Dan Salkey 🇺🇦

When your client drops you a line to say that your Meta Ads work has contributed to their brilliant sustainable British vodka achieving its highest ranking on Amazon since launch...cheers to that! 🍸 Me: celebrates, then immediately starts to think about how we can push this product even higher up the ranking and get it to No.1! Brands: keep telling your employees/freelancers/agencies they're doing a good job. Positive feedback keeps a workforce happy and boosts innovation and motivation. It's a win-win. #MetaAds #PaidSocial #PositiveFeedback

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Huge new launch in the creator led brand space yesterday - Feastables & PRIME launched a Lunchables competitor Lunchly. I think this brand is going to crush, based on the successful playbook pioneered by the behemoths Jimmy Donaldson and Logan Paul. These brands excel at demand generation. Whipping their audience into a frenzy, driving virality, engagement & awareness. These are all correlated to velocity at shelf. More interestingly is their distribution strategy. Most have been skipping DTC entirely, launching straight into retail. From their store locator, they just launched nationally and exclusively at Kroger. Finally, look at the competition and the category. Lunchables is the ultimate example of a BigCo CPG brand waiting for disruption. It’s tired and low growth with minimal innovation. The brand is owned by Kraft Heinz and did $1.8 billion in sales, close to 9% of revenue for the company. It’s a huge category which Lunchly will undoubtedly capture a meaningful chunk of. Now the nutritional profile is a whole other discussion, of which I’ll withhold my comments…

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** Most successful campaign ever alert** Four years ago, I was brought in to direct what was supposed to be the final instalment of the Supercheap Auto 'Best Performing Oils' campaigns that had been running for six years straight. Little did anyone know, that year would turn out to be their most successful campaign ever. Since then, every year, I've had the privilege of directing the next "final" campaign... only for it to outperform the last, year after year! It's been an incredible journey, and I'm proud to say I've directed the most successful campaign for them, four years running #notsohumblebrag. This project has been a unique collaboration, with me on loan from my own production company, HAPPY, working closely with Taxi Film Production and The Chimera Project to bring this vision to life. It’s been a pleasure combining our talents to create something that resonates so well with the audience. If you haven't seen it yet, here's this year's edition of the 'Best Performing Oils' campaign – once again proving that when you entertain an audience from start to finish, you can keep their attention even with a staggering eight-minute-long commercial. 🎬🔥 If you want to see any of the previous campaigns you can find them here: https://slt.re/149f32 Thanks Reece Moger, Jonathan Drapes, Brendan Greaney, Imogen Dick, Mark Bishop and the amazing cast and crews we have had across the four campaigns. #Happydotfilm #SupercheapAuto #ChimeraProject #Taxifilmproduction #BestPerformingOils #CampaignSuccess #ProudDirector #AdCampaigns

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It’s pretty wild to think that a charity football match organised by influencers is set to take place at Wembley, packing in 90,000 fans. Just a couple of years back, the event was held at a smaller 60,000-seat venue and sold out in minutes. This time, they’re aiming even higher, and it’ll probably sell out just as fast. This isn’t just about streaming numbers (though peaking at 2.5 million concurrent viewers last time is impressive). It’s about how influencer culture has evolved to a point where it drives real-world action. It’s proof that these digital creators have the kind of connection with their audiences that fills stadiums, not just feeds. For marketers, there’s a lesson here: these influencers are tapping into authentic engagement that goes beyond likes and shares. It’s about building communities that show up, whether online or in-person. If anything, it’s a reminder that connecting with audiences on a deeper level pays off. Something to think about as the landscape of marketing keeps shifting.

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What's the formula for hypergrowth? 🤔 Last week we had the privilege of speaking to Millie Allen, Head of Brand Marketing for B-Corp scaleup, Ocean Bottle, who’ve raised over £7M in capital since its founding year 2018. In the fast lane of hypergrowth, focus is your fuel. Here are some of Millie's vital focus areas and how they can accelerate your scale-up: 🎯Laser-focused OKRs ↳ Stop spreading resources thin. Prioritise a few key objectives that create real impact. "Focused resources > juggling too many tasks." 🧠Granular Customer Segmentation ↳Know exactly who you're targeting. The more precise, the better your campaigns—and conversions. It’s the foundation of fast, effective growth. ⚖️Balancing Act ↳ In hypergrowth, you need to react fast but stay true to your long-term vision. OKRs keep your team aligned with big-picture goals, while daily wins help fuel the momentum. While there’s no magic formula for hypergrowth, focusing on these key areas will help ensure you're investing your time and resources wisely for sustainable growth ahead. #StartupEcosystem #Scaleups #BrandGrowth #StartupGrowth #MarketingTips

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Former BrewDog CEO James Watt has launched Social Tip, an influencer platform that aims to “help turn a brand’s customers into their influencers” because “Gen Z are allergic to anything that looks or feels like marketing...” How does it work? The consumer buys the brand’s product, the consumer posts the brand on social media and then Social Tip issues cash based on reach and engagement. It sounds simple, but the platform will likely come up against a few challenges, namely compliance with UK advertising laws, controls over the use of IP and PR and brand image control. Richard Ferguson explains what the brand should be mindful of from the outset... https://lnkd.in/eNuSF5j3 #advertising #socialmedia #influencers

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Unpopular opinion 🚨 Everyone's loving the B-Corp and Havas bashing. But how many of those same people have: 1. Stopped working with Havas 2. Stopped buying anything from Shell 3. Stopped supporting the many brands who benefit from their CSR projects, or Universities and their R&D programmes, or the brands they sponsor in F1 etc etc I get why people are up in arms about Havas and B-Corp. But Havas not being B-Corp probably hasn't changed Havas. They still work with Shell and they'll probably post some great financial results. So what is everyone celebrating? That B-Corp has done what we were expecting? Feels like we're picking on B-Corp, when they are a relatively small business (6k customers), with a good heart, trying to make citizens of the world focus on People, Planet and Profit. It's easy to be a keyboard warrior (look at me). And vocal dissent is great. But I'd be interested to know how many of those vocal dissenters, actually have changed their lives to try and make the planet better? How many of those same people throwing stones at B-Corp (and Havas), work with Tobacco, Gambling, Legal Cannabis, Munitions companies (all sectors B-Corp refuses really to accept you can work for). The marketing world does a lot of good, but it also spouts a lot of 💩 about brand purpose and ethics, when fundamentally it really doesn't care and just wants to sell as much stuff as it can. “What difference can I make, said 8bn people” B Lab UK B Lab Rob Mayhew (one for you do something on I feel).

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This post from Sir John Hegarty is further proof that "The best AD for your BRAND is a great PRODUCT..." Whether you love Oasis or you loathe Oasis - and considering that Liam and Noel seem to loathe one another, it doesn't make a difference - you can't deny that running one ad that generates ￡400* million in sales is a tidy ROI. What was the ad? An AI masterpiece? A cheeky turn-of-phrase? A commercial featuring the ubiquitous Kevin Hart? Nope... it was a photo of the Gallagher Brothers with the words OASIS LIVE '25. Could every BAND get those results? No, but if they could... that's how to do it. Could every BRAND get these results? No, but if they could... that's how to do it. Have a look at Sir John's post for the clear, concise lowdown: *For those of you on THIS side of the pond, this sum equates to $525,260,016.00

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If you ever wanted to start a podcast, today's episode is for you! Prolific podcaster and CEO of UpMyInfluence.com Josh Elledge joins the show. We talk about launching podcasts, why so many fail, and what the purpose of having a show should actually be. Josh runs a great company and has helped so many, including myself, get their shows from idea to airing. Big thanks to Josh for the great conversation 🙌 Not seen: the 5 minutes before we started shooting where Josh teaches me where to place my mic for the optimal sound. 🤣 https://lnkd.in/gF2hddmn

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🕵️‍♂️ Steal our top performing pitch template. Swipe for the breakdown of a real pitch we sent to journalists, that got us coverage in every outlet we sent it to 👇 - Daily Record (DR 81) - The Scottish Sun (DR 76) - Scottish Daily Express (DR 63) - Glasgow Times (DR 73) - Edinburgh News (DR 83) - East Lothian Courier (DR 61) #digitalpr #linkbuilding #seo

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I’m excited to be leading Leopard Co’s "Mastering Brand Growth for Scale-Up Success" workshop this morning at the incredible STEAMhouse Birmingham! Over the next few hours, we’ll be diving deep into Leopard Co’s ROAR Framework, sharing practical strategies to help ambitious scale-ups define, activate, and amplify their brands for sustainable growth. Here’s what we’ll cover: 🛠️ Diagnosing your brand with the 4C Model. 🎯 Prioritising focus areas to maximise impact. 💡 Crafting campaigns that resonate with your audience’s Category Entry Points (CEPs). 🚀 Building marketing funnels to guide your audience from awareness to action. 📈 Setting SMART Objectives to measure and optimise success. It’s going to be an inspiring and action-packed morning! Looking forward to connecting with so many talented scale-up leaders who are ready to take their brands to the next level. If you’re not joining us today but want to learn more - I’ll be sharing insights from the workshop tomorrow. https://lnkd.in/eZrX4r-B #ScaleUpSuccess #BrandGrowth #MarketingStrategy #ROARFramework #LeopardCo #STEAMhouseBirmingham

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💰 Influencer Investors 💰 The Advertising Standards Authority has pulled social media ads featuring Steven Bartlett for Huel and Zoe, arguing that they "omitted material information about Steven Bartlett being an investor". This is a complicated case as: 🛑 The ads were clearly marked and declared as ads 💵 Zoe's team argue that any ambassador relationship is clearly commercial and advertising regulations do not require details of those commercial relationships to be shared in ads ⏲ Ad formats and best practice do not lend themselves to long explanations of commercial structures ⭐ In the age of influencer investors, this is only going to get more complex... But it is not impossible. Alix Earle to the rescue here. She has set the tone for these commercial relationships by being open and transparent. She made a TikTok video about becoming an investor in poppi after working with the brand multiple times. She talks about going into "business mode", wanting to invest and be smart with her finances. Over communication and transparency are the key to getting this right. In these complex situations with murky regulations, brands need to be careful. Follow Alix Earle's lead and over-communicate - be as transparent as possible when declaring relationships and find ways to include that information in ad content or copy. #influencermarketing #stevenbartlett #ASA #advertising

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Do I build my company ethically or go for the highest profit model? 🤔 A perennial question in business. As London hit 0 degrees, I joined the warm The Stack World community this morning at 180 Studios to hear Sharmadean Reid MBE interview Sarah Brown, organic skincare pioneer and founder and CEO of Pai Skincare. The title was: 'How to Build a Sustainable Multi-Million Revenue Beauty Business' But there is a tension between the words ‘sustainable’ and ‘multi-million revenue’. 😅 A key decision founders must ask themselves is: Do I build my company ethically or go for the highest profit model? Sarah’s answer: —> “We had to be uncompromising on quality.”  Outsourcing our manufacturing would not have made us the brand we are today. This costs us a lot more and the pressure to cut those costs are high but it makes us who we are. —> “Get your customers to care and they will advocate for you.”  Starting a brand is expensive and it’s hard to get out there - you have to drive advocacy and that starts with customers who love your products. —> “Talk to customers as much as you can.” And when you do this, be in the the right mindset and make all the time count. New product idea, new marketing ideas can all be triggered by conversations with customers. —> “What you lack in scaling quickly, you gain in leaning.” Sustainable brands are not a quick way to scale but you will learn so much in the process. Ultimately Sarah said the goal for any mission-driven founder is to “believe there is no conflict - that you can be successful and stick to your principles.” Sarah and Pai Skincare is great testament to growth while staying true to your values. Thank you for the insights. 🙏

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The ASA is cracking down on influencer-owned brands. 🛑 In case you missed it, the ASA recently ruled Grace Beverley, founder of Tala, broke advertising standards, resulting in 2 TikToks and 4 Reels being removed for improper disclosure. Grace argued her association with Tala was clear, as labelled in her bio, the ads were posted in collaboration with the Tala account, and they had been saved under a playlist called “aggressive marketing”. However, there’s still no real excuse for not disclosing an ad, when all you have to do is type “AD”. Even though those who follow her are aware of her standing in the business, there are many that aren’t—especially if a post is shown on an FYP. However, many influencers who founded their own brands are calling the ASA unfair for targeting influencers, and that the standards be extended to celebrities, who are often given a free pass for their questionable ad disclosure. Either way, it’s a promising start for more transparency across the advertising world.

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Tumisha Balogun and I sat down with Kia Commodore for the Pennies To Pounds podcast to talk all things sp£nny. I am genuinely the last person you want finance advice from but the sp£nny report looked at personal finances from the perspective of wellbeing, love, play and beauty. In this pod, I spoke a lot about the cost and pressures associated with beauty and how we might use this global opportunity as a moment to reimagine how we see beauty. The work of deconstructing beauty is no small feat but here are some logical steps for me: 🌟  Introduce diverse talent in to your campaigns (genuinely diverse - not just more conventionally beautiful people with different complexions) 🌟  Explore product development from a place of how can we get more use from a singular product rather than a new must have item every season 🌟  Centre self love and acceptance as part of core messaging in all creative work, especially when the target audiences are young people Episode out now

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🚀 Calling all founders! We've got 5 x £5k pitch audits to give away (for charity donation) to help you nail your next investor pitch. We've developed this audit to support you on your investment journey. What you’ll get... - feedback on your pitch content, structure & design - feedback on your pitch delivery - at least 3 areas to work on - 1 wild creative idea to support your pitch - a loom review and summary Do a good thing for charity & biz growth. Open until 14th June (takes 30 seconds to apply!). #founders #startup #pitchaudit #charity #branding #publicspeaking

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I'm back after missing a week because my young baby was sick - the juggle! Here are my weekly recs for those commuting this week ✨ 🎧Uncensored CMO podcast - I loved this episode with Jon Evans speaking to VP of Marketing at Monzo Bank AJ Coyne The ep covers Monzo’s recent campaign to paint the UK hot coral and how their latest campaign is tapping into the complicated feelings associated with money instead of APR rates focused on by most other banks. It’s got me thinking about the importance of colour as a brand asset and how brands “own” certain shades, such as Glossier with millennial pink and Blank Street sage green (recent brands doing it well) and how powerful as an asset this can be for differentiation in the market as a new brand. 💸 https://shorturl.at/cGBsT 📙Newsletter Rec: I’m not the intended audience for this newsletter, ‘The New Fatherhood,’ but I adore Kevin's words. Last week's newsletter asked the question of why you became a parent and pondered how raising children might have changed you and the beauty of the messy middle of life.  https://shorturl.at/CCuRE OR stay on LinkedIn and meet my friend Stefanie Sword-Williams FRSA (she/her) who’s ambition is to change how the world views self-promotion by encouraging people to be unapologetically proud of their achievements. Her posts are motivation to think about your career development differently, and if that’s not enough, you can pick up her book here 💫 https://shorturl.at/B91dF

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Going to be generating a ton of authentic Come Round buzz & UGC this month for our amazing client, Moose Toys. As always, all from inside the homes of demographically perfect and highly influential (unpaid, and therefore authentic) family households across the UK #wordofmouthmarketing #UGC #consumerinsight #properinfluencermarketing #authenticity #toymarketing #DM4 #DespicableMe4 #Bluey #BlueyFamilyTrip

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“People need to stop trying to sell as efficiently as possible, and start trying to sell as effectively as possible” The words of Rory Sutherland. I speak a lot about the need for #CPG and #FMCG manufacturers to get good at creating demand again. My belief is that, over the last two decades, creating demand is an art form that has been lost in favour of creating ‘effeciencies’. But seriously, after almost two decades of price increases and volume decreases resulting in tepid growth or stagnation, when are we going to admit there are no more sizable efficiencies left to be had? When a strategy isn’t working it is not those that stick with it that succeed, it is those that pivot, pivot early and try a new approach. ‘Effeciencies are as efficient as they can efficiently get. Let’s create some demand again.’ How? Here is a place to start, as Rory said, start trying to sell effectively instead. (Potential) customers have needs, missions and journeys. Effective selling begins with understanding those needs missions and journeys, and then creating products, services, advertising, marketing, promotions and communications that speak directly to what you target audience is looking for, where they are looking for it. Added bonus, selling effectively is way more fun than selling efficiently. #digitalcommerce #ecommerce #creatingdemand #digital #efficiency #effectiveness #cpgindustry #fmcgindustry

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