Building Brand Advocacy Paul Archer and Verity Hurd

Giving up brand control to creators can be frightening. Now though, it’s one of the last near-assured ways to grow.

Time to face the fear, place your trust in authentic Advocates, and achieve maximum growth through the creators that love you; like Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Brooklinen already do. 

Join Paul & Verity LIVE from the last of the Social Commerce Summit: New York sessions, where they’re joined in conversation by Taylor Cameron (Director of Public Relations @ Victoria’s Secret), Stacie (@ Abercrombie & Fitch), and Janna Neinken (Head of Brand @ Grüns, ex-Director of Influencer Marketing & Partnerships @ Brooklinen).

Here, they reveal the strategies their brands utilize to harness aligned influence for growth. Each one is built around developing engaging and creative content that actually converts. 

From staying ahead in the rapidly evolving social media landscape and quickly adopting new content formats (Alpha and Beta tests with the platforms included), to leveraging new algorithm updates, the guests’ advice is as insightful as it is tactical.

Listen on to learn about…


Creating Viral Content through Customer Feedback: Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria’s Secret are making successful comebacks for a reason. By directly engaging their actual customers, and the creators in their networks, they’ve been able to rebrand and own it – creating entirely new product lines from customer preferences and signing contracts with creators who previously avoided them.




Balancing Brand Guidelines with Creator Freedom: This is key to maintaining authenticity in creator marketing (but you already knew that). Learn how these iconic brands give up control of their aesthetic, image, and storylines to reap the rewards in community love and awareness. Case studies from all three names highlight the how-tos of successful creator partnerships.




Differentiating Content Streams & Creator Tiers: Knowing the destination of your content is crucial. Like Victoria’s Secret has, your brand will benefit from practicing differentiating levels of content curation depending on intended audiences. By tailoring creator activities to appeal to niche markets and specific customer segments, these brands tap into the power of micro and nano-influencers to drive engagement and conversion.



Tune in. Take note. Grow. 

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Connect with Taylor, Janna & Abercrombie:


Taylor’s LinkedIn


Janna’s LinkedIn


Abercrombie’s Website

Abercrombie & Fitch are blazing trails in Brand Advocacy.

Having seen their shares grow 222% this year, compared to the fashion industry’s average of 12%, the brand is onto something. They’ve been busy leveraging the dynamism of Social Commerce and the authentic voices of their community to win. 

Join Paul & Verity LIVE from the Social Commerce Summit: New York, as they delve into Abercrombie’s remarkable transformation story with the team.

Uncover the tactics Abercrombie applied to deliver a strategic brand pivot – one that empowers their customers and creators, giving them the freedom to tell the brand’s story through their own eyes.

Tune in to discover…


Listening to Customers & Taking Action: Feedback from Abercrombie’s brand community informs every move these marketers make. In fact, this feedback informs every single team in the business. By listening to their customers closely – and actually taking action on the thoughts, feelings, and ideas they share – Abercrombie has launched hyper-successful new lines, collections, and activations.




Choosing Authentic Advocates: Authenticity is key when selecting Advocates, as the brand looks for influencers who entirely align with their brand purpose. Working with creators across various niches – from weddings, to workouts, to everyday staples – Abercrombie taps into their insights to drive brand awareness in new ways. 




Tapping into Unexpected Audiences: Abercrombie is now built around the idea of outfitting their customers for the perfect long weekend. Every product is an answer to a customer's direct needs. That’s how the brand has found success tapping into unexpected audiences to expand their reach. You can, too.





Listen. Learn something. Apply it. Evolve.

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Connect with Abercrombie & Fitch:

On Instagram

On TikTok

Via their website

As Social Commerce evolves, so do the roles and skill sets needed to drive it. 

This transformation is fast reshaping the landscape of fashion & beauty marketing.



Collaboration between social and eCommerce teams, and sharing technologies to utilize, is crucial for crafting a seamless and connected customer journey; one rich with remarkable experiences. 



The emergence of more specialized roles within Social Commerce, and teams entirely dedicated to it, are a significant symbol of this shift. Social Media Managers and their wider teams are increasingly held accountable to sales goals. Research shows this trend will only intensify, making it essential for marketers to adapt swiftly.



In this episode, Paul is joined by Doug Foulkes (Social & Creator SME, Team Lead @ Bazaarvoice) LIVE from the stage of the Social Commerce Summit: New York. Together, they piece together a playbook for navigating this fast-approaching future.

Listen up to learn about…


Demonstrating the Business Value of Content: Social Media teams need access to accurate, impactful data and the keen analytical skills to translate these insights into proof of tangible value. Social content can, and should, live far beyond the realms of social to influence customer purchasing decisions. The further into the right analytics you lean, the faster you prove worth. The faster you prove worth, the faster your budgets can expand.




Opportunities for AI in Brand Safety: The potential impact of AI on content creation and brand safety is a hot topic. While there’s concern, there’s opportunity for helpful innovation here, too. AI is helping streamline creative processes in marketing, but it could also be used in influencer & Advocate approval. Take a peek into the not-far-off future.




Utilizing User-Generated Content Effectively: Doug’s research has found fresh user-generated content (UGC) can make all the difference. 74% of consumers say it’s a prerequisite for them to see social proof on product pages, to help them make up their mind before buying. Of this on-page social content, recent UGC works 4x better for sustaining high conversion rates. Find out why. Learn how to optimize. 



This episode is presented by Bazaarvoice – a MarTech solution making magic for thousands of brands & retailers, growing sales through authentic social content on their websites. 

Find out more about these good folk here: https://www.bazaarvoice.com/ 

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Connect with Doug:


Doug’s LinkedIn


Bazaarvoice’s LinkedIn 

Social Commerce has evolved. Once simple shopping destinations have transformed into entirely new channels for brands to reach their consumers; to purchase, to take part in meaningful experiences, and to be entertained. 

The entire practice of marketing has to grow with this landscape.

Tune into this conversation, LIVE from the Social Commerce Summit: New York, to hear Paul tackle the tried-and-tested approaches to mastering this marketing synergy with some of beauty’s best. 

He’s joined by Anna Vale (Modern Marketing & Communications Expert), Jessica Riffle (Senior Manager of Social Commerce @ Coty; including Kylie Cosmetics, SKKN by Kim & Philosophy), Amanda Griffiths (Director of Digital Marketing & eCommerce @ Davines), and Djalal Lougouev (CSO & President @ Ometria). 

Listen up to learn about…


The Evolution of Social Commerce: A strategy for the integration of digital marketing and Social Commerce with traditional retail experiences is essential in 2024. No brand can create a seamless customer journey, connecting in-house and out-of-house commerce, without one. Perfecting your ‘B2C2B’ approach is the next horizon. Hear the experts advice for doing so.




Data & AI to Personalize the Customer Experience: Every customer experience that can be, should be personalized. That’s why the use of first-party data and AI is crucial for elevating the customer experience, and communicating with your brand fans in the most effective way possible. Almost everyone is now aware of AI’s advantage, and the consumers of tomorrow are coming to expect a personalized experience as standard. Don’t get left behind. 




Generational Shifts in Marketing Strategies: Gen Z is here. Gen Alpha is coming into the Advocacy picture, faster than you think. The impact of these generational shifts on spending and marketing strategy require brand builders to be savvy. Focus on ethical marketing practices and targeting the right segments within these mass audiences to win.



This episode is presented by Ometria, a customer experience data platform that helps deliver scroll-stopping marketing across multiple channels.

Find out more about these good folk here: https://ometria.com/ 

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Connect with Anna, Jess, Amanda & Djalal:


Anna’s LinkedIn 


Jess’ LinkedIn


Amanda’s LinkedIn


Djalal’s LinkedIn

As TikTok gears up for an uncertain, yet ambitious, few months ahead, one thing is clear – TikTok Shop has become a critical player in the Social Commerce landscape. 



Still aiming to grow its US business tenfold to $17.5 billion before the year is through, the platform shows no signs of slowing down.



From the explosive growth in Live Shopping events (where half of all TikTok users have now purchased something) to its impact on brand discovery and consumer conversion, TikTok continues to reshape online retail and what this means for Fashion & Beauty brands. 



Making the best before potential bans begin is at the forefront of every marketer's mind, too.



So, here’s how to do it. 



Join Paul & Verity LIVE from the Social Commerce Summit: New York 2024, as they talk to Bri Kennedy (Director of Integrated Marketing @ Maesa) and Broghan Smith (Fashion Key Accounts Lead @ TikTok Shop) on the topic.



You’ll learn all about…




Launching Influencer-Founded Brands: Starting out as an influencer-founded brand on TikTok Shop requires strategic considerations. There’s order management, warehousing, and stock inventory to consider – especially for brands who don’t yet sell D2C. This is how you do it right. 






Mastering In-App Affiliate Marketing: Affiliates play a significant role in driving sales and engagement on TikTok Shop, with creators driving higher conversion rates than brand channels. Driving interest for in-app discounts, bundles, offers, and events through your affiliates on the platform is key to coming across authentically; while reserving your brand channels for entertainment and education. 






The Potential of Live Shopping: Live shopping is an exciting and evolving aspect of TikTok Shop – one that continues to offer unique opportunities for product communication and sales in the UK and US. We need only look to Douyin’s example for where this has the potential to go.





Fashion & Beauty brand builders, here’s your TikTok Shop blueprint. 



Tune into Broghan’s previous episode on ‘How To Win On TikTok Shop’, recorded at the Social Commerce Summit: London earlier this year.



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Connect with Bri & Broghan:


Bri’s LinkedIn


Broghan’s LinkedIn

Every brand has superfans; better known as your best Brand Advocates. They come in all sizes of influence – macro, micro, and nano – and often in the shape of your everyday customers. 



If you’re not yet tapping into them to drive Social Commerce, especially in beauty, you risk falling behind the industry curve. 



Join Paul & Verity LIVE from the Social Commerce Summit: New York 2024, at this dynamic intersection of influencer marketing, commerce, and community. They’re joined by marketing experts, Haley Schluter (Head of Consumer Engagement @ LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics), Hannah Sheahan (Head of Social Content @ ELEMIS), and Bri Kennedy (Director of Integrated Marketing @ Maesa). 



Together, they dive into the insider strategies and obstacles of maintaining an engaged community; and how to compliment this work with creator & Advocate partnerships that increase reach, revenue, and the depth of meaningful relationships. 



Tune in to learn the tactics behind…




Navigating Brand Community & Advocacy Aesthetics: Influencer-founded brands can significantly enhance brand community building; however, it's not essential for every brand to have an influencer founder. Growth can be catapulted, with or without a popular face behind a brand. The real challenge lies in balancing luxury brand aesthetics with embracing Brand Advocacy, particularly when catering to wider markets and demographics than beauty’s heritage brands typically have.




Always-On Influencer & Organic Strategies: Organic and paid efforts should work hand-in-hand to build a credible, trustworthy, and – the word of the last years – authentic brand presence. With metrics like EMV (Earned Media Value) helping to measure overall success and win over reluctant CFOs, the earned freedom here allows the necessary resource to experiment with a wider variety of influencers and content styles; uncovering surprising and successful partnerships.




Test & Learning with Emerging Trends: Continuing this experimentation is crucial to uncover points of community connection. The social platforms have almost unlimited Social Commerce potential, but TikTok is emerging the most powerful; particularly with TikTok Shop’s keen impact on brand sales. Dig into more of the platform’s emerging trends across the US and UK, including lower funnel campaign placements and leveraging Live content to reach more consumers.



Listen. Learn. Nourish your brand's superfans to supercharge your Social Commerce.



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Connect with Haley, Hannah & Bri:


Haley’s LinkedIn


Hannah’s LinkedIn


Bri’s LinkedIn