A lot of marketing leaders still see social as the afterthought—something you do to support “real” brand campaigns. But in 2025, that mindset is a liability.

We’re seeing a seismic shift: consumers no longer differentiate between an ad and a piece of content. To them, what shows up in-feed is the brand. So why are we still writing 40-page briefs, handing them to agencies, and spending millions to produce video spots—without knowing if they’ll land?

Some examples that inspire us:

1. Petco’s Halloween Bootique Livestream featured Antoni Porowski, adoptable pets, and clickable links to shop in real time — combining entertainment with commerce to build brand love and drive sales.
2. Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch Sprinkle developed a cult-like following through organic word-of-mouth and community-driven engagement across Reddit and social — no polished campaign required.
3. Glossier turned customers into brand advocates, using user-generated content and a digital-first strategy to grow into a $2B beauty brand — all before traditional media came into play.

What do all these brands have in common? They validate creative in the wild—not in a boardroom.

Creative Is the Variable. Social Is the Test Lab.

Today, there’s no reason to launch a campaign without first testing organic creative. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are giving us real-time consumer feedback, at scale, for free.

Yet most brands still spend millions on media before validating whether the creative works.

At every company I’ve worked with or advised, I’ve seen a simple rule make a massive difference:

Don’t spend a dollar in paid media unless the creative first overperformed organically.

This isn't just cost-effective—it’s common sense.

Brand Building Has Changed. Time to Catch Up.

We’re past the era of “set it and forget it” brand campaigns. Consumers crave authenticity, relatability, and cultural relevance. That doesn’t come from a $500K film shoot. It comes from agility, experimentation, and volume.

Here’s the new playbook:

• Create at scale. Quantity leads to quality when it’s paired with data.
• Test, don’t guess. Let the consumer tell you what works.
• Amplify what performs. Paid media is now your scale lever, not your starting point.
• Rethink the brief. A TikTok that overperforms is the brief. Build from there.
  

The gap between brands who get this and those who don’t is widening. Fast.

The brands still operating with a 2012 playbook—one hero spot, one idea, one audience—are vulnerable. Not just to competitors, but to individual creators who now command more trust and attention than legacy logos.

👋 If you’re a CMO rethinking how to evolve your go-to-market, social, or creative strategy…

Our community of fractional in-house creators, product managers, and operator-experts can help you unlock growth with modern, consumer-first marketing.

Reach out to learn how we can plug in.