Building Brand Advocacy

Hosted by Paul Archer and Verity Hurd

Business Marketing

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Episodes

146

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Building Brand Advocacy is a tactical marketing podcast exploring how the world’s most impactful brands grow. Hosted by Paul Archer and Verity Hurd, the show explores the tactics and strategies behind modern brand building. Each episode breaks down how category-defining brands, platform leaders, and industry insiders rewriting the rules of growth and the tactics, strategies, and decisions other brands can apply immediately. This podcast is your marketing playbook.

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60 recent

August 26, 2026Episode 2630 min

Inside e.l.f. Beauty's Top 1% Advocacy Strategy | Building Brand Advocacy

In this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Samantha Critchell, VP of Corporate Communications at e.l.f Beauty, explores how e.l.f built a zero-distance community by blurring the line between employee passion and consumer co-creation. We also unpick how generosity, cultural alignment, and asking consumers what they actually want transforms advocates into brand co-creators, and why straying from your core values is where advocacy collapses. In this episode, we cover: How e.l.f's zero-distance community model blurs boundaries between brand and consumers Why employee passion and internal alignment fuels external advocacy The importance of consumer co-creation & digital community Using purpose, values, and generosity as advocacy currency How to adapt with consumers without sacrificing authenticity Chapters 00:00 Introduction To Samantha 01:20 e.l.f.’s Zero Distance Philosophy 03:34 Hiring For e.l.f Culture 05:24 Values, Cost, Quality, And Speed 07:00 The Significance Of Superfans And Co Creation 10:41 The New Age Of Social Content As Conversation 14:31 The Purpose Led Advocacy Flywheel 18:30 Zero Distance In Practice 24:27 How Generosity Fuels Word Of Mouth 28:07 Unexpected Community Activations 29:22 Cannes Goals And Wrap Up 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. FOLLOW SAMANTHA Samantha Critchell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-melissa-critchell1016/ e.l.f Beauty: https://www.instagram.com/elfcosmeticsuk/ FOLLOW US Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

August 12, 2026Episode 2529 min

Every brand wants advocacy, few are willing to actually build it. Here's how.

In this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Lindsey Gamble, creator economy strategist at IZEA, unpacks the latest creator economy shifts, from B2B vs B2C creator strategy to behavioural psychology, and the value of content creators in the modern industry. We also delve into which brands are winning at advocacy right now, how to turn consumers into advocates, and the impact of showing up in AI-powered search. In this episode, we cover: The creator economy landscape; key trends, creator value, and why popularity is surging B2B vs B2C creator strategy How brands connect with consumers vs creators The state of brand advocacy, who's doing it right, and how to earn it Showing up in AI-powered search Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Cannes Lions 02:38 Top Creator Trends 05:30 B2B vs B2C Creators Explained 11:21 Creator Tiers and Trust 14:14 Everyone Is a Creator 17:12 The Current State of Advocacy 22:18 Earning Brand Love 26:20 How AI Search Will Impact 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. FOLLOW LINDSEY Lindsey Gamble: https://www.instagram.com/lindseygamble_/?hl=en-gb FOLLOW US Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy

July 29, 2026Episode 2351 min

All Brand Marketing Starts With Advocacy | Camilla Craven on AI, Community & Modern Brand Building

In this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Camilla Craven, former Global Brand & Marketing Director at FaceGym and now Fractional CMO & Consultant to multiple beauty brands, unpacks why advocacy is becoming the backbone of modern marketing strategy, from the operational realities of building community to the rise of employee-generated content and AI's growing role. We also dig into why the best marketing leaders aren't just measuring advocacy, they're listening. In this episode, we cover: Advocacy's place in modern marketing and why it's no longer a nice-to-have Community, influencers, and the power of actually listening Tuning out industry noise to focus on what genuinely makes impact Operational struggles, team structures, and the rise of employee-generated content AI's growing role in how brands build and scale advocacy Chapters 00:00 Welcome Back Camilla 02:45 Advocacy Over Performance 10:20 What To Believe When Everyone’s an Expert 16:28 Fractional CMO Patterns 20:10 Tools, Data, and Adoption 21:57 The importance Of Listening First 23:41 Measuring Advocacy Impact 25:30 Influencer Performance Nuance 27:07 Future Generations and The Social Media Ban 28:29 Martha Stewart MAC Campaign 33:39 The Rise In Employee Generated Content (ECG) 39:39 AI Tool Consolidation 43:14 Who Does Advocacy Best? 44:41 TikTok Shop Brand Dilution 49:56 Cringe or Community Game 51:39 Wrap Up 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. FOLLOW CAMILLA Camilla Craven: https://www.instagram.com/camillablyss/ FOLLOW US Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

July 15, 2026Episode 2256 min

Behind LOOKFANTASTIC: Rebuilding a £1B Retail Empire From the Inside

In this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Verity sits down with Georgie Fox, Head of Brand at LOOKFANTASTIC, to dissect what it actually takes to rebuild a brand's foundation from the inside out, and how community became their sharpest growth lever. This episode covers the brand-partnership relationship, why consumer connection has to run deeper than product, and how brands can fill the gap left by traditional media. Georgie shares the internal culture shifts that made it possible, LOOKFANTASTIC’s anti-gatekeeping approach to knowledge, and the "sausage machine" analogy that redefines what good marketing looks like. In this episode, we cover: Rebuilding LOOKFANTASTIC's brand foundation, closing the business-social understanding gap, and why consumer connection must run deeper than product How brands can fill the void left by traditional media and publishing, using community as the gateway through access What good marketing actually looks like and how to measure it effectively using the "sausage machine" analogy Building a fuelled 360 creator and affiliate strategy, from nurturing genuine partnership relationships to scaling the brand x partner model Anti-gatekeeping as strategy, making employee content creation part of the role and earning real buy-in across the business Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 05:47 The Home of Iconic Beauty 09:09 Building Brand Foundations 16:29 Proving Brand Impact 21:45 Anti Gatekeeping Strategy 27:30 Creators and LOOKFANTASTIC’s Aspiration Balance 29:43 Influencer Strategy Origins 31:31 From Funnel To Flywheel 37:29 Reddit And Authenticity 41:12 Molly Mae’s Evolution 42:51 Ambassadors Within The Community 53:04 The Future Of Brand Marketing 54:58 Cringe Or Community Quickfire 56:01 Wrap Up 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. FOLLOW LOOKFANTASTIC LOOKFANTASTIC: https://www.instagram.com/lookfantastic/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lookfantastic?lang=en FOLLOW US Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

July 1, 2026Episode 2155 min

The 5- Step Framework to Fast & Slow Social Strategy: Beth & Michael from Slice Social

In this week's episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Beth & Michael, founders of Slice social media agency, break down their 5-Step Social Strategy: Discovery, Storytelling, Challenge, Problem-Tension-Goal, and Solution. Plus, why the "Fast & Slow" approach to social is the framework that separates brands that win from brands that just post. This is an episode designed to give you direction in social media, to integrate a purpose into your posting and work strategically to reach your end objective. In this episode, we cover: 00:00 Introduction 05:15 The 5-Step Social Media Strategy 06:45 Step 1: Discovery 20:06 Step 2: Storytelling through strategy 29:24 Step 3: The Challenge 33:39 Step 4: Problem, Tension, Goal 34:50 Step 5: Solution 44:17 The Fast & Slow Approach To Social 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. CONNECT WITH BETH & MICHAEL Beth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betheleanorthomas/ Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrichardcorcoran/ Slice Social: https://www.slice-social.com/ FOLLOW US Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy Paul: TikTok: ⁠www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy⁠ Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

June 22, 2026Episode 2045 min

Cannes Lions CMO on Community, Advocacy & What Actually Moves Revenue

In this weeks episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we invite the CMO of Cannes Lions to join us ahead of the festival to unpack what's actually shifting in advocacy, creator marketing, and how the Lions are judged in 2026. plus hard strategies for measuring community, elevating marketing in the boardroom, and driving real ROI. In this episode, we cover: What to expect from Cannes Lions in 2026 What’s changing in advocacy & creator marketing The Lion judgement process at Cannes Opportunities for CMOs to elevate marketing in boardrooms How to effectively measure community The next generation of CEO & CMO’s Building community through credibility Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:36 How Cannes Lions Has Evolved 05:20 CMO Pressure and Priorities 09:05 How Cannes Lions Judging Works 15:12 Proof Creativity Drives Growth 18:31 Merging Brand and Performance 22:14 Boardroom Alignment and Metrics 29:31 How to Measure Community Impact 34:19 The CMO of 2030 39:25 You Cannot Buy Attention 42:28 AI and Creative Possibility 45:01 Cannes Week Wrap Up 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. CONNECT WITH ILARIA LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ilariapasquinelli FOLLOW US Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy Paul: TikTok: ⁠www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy⁠ Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

June 10, 2026Episode 1918 min

Is The Creator Economy Broken? ft. Manuel Albuquerque

In this live episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Verity sits down with Manuel Albuquerque, founder & CEO of Prime Tag, to unpack the AI revolution reshaping the creator economy from the inside out. From the real pressures facing time-poor marketing teams to the problems AI is actually solving (and the myths it's not), Manuel brings the entrepreneur's perspective that brand builders need right now. In this episode, we cover: Manuel’s journey to entrepreneurship in the influencer space The time poor pressures of marketing teams How AI is influencing the creator economy The problem that AI is solving for marketing teams Busting AI myths around the creator economy If you're navigating influencer strategy in an AI-first world, this one is essential listening. CHAPTERS 00:00 People And Data First 01:18 Creator Economy Boom 01:59 From Basketball To Tech Startup 04:08 The Influencer Stigma Debate 05:24 Current Status: Bad Data And No Time 06:38 AI Mindset Myth 09:02 Augmented Intelligence Not Artificial Intelligence 10:42 Myth Busting Rapid Fire 12:17 How AI Is Changing Business Models 15:29 Finding Effective Creator X Brand Matches 16:45 Brand Advocacy Advice 🔔 Subscribe to Building Brand Advocacy for weekly conversations with the people reshaping how brands grow. CONNECT WITH MANUEL LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuelvicalbuquerque/ PrimeTag: https://www.primetag.com/ FOLLOW US Verity: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/ Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy

May 27, 2026Episode 1839 min

How Grace Andrews Builds A Content Strategy In 5 Steps

We’re back with another mastermind episode. This week, Grace Andrews takes us through her 5 step framework for building a high performance content engine, from identifying content signals (before selecting platforms) to measuring success metrics that are relevant to you and your brand. In this episode, we cover: 07:05 Step 1: Identifying Content Signals 11:47 Step 2: Approach To Content Formats 26:31 Step 3: The Platform Specific Strategy 28:43 Step 4: Where Creators Fit Into Your Content Strategy 32:56 Step 5: How To Measure For Success 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. CONNECT WITH GRACE Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/graceandrewsss/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@graceandrewsss⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@graceandrews7⁠ FOLLOW US Subscribe: ⁠www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy⁠ TikTok: ⁠www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy⁠ Paul: TikTok: ⁠⁠www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy⁠⁠ Verity: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

May 13, 2026Episode 1749 min

Building TRIP: How a Challenger Brand Conquered the Wellness Drinks Market

In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, I sit down with Alice Ratcliffe, Head of Brand at TRIP — the wellness drinks brand rewriting the rules of brand positioning in one of the most crowded categories on the market. Alice pulls back the curtain on how TRIP went from scrappy challenger to a brand that commands culture, loyalty, and shelf space — and what it's really taken to scale that story into the US. In this episode, we cover: How to stand out in a saturated wellness & drinks market TRIP's influencer strategy and why it's built differently to most other brands Integrating celebrities into your brand without losing authenticity The real strategy for brand building in the US Why employee advocacy is one of the most underrated tools in a marketer's arsenal How to integrate AI for effective brand building in 2026 The honest challenges of being the underdog and how to turn them into an advantage CHAPTERS 00:00 The Polished Brand Problem 02:03 Finding Branded White Space 06:00 Regulation Into Advantage 07:36 Always On Brand Building 10:17 How To Earn Consumer Trust 16:06 Creators Influencers Celebs 23:25 US Expansion Playbook 26:30 Approaching Employee Advocacy 28:39 Scaling Without Gatekeeping 29:51 Email List vs Community 31:15 AI Vs IRL 33:36 Hosting Inclusive Brand Events 35:50 Winning on TikTok Shop 39:52 Global Growth and Accounts 44:26 Powerful Founder Partnerships 🔔 Subscribe to Building Brand Advocacy for weekly conversations with the people reshaping how brands grow. CONNECT WITH TRIP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trip.drinks/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@trip.drinks FOLLOW US Verity: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/ Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy

April 29, 2026Episode 1631 min

Is your brand engineered for advocacy? | The Advocacy Maturity Model

In this mastermind episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we break down the Advocacy Maturity Model, a strategic framework for diagnosing exactly where your brand sits on the advocacy spectrum and the precise steps to move from passive mentions to a fully activated community-led growth engine. Think of it as your strategic advocacy playbook, the kind of session your brand team needs to align on advocacy as a core brand lever rather than a marketing afterthought. Inside this episode: The 5 stages of brand advocacy maturity and how to identify which stage you're at right now Why most brands plateau at stage 2 and never break through to genuine brand love The structural shifts your team needs to make at each stage of the model How to turn community-led growth into a measurable brand asset The metrics that actually matter when tracking advocacy momentum If you’re a marketing leader trying to restructure your team's advocacy strategy, this episode gives you the framework to stop guessing and start growing with intention. 🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss an episode. FOLLOW US Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

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