In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, we sit down with Emily Heath, Global Brand Director of Rexona | Sure, to unpack how one of the world’s biggest, everyday deodorant brands is building true brand awareness and community through sports partnerships.

Emily shares her extensive experience working with Unilever over 17 years and provides insights into managing a global brand. Discover how sport partnerships, particularly in football, have played a crucial role in enhancing brand engagement and creating emotional connections with fans. Emily also touches on the tactical side of sports marketing, leveraging AI in brand marketing, and maintaining brand advocacy outside of major campaigns. Tune in for an in-depth conversation filled with valuable strategies and tips for marketers at any level.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Rexona | Sure uses sport to drive authentic brand awareness

• What “good” looks like in global sporting partnerships, and how to maximise them

• The rise of female sports and how to advocate for it as a global brand

• The role of ambassadors and athletes for a global brand

• How to engage and activate community at global scale, while still feeling local and human

• Where AI fits into the future of brand building and how Rexona | Sure are already tapping into it

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:39 The Evolution of Sports Marketing at Rexona

04:22 Expanding into Female Sports Partnerships

07:47 Maximizing the Value of Global Sports Partnerships

10:48 How To Gain Value from Brand Ambassadors

17:45 Sports Marketing Strategies for Smaller Brands

20:51 Exploring Brand Advocacy Beyond Major Campaigns

22:07 Leveraging Cultural Moments for Brand Relevance

25:01 The Impact of AI on Brand Marketing

28:56 Quick Fire Round: Personal Insights and Fun Facts

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CONNECT WITH EMILY

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-heath-84a20b14/

FOLLOW US

Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

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Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy

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In this episode, we break down how SoulCycle built a community-powered content engine that keeps fans sharing, and showing up.

Our guest this week is McKinley Hart, Director of Social Media at SoulCycle who shares more around the brand’s social and community storytelling, how they turn riders, instructors, and studio culture into a constant flow of authentic content and brand advocacy.

We dig into the strategies, systems, and mindset that any brand, marketer, or creator can steal, even if you don’t have SoulCycle’s scale or resources.

In this episode, we cover:

• How SoulCycle turned its community into a content engine (without making people feel “used”)

• The creative strategies used at SoulCycle to maxmise brand advocacy on social

• Turning instructors and front-line teams into on-the-ground storytellers

• Building internal infrastructures that benefit the content loop

• The difference between “posting about your brand” and “building your brand”

• How to measure the impact of community-driven content beyond likes and views

• Practical advice for brands that don’t currently have a passionate fanbase

  
  

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to SoulCycle's Community

00:24 The Social Impact of SoulCycle

03:14 The Nomad Baddies: A Community Story

05:55 Creating Fans and Advocates

10:11 SoulCycle's Unique Social Media Strategy

12:05 The Future of Social Engagement

14:58 Balancing Real Life and Digital Presence

19:36 The Role of Employees in Brand Growth

22:40 Engagement and Commercial Results

25:34 Breaking Down Barriers to Participation

30:34 SoulCycle’s Community and Brand Advocacy

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CONNECT WITH MCKINLEY

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckinleyhart/

SoulCycle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulcycle/

SoulCycle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soulcycle?lang=en-GB

FOLLOW US

Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy

Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy

Most brands are still using a 20th‑century playbook for a social‑first world and it’s damaging their marketing.

In this episode, we’re joined by Sean Cook, ex Global Senior Social Media Manager at Deliveroo, to unpack why the current “brand architecture” model is completely outdated for how social actually works today. Sean shares what he learned leading an in‑house social team at scale, where the system is failing brands, and what a modern brand architect needs to look like in 2026 and beyond.

We dig into how social fits inside the wider business, why brand books don’t translate to TikTok, Instagram or LinkedIn, and the structural changes leaders need to make if they want social to be more than just a content factory.

In this episode, we cover:

• Current state of the digital marketing infrastructure

• Introduction of brand and content architects

• The role of CMO’s to enable best performance

• Duty of care towards social media teams

• The balance between strategy & experiementaiton

• Why culture is key to fostering success on social media

If you’re internal infrastructure is exhausting, overwhelming and no longer working. This episode is for you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:07 The Role and Challenges of Social Media Teams

03:40 Building Effective Social Media Strategies

05:23 The Importance of Knowing Your Audience

13:30 Wellbeing and Duty of Care in Social Media

18:41 The Evolution of Social Media Teams

24:36 The Need for a Brand and Content Architect

31:12 The Role of Culture in Social Media

35:28 Empowering Social Media Teams

37:27 The Future of Social Media Strategy

🔔 New episodes every Wednesday — subscribe so you never miss a launch.

CONNECT WITH SEAN

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-cook-333b52a3/

FOLLOW US

Verity: www.linkedin.com/in/verityhurd/

Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@buildingbrandadvocacy

Instagram: www.instagram.com/building_brand_advocacy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@building.brand.advocacy