Wall of love for Brainlabs Digital
Tom H.
Performance Agency Executive, Growth Consultant, Guest Lecturer
If you're looking for a new opportunity or have been impacted by layoffs, here's a great resource shared by Daniel Paulino!
If you're looking for a new opportunity or have been impacted by layoffs, here's a great resource shared by Daniel Paulino!
Simon Prior
Chief People Officer - helping organisations and people focus for maximum impact
The opportunities to become a Brainlabber continue.....
Join the team in Buenos Aires as our Global Mobility Manager!
lnkd.in/eDB5E6-n
The opportunities to become a Brainlabber continue.....
Join the team in Buenos Aires as our Global Mobility Manager!
lnkd.in/eDB5E6-n
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Our bee tendencies to collaborate for the group's greater good are important but we should also look beyond the Les Binet, Peter Field and Byron Sharp version of the 'waggle dance' to foster a sense of independence and innovation when it comes to forging media strategies.
Brainlabs
Our bee tendencies to collaborate for the group's greater good are important but we should also look beyond the Les Binet, Peter Field and Byron Sharp version of the 'waggle dance' to foster a sense of independence and innovation when it comes to forging media strategies.
Brainlabs
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
Too many brands are leaving revenue on the table by failing to integrate their media and marketing efforts effectively 😬😬😬
That’s the key takeaway from WARC’s latest report. This morning, I was thrilled to open Campaign UK and see Brainlabs' very own Global Chief Strategy Officer (and marketing guru) Sue Unerman sharing what this really means for brands...
🏆 You have to be unified. Just like in sports, individual talent alone won’t win the tournament, you need cohesion to unlock the best impact.
🚀 Silos are artificial, but are you ready to break them down? Paid, SEO, retail media, influencer marketing; they all inform each other, yet too often, brands keep them separate, blocking success.
📈 Integration is evolving, fast! We’re in a third wave where profitable growth is prioritized over agency dominance, redefining success and creating space to break down barriers.
Want to hear Sue’s take? Check out the link below. 👇
#marketingstrategy
#influencermarketing
#brandgrowth
Too many brands are leaving revenue on the table by failing to integrate their media and marketing efforts effectively 😬😬😬
That’s the key takeaway from WARC’s latest report. This morning, I was thrilled to open Campaign UK and see Brainlabs' very own Global Chief Strategy Officer (and marketing guru) Sue Unerman sharing what this really means for brands...
🏆 You have to be unified. Just like in sports, individual talent alone won’t win the tournament, you need cohesion to unlock the best impact.
🚀 Silos are artificial, but are you ready to break them down? Paid, SEO, retail media, influencer marketing; they all inform each other, yet too often, brands keep them separate, blocking success.
📈 Integration is evolving, fast! We’re in a third wave where profitable growth is prioritized over agency dominance, redefining success and creating space to break down barriers.
Want to hear Sue’s take? Check out the link below. 👇
#marketingstrategy
#influencermarketing
#brandgrowth
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
There is a tug of war in Influencer marketing's future
🤖 Artificial VS Authentic 😍
The evolution of AI will impact influencer marketing, but how far should we be taking this as marketers, and what does it mean for the future?
This is the big question Brainlabs very own Global VP of Influencer Tom Sweeney & Chief Data Officer Will Akhurst look to answer in our newest report.
Together they unpack some of the biggest changes, challenges and opportunities in this evolving landscape, from:
✨ How AI and human ingenuity can work together
📊 The evolution of influencer marketing metrics
🚀 A glimpse into the future with AI-powered tools
To discover how you can blend data-driven insights with authentic storytelling to drive results download the full report 👇👇👇
lnkd.in/eSchx75m
#InfluencerMarketing
#AI
#DigitalStrategy
#Creativity
There is a tug of war in Influencer marketing's future
🤖 Artificial VS Authentic 😍
The evolution of AI will impact influencer marketing, but how far should we be taking this as marketers, and what does it mean for the future?
This is the big question Brainlabs very own Global VP of Influencer Tom Sweeney & Chief Data Officer Will Akhurst look to answer in our newest report.
Together they unpack some of the biggest changes, challenges and opportunities in this evolving landscape, from:
✨ How AI and human ingenuity can work together
📊 The evolution of influencer marketing metrics
🚀 A glimpse into the future with AI-powered tools
To discover how you can blend data-driven insights with authentic storytelling to drive results download the full report 👇👇👇
lnkd.in/eSchx75m
#InfluencerMarketing
#AI
#DigitalStrategy
#Creativity
Heather Green
Managing Director & NAMER Practice Lead, Influencer Marketing at Brainlabs
Looking forward to seeing many of you at Creator Economy Live next week.
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
Thank you GIFTA for my Christmas Competition Gift!
Beautifully packaged and wish I could do a grand unboxing - unfortunately while Influencer Marketing is a skill of mine, content creation is not...
Looking forward to seeing what the year has ahead for the team!
Thank you GIFTA for my Christmas Competition Gift!
Beautifully packaged and wish I could do a grand unboxing - unfortunately while Influencer Marketing is a skill of mine, content creation is not...
Looking forward to seeing what the year has ahead for the team!
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
🚨 FREE Alert! 🚨
Want a FREE ticket to brightonSEO and Hero Conf San Diego 2025? 🎉
Submit your details by 1/17 12 PM PT for your chance to win!
Having spoken at both of these top-tier conferences, I can confidently say they’re a 10/10 must-attend for staying ahead of the curve. 🚀
🔗 Don’t miss out – enter now (link in comments)!
🚨 FREE Alert! 🚨
Want a FREE ticket to brightonSEO and Hero Conf San Diego 2025? 🎉
Submit your details by 1/17 12 PM PT for your chance to win!
Having spoken at both of these top-tier conferences, I can confidently say they’re a 10/10 must-attend for staying ahead of the curve. 🚀
🔗 Don’t miss out – enter now (link in comments)!
Heather Green
Managing Director & NAMER Practice Lead, Influencer Marketing at Brainlabs
It's almost time for one of the biggest marketing moments of the year: Creator Economy Live in Las Vegas. It's been almost exactly eight years since I led social and content marketing at Caesars Entertainment, so I'm looking forward to the surreal experience of returning to Caesars Palace after all these years.
Many have reached out to connect at the show, and I'm excited to see you! I'm leading a roundtable on the Showfloor based on evergreen vs. seasonal creator content. I'd love to say hello to as many new friends as possible.
See you soon!
It's almost time for one of the biggest marketing moments of the year: Creator Economy Live in Las Vegas. It's been almost exactly eight years since I led social and content marketing at Caesars Entertainment, so I'm looking forward to the surreal experience of returning to Caesars Palace after all these years.
Many have reached out to connect at the show, and I'm excited to see you! I'm leading a roundtable on the Showfloor based on evergreen vs. seasonal creator content. I'd love to say hello to as many new friends as possible.
See you soon!
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
Ever thought about seeing what it's really like to put your hand to Influencing? 🤔 Brainlabs very own Hayati Alaluf has, and he's shared his experience of his learnings since tapping into the growing space of Gardening on social 🌷🏵️ 🌵
Check it out for yourself below!
Ever thought about seeing what it's really like to put your hand to Influencing? 🤔 Brainlabs very own Hayati Alaluf has, and he's shared his experience of his learnings since tapping into the growing space of Gardening on social 🌷🏵️ 🌵
Check it out for yourself below!
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Inevitable question for January: 2025 will be the year of....
Do you agree? What do you think?
Thanks The Media Leader UK Jack Benjamin for including my pov. Brainlabs
Inevitable question for January: 2025 will be the year of....
Do you agree? What do you think?
Thanks The Media Leader UK Jack Benjamin for including my pov. Brainlabs
Alice Browne
Global Organisational Design Lead @ Brainlabs | Culture, Change Management and Global Programme
It's official, Brainlabs are hiring in Australia!! Get applying and move down under
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Don’t put all the eggs in one basket. If you only follow yesterday’s rules of marketing you risk under delivering potential growth and face being outsmarted by the competition.
Read more about having an alternative route to growth in my recent post on LinkedIn lnkd.in/eMuMWCuB
Don’t put all the eggs in one basket. If you only follow yesterday’s rules of marketing you risk under delivering potential growth and face being outsmarted by the competition.
Read more about having an alternative route to growth in my recent post on LinkedIn lnkd.in/eMuMWCuB
Daniel Paget
Digital Marketing C-Suite Leader | Driving Global Transformation in Operations | Ex Jellyfish
🚀 Living and breathing high performance 🙌🏼
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
⁉️Have you heard of REDnote ⁉️ If not, it's time to get familiar.
REDnote has just become the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store in the US...
The TikTok ban in the US is dominating headlines. While there’s still debate about whether the ban will happen or what it might entail, a new platform is stepping into the spotlight: REDnote 📱
With 300 million monthly users, REDnote’s user experience feels like a hybrid of TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest — whether its the experience or just that it's allowed, many US TikTok users are flocking to the app
📈 These self-proclaimed "TikTok Refugees" have seen 'TikTokRefugee'reach 227K posts in a matter of days, with creators determined to keep building their communities and sharing their content 📈
Interestingly, the existing REDnote community is welcoming this influx of new users with open arms 👋 Many have expressed their surprise at the sudden rise of American creators and English-speaking content on the platform
So, what’s next? Will REDnote become the next big social platform in the West? Could it face the same scrutiny as TikTok in the US? Or will this mass migration by the TikTok community make banning the platform even more challenging?
I don’t have the answers — but it’s certainly a space worth watching & potentially having on your radar for 2025 👀👀👀
#rednote
#tiktokban
#influencermarketing
#socialmedia
⁉️Have you heard of REDnote ⁉️ If not, it's time to get familiar.
REDnote has just become the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store in the US...
The TikTok ban in the US is dominating headlines. While there’s still debate about whether the ban will happen or what it might entail, a new platform is stepping into the spotlight: REDnote 📱
With 300 million monthly users, REDnote’s user experience feels like a hybrid of TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest — whether its the experience or just that it's allowed, many US TikTok users are flocking to the app
📈 These self-proclaimed "TikTok Refugees" have seen 'TikTokRefugee'reach 227K posts in a matter of days, with creators determined to keep building their communities and sharing their content 📈
Interestingly, the existing REDnote community is welcoming this influx of new users with open arms 👋 Many have expressed their surprise at the sudden rise of American creators and English-speaking content on the platform
So, what’s next? Will REDnote become the next big social platform in the West? Could it face the same scrutiny as TikTok in the US? Or will this mass migration by the TikTok community make banning the platform even more challenging?
I don’t have the answers — but it’s certainly a space worth watching & potentially having on your radar for 2025 👀👀👀
#rednote
#tiktokban
#influencermarketing
#socialmedia
AS
Atul Sharma
Head of Data @ Brainlabs
DeepSeek Just Changed the AI Game—And Silicon Valley Didn’t See It Coming
I’ve been closely watching AI innovation, and what DeepSeek just did is nothing short of a paradigm shift. A $6M Chinese AI startup just built a reasoning AI model that rivals OpenAI’s best—at 1/1000th of the cost.
For context:
💰 GPT-4’s training cost: $600M+
💰 DeepSeek R1: $6M total
Not only is DeepSeek R1 open source, but it’s also significantly cheaper to run:
⚡ OpenAI: $100+ per million tokens
⚡ DeepSeek: < $4 per million tokens
This isn’t just about cost—it’s about efficiency, accessibility, and global AI leadership shifting at lightning speed. If we don’t need massive GPU farms or even enormous power consumption to build cutting-edge models, what does that mean for the AI industry?
Think about the implications:
✅ 27x cheaper than OpenAI’s models
✅ Open source with a permissive license
✅ Transparent reasoning steps—unlike black-box models
This isn’t just competition—it’s a Sputnik moment for AI. Investors are taking notice, and tech giants are scrambling to respond. The AI landscape is shifting faster than anyone predicted, and the Silicon Valley AI advantage? It’s evaporating.
The real question now is: What happens next?
.
#AI
#DeepSeek
#ArtificialIntelligence
#TechDisruption
#OpenSourceAI
#Data
DeepSeek Just Changed the AI Game—And Silicon Valley Didn’t See It Coming
I’ve been closely watching AI innovation, and what DeepSeek just did is nothing short of a paradigm shift. A $6M Chinese AI startup just built a reasoning AI model that rivals OpenAI’s best—at 1/1000th of the cost.
For context:
💰 GPT-4’s training cost: $600M+
💰 DeepSeek R1: $6M total
Not only is DeepSeek R1 open source, but it’s also significantly cheaper to run:
⚡ OpenAI: $100+ per million tokens
⚡ DeepSeek: < $4 per million tokens
This isn’t just about cost—it’s about efficiency, accessibility, and global AI leadership shifting at lightning speed. If we don’t need massive GPU farms or even enormous power consumption to build cutting-edge models, what does that mean for the AI industry?
Think about the implications:
✅ 27x cheaper than OpenAI’s models
✅ Open source with a permissive license
✅ Transparent reasoning steps—unlike black-box models
This isn’t just competition—it’s a Sputnik moment for AI. Investors are taking notice, and tech giants are scrambling to respond. The AI landscape is shifting faster than anyone predicted, and the Silicon Valley AI advantage? It’s evaporating.
The real question now is: What happens next?
.
#AI
#DeepSeek
#ArtificialIntelligence
#TechDisruption
#OpenSourceAI
#Data
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
My blog site has had a makeover thanks to Louis Georgiou
What do you think?
I think its cleaner, and more strategy-ish!
Take a look and let me know?
sueunerman.com
My blog site has had a makeover thanks to Louis Georgiou
What do you think?
I think its cleaner, and more strategy-ish!
Take a look and let me know?
sueunerman.com
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Financial Times published a report in 2023 about mattering at work - the motivating belief that you are important to others in the workplace. As the journalist Jemima Kelly said: "the way to make someone feel that they are valued is, actually, to value them". But as we say in our book A year of creativity (link in comments) mattering at work does go beyond feeling valued by co-workers or a boss. It is about whether you know that what you do matters to the overall purpose of the organisation. High performing teams know exactly this. Brainlabs
Financial Times published a report in 2023 about mattering at work - the motivating belief that you are important to others in the workplace. As the journalist Jemima Kelly said: "the way to make someone feel that they are valued is, actually, to value them". But as we say in our book A year of creativity (link in comments) mattering at work does go beyond feeling valued by co-workers or a boss. It is about whether you know that what you do matters to the overall purpose of the organisation. High performing teams know exactly this. Brainlabs
Ben Vincent
Global Chief Technology Officer
Thanks for the article Seb Joseph
AS
Atul Sharma
Head of Data @ Brainlabs
I’ve been watching Time Traveler POV on TikTok, and it’s a fascinating example of how AI is shaping content creation.
Each video starts with “POV: you wake up in X era” and then unfolds a 60-second AI-generated story. The visuals are unmistakably AI—sometimes rough around the edges—but the storytelling is engaging enough to keep people hooked. What’s interesting is that the account openly embraces AI rather than hiding it.
Since launching in late January, it has already racked up over 50M views. It’s sparked remixes, inspired copycat accounts, and—smartly—it’s being used to sell a short course on creating AI content through a Beacon link.
It makes me wonder: how long until a brand fully commits to an AI-driven TikTok strategy like this?
I haven’t seen it happen yet, but it feels inevitable. Maybe an AI-generated episodic series with a brand seamlessly woven into the narrative? It’s only a matter of time.
Heather Green Jonathan Molina Brainlabs Jeremy Hull
I’ve been watching Time Traveler POV on TikTok, and it’s a fascinating example of how AI is shaping content creation.
Each video starts with “POV: you wake up in X era” and then unfolds a 60-second AI-generated story. The visuals are unmistakably AI—sometimes rough around the edges—but the storytelling is engaging enough to keep people hooked. What’s interesting is that the account openly embraces AI rather than hiding it.
Since launching in late January, it has already racked up over 50M views. It’s sparked remixes, inspired copycat accounts, and—smartly—it’s being used to sell a short course on creating AI content through a Beacon link.
It makes me wonder: how long until a brand fully commits to an AI-driven TikTok strategy like this?
I haven’t seen it happen yet, but it feels inevitable. Maybe an AI-generated episodic series with a brand seamlessly woven into the narrative? It’s only a matter of time.
Heather Green Jonathan Molina Brainlabs Jeremy Hull
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
A 2024 survey found 91% respondents believe creative thinking is crucial in business, yet only 1 in 4 people feel that they are living up to their creative potential.
You can change that by actively working in a creative way. Here's our Harvard Business Review article with 8 strategies for boosting creativity, innovation and inspiration at work lnkd.in/e2pJnqmu
There's more detail in our book published late last year by Bloomsbury Business lnkd.in/e8ZMKvJm
A 2024 survey found 91% respondents believe creative thinking is crucial in business, yet only 1 in 4 people feel that they are living up to their creative potential.
You can change that by actively working in a creative way. Here's our Harvard Business Review article with 8 strategies for boosting creativity, innovation and inspiration at work lnkd.in/e2pJnqmu
There's more detail in our book published late last year by Bloomsbury Business lnkd.in/e8ZMKvJm
Sophie Newton
Chief of Staff @ Brainlabs
Welcome to Brainlabs, Andrew Littlewood FCIM 💪👨🔬🧪🚀
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Lovely point of view from Elsa Wiles in Campaign UK
I have a bit of a different answer, in that what you do in an agency (whatever the department or team) has to ladder up to the overall goal of helping to achieve our clients' objectives. Link in comments to my blog "So what do you REALLY do?" from 2023
Lovely point of view from Elsa Wiles in Campaign UK
I have a bit of a different answer, in that what you do in an agency (whatever the department or team) has to ladder up to the overall goal of helping to achieve our clients' objectives. Link in comments to my blog "So what do you REALLY do?" from 2023
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
Influencers aren't just dominating social media... they’re taking over our screens in a whole new way! 📺 From MrBeast’s Amazon Prime show to influencer-led reality TV, creators are reshaping entertainment & pulling in massive audiences....
Brainlabs Associate Director of Influencer, Dan Jerome, has shared his insights into this changing landscape. Exploring how brands are catching on quick! From big-budget sponsorships to influencer-driven content.
He also explores what this could mean for brands and marketers looking to get in on this change - and be ahead of the curve 🔥🔥🔥
It's all broken down in the article below 🥸 Happy reading!
#influencermarketing
#socialmedia
#streaming
#marketing
#influenceragency
Influencers aren't just dominating social media... they’re taking over our screens in a whole new way! 📺 From MrBeast’s Amazon Prime show to influencer-led reality TV, creators are reshaping entertainment & pulling in massive audiences....
Brainlabs Associate Director of Influencer, Dan Jerome, has shared his insights into this changing landscape. Exploring how brands are catching on quick! From big-budget sponsorships to influencer-driven content.
He also explores what this could mean for brands and marketers looking to get in on this change - and be ahead of the curve 🔥🔥🔥
It's all broken down in the article below 🥸 Happy reading!
#influencermarketing
#socialmedia
#streaming
#marketing
#influenceragency
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
We all know Amazon has created a powerful moat in e-commerce through its review system, fast shipping, robust logistics, and customer-first approach...but they've done something even bigger.
Amazon has changed consumer search behavior. And while Google has tried to adapt its results to attract shoppers, it hasn’t been enough to stop the wave of people who start their shopping journey on Amazon.
Amazon has become *the* online shopping destination—from start to finish.
Here are ways retail brands can continue to play smart in today’s world:
1. You need a reason for customers to come to your website (VIP exclusive offers, unique products, exceptional experiences, etc.).
2. You need a robust, holistic retail media strategy that spans across Amazon, other retailers (like Walmart), and your website. Each platform plays an important role and attracts different audience demographics, but each requires its own tailored approach.
3. Your website strategy shouldn't just focus on transactional searches—chances are, people aren’t even searching for those on Google. Focus on capturing people earlier or later in their journey to create a memorable brand experience elsewhere in their path.
4. I know some brands won’t like this...but Amazon must be part of your strategy. You're missing out on a huge chunk of your audience if you're not on Amazon.
5. Your product feed is 10X more powerful than most realize—it fuels your organic search presence, shopping ads, and social media ads. Nothing frustrates a user more than clicking on a product they want, only to find it’s sold out or unavailable in their desired color. Optimize your product feeds to create a great experience!
6. AI search engines are cracking the code with product comparisons. While Amazon is quickly adding its own AI features, AI search engines might have an early edge. This is worth tracking and testing for your retail brand as it could evolve quickly.
Anything else you'd add?
---
Full article in the comments. 👇
We all know Amazon has created a powerful moat in e-commerce through its review system, fast shipping, robust logistics, and customer-first approach...but they've done something even bigger.
Amazon has changed consumer search behavior. And while Google has tried to adapt its results to attract shoppers, it hasn’t been enough to stop the wave of people who start their shopping journey on Amazon.
Amazon has become *the* online shopping destination—from start to finish.
Here are ways retail brands can continue to play smart in today’s world:
1. You need a reason for customers to come to your website (VIP exclusive offers, unique products, exceptional experiences, etc.).
2. You need a robust, holistic retail media strategy that spans across Amazon, other retailers (like Walmart), and your website. Each platform plays an important role and attracts different audience demographics, but each requires its own tailored approach.
3. Your website strategy shouldn't just focus on transactional searches—chances are, people aren’t even searching for those on Google. Focus on capturing people earlier or later in their journey to create a memorable brand experience elsewhere in their path.
4. I know some brands won’t like this...but Amazon must be part of your strategy. You're missing out on a huge chunk of your audience if you're not on Amazon.
5. Your product feed is 10X more powerful than most realize—it fuels your organic search presence, shopping ads, and social media ads. Nothing frustrates a user more than clicking on a product they want, only to find it’s sold out or unavailable in their desired color. Optimize your product feeds to create a great experience!
6. AI search engines are cracking the code with product comparisons. While Amazon is quickly adding its own AI features, AI search engines might have an early edge. This is worth tracking and testing for your retail brand as it could evolve quickly.
Anything else you'd add?
---
Full article in the comments. 👇
Agnieszka Kosik
CEO at Brainlabs in Poland
Fajnie budować na Polskę i CEE agencje digital, która cały czas się rozwija i rośnie!
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
I'm keen to hear peoples thoughts on Up In Flames & Poser London 'pop up' this weekend in Soho...
And yes. We're using 'pop up' very carefully here.
Despite apparently having been planned a month in advance, across social there were socking scenes of fans taking over the streets of Soho to be crushed and swarmed as the brands threw free merch out the back of a white van. Police had to intervene which then led to the arrest of a 16 year old.
Maybe this is what the brand wanted? (All publicity is good publicity right?)
To me, it shows a lack of planning, thinking and frankly respect for how to do something positive with your platform. Maybe it was strategic and this is who the brand want to be - anti-establishment, disruptive.
Either way, the incident raises questions about the intended impact of these events, and the accountability of brands.
To me, if a brand has such a dedicated following, why not channel the hype into something constructive? Giving back to the community can enhance brand reputation and reach a broader, positive audience.
What do you think about this situation? Were you taken aback by the events?
#SohoEvent
#BrandImage
#CommunityImpact
I'm keen to hear peoples thoughts on Up In Flames & Poser London 'pop up' this weekend in Soho...
And yes. We're using 'pop up' very carefully here.
Despite apparently having been planned a month in advance, across social there were socking scenes of fans taking over the streets of Soho to be crushed and swarmed as the brands threw free merch out the back of a white van. Police had to intervene which then led to the arrest of a 16 year old.
Maybe this is what the brand wanted? (All publicity is good publicity right?)
To me, it shows a lack of planning, thinking and frankly respect for how to do something positive with your platform. Maybe it was strategic and this is who the brand want to be - anti-establishment, disruptive.
Either way, the incident raises questions about the intended impact of these events, and the accountability of brands.
To me, if a brand has such a dedicated following, why not channel the hype into something constructive? Giving back to the community can enhance brand reputation and reach a broader, positive audience.
What do you think about this situation? Were you taken aback by the events?
#SohoEvent
#BrandImage
#CommunityImpact
Simon Prior
Chief People Officer - helping organisations and people focus for maximum impact
Come join our growing team in Argentina.
If you're a talented HR Business Partner looking for a role that will see you contribute to the growth of our campus in Buenos Aires then we'd love to hear from you.
To my friends in Argentina, LATAM and beyond please share with your networks.
lnkd.in/e8nMgCyt
Come join our growing team in Argentina.
If you're a talented HR Business Partner looking for a role that will see you contribute to the growth of our campus in Buenos Aires then we'd love to hear from you.
To my friends in Argentina, LATAM and beyond please share with your networks.
lnkd.in/e8nMgCyt
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Start 2025 creatively. Thanks Harvard Business Review Alison Beard Bloomsbury Business Hubert Adjei-Kontoh Ian Hallsworth Clare Grist Taylor Here's our point of view, with Kathryn Jacob OBE, on winning in business by being creative. lnkd.in/eFeQdCkY
Brainlabs
Start 2025 creatively. Thanks Harvard Business Review Alison Beard Bloomsbury Business Hubert Adjei-Kontoh Ian Hallsworth Clare Grist Taylor Here's our point of view, with Kathryn Jacob OBE, on winning in business by being creative. lnkd.in/eFeQdCkY
Brainlabs
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
How SEOs flirt 🤓
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
🎙️ New Podcast Episode Alert! 🚀
In the latest episode of Majestic (Majestic.com)'s
#SEOin2025 Podcast, I join David Bain and share advice for driving SEO success in 2025. 🔍
Key takeaways:
🛤️ The importance of understanding where your consumer is across their entire search journey (even beyond Google!)
📈 How to leverage SEO strategy—including brand tactics—to drum up demand for your target audience
🌐 Expanding your scope beyond Google, to include brand performance, discovery, and social media
🤖 The power of audience research and data layering across platforms, including AI and transactional search engines like Amazon
Don't miss out on these valuable insights! 🎧
🔗 You can read/watch/listen to the full interview here: maj.to/3VHJHL5
🎙️ New Podcast Episode Alert! 🚀
In the latest episode of Majestic (Majestic.com)'s
#SEOin2025 Podcast, I join David Bain and share advice for driving SEO success in 2025. 🔍
Key takeaways:
🛤️ The importance of understanding where your consumer is across their entire search journey (even beyond Google!)
📈 How to leverage SEO strategy—including brand tactics—to drum up demand for your target audience
🌐 Expanding your scope beyond Google, to include brand performance, discovery, and social media
🤖 The power of audience research and data layering across platforms, including AI and transactional search engines like Amazon
Don't miss out on these valuable insights! 🎧
🔗 You can read/watch/listen to the full interview here: maj.to/3VHJHL5
Jonathan Molina
Digital Marketing Industry Cynic | Paid Social Expert | Media Theory Fanatic
🎵Ghostwriting aside, misinformation aside
Let's have a heart to heart about your pride🎵
Another chapter in The Story of Elon - politics aside (which of course is too nuanced of a subject for a simple Linkedin post), what's the value of community notes if all it takes is dissenting momentum to fundamentally change its value and potential in preserving brand safety and in turn advertiser confidence?
Of course, it'll be a matter of time where client confidence will have to be handled by those who can guarantee it. Bespoke agency blocklists, partnerships with vendors such as Zefr and Doubleverify will rise in importance alongside a continued reasssesment of platforms and placements in respect to ROI.
(Note: If anybody gets the reference, I'll repost your next post for free)
🎵Ghostwriting aside, misinformation aside
Let's have a heart to heart about your pride🎵
Another chapter in The Story of Elon - politics aside (which of course is too nuanced of a subject for a simple Linkedin post), what's the value of community notes if all it takes is dissenting momentum to fundamentally change its value and potential in preserving brand safety and in turn advertiser confidence?
Of course, it'll be a matter of time where client confidence will have to be handled by those who can guarantee it. Bespoke agency blocklists, partnerships with vendors such as Zefr and Doubleverify will rise in importance alongside a continued reasssesment of platforms and placements in respect to ROI.
(Note: If anybody gets the reference, I'll repost your next post for free)
Divya Gururaj
Global Chief Client Officer
Getting started on another high-performance year with my high-performance Brainlabs team & our super amazing clients!
Getting started on another high-performance year with my high-performance Brainlabs team & our super amazing clients!
Ben Vincent
Global Chief Technology Officer
Core or Context
One of the challenges of heading up an engineering team is strategically allocating your resources to maintain your competitive edge. A key aspect of this is distinguishing between 'Core' and 'Context' activities.
In ‘Dealing with Darwin’, Geoffrey Moore introduced the Core and Context model as a way of focusing scarce resources on maintaining a competitive advantage; companies can categorise their processes into two main groups.
'Core' activities are the unique technical capabilities and knowledge that differentiate us in the market and deliver maximum value to our customers. These are the essential processes and activities that directly contribute to creating and delivering our unique products or services.
'Context' activities, while still important, are the supporting infrastructure and general business functions that enable our core activities. These elements are necessary for smooth business operation but don't directly contribute to creating our unique value proposition.
This concept is applicable to all business areas, but I find it especially useful in keeping software development teams focused. I've frequently been asked to develop products that are already available on the market. The rationale given is that purchasing a third-party product is costly and we can create it internally for much less. While this may be true at the outset, the end result is often an inferior product compared to the third-party offering with negligible cost saving, as they have the resources and focus to specialise in that specific product.
The Core/Context model helps businesses prioritise what truly matters to their customers. For example, customers are more likely to value a new feature or product that directly benefits them, rather than be impressed by an internal CRM system similar but inferior to products readily available on the market.
However, simply categorising work into these two areas isn't enough. A more strategic approach involves considering available external solutions, specific business needs and the cost-benefit analysis of different options.
The decision of whether to build capabilities in-house or leverage external expertise is crucial. It requires careful evaluation of your core strengths, available resources and the potential risks and benefits of each option. By focusing on core activities and strategically using external expertise for context activities, we can optimise our resource allocation and achieve greater overall efficiency.
#SoftwareDevelopment
#CTO
#Brainlabs
#geoffreyamoore
Core or Context
One of the challenges of heading up an engineering team is strategically allocating your resources to maintain your competitive edge. A key aspect of this is distinguishing between 'Core' and 'Context' activities.
In ‘Dealing with Darwin’, Geoffrey Moore introduced the Core and Context model as a way of focusing scarce resources on maintaining a competitive advantage; companies can categorise their processes into two main groups.
'Core' activities are the unique technical capabilities and knowledge that differentiate us in the market and deliver maximum value to our customers. These are the essential processes and activities that directly contribute to creating and delivering our unique products or services.
'Context' activities, while still important, are the supporting infrastructure and general business functions that enable our core activities. These elements are necessary for smooth business operation but don't directly contribute to creating our unique value proposition.
This concept is applicable to all business areas, but I find it especially useful in keeping software development teams focused. I've frequently been asked to develop products that are already available on the market. The rationale given is that purchasing a third-party product is costly and we can create it internally for much less. While this may be true at the outset, the end result is often an inferior product compared to the third-party offering with negligible cost saving, as they have the resources and focus to specialise in that specific product.
The Core/Context model helps businesses prioritise what truly matters to their customers. For example, customers are more likely to value a new feature or product that directly benefits them, rather than be impressed by an internal CRM system similar but inferior to products readily available on the market.
However, simply categorising work into these two areas isn't enough. A more strategic approach involves considering available external solutions, specific business needs and the cost-benefit analysis of different options.
The decision of whether to build capabilities in-house or leverage external expertise is crucial. It requires careful evaluation of your core strengths, available resources and the potential risks and benefits of each option. By focusing on core activities and strategically using external expertise for context activities, we can optimise our resource allocation and achieve greater overall efficiency.
#SoftwareDevelopment
#CTO
#Brainlabs
#geoffreyamoore
Badrinath Vankadari (Badri)
Driving Execution Excellence, Innovation, & Transformation for Brainlabs
Exciting times as we continue expanding our AI team! If you’re a ML Engineer with expertise in NLP, Generative AI, and GCP, this is a fantastic opportunity. Apply now by clicking the job post 👇
Exciting times as we continue expanding our AI team! If you’re a ML Engineer with expertise in NLP, Generative AI, and GCP, this is a fantastic opportunity. Apply now by clicking the job post 👇
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟳𝗧𝗛 𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬!!!
Calm down... it's okay. Brainlabs have got your back
Yes. Influencer and Social Media Marketing maybe feels a little scary right now, but let's step back for a moment (I mean we all panicked at
#Deinfluencing and that all turned out okay!) 2025 will be a massive year for Influencer. 𝟴𝟰% 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 found Influencer to be effective in achieving their aims in 2024 and are looking to increase investment
To make sure you are putting that investment to good use, our Creative Strategy team Hannah Cole, Celeste Houlker & Shamim Ahmed have shared their 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱. We've unpacked the 5 changes and strategies we anticipate to be key for this year
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵. It's a look into what brands HAVE to do in 2025 to stand out, drive performance, and ensure that spend goes to good use!
Check it out for yourself (link in comments below) 👇👇👇
#influencermarketing
#influenceragency
#socialmedia
#2025predictions
𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟳𝗧𝗛 𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬!!!
Calm down... it's okay. Brainlabs have got your back
Yes. Influencer and Social Media Marketing maybe feels a little scary right now, but let's step back for a moment (I mean we all panicked at
#Deinfluencing and that all turned out okay!) 2025 will be a massive year for Influencer. 𝟴𝟰% 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 found Influencer to be effective in achieving their aims in 2024 and are looking to increase investment
To make sure you are putting that investment to good use, our Creative Strategy team Hannah Cole, Celeste Houlker & Shamim Ahmed have shared their 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱. We've unpacked the 5 changes and strategies we anticipate to be key for this year
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵. It's a look into what brands HAVE to do in 2025 to stand out, drive performance, and ensure that spend goes to good use!
Check it out for yourself (link in comments below) 👇👇👇
#influencermarketing
#influenceragency
#socialmedia
#2025predictions
Alice Browne
Global Organisational Design Lead @ Brainlabs | Culture, Change Management and Global Programme
🏃♀️ In April, I'm running London Marathon for Hospice UK and in memory of my wonderful Dad, who we lost to cancer in 2021.
Although I'm only a few weeks into my official training plan, it's already been a huge learning journey. Alongside all of the normal challenges, I've gained:
😡 🚴♂️ A new level of frustration for people cycling too fast along canal towpaths
🫶 🎵 A new-found love for audio-books and podcasts. Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated!
I'm putting myself through all of this because Hospice UK is such an important cause. We got incredible and much needed support from two local hospices during my Dad's final weeks and days. Currently, one in four UK families can’t get the same level of support, and I want to see that change!
I know it's a time of year when the purse strings have already been stretched, but if anyone has you do have anything spare to donate I would be so grateful. My JustGiving page is here:
🏃♀️ In April, I'm running London Marathon for Hospice UK and in memory of my wonderful Dad, who we lost to cancer in 2021.
Although I'm only a few weeks into my official training plan, it's already been a huge learning journey. Alongside all of the normal challenges, I've gained:
😡 🚴♂️ A new level of frustration for people cycling too fast along canal towpaths
🫶 🎵 A new-found love for audio-books and podcasts. Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated!
I'm putting myself through all of this because Hospice UK is such an important cause. We got incredible and much needed support from two local hospices during my Dad's final weeks and days. Currently, one in four UK families can’t get the same level of support, and I want to see that change!
I know it's a time of year when the purse strings have already been stretched, but if anyone has you do have anything spare to donate I would be so grateful. My JustGiving page is here:
Fernando Emilio Silva
CEO LATINAMERICA at BRAINLABS DIGITAL AGENCY
Que honor y que orgullo el ser mencionado por las más pretigiosas publicaciones del MARKETING y la PUBLICIDAD en esta merecida distinción que recibió el gran jefe Stephen Allan OBE
It is a great honor and privilege to be called out by the most prestigious marketing and advertising publications for this well-deserved distinction received by the Big Boss Stephen Allan OBE
Brainlabs
Que honor y que orgullo el ser mencionado por las más pretigiosas publicaciones del MARKETING y la PUBLICIDAD en esta merecida distinción que recibió el gran jefe Stephen Allan OBE
It is a great honor and privilege to be called out by the most prestigious marketing and advertising publications for this well-deserved distinction received by the Big Boss Stephen Allan OBE
Brainlabs
Fernando Emilio Silva
CEO LATINAMERICA at BRAINLABS DIGITAL AGENCY
A mi network en MEXICO, vengan a sumarse a BRAINLABS MEXICO para trabajar en un cliente worldclass e Icónico!!!! Seguimos creciendo !!
Brainlabs David Posada Sergio Bustos
A mi network en MEXICO, vengan a sumarse a BRAINLABS MEXICO para trabajar en un cliente worldclass e Icónico!!!! Seguimos creciendo !!
Brainlabs David Posada Sergio Bustos
Gyn Ang
Senior Vice President at Brainlabs
🧠 🧠 🧠
In October 2024, a series of discussions among Brainlabbers sparked an idea—one that ultimately led to an event at LinkedIn Singapore last week.
Titled "The Trends Your CEO Will Actually Care About in 2025", the event explored the complex challenges marketers face in today’s fast-evolving, AI-driven digital landscape. More than just identifying these challenges, it aimed to equip attendees with actionable strategies and forward-thinking insights to navigate the future of marketing, whether in B2B or B2C.
And we did just that! From harnessing AI’s power in marketing (led by Alex Cox) to redefining the customer journey through strategic intent data (shared by Penelope Siraj) and mastering the art of influencing audiences with precision (explored by Chloe North and Helen Lee), the event delivered invaluable perspectives.
A huge shoutout to our incredible panelists—Su-Ren Neo, Seema Punwani, Adelise Ashdown, and Shawn Lim 🏳️🌈 —whose insights and thought-provoking discussions made the event even more impactful.
#Brainlabs
#HighPerformance
#DigitalMarketing
#ArtificialIntelligence
#AI
#Innovation
#DigitalTransformation
#WinningMarketingStrategy
🧠 🧠 🧠
In October 2024, a series of discussions among Brainlabbers sparked an idea—one that ultimately led to an event at LinkedIn Singapore last week.
Titled "The Trends Your CEO Will Actually Care About in 2025", the event explored the complex challenges marketers face in today’s fast-evolving, AI-driven digital landscape. More than just identifying these challenges, it aimed to equip attendees with actionable strategies and forward-thinking insights to navigate the future of marketing, whether in B2B or B2C.
And we did just that! From harnessing AI’s power in marketing (led by Alex Cox) to redefining the customer journey through strategic intent data (shared by Penelope Siraj) and mastering the art of influencing audiences with precision (explored by Chloe North and Helen Lee), the event delivered invaluable perspectives.
A huge shoutout to our incredible panelists—Su-Ren Neo, Seema Punwani, Adelise Ashdown, and Shawn Lim 🏳️🌈 —whose insights and thought-provoking discussions made the event even more impactful.
#Brainlabs
#HighPerformance
#DigitalMarketing
#ArtificialIntelligence
#AI
#Innovation
#DigitalTransformation
#WinningMarketingStrategy
Will Akhurst
Chief Data Strategy Officer at Brainlabs
3 Essential Tips to Master Value-Based Bidding (VBB)
Struggling to get consistent results from value based bidding? Here’s what you might be missing:
1️⃣ Fast Feedback is Everything
The quicker the bidder gets conversion data, the faster it adapts to real-world changes. Use real-time signals, even if they’re not perfect.
2️⃣ Consistency is Key
Wildly varying conversion values confuse the bidder. Keep values predictable for similar journeys, and watch performance stabilize.
3️⃣ Perfection is Overrated
No metric is perfect! Directional (e.g., 80 vs. 82) is fine. Don’t let the pursuit of perfection slow you down.
💡 Small, incremental improvements to your bidding objective beat “all-or-nothing” approaches most of the time (looking at you 2 year long LTV projects 👀)
What’s been your biggest challenge with VBB? Drop your insights 👇 and let’s troubleshoot them together.
3 Essential Tips to Master Value-Based Bidding (VBB)
Struggling to get consistent results from value based bidding? Here’s what you might be missing:
1️⃣ Fast Feedback is Everything
The quicker the bidder gets conversion data, the faster it adapts to real-world changes. Use real-time signals, even if they’re not perfect.
2️⃣ Consistency is Key
Wildly varying conversion values confuse the bidder. Keep values predictable for similar journeys, and watch performance stabilize.
3️⃣ Perfection is Overrated
No metric is perfect! Directional (e.g., 80 vs. 82) is fine. Don’t let the pursuit of perfection slow you down.
💡 Small, incremental improvements to your bidding objective beat “all-or-nothing” approaches most of the time (looking at you 2 year long LTV projects 👀)
What’s been your biggest challenge with VBB? Drop your insights 👇 and let’s troubleshoot them together.
Alex Cox
APAC Client Partner, Brainlabs
On the 27th February, we are brining in the new Chinese Year of the Snake with fresh perspectives on Trends Your CEO Will Actually Care About in 2025. Join Brainlabs and LinkedIn for a session where industry experts will share insights on navigating the world of artificial and augmented intelligence.
Some of the topics we'll be covering include:
- How to market effectively to both humans & algorithms
- Smart budgeting in an AI-focused landscape
- Successful B2B & B2C strategies
- Real, proven insights without the fluff
RSVP via the following link if you want to attend: lnkd.in/gZKC4GR9
#MarketingTrends
#AI
#DigitalMarketing
#Brainlabs
#B2BMarketing
#B2CMarketing
#MediaAgency
#HighPerformanceMediaAgency
On the 27th February, we are brining in the new Chinese Year of the Snake with fresh perspectives on Trends Your CEO Will Actually Care About in 2025. Join Brainlabs and LinkedIn for a session where industry experts will share insights on navigating the world of artificial and augmented intelligence.
Some of the topics we'll be covering include:
- How to market effectively to both humans & algorithms
- Smart budgeting in an AI-focused landscape
- Successful B2B & B2C strategies
- Real, proven insights without the fluff
RSVP via the following link if you want to attend: lnkd.in/gZKC4GR9
#MarketingTrends
#AI
#DigitalMarketing
#Brainlabs
#B2BMarketing
#B2CMarketing
#MediaAgency
#HighPerformanceMediaAgency
Claire Lawrence
Chief People Officer at Brainlabs
I had a wonderful time with my family over the last month or so, enjoying lots of festivities and good times together. So I felt today was the day to give a little back.
Ross is my friend. Rays of Sunshine is a charity close to my heart. Ross is running the London marathon for RoS in memory of his nephew Bobby. Ross and RoS will make a super partnership on race day! 👟👟👟
If you are able to and would like to donate, please do so. The work RoS does is outstanding giving support to children and their families at some of the most difficult times.
If you can’t afford a cash donation, thank you for reading and perhaps help by just repost this message.
Happy 2025 all!
I had a wonderful time with my family over the last month or so, enjoying lots of festivities and good times together. So I felt today was the day to give a little back.
Ross is my friend. Rays of Sunshine is a charity close to my heart. Ross is running the London marathon for RoS in memory of his nephew Bobby. Ross and RoS will make a super partnership on race day! 👟👟👟
If you are able to and would like to donate, please do so. The work RoS does is outstanding giving support to children and their families at some of the most difficult times.
If you can’t afford a cash donation, thank you for reading and perhaps help by just repost this message.
Happy 2025 all!
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
WARC’s recent report, The Multiplier Effect, argues that many brands are missing out on significant revenues and profits because of an incomplete approach that means there are “false choices” leading to an ineffective marketing and media plan rather than a multiplier effect from real integration across the media and marketing mix.
Getting the best people on an account is one thing. Getting one team with one goal is another.
Can you imagine going into a highly competitive situation with the best people, but with each of them playing their own game?
Brainlabs
WARC’s recent report, The Multiplier Effect, argues that many brands are missing out on significant revenues and profits because of an incomplete approach that means there are “false choices” leading to an ineffective marketing and media plan rather than a multiplier effect from real integration across the media and marketing mix.
Getting the best people on an account is one thing. Getting one team with one goal is another.
Can you imagine going into a highly competitive situation with the best people, but with each of them playing their own game?
Brainlabs
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
Politics aside — this is not a good thing.
The reasoning is "to remove barriers to innovation" — yet AI has progressed at a rate already too fast for governments and companies to keep up.
The rate of innovation is not inhibited by reasonable regulation "requiring developers of AI systems that pose risks to US national security, the economy, public health or safety to share the results of safety tests with the government before they are released to the public."
Also—to be abundantly clear—regulations to protect against AI risks were favored by the creators of AI systems including Sam Altman.
Without this executive order, AI could quickly get out of hand in the hands of a bad actor. I hope some type of guardrails replace this executive order.
Politics aside — this is not a good thing.
The reasoning is "to remove barriers to innovation" — yet AI has progressed at a rate already too fast for governments and companies to keep up.
The rate of innovation is not inhibited by reasonable regulation "requiring developers of AI systems that pose risks to US national security, the economy, public health or safety to share the results of safety tests with the government before they are released to the public."
Also—to be abundantly clear—regulations to protect against AI risks were favored by the creators of AI systems including Sam Altman.
Without this executive order, AI could quickly get out of hand in the hands of a bad actor. I hope some type of guardrails replace this executive order.
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
“AI is unbiased.” 🤖
“AI makes better stock picks because it has no bias.” 📈
“AI delivers the best hiring candidates with unbiased results.” 🤝
We hear this all the time, but it’s not factually true.
The reality? All technology carries the bias of its creators, and all training data reflects the biases of the people who produced it.
Yes, there are steps to mitigate bias—but even those steps involve human judgment (and bias).
It’s important to recognize this so we don’t treat AI outputs as 100% accurate or objective truth. This will be increasingly important as AI is used to make all kinds of decisions—from medical and financial to political and corporate.
AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. Understanding its limitations is just as important as embracing its potential.
“AI is unbiased.” 🤖
“AI makes better stock picks because it has no bias.” 📈
“AI delivers the best hiring candidates with unbiased results.” 🤝
We hear this all the time, but it’s not factually true.
The reality? All technology carries the bias of its creators, and all training data reflects the biases of the people who produced it.
Yes, there are steps to mitigate bias—but even those steps involve human judgment (and bias).
It’s important to recognize this so we don’t treat AI outputs as 100% accurate or objective truth. This will be increasingly important as AI is used to make all kinds of decisions—from medical and financial to political and corporate.
AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. Understanding its limitations is just as important as embracing its potential.
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
🚂 Jumping on the 2025 predictions trend 🚂
2024 brought us:
✅ A surge in generative AI (and the infamous 'tsunami of crap')
✅ A deeper focus on connected commerce
🤏 A shift from technology-first to talent-first thinking
But as we kick off 2025, the big question is… what’s next?
Enter Sue Unerman, Brainlabs Global Chief Strategy Officer (and all-around visionary). Sue predicts that 2025 will be the year of whole-brain thinking 🧠✨
With AI-powered tools becoming the norm, the challenge is no longer just collecting data, it’s about using it creatively to stand out on an increasingly level playing field.
In 2025, success will hinge on how we interpret, innovate, and bring data to life in ways that captivate and connect. It’s a year for blending analytical precision with creative brilliance.
Ready to embrace the future? Check out Sue's full 2025 predictions in the comments 👇👇👇
🚂 Jumping on the 2025 predictions trend 🚂
2024 brought us:
✅ A surge in generative AI (and the infamous 'tsunami of crap')
✅ A deeper focus on connected commerce
🤏 A shift from technology-first to talent-first thinking
But as we kick off 2025, the big question is… what’s next?
Enter Sue Unerman, Brainlabs Global Chief Strategy Officer (and all-around visionary). Sue predicts that 2025 will be the year of whole-brain thinking 🧠✨
With AI-powered tools becoming the norm, the challenge is no longer just collecting data, it’s about using it creatively to stand out on an increasingly level playing field.
In 2025, success will hinge on how we interpret, innovate, and bring data to life in ways that captivate and connect. It’s a year for blending analytical precision with creative brilliance.
Ready to embrace the future? Check out Sue's full 2025 predictions in the comments 👇👇👇
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Fantastic report from one of our brilliant Brainlabs UK and EMEA strategists Hayati Alaluf - really useful, and living the experience and providing really relevant advice and understanding lnkd.in/dEeUhgvD
Fantastic report from one of our brilliant Brainlabs UK and EMEA strategists Hayati Alaluf - really useful, and living the experience and providing really relevant advice and understanding lnkd.in/dEeUhgvD
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
In your opinion…is Siri now better with its ChatGPT integration?
I keep hearing SEOs touting that we’re on the cusp of a “voice search revolution.” The truth is I’ve heard this for a decade—and all it’s amounted to is a way to check the weather, set a timer/alarm, and do basic searches.
In any world, I still find most searches cumbersome without a screen. I keep waiting for this revolutionary moment when voice search is actually better than typing. Among my friend group, we’ve all unanimously agreed that Siri feels worse now than it did before—slower to respond, frequently breaking, and still not the magic we’ve been promised.
What’s your take?
In your opinion…is Siri now better with its ChatGPT integration?
I keep hearing SEOs touting that we’re on the cusp of a “voice search revolution.” The truth is I’ve heard this for a decade—and all it’s amounted to is a way to check the weather, set a timer/alarm, and do basic searches.
In any world, I still find most searches cumbersome without a screen. I keep waiting for this revolutionary moment when voice search is actually better than typing. Among my friend group, we’ve all unanimously agreed that Siri feels worse now than it did before—slower to respond, frequently breaking, and still not the magic we’ve been promised.
What’s your take?
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
A united media team for a brand, working in an integrated way across disciplines, can ensure the campaign will emerge victorious.
Campaign UK Brainlabs
://
A united media team for a brand, working in an integrated way across disciplines, can ensure the campaign will emerge victorious.
Campaign UK Brainlabs
://
Alex Cox
APAC Client Partner, Brainlabs
What an amazing experience and a phenomenal turn-out at our Marketing to Algorithms event at LinkedIn last week!
I don’t get the chance to do a lot of public speaking, and although I'm always slightly nervous in the lead-up, I loved the feeling of being up there in front of the crowd, talking about AI in Marketing.
A big thank you to Helen Lee and LinkedIn for sponsoring the event and providing us with an amazing space, and to my colleagues at Brainlabs for coming together to put on a fantastic session. It was an honour to share the stage with so many marketing leaders Adelise Ashdown Gyn Ang Penelope Siraj Shawn Lim 🏳️🌈 Chloe North
#DigitalMarketing
#ArtificialIntelligence
#AI
What an amazing experience and a phenomenal turn-out at our Marketing to Algorithms event at LinkedIn last week!
I don’t get the chance to do a lot of public speaking, and although I'm always slightly nervous in the lead-up, I loved the feeling of being up there in front of the crowd, talking about AI in Marketing.
A big thank you to Helen Lee and LinkedIn for sponsoring the event and providing us with an amazing space, and to my colleagues at Brainlabs for coming together to put on a fantastic session. It was an honour to share the stage with so many marketing leaders Adelise Ashdown Gyn Ang Penelope Siraj Shawn Lim 🏳️🌈 Chloe North
#DigitalMarketing
#ArtificialIntelligence
#AI
Jake Roman-Capon
Head of SEO
As we continue to go from strength to strength we're hiring for an Associate Director. If you want to join a team passionate about growth, developing future-facing solutions for our clients and just generally working in an incredibly smart and fun environment. Get in touch using the link below!
lnkd.in/eBHiWjgc
As we continue to go from strength to strength we're hiring for an Associate Director. If you want to join a team passionate about growth, developing future-facing solutions for our clients and just generally working in an incredibly smart and fun environment. Get in touch using the link below!
lnkd.in/eBHiWjgc
Simon Prior
Chief People Officer - helping organisations and people focus for maximum impact
Sick of the winter blues...imagine being in beautiful Sydney in January.
We are on the search for the brightest talent to join the Sparro team in Sydney....so if you're already Down Under and looking for a new career step or somewhere else and dreaming of an Aussie Summer - then check out the roles on offer here: lnkd.in/eDv_CtDX
Reach out to Jacinta G. for more information
Sparro Jack Nimble
Sick of the winter blues...imagine being in beautiful Sydney in January.
We are on the search for the brightest talent to join the Sparro team in Sydney....so if you're already Down Under and looking for a new career step or somewhere else and dreaming of an Aussie Summer - then check out the roles on offer here: lnkd.in/eDv_CtDX
Reach out to Jacinta G. for more information
Sparro Jack Nimble
Simon Prior
Chief People Officer - helping organisations and people focus for maximum impact
But wait...there's more.....
We're also looking for a Talent Acquisition Partner to help us find the best talent to be our future Brainlabbers....who will join the growing team in Buenos Aires.
Click below to apply.....
lnkd.in/ep-Q-JgW
But wait...there's more.....
We're also looking for a Talent Acquisition Partner to help us find the best talent to be our future Brainlabbers....who will join the growing team in Buenos Aires.
Click below to apply.....
lnkd.in/ep-Q-JgW
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
Deepseek is the student looking over your shoulder copying your homework and then making fun of you for working hard.
Look - if true, what Deepseek has achieved is incredible. But there are some facts that make me wary:
🖥️ Leveraging Existing Models
Reports suggest that DeepSeek’s R1 model was trained using outputs from OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This approach raises questions about the originality of their innovation. (TechCrunch)
💸 Opaque Cost Reporting
DeepSeek claims a training cost of approximately $5.6 million for its models, significantly lower than the hundreds of millions spent by U.S. companies. However, details about what expenses—like salaries and the type and quantity of GPUs used—are included in this figure remain unclear. (WSJ)
🇨🇳 Historical Data Transparency Issues
China has faced scrutiny over the accuracy of its official statistics, including GDP and other economic indicators. This history raises questions about the reliability of DeepSeek’s reported achievements. (Financial Times)
🕵️♂️ Data Privacy Concerns
DeepSeek storing user data within China subjects it to local government regulations, which may not align with international data privacy standards. This situation is reminiscent of concerns previously raised with platforms like TikTok. (Wired)
🤐 Censorship and Information Control
Technology developed under Chinese jurisdiction is subject to censorship, potentially filtering out information on sensitive topics. This will limit users’ access to comprehensive information and provide a bias that is more akin to propaganda than fact. (BBC)
While DeepSeek’s progress in AI could be noteworthy, it’s essential to critically assess these developments, considering the broader implications for innovation, transparency, and ethical standards in the tech industry.
Sources in the comments 👇🏻
Deepseek is the student looking over your shoulder copying your homework and then making fun of you for working hard.
Look - if true, what Deepseek has achieved is incredible. But there are some facts that make me wary:
🖥️ Leveraging Existing Models
Reports suggest that DeepSeek’s R1 model was trained using outputs from OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This approach raises questions about the originality of their innovation. (TechCrunch)
💸 Opaque Cost Reporting
DeepSeek claims a training cost of approximately $5.6 million for its models, significantly lower than the hundreds of millions spent by U.S. companies. However, details about what expenses—like salaries and the type and quantity of GPUs used—are included in this figure remain unclear. (WSJ)
🇨🇳 Historical Data Transparency Issues
China has faced scrutiny over the accuracy of its official statistics, including GDP and other economic indicators. This history raises questions about the reliability of DeepSeek’s reported achievements. (Financial Times)
🕵️♂️ Data Privacy Concerns
DeepSeek storing user data within China subjects it to local government regulations, which may not align with international data privacy standards. This situation is reminiscent of concerns previously raised with platforms like TikTok. (Wired)
🤐 Censorship and Information Control
Technology developed under Chinese jurisdiction is subject to censorship, potentially filtering out information on sensitive topics. This will limit users’ access to comprehensive information and provide a bias that is more akin to propaganda than fact. (BBC)
While DeepSeek’s progress in AI could be noteworthy, it’s essential to critically assess these developments, considering the broader implications for innovation, transparency, and ethical standards in the tech industry.
Sources in the comments 👇🏻
Will Akhurst
Chief Data Strategy Officer at Brainlabs
Value based bidding (VBB) promises high performance—but why do results sometimes fall short? 🤔
The culprit often isn’t the tech; it’s how we’re feeding it. Many obsess over the “perfect” business metric even if it takes an age to crystalise, trusting the bidder to then magically deliver results.
Here's what I think: to unlock VBB’s full potential, you need to understand the machine. Understanding how the bidder works—how it learns, predicts, and adapts—lets you get the best of the bidding algorithms.
💡We've found better performance when we feed the bidder metrics in real-time rather than waiting to upload lagged business metrics days or even weeks after the media touchpoint.
👉 How are you using VBB in your campaigns, have you seen similar results? Let me know in the comments.
Value based bidding (VBB) promises high performance—but why do results sometimes fall short? 🤔
The culprit often isn’t the tech; it’s how we’re feeding it. Many obsess over the “perfect” business metric even if it takes an age to crystalise, trusting the bidder to then magically deliver results.
Here's what I think: to unlock VBB’s full potential, you need to understand the machine. Understanding how the bidder works—how it learns, predicts, and adapts—lets you get the best of the bidding algorithms.
💡We've found better performance when we feed the bidder metrics in real-time rather than waiting to upload lagged business metrics days or even weeks after the media touchpoint.
👉 How are you using VBB in your campaigns, have you seen similar results? Let me know in the comments.
Alice Browne
Global Organisational Design Lead @ Brainlabs | Culture, Change Management and Global Programme
I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Global Organisational Design Lead at Brainlabs!
Hannah Davis
Managing Director, CRO at Brainlabs
This year I'm on a mission to solve everyone's least favourite problem in Digital commerce.
CRO to me is essentially problem solving, with the overarching goal of improving the customer experience across a businesses owned digital platforms to drive growth.
This year, we're looking forward to solving what I believe to be one of the long standing problems that exists in this space - and one that I’ve probably been guilty of contributing towards over the years - which is bridging the gap between the paid advertising experience and the destination which greets this traffic.
I've been helping businesses optimise their digital platforms for some time, and this problem has existed for as long as I can remember. Generally when browsing between conversion driving ads onto the retailer's website, little is done to:
- acknowledge intent based on the acquisition source/ campaign
- treat the user differently based on the above
- continue the content that exists on the ad and establishes symmetry
It’s a multi-faceted challenge, and requires breaking down unhelpful barriers that exist such as;
📈 Data, which typically lives in different platforms (Google Ads, Meta +GA4)
🤼♀️ Functions of a business with siloed KPIs and expertise ( Marketing + Digital Product/Ecom/CRO), which leads to ambiguity around who should fund this initiative
😎 Attitudinally, when positioned as ‘Landing Page optimisation’ it just isn’t a cool problem to solve
With the unique position of expertise on both sides and powered by proprietary tech, at Brainlabs, we're building out a suite of tools which will ensure our client's ads are seamlessly received through a high performing landing experience which delivers improvements to both media efficiency and on site conversion.
This year I'm on a mission to solve everyone's least favourite problem in Digital commerce.
CRO to me is essentially problem solving, with the overarching goal of improving the customer experience across a businesses owned digital platforms to drive growth.
This year, we're looking forward to solving what I believe to be one of the long standing problems that exists in this space - and one that I’ve probably been guilty of contributing towards over the years - which is bridging the gap between the paid advertising experience and the destination which greets this traffic.
I've been helping businesses optimise their digital platforms for some time, and this problem has existed for as long as I can remember. Generally when browsing between conversion driving ads onto the retailer's website, little is done to:
- acknowledge intent based on the acquisition source/ campaign
- treat the user differently based on the above
- continue the content that exists on the ad and establishes symmetry
It’s a multi-faceted challenge, and requires breaking down unhelpful barriers that exist such as;
📈 Data, which typically lives in different platforms (Google Ads, Meta +GA4)
🤼♀️ Functions of a business with siloed KPIs and expertise ( Marketing + Digital Product/Ecom/CRO), which leads to ambiguity around who should fund this initiative
😎 Attitudinally, when positioned as ‘Landing Page optimisation’ it just isn’t a cool problem to solve
With the unique position of expertise on both sides and powered by proprietary tech, at Brainlabs, we're building out a suite of tools which will ensure our client's ads are seamlessly received through a high performing landing experience which delivers improvements to both media efficiency and on site conversion.
Sophie Newton
Chief of Staff @ Brainlabs
So exciting to have our latest trainers visit our Brainlabs Campus in Buenos Aires! Four weeks of deep dives from some of our best Product experts: Matthew Brett, Kani Dang, Holly Chetwood & Vanessa Zavala 😀
So exciting to have our latest trainers visit our Brainlabs Campus in Buenos Aires! Four weeks of deep dives from some of our best Product experts: Matthew Brett, Kani Dang, Holly Chetwood & Vanessa Zavala 😀
Jonathan Molina
Digital Marketing Industry Cynic | Paid Social Expert | Media Theory Fanatic
🚨Confession time🚨 - I get my fashion inspiration off Youtube video essayists.
As Brainlabs' resident duke of drip, all paths to purchase inevitably lead towards a well researched decision that starts with a short(s) moment.
You'll look your best with us. Either stylistically or with a perfectly designed wrap report. What are you waiting for? Gimme your budget.
🚨Confession time🚨 - I get my fashion inspiration off Youtube video essayists.
As Brainlabs' resident duke of drip, all paths to purchase inevitably lead towards a well researched decision that starts with a short(s) moment.
You'll look your best with us. Either stylistically or with a perfectly designed wrap report. What are you waiting for? Gimme your budget.
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Getting satisfaction from being a part of a high performing team, as opposed to getting wrapped up in being noticed by the boss, is crucial to happiness at work and to better results. In a bee culture each member rises. In the ape culture a few individuals rise by stepping on their colleagues.
However bee culture is not only about conforming and fitting into a single work ethic. Read more in my post here lnkd.in/eMuMWCuB
Getting satisfaction from being a part of a high performing team, as opposed to getting wrapped up in being noticed by the boss, is crucial to happiness at work and to better results. In a bee culture each member rises. In the ape culture a few individuals rise by stepping on their colleagues.
However bee culture is not only about conforming and fitting into a single work ethic. Read more in my post here lnkd.in/eMuMWCuB
Helen Clow
Growth Director @ Brainlabs | Influencer
🎉 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 🎉
Wild to think that 10 years ago I was graduating University and now... well now I have a few more wrinkles and my knees always seem to hurt 💁♀️
Now I'm not one for personal updates on LinkedIn... and I'm not going to change that now 𝗕𝗨𝗧 I will join in the overall spirit of looking back to 2024
WHAT A YEAR for Brainlabs Influencer 🔥 Activating over 200 campaigns for 47 brands. Here’s a snapshot of 3 standout moments that made the year unforgettable:
💗 𝟳𝟳.𝟰 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 for the launch of an exclusive trainer—delivered in just 7 days from brief to execution. Talk about agility and impact!
🏆 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, where we proved (once again!) that influencers truly drive performance, thanks to our proprietary tech
😻 Partnering with one of the 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 to craft a strategy that reshaped the
#PetParent narrative across 𝟲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀—reaching a staggering 622 million people.
Curious about how we made it happen? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 🤝
#influencermarketing
#influenceragency
#marketing
🎉 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 🎉
Wild to think that 10 years ago I was graduating University and now... well now I have a few more wrinkles and my knees always seem to hurt 💁♀️
Now I'm not one for personal updates on LinkedIn... and I'm not going to change that now 𝗕𝗨𝗧 I will join in the overall spirit of looking back to 2024
WHAT A YEAR for Brainlabs Influencer 🔥 Activating over 200 campaigns for 47 brands. Here’s a snapshot of 3 standout moments that made the year unforgettable:
💗 𝟳𝟳.𝟰 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 for the launch of an exclusive trainer—delivered in just 7 days from brief to execution. Talk about agility and impact!
🏆 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, where we proved (once again!) that influencers truly drive performance, thanks to our proprietary tech
😻 Partnering with one of the 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 to craft a strategy that reshaped the
#PetParent narrative across 𝟲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀—reaching a staggering 622 million people.
Curious about how we made it happen? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 🤝
#influencermarketing
#influenceragency
#marketing
Stephen Allan OBE
Executive Chairman at Brainlabs | Chair of Trustees at Rays of Sunshine
Exciting news! We welcome Andrew Littlewood FCIM who joins us at Brainlabs. Andy's expertise in delivering data-driven insights and strategic plans will be invaluable to our clients using the power of first-party data and AI-powered hyper-personalization.
Exciting news! We welcome Andrew Littlewood FCIM who joins us at Brainlabs. Andy's expertise in delivering data-driven insights and strategic plans will be invaluable to our clients using the power of first-party data and AI-powered hyper-personalization.
Tom H.
Performance Agency Executive, Growth Consultant, Guest Lecturer
I honestly can’t believe I’m writing this post, so please bear with me — this is a tough one.
After an incredible 13+ year journey, I’ve decided it’s time to begin writing a new professional chapter for myself. My last day at Brainlabs was Friday, February 28th.
Since jumping on board at Hanapin in 2011, I’ve had the honor and privilege of working alongside the best and brightest in the industry. I can’t begin to thank you all for letting me ride your coattails and tag along on this rewarding, exhilarating, crazy and sometimes frustrating-as-heck journey with you.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone at Brainlabs for the mentorship, opportunities and friendships that have shaped my career. There were countless moments when you jumped in to help, bailed me out, or offered support just when I needed it most. I can’t thank you all enough.
While I’m excited about the path ahead, I will always cherish the memories and lessons learned during my time here. This has never been just a job — it’s always been so much more. Amidst all the kind words and thoughtful conversations over the past few weeks and months, I hope you all realize you’ve given me far more than I ever felt I could give back in return.
You might think I’m taking the easy way out here (and maybe I am), but there are just too many people to thank in one LinkedIn post. When I think about the people who’ve helped shape who I am as a person, manager, and leader, the list is simply too long.
As for what’s next — I’ll be sharing that soon. It’s exciting, a little scary, and definitely way outside my comfort zone — but it’s time for the next adventure.
Speaking of adventures, many of you know I love film, so I leave you with a quote from one of my favorites, Rushmore. I come back to it so often that the amazing Amy Hootman, MS, LMHC wrote it out and had it framed. It's never felt more right to share than at this moment:
“When one man, for whatever reason, has the chance to lead an extraordinary life he has no right to keep it to himself” Jacques-Yves Cousteau
#Onwards
#LetItRip
I honestly can’t believe I’m writing this post, so please bear with me — this is a tough one.
After an incredible 13+ year journey, I’ve decided it’s time to begin writing a new professional chapter for myself. My last day at Brainlabs was Friday, February 28th.
Since jumping on board at Hanapin in 2011, I’ve had the honor and privilege of working alongside the best and brightest in the industry. I can’t begin to thank you all for letting me ride your coattails and tag along on this rewarding, exhilarating, crazy and sometimes frustrating-as-heck journey with you.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone at Brainlabs for the mentorship, opportunities and friendships that have shaped my career. There were countless moments when you jumped in to help, bailed me out, or offered support just when I needed it most. I can’t thank you all enough.
While I’m excited about the path ahead, I will always cherish the memories and lessons learned during my time here. This has never been just a job — it’s always been so much more. Amidst all the kind words and thoughtful conversations over the past few weeks and months, I hope you all realize you’ve given me far more than I ever felt I could give back in return.
You might think I’m taking the easy way out here (and maybe I am), but there are just too many people to thank in one LinkedIn post. When I think about the people who’ve helped shape who I am as a person, manager, and leader, the list is simply too long.
As for what’s next — I’ll be sharing that soon. It’s exciting, a little scary, and definitely way outside my comfort zone — but it’s time for the next adventure.
Speaking of adventures, many of you know I love film, so I leave you with a quote from one of my favorites, Rushmore. I come back to it so often that the amazing Amy Hootman, MS, LMHC wrote it out and had it framed. It's never felt more right to share than at this moment:
“When one man, for whatever reason, has the chance to lead an extraordinary life he has no right to keep it to himself” Jacques-Yves Cousteau
#Onwards
#LetItRip
Will Akhurst
Chief Data Strategy Officer at Brainlabs
Value-Based Bidding (VBB) has been a focus of my recent posts as it's a powerful, but complex and often misunderstood method to drive performance.
To wrap up, I've distilled our findings into a blog post that explains how the bidder behind VBB might work and therefore how to get the most out of it.
Essential elements:
✅ Rapid data uploads
✅ Consistent values for similar journeys
✅ Alignment with goals & the bidding algorithm
Dive into the details in the comments! 👇
Value-Based Bidding (VBB) has been a focus of my recent posts as it's a powerful, but complex and often misunderstood method to drive performance.
To wrap up, I've distilled our findings into a blog post that explains how the bidder behind VBB might work and therefore how to get the most out of it.
Essential elements:
✅ Rapid data uploads
✅ Consistent values for similar journeys
✅ Alignment with goals & the bidding algorithm
Dive into the details in the comments! 👇
Andy Goodwin
Head of Paid Search | Marketing mMBA
Whilst it's despicable behaviour for me to already be talking about Black Friday 2025, I'm going to do it anyway because Holly Chetwood has compiled an excellent analysis on how consumer demand panned out for Brainlabs' clients during the 2024 retail peak, along with all of the juicy learnings we can take into 2025.
Feel free to borrow the data for any of those final PCAs you're writing, and then shove the report in a drawer until you're ready to go again to start preparing for peak 2025!
Whilst it's despicable behaviour for me to already be talking about Black Friday 2025, I'm going to do it anyway because Holly Chetwood has compiled an excellent analysis on how consumer demand panned out for Brainlabs' clients during the 2024 retail peak, along with all of the juicy learnings we can take into 2025.
Feel free to borrow the data for any of those final PCAs you're writing, and then shove the report in a drawer until you're ready to go again to start preparing for peak 2025!
Tom Sweeney
Global Managing Partner @ Brainlabs | Influencer, Social, Creative & Strategy | Board Trustee at Havens Hospices | Public Speaker
My favourite influencer ad of 2025 so far! 🐦 👁️
No flashy, over-the-top creative brief here. Just one of my favourite food influencers doing his usual content format, with a seamless, relevant, and value-add brand partner the mix.
This is proof that a brand with the confidence to trust an influencer, working in partnership with a talented content creator is simple the route to success.
The top comment, along with the posts' 10k likes, put it perfectly: "another amazing ad, ethically disclosed, on brand, genuinely makes me want potato waffles"
Well done to the Birds Eye UK & IE team, and a huge credit to Ben S. (@slaterchef on TikTok).
#influencermarketing
#influencer
#contentcreation
#ugc
#socialmedia
My favourite influencer ad of 2025 so far! 🐦 👁️
No flashy, over-the-top creative brief here. Just one of my favourite food influencers doing his usual content format, with a seamless, relevant, and value-add brand partner the mix.
This is proof that a brand with the confidence to trust an influencer, working in partnership with a talented content creator is simple the route to success.
The top comment, along with the posts' 10k likes, put it perfectly: "another amazing ad, ethically disclosed, on brand, genuinely makes me want potato waffles"
Well done to the Birds Eye UK & IE team, and a huge credit to Ben S. (@slaterchef on TikTok).
#influencermarketing
#influencer
#contentcreation
#ugc
#socialmedia
Sophie Newton
Chief of Staff @ Brainlabs
The worst applications of Gen AI generate unnecessary volume. 👎
Take graduate job applications, for example. AI has made it quicker and easier to produce custom CVs and cover letters, which in turn makes it quicker and easier to apply for more jobs. The result is more applications per job but not necessarily more committed applicants.
Some companies might think the solution is to add more online stages to the application process to filter out less serious candidates. But then what? Likely more AI-generated responses and more applications.
To apply to the Brainlabs graduate program you don’t need a custom CV or cover letter. Yes, that means we get a lot of applicants, but given the rise of Gen AI, we’d get a high volume anyway – and we’d rather not waste the server energy.
Instead, we have an initial scoring system for applications based on verified criteria like university and subject. From there, candidates go straight to a 30-minute conversation with a Brainlabber. Rather than using AI to make this process more efficient, we just used basic maths and democratized the process across our team. 1000 screening calls per year isn’t an issue if you have 100 interviewers. 📈
The takeaway: We don't always need to solve for Gen AI.
Thanks to a discussion between Ian Whittaker & Will Akhurst for inspiring this post!
The worst applications of Gen AI generate unnecessary volume. 👎
Take graduate job applications, for example. AI has made it quicker and easier to produce custom CVs and cover letters, which in turn makes it quicker and easier to apply for more jobs. The result is more applications per job but not necessarily more committed applicants.
Some companies might think the solution is to add more online stages to the application process to filter out less serious candidates. But then what? Likely more AI-generated responses and more applications.
To apply to the Brainlabs graduate program you don’t need a custom CV or cover letter. Yes, that means we get a lot of applicants, but given the rise of Gen AI, we’d get a high volume anyway – and we’d rather not waste the server energy.
Instead, we have an initial scoring system for applications based on verified criteria like university and subject. From there, candidates go straight to a 30-minute conversation with a Brainlabber. Rather than using AI to make this process more efficient, we just used basic maths and democratized the process across our team. 1000 screening calls per year isn’t an issue if you have 100 interviewers. 📈
The takeaway: We don't always need to solve for Gen AI.
Thanks to a discussion between Ian Whittaker & Will Akhurst for inspiring this post!
Roxanna Larizadeh Nassif
Deputy Managing Director at Brainlabs - Luxury Retail and Beauty expert
Attention to all experienced Amazon Retail Media experts in my network! An exciting opportunity awaits in my team at Brainlabs for a Senior Director position, concentrating on our Amazon collaboration and enhancing our Amazon Ads proficiency. This is a full time role in a fast growing Retail Media Practice with plenty of growth opportunity.
We are seeking an individual well-versed in Amazon Ads, Amazon Sponsored Ads, AMS, Amazon DSP, AMC, and ideally, with a broader understanding of Retail Media.
Kindly note, we are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this position.
In case this is of interest you can apply directly below, reach out to me or Shivani Patel, or feel free to leave a recommendation in the comments section.
#AmazonRetailMedia
#SeniorDirectorRole
Attention to all experienced Amazon Retail Media experts in my network! An exciting opportunity awaits in my team at Brainlabs for a Senior Director position, concentrating on our Amazon collaboration and enhancing our Amazon Ads proficiency. This is a full time role in a fast growing Retail Media Practice with plenty of growth opportunity.
We are seeking an individual well-versed in Amazon Ads, Amazon Sponsored Ads, AMS, Amazon DSP, AMC, and ideally, with a broader understanding of Retail Media.
Kindly note, we are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this position.
In case this is of interest you can apply directly below, reach out to me or Shivani Patel, or feel free to leave a recommendation in the comments section.
#AmazonRetailMedia
#SeniorDirectorRole
Tom Sweeney
Global Managing Partner @ Brainlabs | Influencer, Social, Creative & Strategy | Board Trustee at Havens Hospices | Public Speaker
🧠 Brainlabs' UK Chief Data Officer thinks influencers won't exist in 20 years... 😵
I think he's wrong. Whilst he favours the artificial, I favour the authentic. There's a tug of war going on for the future of influencer marketing, so Will Akhurst and I sat down to talk through where we see the future of our industry.
I'll drop the link in the comments 👇
🧠 Brainlabs' UK Chief Data Officer thinks influencers won't exist in 20 years... 😵
I think he's wrong. Whilst he favours the artificial, I favour the authentic. There's a tug of war going on for the future of influencer marketing, so Will Akhurst and I sat down to talk through where we see the future of our industry.
I'll drop the link in the comments 👇
Alex Cox
APAC Client Partner, Brainlabs
We are looking for a new digital marketing team leader to join our growing APAC team based in Singapore.
If you believe you are ready for this opportunity or know someone who could be a great fit, please reach out and apply through the provided link!
We are looking for a new digital marketing team leader to join our growing APAC team based in Singapore.
If you believe you are ready for this opportunity or know someone who could be a great fit, please reach out and apply through the provided link!
Sophie Newton
Chief of Staff @ Brainlabs
37% of managers say they would rather hire an AI robot than a Gen Z graduate. 🤯
According to Forbes, leaders don’t want to hire recent grads because they “lack a global mindset,” “don’t have real-world experience,” and “training is too expensive.” Some argue that training AI to perform tasks is easier and more cost-effective than training a human while paying them on the job.
But AI vs. Gen Z is a false dichotomy.
When you hire smart people, they naturally look for the most efficient path to success. In the age of tech-savvy Gen Z, that means leveraging AI to its full potential—freeing up time for more meaningful, strategic work. Hiring Gen Z is a win-win: less time wasted on manual tasks, more time invested higher up the value chain.
By 2030, Gen Z will make up 30% of the global workforce. 🌍 The businesses that thrive will be the ones investing in both AI and Gen Z.
Liz Yoselowitz Jeremy Hull Andy Goodwin
Article is linked in the comments.
37% of managers say they would rather hire an AI robot than a Gen Z graduate. 🤯
According to Forbes, leaders don’t want to hire recent grads because they “lack a global mindset,” “don’t have real-world experience,” and “training is too expensive.” Some argue that training AI to perform tasks is easier and more cost-effective than training a human while paying them on the job.
But AI vs. Gen Z is a false dichotomy.
When you hire smart people, they naturally look for the most efficient path to success. In the age of tech-savvy Gen Z, that means leveraging AI to its full potential—freeing up time for more meaningful, strategic work. Hiring Gen Z is a win-win: less time wasted on manual tasks, more time invested higher up the value chain.
By 2030, Gen Z will make up 30% of the global workforce. 🌍 The businesses that thrive will be the ones investing in both AI and Gen Z.
Liz Yoselowitz Jeremy Hull Andy Goodwin
Article is linked in the comments.
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
🚀 Exciting SEO & Growth Career Opportunities x4 in Dallas, TX or Bothell, WA! 📣
Are you ready to join a blue chip company that just posted record-breaking Q4 profits and is spearheading one of the most ambitious digital transformations in the industry? AT&T is looking for driven SEO and growth marketing professionals to be part of this game-changing journey!
Work with the incredible Jamie Percy, Zach Doty, Aaron Harper, Zoya Cochran, and Matthew James!
R-52353 Lead Digital Customer Growth Traffic Forecaster
R-52521 Lead Digital Customer Growth - SEO Manager
R-52486 Digital Customer Growth Traffic Lead - B2B
R-52519 Digital Customer Growth Traffic Lead - B2C
See the roles linked in the comments 👇
🚀 Exciting SEO & Growth Career Opportunities x4 in Dallas, TX or Bothell, WA! 📣
Are you ready to join a blue chip company that just posted record-breaking Q4 profits and is spearheading one of the most ambitious digital transformations in the industry? AT&T is looking for driven SEO and growth marketing professionals to be part of this game-changing journey!
Work with the incredible Jamie Percy, Zach Doty, Aaron Harper, Zoya Cochran, and Matthew James!
R-52353 Lead Digital Customer Growth Traffic Forecaster
R-52521 Lead Digital Customer Growth - SEO Manager
R-52486 Digital Customer Growth Traffic Lead - B2B
R-52519 Digital Customer Growth Traffic Lead - B2C
See the roles linked in the comments 👇
Sue Unerman
Global CSO Brainlabs, co-author A Year of Creativity; Belonging, DEI;The Glass Wall, success for women; Tell the Truth. Winner Cannes Lions Creativity for Good, Glass Lion judge
Things I learnt in 2024
Brainlabs
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
Looking to land an SEO job? Here are some key insights directly from hiring managers.
Last week, I had the pleasure of joining a discussion with top industry leaders—Nick LeRoy, Jessica Levenson, Tyson Stockton & Noah Learner—diving deep into what sets candidates apart in SEO hiring. Here are some actionable takeaways:
🎤 Treat the Interview Like Show Time – Your setup matters. Ensure your sound, background, and attire align with the role and company culture you’re aiming for. First impressions count.
❓ Ask More Questions – Engaging with the interviewer isn’t just about answering well—it’s about guiding the conversation. Use their responses to shape your own and demonstrate curiosity about their perspective.
📄 Curate Your Resume – Not all experience needs to be included. Tailor your resume to highlight applicable skills and achievements, rather than simply listing past job titles.
🔥 Numbers Win Interviews – Have your “dragonslayer” stories ready—specific examples of how you’ve driven results, backed by metrics. Contextualize your impact.
😃 Show Personality, But Read the Room – Authenticity is key, but mirroring the interviewer’s tone and energy helps build rapport. Adapt while staying true to yourself.
Thank you, Noah, for putting together The Hunt. I hope future candidates get this valuable experience too!
If you’re an SEO and want to be welcomed with open arms by SEOs around the world, join the Slack community in the comments. 👇🏻
Looking to land an SEO job? Here are some key insights directly from hiring managers.
Last week, I had the pleasure of joining a discussion with top industry leaders—Nick LeRoy, Jessica Levenson, Tyson Stockton & Noah Learner—diving deep into what sets candidates apart in SEO hiring. Here are some actionable takeaways:
🎤 Treat the Interview Like Show Time – Your setup matters. Ensure your sound, background, and attire align with the role and company culture you’re aiming for. First impressions count.
❓ Ask More Questions – Engaging with the interviewer isn’t just about answering well—it’s about guiding the conversation. Use their responses to shape your own and demonstrate curiosity about their perspective.
📄 Curate Your Resume – Not all experience needs to be included. Tailor your resume to highlight applicable skills and achievements, rather than simply listing past job titles.
🔥 Numbers Win Interviews – Have your “dragonslayer” stories ready—specific examples of how you’ve driven results, backed by metrics. Contextualize your impact.
😃 Show Personality, But Read the Room – Authenticity is key, but mirroring the interviewer’s tone and energy helps build rapport. Adapt while staying true to yourself.
Thank you, Noah, for putting together The Hunt. I hope future candidates get this valuable experience too!
If you’re an SEO and want to be welcomed with open arms by SEOs around the world, join the Slack community in the comments. 👇🏻
Andy Goodwin
Head of Paid Search | Marketing mMBA
This is a somewhat out-of-character public callout from me, but I was a little triggered by Mark Ritson's latest column – linked in the comments – and had some bones I wanted to pick.
Before I go on, I should couch all of what I’m about to say by first calling out that I am a huge Ritson fan. No one, bar no one, has had a greater impact on:
(a) my comprehension of the marketing discipline;
(b) my sensitivity to corporate bullshit, and;
(c) ultimately, my career progression.
I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve already recommended/referred to his Mini MBA course. At £1,950 (+ VAT), it’s without question the best bargain you’ll encounter this year. If you work in marketing, then you should be getting yourself onto the course - it’s as simple as that.
However! However. The latest article – in particular, the first 5 paragraphs of it – seriously misconstrues some of the latest trends in the world of digital media buying.
A lot of our clients read Mark’s content, and my job becomes materially harder if they have anything less than a crystal clear understanding of what is going on in the media ecosystem around them. So, as a selfish act on behalf of future-me, I have to call out what I see here as a miss when it comes to clarity of thinking.
The key issue is that the platforms’ collective mantra of “give us your assets, let us know what ‘value’ means for your business, and our AI will do the job of finding customers who drive that value” isn’t anti-targeting in the slightest.
What Google, Meta, et al are really saying here is “by giving us all of this information, we will make incredibly fine-tuned predictions about who exactly we will target with an ad, in a way that best meets your business goals.” Is it possible to have a more pro-targeting sentiment than this?
All that has changed in the big tech tune over the last few years, is that they are now saying: instead of having actual people exclusively be the ones who fiddle with the many thousands of knobs & dials inside a campaign to determine the targeting, why wouldn’t we bring in AI to support on some of that heavy computational lifting?
The platforms would admit themselves that this targeting challenge isn’t completely solved - but they’re already pretty darn good at it, and we’d be foolish to think that they’re not going to keep getting better and better over time.
In typical Ritson fashion, the rest of the article is 🔥and I can’t find any other faults. In particular, the distinctions drawn between “ad targeting” and “strategic targeting” are vital in this conversation. Whatever big tech’s stance on ad targeting happens to be, that should have no bearing on the importance of marketers getting stuck into figuring out their “strategic targeting” - ie which customer segments they ultimately want to build their business around.
This is a somewhat out-of-character public callout from me, but I was a little triggered by Mark Ritson's latest column – linked in the comments – and had some bones I wanted to pick.
Before I go on, I should couch all of what I’m about to say by first calling out that I am a huge Ritson fan. No one, bar no one, has had a greater impact on:
(a) my comprehension of the marketing discipline;
(b) my sensitivity to corporate bullshit, and;
(c) ultimately, my career progression.
I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve already recommended/referred to his Mini MBA course. At £1,950 (+ VAT), it’s without question the best bargain you’ll encounter this year. If you work in marketing, then you should be getting yourself onto the course - it’s as simple as that.
However! However. The latest article – in particular, the first 5 paragraphs of it – seriously misconstrues some of the latest trends in the world of digital media buying.
A lot of our clients read Mark’s content, and my job becomes materially harder if they have anything less than a crystal clear understanding of what is going on in the media ecosystem around them. So, as a selfish act on behalf of future-me, I have to call out what I see here as a miss when it comes to clarity of thinking.
The key issue is that the platforms’ collective mantra of “give us your assets, let us know what ‘value’ means for your business, and our AI will do the job of finding customers who drive that value” isn’t anti-targeting in the slightest.
What Google, Meta, et al are really saying here is “by giving us all of this information, we will make incredibly fine-tuned predictions about who exactly we will target with an ad, in a way that best meets your business goals.” Is it possible to have a more pro-targeting sentiment than this?
All that has changed in the big tech tune over the last few years, is that they are now saying: instead of having actual people exclusively be the ones who fiddle with the many thousands of knobs & dials inside a campaign to determine the targeting, why wouldn’t we bring in AI to support on some of that heavy computational lifting?
The platforms would admit themselves that this targeting challenge isn’t completely solved - but they’re already pretty darn good at it, and we’d be foolish to think that they’re not going to keep getting better and better over time.
In typical Ritson fashion, the rest of the article is 🔥and I can’t find any other faults. In particular, the distinctions drawn between “ad targeting” and “strategic targeting” are vital in this conversation. Whatever big tech’s stance on ad targeting happens to be, that should have no bearing on the importance of marketers getting stuck into figuring out their “strategic targeting” - ie which customer segments they ultimately want to build their business around.
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
After a normal 1.5-hour LA traffic jam, I finally made it. I warily put my card on the parking lot scanner to take the last $10 I had in my account. A few deep breaths later, I felt ready for this SEO interview.
Dressed in a business suit (and tie!), I sat in a fancy LA office a block from the beach interviewing for my first SEO job. I remember rehearsing for nights beforehand and nailing down the specific stories I wanted to share related to my experience. Everything from my startup experience to my time as a manager at Target.
“Travis, follow me,” said the kind office manager.
I thought, “Here we go!!”
I was met with some of the warmest smiles I'd seen in LA—Darren D'Altorio & Dexter R., among others—and I proceeded to have a great conversation, learning about their business as much as they learned about my experience.
A few days later, I got a call that I GOT THE JOB!
Almost a decade later, and it's crazy to think where that interview—and all of that storytelling preparation—has taken me today.
Nick LeRoy is on a mission to get you the SEO job of your dreams and asked me to contribute to his article, "9 Reasons You’re Failing SEO Job Interviews (and How to Fix Them)"
Storytelling is a differentiator in any setting. You capture your audience's attention and show clarity in your own thoughts. So, I challenge you: Identify what stories you want to share in your next interview.
After a normal 1.5-hour LA traffic jam, I finally made it. I warily put my card on the parking lot scanner to take the last $10 I had in my account. A few deep breaths later, I felt ready for this SEO interview.
Dressed in a business suit (and tie!), I sat in a fancy LA office a block from the beach interviewing for my first SEO job. I remember rehearsing for nights beforehand and nailing down the specific stories I wanted to share related to my experience. Everything from my startup experience to my time as a manager at Target.
“Travis, follow me,” said the kind office manager.
I thought, “Here we go!!”
I was met with some of the warmest smiles I'd seen in LA—Darren D'Altorio & Dexter R., among others—and I proceeded to have a great conversation, learning about their business as much as they learned about my experience.
A few days later, I got a call that I GOT THE JOB!
Almost a decade later, and it's crazy to think where that interview—and all of that storytelling preparation—has taken me today.
Nick LeRoy is on a mission to get you the SEO job of your dreams and asked me to contribute to his article, "9 Reasons You’re Failing SEO Job Interviews (and How to Fix Them)"
Storytelling is a differentiator in any setting. You capture your audience's attention and show clarity in your own thoughts. So, I challenge you: Identify what stories you want to share in your next interview.
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
To all my trans & non-binary pals:
You deserve to be here and be respected. I see you, and you will always be respected and have a home with me. 🏳️⚧️
We must stick together and become even stronger as an LGBTQ+ and ally community. Now is the time for all of our voices to join the chorus to drown out the hate we’re about to endure.
We are here. We have always been here. And we’re not going anywhere. 🌈
To all my trans & non-binary pals:
You deserve to be here and be respected. I see you, and you will always be respected and have a home with me. 🏳️⚧️
We must stick together and become even stronger as an LGBTQ+ and ally community. Now is the time for all of our voices to join the chorus to drown out the hate we’re about to endure.
We are here. We have always been here. And we’re not going anywhere. 🌈
Gyn Ang
Senior Vice President at Brainlabs
🍊 🍊 Welcoming the Year of the Snake with new perspectives! We hope you will join us to hear our experts’ take on how to work smarter in this brave new world of artificial and augmented intelligence. We are excited to host this session for brand marketers and other likeminded marketing influencers. 🧠 🧠 🧠
Actionable insights on how to market to both humans & algorithms for maximum impact
✅ Smart budget allocation in an AI-first world
✅ B2B & B2C strategies that actually work
✅ Proven insights—no fluff, just real strategies
RSVP link in the comments.
lnkd.in/gTcWr-eP
#MarketingTrends
#AI
#DigitalMarketing
#Brainlabs
#B2BMarketing
#B2CMarketing
#MediaAgency
#HighPerformanceMediaAgency
🍊 🍊 Welcoming the Year of the Snake with new perspectives! We hope you will join us to hear our experts’ take on how to work smarter in this brave new world of artificial and augmented intelligence. We are excited to host this session for brand marketers and other likeminded marketing influencers. 🧠 🧠 🧠
Actionable insights on how to market to both humans & algorithms for maximum impact
✅ Smart budget allocation in an AI-first world
✅ B2B & B2C strategies that actually work
✅ Proven insights—no fluff, just real strategies
RSVP link in the comments.
lnkd.in/gTcWr-eP
#MarketingTrends
#AI
#DigitalMarketing
#Brainlabs
#B2BMarketing
#B2CMarketing
#MediaAgency
#HighPerformanceMediaAgency
Sophie Newton
Chief of Staff @ Brainlabs
What do Gen Z want???
An “employer for life,” apparently. 🤘
Recent research shows that workers under 27 are moving away from hustle culture and, instead, aspire to stay at a single company for as long as seven years. To quote The Guardian: “the modern ‘hustle’ – a culture of relentless job-hopping for small marginal gains – has been exposed as a scam.”
The Gen Z professionals I work with are neither lazy nor entitled. They are hardworking, ambitious, and possess the language to better articulate what they want. The Guardian goes on to explain that Gen Z aren't asking for beanbag chairs or sleep pods—they’re demanding respect and purpose. My take is that Gen Z want accelerated career opportunities from businesses that care.
So, what does this mean?
By 2030, Gen Z will make up 30% of the global workforce. 🌍 The winning businesses of tomorrow will be those that actively listen to our newest teammates and seize the opportunity to hire and retain top talent— for seven years, that is.
What do you reckon?
Sam Naidu Lydia Ngu Maxwell Huang Leonor Jennings Daniel Gilbert
Article is linked in the comments.
What do Gen Z want???
An “employer for life,” apparently. 🤘
Recent research shows that workers under 27 are moving away from hustle culture and, instead, aspire to stay at a single company for as long as seven years. To quote The Guardian: “the modern ‘hustle’ – a culture of relentless job-hopping for small marginal gains – has been exposed as a scam.”
The Gen Z professionals I work with are neither lazy nor entitled. They are hardworking, ambitious, and possess the language to better articulate what they want. The Guardian goes on to explain that Gen Z aren't asking for beanbag chairs or sleep pods—they’re demanding respect and purpose. My take is that Gen Z want accelerated career opportunities from businesses that care.
So, what does this mean?
By 2030, Gen Z will make up 30% of the global workforce. 🌍 The winning businesses of tomorrow will be those that actively listen to our newest teammates and seize the opportunity to hire and retain top talent— for seven years, that is.
What do you reckon?
Sam Naidu Lydia Ngu Maxwell Huang Leonor Jennings Daniel Gilbert
Article is linked in the comments.
Sophie Newton
Chief of Staff @ Brainlabs
Just over a year ago, I moved to Argentina to help bring Daniel Gilbert & Claire Lawrence's vision for our latest Brainlabs office to life. This week we welcomed our 5th cohort of graduates and became a campus of 80+ Brainlabbers in Buenos Aires! 🚀
Brainlabs' exponential growth to date has been fuelled by a simple formula. Recruit the very best graduate talent, create an environment where they can fulfil their highest potential, and help them accelerate their careers faster than they could anywhere else. I can vouch for the success of that formula - I joined Brainlabs as a graduate in early 2018!
What we’re doing in Argentina follows the same simple formula x1000. We’re bringing together an international community of new Brainlabbers from the best universities in the UK and the US and fostering a culture of high performance through masterclasses and on-the-job learning. The result? Top talent driving innovation and success for our clients, and a pipeline of future leaders for our business.
I am so proud of what we’re building. Of course, we're only just getting started!! 💪
Just over a year ago, I moved to Argentina to help bring Daniel Gilbert & Claire Lawrence's vision for our latest Brainlabs office to life. This week we welcomed our 5th cohort of graduates and became a campus of 80+ Brainlabbers in Buenos Aires! 🚀
Brainlabs' exponential growth to date has been fuelled by a simple formula. Recruit the very best graduate talent, create an environment where they can fulfil their highest potential, and help them accelerate their careers faster than they could anywhere else. I can vouch for the success of that formula - I joined Brainlabs as a graduate in early 2018!
What we’re doing in Argentina follows the same simple formula x1000. We’re bringing together an international community of new Brainlabbers from the best universities in the UK and the US and fostering a culture of high performance through masterclasses and on-the-job learning. The result? Top talent driving innovation and success for our clients, and a pipeline of future leaders for our business.
I am so proud of what we’re building. Of course, we're only just getting started!! 💪
Travis Tallent
Managing Director, SEO & CRO | brightonSEO & MozCon Speaker
I wouldn't be at Brainlabs if it weren’t for DEI.
DEI initiatives signal to marginalized communities that they’ll be respected, heard, and supported. They’re about creating environments where people are empowered, not held back.
Let’s be clear: DEI isn’t for the privileged. The people who fight against it are the ones who don’t need it.
I’ve sat in rooms with CEOs who refused to post a "Happy Pride Month" message because "It didn’t feel like it mattered to their brand." The truth is: attracting and retaining stellar employees matters to your brand.
I’m proud of what I’ve brought to Brainlabs, but here’s the thing — I almost *didn't* join. I was scared of leaving my previous role where I knew I was respected and heard. This is common for many in marginalized communities — we operate in the world with more intention and, at times, caution.
When I was in the final stages of my interview process, I asked many tough questions about DEI and inclusivity. I needed to know I could thrive in an environment where diversity was celebrated and respected. My concerns were quickly addressed, and it made all the difference.
At the end of the day, DEI isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a core value that drives success for all businesses—by welcoming the best talent of any background—and I’m grateful to be part of a company that doesn't shy away from inclusivity.
While the US government is taking strides to lose some of its best talent because of short-sighted decisions, I hope private companies step up to show these communities that all are welcome. We are stronger together. 💙
I wouldn't be at Brainlabs if it weren’t for DEI.
DEI initiatives signal to marginalized communities that they’ll be respected, heard, and supported. They’re about creating environments where people are empowered, not held back.
Let’s be clear: DEI isn’t for the privileged. The people who fight against it are the ones who don’t need it.
I’ve sat in rooms with CEOs who refused to post a "Happy Pride Month" message because "It didn’t feel like it mattered to their brand." The truth is: attracting and retaining stellar employees matters to your brand.
I’m proud of what I’ve brought to Brainlabs, but here’s the thing — I almost *didn't* join. I was scared of leaving my previous role where I knew I was respected and heard. This is common for many in marginalized communities — we operate in the world with more intention and, at times, caution.
When I was in the final stages of my interview process, I asked many tough questions about DEI and inclusivity. I needed to know I could thrive in an environment where diversity was celebrated and respected. My concerns were quickly addressed, and it made all the difference.
At the end of the day, DEI isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a core value that drives success for all businesses—by welcoming the best talent of any background—and I’m grateful to be part of a company that doesn't shy away from inclusivity.
While the US government is taking strides to lose some of its best talent because of short-sighted decisions, I hope private companies step up to show these communities that all are welcome. We are stronger together. 💙
Sophie Newton
Chief of Staff @ Brainlabs
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone at the start of their career?
To borrow from something Barack Obama once said, I would say: just learn how to get stuff done. ☝️
Early in your career, it’s all about building career capital—developing superpowers and a reputation that makes you the obvious choice for the next big project, pitch, or client.
If you consistently deliver and become known as someone who gets things done, doors will open. Skills matter, but a bias for action is what sets the high performers apart. ✨
What do you think? Andy Goodwin Alex Glover Costas Tsiappourdhi Alice Browne Sue Unerman
👉 Link to read more about the interview with Barack Obama in the comments.
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone at the start of their career?
To borrow from something Barack Obama once said, I would say: just learn how to get stuff done. ☝️
Early in your career, it’s all about building career capital—developing superpowers and a reputation that makes you the obvious choice for the next big project, pitch, or client.
If you consistently deliver and become known as someone who gets things done, doors will open. Skills matter, but a bias for action is what sets the high performers apart. ✨
What do you think? Andy Goodwin Alex Glover Costas Tsiappourdhi Alice Browne Sue Unerman
👉 Link to read more about the interview with Barack Obama in the comments.
Anjlee Majmudar
VP, Programmatic - North America | Digital Strategy | MarTech & AdTech Consultant | Ex-Spotify, Jellyfish, Amazon, Viant | Momma of 2 Enneagram Type 2 - The Helper
Google is going to phase-out third-party cookies in August 2024. Are you ready for it? Here are some key considerations that are important to start discussing now:
Collect and Activate First-Party Data Strategies:
-Focus on collecting and leveraging first-party data directly from your audience. Encourage your users to opt into data collection through transparent and valuable incentives.
-Develop strategies to enhance your first-party data, such as implementing robust customer relationship management (CRM) systems, creating engaging content for data collection, and utilizing user accounts or loyalty programs.
Test more Contextual Advertising now:
-Shift and test contextual targeting, which involves displaying ads based on the content of the web page rather than individual user behavior. This is much more advanced now than it was back in the day. You can read down to the sentence level, detect images, and even read tone and sentiment.
Stay on top of Privacy-Compliant Technologies:
-Explore and invest in emerging technologies that respect user privacy while still allowing for effective targeting. Technologies like Privacy Sandbox by Google, which aims to provide privacy-friendly alternatives for targeted advertising, could be considered.
Collaborate with Publishers and Suppliers:
-Strengthen partnerships with publishers and other advertising partners to facilitate more direct relationships with your audience.
-Work with publishers to understand their first-party data offerings or exploring new forms of partnerships.
Measurement will change and you will need new benchmarks, understand the impact now:
-If you are heavily reliant on Google platforms, opt-into enhanced automation. This will give your campaign aggregated training data for improved performance
-Test optimized targeting now allows you to expand to audiences who you may otherwise miss with only manual targeting. We’ve tested this across many clients and we tend to see an increase in performance / ROAS / CPA or a decrease in cost to acquire new customers.
-Try custom bidding; weighted conversions towards floodlight or even view vs clicks. Need a script, reach out, we can help write them.
-Clean up your floodlight strategy: narrow it down to the top 5 that are most important across the customer journey. This will allow DV360 and the AI tools optimize better towards touch points that truly matter. Hot Tip, look to see how many conversions you have in a month, most of the time min is about 100 conversions.
DM or comment because I want to hear your thoughts.
Google is going to phase-out third-party cookies in August 2024. Are you ready for it? Here are some key considerations that are important to start discussing now:
Collect and Activate First-Party Data Strategies:
-Focus on collecting and leveraging first-party data directly from your audience. Encourage your users to opt into data collection through transparent and valuable incentives.
-Develop strategies to enhance your first-party data, such as implementing robust customer relationship management (CRM) systems, creating engaging content for data collection, and utilizing user accounts or loyalty programs.
Test more Contextual Advertising now:
-Shift and test contextual targeting, which involves displaying ads based on the content of the web page rather than individual user behavior. This is much more advanced now than it was back in the day. You can read down to the sentence level, detect images, and even read tone and sentiment.
Stay on top of Privacy-Compliant Technologies:
-Explore and invest in emerging technologies that respect user privacy while still allowing for effective targeting. Technologies like Privacy Sandbox by Google, which aims to provide privacy-friendly alternatives for targeted advertising, could be considered.
Collaborate with Publishers and Suppliers:
-Strengthen partnerships with publishers and other advertising partners to facilitate more direct relationships with your audience.
-Work with publishers to understand their first-party data offerings or exploring new forms of partnerships.
Measurement will change and you will need new benchmarks, understand the impact now:
-If you are heavily reliant on Google platforms, opt-into enhanced automation. This will give your campaign aggregated training data for improved performance
-Test optimized targeting now allows you to expand to audiences who you may otherwise miss with only manual targeting. We’ve tested this across many clients and we tend to see an increase in performance / ROAS / CPA or a decrease in cost to acquire new customers.
-Try custom bidding; weighted conversions towards floodlight or even view vs clicks. Need a script, reach out, we can help write them.
-Clean up your floodlight strategy: narrow it down to the top 5 that are most important across the customer journey. This will allow DV360 and the AI tools optimize better towards touch points that truly matter. Hot Tip, look to see how many conversions you have in a month, most of the time min is about 100 conversions.
DM or comment because I want to hear your thoughts.
Daniel Gilbert
Global CEO at Brainlabs
Super excited to welcome Adam Potashnick to Brainlabs as our North America CEO! 🎉
It’s an absolute privilege to be able to announce such a stellar hire at a mega exciting time for us.
Adam’s breadth of experience is undeniable, having worked with an incredibly impressive list of top clients over his time at MediaCom, but what I’m most impressed by is how he lives and breathes the elements of our Win-Together culture that sit right at the core of Brainlabs.
I got to meet up with Adam last week in our New York office. We had a great chat (and some photos together) and I can’t wait to see his leadership in action.
Welcome, Adam!
🚀🚀🚀
Read more in the comments 👇
Super excited to welcome Adam Potashnick to Brainlabs as our North America CEO! 🎉
It’s an absolute privilege to be able to announce such a stellar hire at a mega exciting time for us.
Adam’s breadth of experience is undeniable, having worked with an incredibly impressive list of top clients over his time at MediaCom, but what I’m most impressed by is how he lives and breathes the elements of our Win-Together culture that sit right at the core of Brainlabs.
I got to meet up with Adam last week in our New York office. We had a great chat (and some photos together) and I can’t wait to see his leadership in action.
Welcome, Adam!
🚀🚀🚀
Read more in the comments 👇
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
I, for one, am incredibly curious to understand exactly how IAS will deliver "tweet-level insights" for the on-platform content of X (TAFKA Twitter). Color me cautiously optimistic. Kudos to Jonathan Molina for always providing great perspective.
I, for one, am incredibly curious to understand exactly how IAS will deliver "tweet-level insights" for the on-platform content of X (TAFKA Twitter). Color me cautiously optimistic. Kudos to Jonathan Molina for always providing great perspective.
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
"If I'm going to have fun, I need to be prepared. The more prepared I am the more fun I have."
Last year I put together a training session entitled 'What Music Taught me about Marketing.' One of the key themes I discovered is beautifully encapsulated in this quote from Taylor Swift's bass player - and his method of learning a songwriter's tunes is incredibly similar to my own.
Sure, you can fake your way through a presentation (or a gig)..but it's so, so much more fun when you've put in the unglamorous prep time - whether that's transcribing bass lines note-for-note or pacing around your hotel room running through your script until you've mastered every talking point!
"If I'm going to have fun, I need to be prepared. The more prepared I am the more fun I have."
Last year I put together a training session entitled 'What Music Taught me about Marketing.' One of the key themes I discovered is beautifully encapsulated in this quote from Taylor Swift's bass player - and his method of learning a songwriter's tunes is incredibly similar to my own.
Sure, you can fake your way through a presentation (or a gig)..but it's so, so much more fun when you've put in the unglamorous prep time - whether that's transcribing bass lines note-for-note or pacing around your hotel room running through your script until you've mastered every talking point!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
I'm incredibly excited to be part of the next chapter of the Brainlabs story! We've got a heckuva team, fantastic clients, exciting momentum - and a new partner in Falfurrias Management Partners!
I'm incredibly excited to be part of the next chapter of the Brainlabs story! We've got a heckuva team, fantastic clients, exciting momentum - and a new partner in Falfurrias Management Partners!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Brainlabs doing smart things with great clients - cheers to our programmatic team, our client Icelandair, and our great partners at SciBids!
Brainlabs doing smart things with great clients - cheers to our programmatic team, our client Icelandair, and our great partners at SciBids!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Generative AI for ads is a work in progress now, but it will rapidly become a core part of our day to day process. Check out the below article where Julia Amorim shares how we're equipping our creative team at Brainlabs for the future!
Generative AI for ads is a work in progress now, but it will rapidly become a core part of our day to day process. Check out the below article where Julia Amorim shares how we're equipping our creative team at Brainlabs for the future!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Going to Advertising Week in NYC? Don't miss this session featuring the brilliant Jonathan Molina representing Brainlabs on stage with Google, Samsung, and Kepler!
Seriously, you should really really go to this. Jon is an amazing presenter!
Going to Advertising Week in NYC? Don't miss this session featuring the brilliant Jonathan Molina representing Brainlabs on stage with Google, Samsung, and Kepler!
Seriously, you should really really go to this. Jon is an amazing presenter!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Honored to be recognized by Google for the outstanding work by the Brainlabs Simply Business team! Read more about the win here: lnkd.in/ean7k32U
Honored to be recognized by Google for the outstanding work by the Brainlabs Simply Business team! Read more about the win here: lnkd.in/ean7k32U
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
"The great thing about AI is to allow us to get back to being marketers."
The brilliant Alessandro Creso talks to Google at
#AWNewYork23 about the power of Google Ads AI features - spot on!
"The great thing about AI is to allow us to get back to being marketers."
The brilliant Alessandro Creso talks to Google at
#AWNewYork23 about the power of Google Ads AI features - spot on!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Who has a graduate training program in Buenos Aires? Brainlabs does! I'm excited to onboard our current class of brilliant Brainlabbers, and also excited to meet the next cohort. Know someone who is looking to start their marketing career in style? Send them our way - and we'll send them to Argentina!
Who has a graduate training program in Buenos Aires? Brainlabs does! I'm excited to onboard our current class of brilliant Brainlabbers, and also excited to meet the next cohort. Know someone who is looking to start their marketing career in style? Send them our way - and we'll send them to Argentina!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Conversions API Gateway is a fantastic, foundational tool for driving success on Meta. But don't take my word for it - check out what Jonathan Molina has to say!
Conversions API Gateway is a fantastic, foundational tool for driving success on Meta. But don't take my word for it - check out what Jonathan Molina has to say!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Amazon DSP is a powerful (and in my opinion, underutilized) programmatic solution. It can also be confusing - which is why Anjlee Majmudar put together this fantastic guide!
Amazon DSP is a powerful (and in my opinion, underutilized) programmatic solution. It can also be confusing - which is why Anjlee Majmudar put together this fantastic guide!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
What emerging trends will drive marketing success in 2024? Check out the first video in our series from the brilliant Venya Wijegoonewardene to learn about "The Lipstick Effect 2.0"!
What emerging trends will drive marketing success in 2024? Check out the first video in our series from the brilliant Venya Wijegoonewardene to learn about "The Lipstick Effect 2.0"!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
I was at CES in 2020 when Google announced in a closed-room session that Chrome third party cookies were coming to an end. Fast forward to today and here I am, preparing to head to CES....and Google has finally begun to remove cookies. Find out how you'll be impacted by today's change as Google turns off cookies for 30 million people in this explainer by Anjlee Majmudar, Alex Glover, and Alice Manly!
I was at CES in 2020 when Google announced in a closed-room session that Chrome third party cookies were coming to an end. Fast forward to today and here I am, preparing to head to CES....and Google has finally begun to remove cookies. Find out how you'll be impacted by today's change as Google turns off cookies for 30 million people in this explainer by Anjlee Majmudar, Alex Glover, and Alice Manly!
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
Naomi Wohl Litowitz and I went to CES this year, and we have some hot takes! Check out this download of our observations from connecting with partners and exploring the show - direct link to article in comments.
Naomi Wohl Litowitz and I went to CES this year, and we have some hot takes! Check out this download of our observations from connecting with partners and exploring the show - direct link to article in comments.
Jeremy Hull
Chief Product Officer, North America
The brilliant Travis Tallent shared his perspective on SGE with ADWEEK. Check it out here and learn something new!