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 using her passion for community building to not just grow the following of National Geographic, but also to tell stories directly to the audience and help them to engage with their content, whether that’s offering advice on how to maintain a healthy diet or sharing videos about the daily lives of penguins in the arctic. Tulani shares how the synergy between Nat Geo’s socials on different platforms contributes to their success, and also why building a loyal, active community can be more impactful than pure follower numbers.

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 took off when they began using it as a tool to break down complex issues into accessible, bite-sized content. As the host of Under the Desk News, V seamlessly blends advocacy with levity, earning trust with a loyal audience that looks to them for both information and a sense of community. In this episode, we sit down with V Spehar to dive into how they use social media to cut through the noise, build authentic connections, and cultivate a space where followers feel informed and empowered. V shares their insights on how to keep the non-stop news cycle relevant to their audiences, and how the pandemic has changed creator culture.

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 has been overseeing their unique approach and ethos since she joined the company in 2021. She joined at the time when they just spent 90% of their marketing budget at that year's Super Bowl, in which they ran an old advert of their CEO singing “wow, no cow”.  Sarah chats to us about how Oatly believe their product is the purpose and so wrap their brand messaging around this. This enables Oatly to be seen as disruptors and that enables Sarah to choose humour and creativity, above all else, when creating content. When talking about social media in general, she believes that if you are on the right side of history and doing the right thing as a brand, then the community will step in and fight battles for you.

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 to utilise social media in gathering support for important causes which is making a substantial global impact. Niall chats to us about the importance of authenticity in brand marketing, and the legacy he hopes to leave in the animal welfare community.

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 about how to build a pathway to action through social channels, how to define engagement across platforms, and how to earn the trust of your audience by building safe communities to interact with.

“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 online presence and profile. Architectural Digest released their first publication in 1920, so naturally conversation centred around preserving the brand legacy and signature but in today’s fast paced way of life. Listen to learn more about recognising how different geographic audiences have different appetites for content, tricks to showcasing beautiful spaces on small phone screens and listen to Pujah talk about measuring engagement for success.

“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 professional networking platform which allows its users to share contacts to help others build relationships, meet goals or achieve career success. Listen to learn more about Ramzi’s journey and how to build successful meaningful connections in today's social media landscape. 

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, leveraging market trends, and thriving in today's social media landscape. Join us to learn from his journey and discover how to stand out in the crowded digital space.

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 the X Factor from its number one spot and catapulted a 1992 Rage Against the Machine single right to the top. Since then, Jon has used the power of social media to achieve more chart success, campaign against the closure of BBC Radio 6 station and influence polls for a popular fast food outlet. In this episode, Jon reveals his secrets behind using social media to influence popular opinion, how his campaigns have got the attention of Foo Fighters front-man Dave Grohl, and his advice on whether brands should be taking more social media risks to achieve content success.

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 comedy has captured the hearts of fans all over the world, and his relatable content always has viewers in stitches. We chatted to Garron about how his unintentional rise to fame came about, his opinion on whether you need to have great video editing skills in order to be a content creator, and the top secrets behind keeping viewers engaged with your social media content as an influencer.