whether it's dance trends on the shop floor or the account's ongoing beef with Currys, your childhood favourite retailer has viewers hooked. In this episode, we chat to Aimée Scanlon, Social Media Lead at Argos, to unpack how the high street giant rewired decades of catalogue culture into a community-first, creator-style social presence. From making colleagues the stars of the show to turning TikTok comments into strategy gold, Aimée shares why employee-generated content outperforms product content, why you should treat the comments section like your boss, and what it takes to modernise nostalgia without becoming a museum piece.

2025 was the year of sardine tees, filthy martinis and red leather – but we already knew that thanks to Pinterest Predicts' trend forecasts for Fisherman Aesthetic, Pickle Fix, and Cherry Coded. For 2026, Wilderkind, Poetcore, and FunHaus are among the many trend predictions our favourite visual discovery engine has in store for us this year. To tell us about how brands, marketers and creators can all leverage this year's biggest vibes, we're joined once again by Pinterest's Director of Marketing, Louise Foley. Expect to discover why your audience is turning to imaginative escapism, why trends are growing 4.4x faster than seven years ago, and the difference between a shoppable and a successful trend. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected] Pinterest Predicts - https://business.pinterest.com/en-gb/pinterest-predicts

On our 100th Social in Six episode, SocialChain influencer executive Rachel Lea joins Mil in the studio to cover off the top six need-to-know updates from the world of social. This time, that includes two updates from Instagram: a new watch history feature and a crackdown on duplicate content that's got some news accounts rattled. They're also talking all about Sora, the latest AI video/social platform from ChatGPT's parent company OpenAI. Plus, new AI tools from TikTok that let creators streamline both the edit and video scripting process; Reddit's guide to optimising for AEO (not a typo, that's Answer Engine Optimisation), and finally...find out which platform marketers ranked top priority in Emplifi's State of Social report. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

Recorded in front of a live audience at SocialMinds Live 2025, we go behind the scenes of Primark's bold social-first strategy with Primark's Kymberley Thomson in this raw, unfiltered conversation between client and creative. From concept to execution, we lift the lid on the work and the wins that put community at the heart of the brand, and how collective creativity turned one of fashion's biggest names into a cultural conversation starter. Get in touch at [email protected].

On this episode of Social in Six, SocialChain strategist Chelsea Noronha returns to the studio to help Mil break down social's biggest updates. They cover Meta's ad-free subscription tier launching in the UK, plus the news that Instagram is trialling opening the app to the full-screen Reels feed. They also discuss two updates from Facebook, including keyword search suggestions for Reels, and the platform's rising popularity as a news source. Finally, they cover TikTok Travel Ads and YouTube's AI tool that generates alternate endings for Shorts. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

Your most successful activations will be the ones that makes stakeholders squirm. Just a little. Still, most organisations are more fearful of perceived backlash than ever before - but not Channel4. As the 'alternative' UK broadcaster with shows that range from Virgin Island to Trump V The Truth, the nature of its programming opens doors for the nature of its marketing. In this episode, 4Studio's senior content strategist Aaron Gillies tells all. Whether it's sending Handmaids in full regalia to parade The Palace of Westminster a week after Roe Vs Wade was overturned, or letting mischievous Yorkshire teens take over your socials and post things like "Channel4 is for people who belong in a nursing home", this broadcaster is no stranger to bold tactics. Is its reputation risked or ruined? No. Far, far, far from it.Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

On this week's trend-focused Social in Six, account manager Scarlett Carson joins Mil for a midyear lookback on the trends that are dominating social right now – and the trends to come. They dissect Pinterest's autumn trends report, YouTube's digital culture recap, and talk about the trends they think will sustain in 2025. They also break down the hottest new updates, like Instagram adding new analytics, a Reels linking feature and considering screenshots as a measurable metric; plus TikTok quietly implementing a hashtag limit and Reddit's Pro Organic playbook. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

For TV broadcasters, social marketing has to do more than just educate or entertain – it has to convince audiences to get *off* their phones and sit down to watch. Sharing the solution to that challenge is Erina Jones, director of social media and social AVOD at UKTV, part of the award-winning BBC Studios. Erina delves into why consolidating UKTV's owned channels made for a stronger brand, the secret to a perfect TV show cutdown for social, and how data helps the team convert passionate communities into loyal brand fans. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

On this week's episode of Social in Six, The Fifth's account manager Chiara Yeomans joins Mil in the studio. They're talking about the updates that have social marketers talking, including Instagram finally launching Reposts, YouTube beating out ITV to become the 2nd most-watched channel in the UK; and the hottest influencer marketing trends set to continue in 2025. They also cover Meta's new tips for Advantage+ campaigns; a familiar collab post feature from YouTube; and TikTok's reported Engaged Session feature that lets you retarget website visitors without a tracking pixel. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

Mindsets matter more than metrics. In episode two of The Media Lift Effect, Eve Young returns with Gareth Harrison (SocialChain) and Mark Byrne (Brave Bison) to unpack how brands can apply the model across audience, creative, media, and measurement. From auditing assets to making use of AI tools like AudienceGPT, this episode shows how to build strategy around real behaviour, not outdated personas. Creative becomes your targeting, organic becomes your testbed, and measurement becomes the bridge between brand and performance. If you want a social strategy that works with the algorithm, not against it — this is where to start. 🔗 Get the full framework in the whitepaper: https://www.socialchain.com/social-minds/insights/the-media-lift-effect/%E2%86%97

Social ad spend is growing but over half of it still goes to waste. In this first episode of The Media Lift Effect, a special SocialMinds × Brave Talk collaboration, host Eve Young is joined by Gareth Harrison (SocialChain) and Mark Byrne (Brave Bison) to unpack why performance is falling short — and what needs to change. They explore the new realities of rising CPMs, fractured attention, and misleading last-click attribution. And introduce a smarter model built for how people move through social: aligning creative, media, and measurement to reduce waste and lift performance. From creator content to dwell time, organic signals to data-driven attribution — this is your reset on what effective social performance really looks like. 🔗 Download the full whitepaper: https://www.socialchain.com/social-minds/insights/the-media-lift-effect/%E2%86%97

On this week's episode of Social in Six, senior creative Eve Young is back with Mil in the studio. Together, they recap the top headlines from social, including Bulletin Boards, TikTok's answer to Broadcast Channels; Instagram and TikTok developing connected TV apps; and YouTube's new shoppable stickers for Shorts. They also discuss Meta's plan to train chatbots to send follow-up messages unprompted; X making advertisers literally pay by the pixel, and Reddit's new Recommendations tool. Got a question or suggestion for the Social Minds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]. Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

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 investment. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

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. Got a question or suggestion for the Social Minds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

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 of social media, the role of AI in marketing, and what makes campaigns like Holland & Barrett's Strong for Life resonate beyond the scroll. Whether you're agency-side, brand-side or somewhere in between, this one's packed with practical insight on how to pitch better, partner smarter and plan for what's next. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]

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, and decide. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brave-talk-podcast/id1813356507 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PrZpvQgYz9qqylkF20N7u

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 YouTube. We also cover one LinkedIn feature brought back from the dead, and Pinterest's latest foray into AI with a smart recommendations-based shopping feature. Got a question or suggestion for the Social Minds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

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 proposition. In this, we ask how brands can stay true to their core - and communicate that - among fast-moving tech, endless data, modernising audiences and, of course, social media. And we find out how Unilever's deodorant brands approach the above to ensure they don't just stay relevant, but are revered. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]

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.

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 measures views. Got a question or suggestion for the Social Minds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

"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 surprise and delight without losing its heritage roots.

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 away feeling educated on how to make it work for you.

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 Reddit's curious community through both paid and organic, and what their behaviour tells us about what Redditors want from the brands they buy from. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]

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 pizza", and the future of food delivery in an increasingly digital world.

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 are to compete in 2025 and beyond.

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 overarching campaigns. If you want to understand how retail brands can win on social without selling online, this one's for you.

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 lowdown on a new study that says TikTok is the top media channel for short-term ROI. Got a question or suggestion for the Social Minds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

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.

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 new competitors.

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 drinks category can learn from it. Expect to hear the value of physical PR, strategically ignoring social trends, and enabling constant communication amongst your agencies.

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 went from a novelty to a central part of the brand's media planning, and how Yorkshire Tea is trying to get more Gen Zers popping the kettle on.