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What does it really mean to be a premium brand?

In this episode of What They Said, Lou Ali sits down with Carly Burford, Global Brand Director at Peroni Nastro Azzurro, to unpack how one of the world's most iconic beer brands redefined premium through its new Only Peroni platform.

Carly shares how premium is built through meaning, experience and distinctive brand positioning and why brands need to stop chasing trends and start owning what makes them genuinely unique.

Together they discuss:

• Why premium is about experience, not price
• Rebuilding an iconic brand without relying on heritage alone
• Creating campaigns that show up authentically in culture
• Building meaningful brand partnerships that last
• Why marketers need to be bolder, braver and more single-minded

Whether you're a marketer, brand leader or simply fascinated by how great brands are built, this episode is packed with practical insights on long-term brand building and cultural relevance.

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In this episode of What They Said, Sammy sits down with Sally Barton, Director of Marketing Growth Strategy at Mondelez, to explore what it really takes to build brand fame in modern marketing.

From iconic brands like Cadbury and Oreo to the role of culture, nostalgia and influencer marketing, this conversation dives into how brands move beyond visibility and become truly famous.

They discuss:

• The difference between brand awareness and brand fame
• Why brands need to participate in culture rather than chase it
• The power of emotional brand memory
• How global brands stay culturally relevant
• The role creators and influencers play in shaping brand relevance

If you’re interested in brand strategy, cultural marketing and the future of brand building, this episode is packed with insight.

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This month on What They Said: The Influencer Marketing Podcast, host Sammy Albon sits down with Nisha Mathews, Creative Business Lead at Google Creative Works, to explore how YouTube creators are transforming the future of brand partnerships.

From authenticity to AI, discover how brands and creators can build meaningful, lasting connections on YouTube – and what strategies actually cut through.

With years of experience shaping marketing strategies at Omnicom and Wavemaker before joining Google, Nisha brings a unique perspective on the evolving world of creator marketing.

In this episode, Nisha shares insights on:

• Why ads that don’t feel like ads win attention
• How YouTube Shorts is reshaping discovery
• Why micro-influencers are a secret weapon for engagement
• Strategies to integrate Shorts + long-form video into a seamless brand story

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This month, What They Said host, Sammy Albon, is joined by a true force in global brand marketing: Fiona Bosman, Global Brand Director at Bupa.

With over two decades shaping iconic brands like Red Bull and Barclaycard, Fiona brings unmatched insight into the evolving world of Influencer Marketing.

A fierce advocate for breaking silos and putting 'people and their stories' at the heart of marketing, Fiona believes “there are no departments" when it comes to building truly successful strategies.

In this episode, expect bold thinking and big takeaways, including:
💥 Why everyday stories have as much impact as celebrity ones
💥 The hidden cost of departmental silos in brand storytelling
💥 Why Influencer Marketing doesn’t work in isolation
💥 The power of consistency—and why authentic creators are rare
💥 Why raw, unpolished content is the future (and how to get your team comfortable with it)

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Banana phones, “do-not-drink conker milk” campaigns, and a ban on fruit puns… This week’s episode is with an OG influencer in the Marketing world; innocent drinks.

Our host, Sammy Albon, sat down with Anni Mueller, Digital & Social Media Manager at innocent, to talk about the brand’s unique approach to influencers, social media strategy and content; from staying honest and human, to always inviting conversation and collaboration from its drinkers (consumers, to those outside of Fruit Towers).

Listen out in the episode for:
💥 The role of intrusive thoughts as part of your social media strategy
💥 Strategic approaches to Influencer, from B2C to B2B
💥 How to manipulate stakeholders too (in a really friendly and useful way, promise)
💥 Why “be more human” is the best advice Anni’s ever received - and Chat GPT won’t be coming for her job any time soon)
💥 Bonus: why innocent’s CEO is giving out advice on Domino’s orders

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Is your influencer marketing driving revenue — or just likes? Are you looking to drive clicks, and content creation, straight into sales?

Unilever sent ripples through the industry when it announced in March 2025 that it would be investing half of all its ad spend in Influencer marketing. And, Wild, the natural, refillable bodycare brand, is one of its brands, adopting this influencer-first strategy; producing 5,000 pieces of content every quarter.

In this episode, coming to you live from Cannes Lions Festival, host Sammy Albon talks to Laura Donadio, Global Head of Influencer & Partnerships at Wild, with a deep-dive into a conversion-led influencer strategy that supercharges the marketing funnel.

Listen to this 20-min podcast, for insights into:
💥 Why you shouldn't use "exclusivity" clauses for Influencers
💥 Setting and hitting specific acquisition and revenue targets through influencer campaigns
💥 Leveraging “hidden” content strategies that feel native, not pushy
💥 Using influencers as a “test & learn” lab before product rollouts

Challenging the limits of the creator economy with a smarter, performance-first mindset, if you're a DTC brand, managing paid social, or being challenged on awareness metrics, this episode is packed with tactical insights for marketers.

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The What They Said podcast is coming to you LIVE from Cannes Lions 2025!

Today we're talking TikTok Shop.

With an average of 6,000 live shopping experiences on TikTok Shop every day last year, savvy brands - including luxury ones - are not just launching, but building, co-creating, testing, and selling customer-centric product lines within the platform.

For this Cannes Special, Sammy Albon, unpicks this further, welcoming back disability activist, content creator and blind broadcaster, Lucy Edwards, alongside a new face - Nora Zukauskaiteback, Marketing Director at TikTok Shop UK & Europe - to discuss the exciting launch of Lucy's new Etia beauty brand in February 2026.
 
Listen out in the episode for:
 
💥 Lucy’s journey launching her beauty brand and how accessibility has shaped its identity 

💥 Nora’s insights on how winning challenger brands are leveraging TikTok Shop to drive discovery and sales

💥 The power of community-driven commerce and Gen Z co-creation

💥 How content creators are influencing not just marketing—but product development

💥 How and why TikTok Shop is transforming the path from discovery to purchase

if you want to learn more about TikTok Shop, head to their podcast https://lnkd.in/ejNrmuXE

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The What They Said podcast is back to talk about everyone’s favourite Influencer buzzword, authenticity. 

 This week, Sammy Albon sits down with Millie Allen, Head of Marketing at Ocean Bottle – the award-winning reusable water bottle that reduces ocean-bound plastic – to chat about the trials of authenticity from purpose-led brands. 

 Listen out in the episode for:

 💥 Why Youtubers make savvier content for brand partnerships

💥 The measurement equation; changing the narrative on what success looks like in Influencer Marketing

💥 Avoiding the echo chamber of social media, by checking our bias and providing truly customer-first led content

💥 How you can help save the world in just a few clicks (find out more about Ocean Bottle, or buy your own here)

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The What They Said podcast is back with another banger 🎧🔥

This week, Sammy Albon sits down with Alex Payne – Founder of The Influence Room, ex-international rugby presenter, and all-round storytelling pro – to chat about the matchmaking magic behind connecting brands with creators who genuinely love them.

Think: a slick blend of Tinder meets LinkedIn – but make it influencer marketing.

Expect an insight-stuffed convo where we unpack:

💥 Why authentic connections beat scripted spend every time.
📱 How brands can speak to fans and creators in a way that actually lands.
🛍️ The art of moving beyond the media buy – and why that's where brand magic happens.
🎟️ Taking it IRL: from bespoke events to brand-building media moments you can’t scroll past.
💸 Why giving back matters – and how Alex blends commercial partnerships with contra deals and charity wins.

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The "What They Said" podcast is back with another sparkling, insight-packed episode 💅✨

This week, we’re diving headfirst in to hun culture with The Very Group’s Head of Consumer Influencer, Layla Hatia – to hear how the brand shapes an audience-first creator strategy that goes from the high street to high glam.

Expect plenty of juicy insights, including:

• How Very developed an audience-led social strategy to bring to life its new 'Make it Sparkle' platform.
• The 'hun filter' that helps choose creators with the right fashion-forward energy for every moment.
• The power of micro-influencers to make the most of fast-moving TikTok trends.
• How the Layla balances measuring success across engagement, brand, and sales impact.

Our podcast is available on all streaming platforms; 

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