The Two Dudes brand was born on social media quickly building a loyal following and strong online presence. One look at their Instagram, and you can see things are done a little differently. They’ve shaken up the traditionally bland men’s grooming category with humour, social purpose, and award-winning products.

We are delighted to have Co-Founder, Dude One, and proud Cantabrian Tomas Tappin, join us to share the Two Dudes story. Get ready for a fascinating look at a brand on a mission and find out how they continue to break the mould on social media.

About Tomas

Tomas is a Co-Founder of Kiwi start-up, Two Dudes. They are changing men's health one bathroom at a time with natural grooming products for men. The purpose driven business started as a side hustle. It was built on a foundation of direct-to-consumer eCommerce, and has now expanded into retail shelves nationwide.

Prior to launching Two Dudes, Tomas was an eCommerce Lead at HEINEKEN Asia Pacific, rolling out digital sales platforms across Singapore, Vietnam, and New Zealand.

Explore what’s happening in the TikTok community right now, and what’s shaping trends and sparking connection. Carsten will cover the latest features on TikTok and what New Zealand marketers can expect to see soon.

About Carsten

Carsten Grueber is a marketing expert with a passion for political and governmental marketing campaigns, aiming at informing the public and the creation of awareness on key issues. His previous experience includes Head of Commercial Partnerships, Public Sector & Nonprofits for TikTok Germany and Government & Politics Marketings Partnerships for Facebook in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.

How do we get smarter with our social content in 2024? With GenAI’s help and Gen Z’s love of low fi, the content might be easier to create, but that’s no guarantee it’ll resonate. If you want your social to feel the love in 2024, you need to keep up with the latest tools and trends. Our panel of social media experts will tackle everything from algorithm ranking signals to scalable content, authenticity, creators, gated content, AI, messaging for brands, video, and more. Don’t miss their tips and predictions for 2024.

About Mary

Mary's background is anchored in media and marketing. Having spent a significant part of her working life in this dynamic field, transitioning seamlessly from traditional media (TV and Radio) to the digital marketing landscape. "Advertising and Media is an industry I cherish because it's an ongoing learning experience, particularly when it comes to business growth and scaling a business online."

Alongside this professional journey, Mary is a dynamic content creator recognized in The 2023 FashioNZ Creators Power List as a top fashion influencer in NZ. Her online presence goes beyond showcasing style; it's about providing meaningful fashion advice and fostering self-confidence in people. Fashion, for her, is an emotion that can uplift moods. Her passion lies in inspiring others with their outfit choices, aiming to instill a positive feeling into their everyday lives. The acknowledgment as a top fashion creator fuels Mary's enthusiasm for exploring fresh content ideas and diverse online content formats in 2024.

How do we get smarter with our social content in 2024? With GenAI’s help and Gen Z’s love of low fi, the content might be easier to create, but that’s no guarantee it’ll resonate. If you want your social to feel the love in 2024, you need to keep up with the latest tools and trends. Our panel of social media experts will tackle everything from algorithm ranking signals to scalable content, authenticity, creators, gated content, AI, messaging for brands, video, and more. Don’t miss their tips and predictions for 2024.

About Sofia

Sofia is an award-winning social media and digital strategy consultant. She founded Sofia Wood Consulting, a social strategy & digital marketing agency, in 2021 after a background as a Senior Digital Strategist at top-tier advertising agencies.

With a business background, Sofia is passionate about approaching social media with a commercial lens and prioritising results. Her unique skill is delivering insight of how to leverage digital platforms to drive commercial results and long-term competitive edge for businesses. 

Sofia brings with her 8 years of specialist digital marketing experience, recognised with various awards such as the Google NZME Stoppies. She’s led multi-million-dollar budgets and managed teams of over 50 people, across global markets from the US and the UK to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Equally, she’s created great results with 1-2-person teams and a whole lotta hustle.

Client highlights include leading Aon Insurance’s first national campaign, Trustpower’s reporting, ZIWI pet food’s digital launch in America, streamlining the council’s social media accounts, and bettering the world with Dr Lucy Hone in wellbeing and resilience. 

Sofia provides free social media marketing advice & tips bi-weekly on Linkedin - you can follow her here. 

How do we get smarter with our social content in 2024? With GenAI’s help and Gen Z’s love of low fi, the content might be easier to create, but that’s no guarantee it’ll resonate. If you want your social to feel the love in 2024, you need to keep up with the latest tools and trends. Our panel of social media experts will tackle everything from algorithm ranking signals to scalable content, authenticity, creators, gated content, AI, messaging for brands, video, and more. Don’t miss their tips and predictions for 2024.

About Sophie

Soph is a Freelance Marketing Specialist and Content Creator better known as "@sopheatsout" in the online realm. Her broad Freelance services range from paid social media ads, content creation, email marketing and website design. She has crafted a distinct presence with her popular food review videos and accumulated a following of over 43,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, offering viewers a genuine exploration of New Zealand's culinary landscape.

With a keen understanding of her audience, Sophie has collaborated with noteworthy international brands such as KFC, Universal Music, Dominos, and Disney. Her genuine and honest online approach has cultivated a dedicated following appreciative of her authentic content creation.

In a recent venture, Soph initiated "Girls Eat + Meet," a social enterprise aimed at connecting women in Christchurch with events. Through effective social media strategies, the initiative has been a great success with all three events selling out within 24 hours.

How do we get smarter with our social content in 2024? With GenAI’s help and Gen Z’s love of low fi, the content might be easier to create, but that’s no guarantee it’ll resonate. If you want your social to feel the love in 2024, you need to keep up with the latest tools and trends. Our panel of social media experts will tackle everything from algorithm ranking signals to scalable content, authenticity, creators, gated content, AI, messaging for brands, video, and more. Don’t miss their tips and predictions for 2024.

About Scott

Scott Wilson founded Digital Influence, a digital marketing company that helps businesses win new business by creating simple, profitable, and fun digital marketing campaigns.

Scott likes to take something as complicated as digital marketing and advertising and strip it down to its most basic components for easy use by anyone who desires to grow their business.  

Scott is also the founder and host of the Marketing 4 Business Podcast show. The M4B podcast gives listeners the insights and strategies they need to succeed. M4B episodes feature a mix of interviews with successful business owners, during which they discuss their business, marketing, and mindset.

How do we get smarter with our social content in 2024? With GenAI’s help and Gen Z’s love of low fi, the content might be easier to create, but that’s no guarantee it’ll resonate. If you want your social to feel the love in 2024, you need to keep up with the latest tools and trends. Our panel of social media experts will tackle everything from algorithm ranking signals to scalable content, authenticity, creators, gated content, AI, messaging for brands, video, and more. Don’t miss their tips and predictions for 2024.

About Blue

Blue Hamel is a multidisciplinary creative director with over 10 years of experience as a leading creative talent in the industry. Throughout his illustrious career, he has collaborated with some of the most prestigious brands and eminent personalities worldwide. His portfolio boasts collaborations with renowned brands like Adidas, Louis Vuitton, and Yeezy. Furthermore, he has worked alongside iconic figures such as Kanye West, Kylie Jenner, Childish Gambino, Asap Ferg, and David Beckman, to name a few.

In addition to his vast experience in the creative direction, Blue stands out as a 3D specialist. With his expertise in 3D visualization in contemporary design, he founded OUTR CGI. At OUTR CGI the team have created a cutting-edge 3D agency which has quickly garnered acclaim for its innovative approach and exceptional craftsmanship, solidifying Blue's reputation as a tastemaker in both traditional and digital creative spaces.

Blue has recently launched a new AI company OUTR Chat, conversational AI solutions, which revolutionise the way businesses interact with their customers through state-of-the-art AI chatbot technology.