Born Social

Without collaboration, social would cease to exist. Last week, Inês Barny took to the stage at Campaign UK’s Media360 as part of the Rising Stars Challenge, making the case for why social is the medium that reigns supreme for collaboration. Ines made a strong argument for how collaboration sits at the very core of social, highlighting: 👉 Creator-led brand campaigns 👉 Comment sections as cultural insights 👉 Reactive content, UGC and feedback loops 👉 The algorithm’s very existence relies on participation and engagement We’re so proud of Ines for showing up to fight the case for social and making it look effortless on stage. Huge shoutout to all that took part in the debate Thomas Garry, Zachary Letzer, Ellie Reeves & Shauna Lewis 👏👏 Long Live Social.

This might be the most me industry question I’ve ever been asked. Born Social, I decided we're a pangolin. Not a tiger, not an elephant - more rare and even more distinct - there's nothing on the planet quite like them. Adaptable enough to evolve with the world around them (they've been on earth 80 million years). And resilient enough to protect what makes them unique. That’s always been the ambition: build a social-first creative agency with its own shape, feel, and point of view so we're unmistakable in the wild. 🐅 🐘 🦣 🦔 🦒 🦌 🦬 🐎

We're buzzing about our newest client partner in the US, Thermacell! Bringing together social-first creative, performance and influencer strategy, we’re turning the everyday challenge of mosquitoes into culturally relevant, social-first work. Using creators and storytelling, we’ll place Thermacell at the centre of outdoor experiences across America, free of unwanted company. 🦟🚫 As our Chief Creative Officer, Paddy Smith, puts it, “Building performance with a creator-led approach forces you to bring storytelling into everything you do, but this is where social-first thinking works best — creating advertising that feels truly authentic.” We're excited to work with Kenny Voshell and the Thermacell team to embed the brand into outdoor rituals and keep Americans outside all summer long. Read more on the partnership here: https://lnkd.in/epVuWYTa

For 12 years, Callum McCahon has been making the case that social-first thinking belongs at the centre of marketing strategy. Today, that thinking goes global. We’re thrilled to share that Cal is stepping into the role of Chief Strategy Officer across Croud and Born Social, bringing together social-first creativity and media excellence under one strategic vision. For clients, that means bringing the right capabilities together around the real problems they are trying to solve -  braver thinking, sharper decisions, and better outcomes. ‘Social has always been where creative, culture, media and performance collide first. The exciting opportunity now is to take that way of thinking and apply it across the whole media ecosystem. Born and Croud have a rare but powerful mix of creative conviction and commercial rigour. I'm going to be focused on how we connect those strengths properly, so clients get braver thinking, sharper decisions and work that gets stronger over time.’ We couldn't be more proud, or more excited about what comes next! Thank you to Campaign UK and Lucy Shelley for the write up 💙 https://lnkd.in/etdmBjV3

When it comes to earned attention, best practice creative often becomes the most ignorable thing in the feed. Our Chief Creative Officer, Paddy Smith, sat down with Jeff Barrett on Shorty Awards' It’s No Fluke podcast for a conversation about why the biggest risk for brands on social is indifference, and how the best work walks the line between being distinctive but not dominant. 🎙️ Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eNNg8hkM

Our Met Gala? The Born Social GRIT Awards 💎 Last week we celebrated the best of Born and the grittiest work of the past year. The end of season GRIT Awards recognised the people in our agency who delivered the highest standard of work and shiniest 'pearls' for our clients. A huge congratulations to our winners: 🦪 One to Watch - Bradley Waller 🦪 Culture Champion - Josie Day 🦪 GRIT of the Year - The Barclays Team 🦪 Account of the Year - The Ford Team 🦪 Performance of the Year - Alixanne Hucker 🦪 Pearl of the Year - The team behind Guinness Pints of View Here's to our brilliant people who are driving incredible impact and setting new benchmarks for social-first creativity 👏

Here's what's been getting us going lately. Bring some pleasure into your reading rotation with the latest thoughts from the juicy brains behind Born Social. 🔥 Not your average Substack. Subscribe>> https://lnkd.in/e6b4unx7

If you're looking for the perfect martini, or weirdest pasta shape, our Head of Influence Olivia Wedderburn has you covered. She also believes in the real power that creators have in sharing human-verified content in the age of AI, when trust is at an all time low. Hear from Liv as she speaks to where AI sits in the creator economy on Croud's AI Icebreakers below. ⬇️

After a decade at Born Social, Alex Green is leading a new chapter of growth for our agency. Our Head of Growth sat down with Roastbrief to talk about what "Growth with Purpose" means to us at Born: 👉 Growing influence, not just client lists 👉 Prioritising context over content 👉 Building partnerships rooted in trust, not transactions 👉 Leaning in to connected thinking through our partnership with Croud As the industry changes and client needs evolve from 'posts' to complete customer journeys, we’re doubling down on what we do best: social-first thinking that connects brands with culture and community. Read Alex’s full interview below. https://lnkd.in/dfUD3b9T