Social Minds

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  

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 socialminds@socialchain.com  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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  

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 socialminds@socialchain.com. 

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  

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. 

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. 

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  Got a question or suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at socialminds@socialchain.com.

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 socialminds@socialchain.com. 

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 socialminds@socialchain.com 

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 socialminds@socialchain.com.  

Platforms change, trends come and go. Brand fundamentals must remain. That’s the opinion of this week’s guest, Kathryn Swallow - 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 socialminds@socialchain.com