Forbes named her as one of the most influential voices in social media, and this year she’s coming to New Zealand! Zaria Parvez is the Global Social Media Manager for language app Duolingo and the woman who turned a once-dormant TikTok account into a global social media darling with 15 million followers and billions of views.

Their brand mascot, the beloved but totally unhinged green owl Duo, became as an influencer in his own right, famous for pulling off marketing stunts. He went to the Super Bowl, officiated weddings, even had a baby. So, imagine the social media frenzy when Duo’s death was announced via Instagram in February 2025! 
Insane brand move or brilliant viral strategy? We’ll find out at #OnSocial25.

• Creating your own cultural moments
• Why you don’t need a huge budget to go viral
• Jumping on viral trends to maximise reach
• Fostering community in the comments sections
• What we can all learn from Duolingo’s bold, witty and meme-worthy marketing strategy.

About Zaria

Zaria Parvez is Duolingo’s Senior Global Social Media Manager. She leads social strategy, community management, and creator partnerships across all major social platforms. Zaria spearheaded the development of Duolingo’s TikTok account.

As a direct result of Zaria's work on Duolingo's TikTok strategy and execution, the now-famous TikTok channel grew from 50K followers in September 2021 to 11M followers today. What started as a test-and-learn initiative has become Duolingo's most successful social buzz and word of mouth initiative to date – all because of Zaria's insights, instincts, and expertise. More broadly, Zaria is a role model for a new, diverse class of Gen Z social media talent and has proven what's possible when given creative freedom and trust in the work she does.

Since her time at Duolingo, Zaria has been named AdAge Social Marketer of the Year 2021, Adweek Creative 100 and Forbes 30 under 30. 

About Naomi

Naomi Shepherd leads the customer facing teams and is a seasoned and accomplished Director at Meta, a leading metaverse company. With a deep focus on customer growth and support, Naomi has successfully guided businesses of all sizes in harnessing the power of Meta technologies.

Naomi Shepherd's professional journey spans the realms of radio and digital audio in the UK and New York. Her experiences in these industries have honed her skills in content creation, storytelling, and engaging audiences through immersive audio. This background fuels her passion for leveraging technology to captivate and connect people.

Joining us via live-stream from Europe

Michael Corcoran, the fearless ex-head of social media at Ryanair and now the powerhouse behind Frankly is known for his daring, no-nonsense approach to social media.

In just over two years, he reinvented Ryanair’s social presence from stock-standard to the sassiest brand on the planet by doubling down on the airline’s disruptive DNA.

Find out how Michael and his team did it, the method behind the madness, and why it’s crucial for brands to understand why they’re on social in the first place.

Get ready for a masterclass in social media as Michael joins us at #OnSocial25! 
Find out: 

• What role does social really play for your brand?
• Why you need to throw away the playbook
• Why you can’t be afraid to get off the fence
• Why your social media needs some personality
• Why your comebacks need to be faster
• Why less is more.

About Michael

Michael Corcoran was head of social media at Ryanair between July 2021 and November 2023. The airline basically wrote the script for sassy socials, and Michael and his team have influenced countless social and marketing pros around the world with their work. Michael is a seasoned expert in digital marketing specialist, and he played a pivotal role in shaping Ryanair's social media presence and disruptive marketing strategies.

Now leading the charge at Frankly, the social media agency he started after leaving Ryanair, Michael continues to take bold, creative steps in the world of digital marketing.

Seth Zwart, Brand & Social lead at YouTube will discuss how you can unlock the YouTube ecosystem for your social campaigns.

Hear what opportunities there are for brands to engage, grow and innovate as Seth is joined on stage by leaders in NZ who will share real life examples and how you can get started today. 

About Seth

Seth brings over a decade of experience from New Zealand's media agency landscape, where he held Director positions advising some of the nation's leading brands. Transitioning to YouTube two years ago, he now serves as Brand Lead, specializing in unlocking brand-building potential on what he considers the most diverse media channel on the planet.

Seth is passionate about the strategic use of a diverse range of assets to weave comprehensive brand narratives. He sees YouTube's multifaceted environment as uniquely suited to support such holistic brand ecosystems.

About Michaela

Michaela is a seasoned and award-winning expert in influencer marketing. She has led GroupM’s influencer agency, Goat, and now oversees influencer marketing for L’Oréal ANZ’s portfolio of luxury brands. Michaela has been a driving force behind impactful content strategies that resonate with audiences and deliver measurable business results.

She is passionate about data-driven performance, building effective technology solutions, and championing greater diversity, inclusivity, and representation within the creator marketing space. Her work reflects a deep commitment to meaningful change and the empowerment of underrepresented voices.

Michaela’s leadership and expertise have been recognised with accolades including B&T’s 30 Under 30 in Account Management/Sales and Best of the Best Social Media Directors in 2023.

About Trent

Trent is a seasoned creative and media professional with over 13 years of experience, currently leading L’Oréal ANZ’s newly established influencer agency, WPP Beauty Tech Labs, within GroupM. In his role as Managing Partner, Trent and his team are responsible for consolidating influencer activity across 32 of L’Oréal’s iconic brands, redefining influencer engagement strategies, and elevating the advocacy industry as a whole.

Prior to this, Trent held senior advisory and client management roles, where he was instrumental in building merging three creative studios to form an award-winning multifunctional agency, and fostering high-performing teams.

He is passionate about driving innovation and achieving impactful results within the dynamic landscape of beauty and advocacy.

ZURU is on a mission to reimagine tomorrow. By pushing boundaries and embracing innovation, the company has developed a digital and social strategy that has captured the attention of younger shoppers and caught the eye of major U.S. retailers like Walmart and Target.

Join Rob Thomas, Global Head of Digital at ZURU, as he shares the bold digital and social strategies powering the company’s explosive growth and its rise as a trendsetter across global retail.

Discover how ZURU’s large-scale content model, real-time social experimentation, and data-fuelled insights for global brands like MONDAY, XSHOT, and Rascals have captivated Gen Z and Millennial audiences. This is more than just a case study - it’s a masterclass in how companies can move fast, stay culturally relevant, and grow brands with the next generation of customers.

About Rob

The ZURU Group is one of the fastest-growing and most disruptive companies in the world.

Rob is ZURUs Head of Digital - a marketing expert with 15 years of experience in building and transforming global brands for the modern world.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Rob is passionate about harnessing the power of data to build and execute impactful ZURU Toys and FMCG brands that stand out (and work hard!) in an ever-evolving media landscape.

Rob leads the global digital and data agenda across all of The ZURU Group: FMCG & Toys.

45 million impressions, 32 million video views and millions of engagements. 35,000 new followers. 
It’s a feat of Olympic proportions by Sky’s social media team during two mad weeks last year. 

The team were in the thick of it, working round the clock to tackle the time difference with Paris, celebrating and sharing Aotearoa’s wins with a growing community of followers.

Unique perspective of Māori influencer Te Aorere Pewhairangi on the ground in Paris. What set them apart and brought them global attention. Giving him creative freedom.

• What they did differently this time
• How the platforms have evolved since the last Olympics
• Building on a global cultural moment
• The challenges and the wins
• Planning and executing at this level.

About Harry

With 10  years of experience in social media marketing, Harry has built a reputation for developing and executing impactful, social-first content strategies that drive engagement, enhance brand visibility, and elevate the customer experience. As the lead of Sky New Zealand’s Social Media team, he consistently champions innovative and performance-driven campaigns across multiple digital platforms.

Harry’s deep passion for sport has been instrumental in delivering high-profile campaigns, including Sky’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and bringing Sky Super Rugby Aupiki’s Final to TikTok — a world-first initiative.

MSD’s Love Better programme helps Kiwi youth navigate the tricky stuff in love, sex, and relationships.

It’s an important, serious topic. Patterns of behaviour that become normalised in young relationships during this time have a direct effect on domestic violence in later life.

Love, sex and relationships are not things young people typically take advice from the government on, though. We tackled this challenge with a decidedly social-first approach to our initial Own The Feels campaign, which helped young people deal with their first breakups in a healthy way.

At the core of our strategy was a TikTok channel fronted by two young VICE journalists, supported by an ecosystem of youth media outlets and content creators that, in all, produced over 700 pieces of content of all consumption types (audio, video and editorial) across 2023-24 – and drove over 26 million engagements.

Come along and see why this award-winning campaign made headlines in 13 countries worldwide! 

About Zaffa

Zaffa Christian is a Lead Advisor at the Ministry of Social Development.

She has a long history of working on social change campaigns, particularly those that target family and sexual violence.

Zaffa worked on the It’s No Ok campaign, the Are You That Someone campaign and has been the lead for the Love Better programme since inception.

MSD’s Love Better programme helps Kiwi youth navigate the tricky stuff in love, sex, and relationships.

It’s an important, serious topic. Patterns of behaviour that become normalised in young relationships during this time have a direct effect on domestic violence in later life.

Love, sex and relationships are not things young people typically take advice from the government on, though. We tackled this challenge with a decidedly social-first approach to our initial Own The Feels campaign, which helped young people deal with their first breakups in a healthy way.

At the core of our strategy was a TikTok channel fronted by two young VICE journalists, supported by an ecosystem of youth media outlets and content creators that, in all, produced over 700 pieces of content of all consumption types (audio, video and editorial) across 2023-24 – and drove over 26 million engagements.

Come along and see why this award-winning campaign made headlines in 13 countries worldwide! 

About Marty

Marty has worked in media for over a decade within the OMG group, with stints in Auckland, Wellington (twice) and Toronto.

This career path has included working across industries as varied as telecommunications, automotive, FMCG, alcohol, domestic and international education, health, and numerous government categories.

Marty currently leads the client service team in OMD’s Wellington office, and he has worked across the LoveBetter programme for the last four years.

Founder of Social Good, Katie Brown (Raukawa & Ngāti Whātua), is a leading voice in culturally responsive digital storytelling, with a mission to bring social change through authentic, values-led marketing grounded in Te Ao Māori.

In this kōrero, Katie provides a foundational understanding of key Kaupapa Māori principles and how they apply to social media, giving you the tools and confidence to craft more inclusive and respectful content.

Katie will share real-world examples of Kaupapa Māori-aligned social campaigns and discuss the role of Te Ao Māori values in shaping narratives.

• Putting the principles into practice across content creation, community management, creator partnerships, and campaign planning
• Creating space for Māori voices and community engagement
• Avoiding tokenism: when to consult, co-create, or step back
• Why this conversation matters for marketers today.

Local brands have proven that you don't need a massive budget to make a big impact on social media. In this session, we talk to the people behind Two Dudes, Stickman and Hell Pizza. They will share their journeys—from scrappy beginnings and trial-and-error approaches to carving out unique niches and achieving standout success. 
If you want to find out how they capitalised on new and trending social media channels, got creative on a budget, and built a loyal community of followers, then you don’t want to miss this session!

• Finding what works for you and your brand
• Getting the right people involved
• Finding your unique voice
• Early adoption tactics that helped us stand out from the competition
• Test, learn and build from there.

About Stephanie

Stephanie Quantrill is a senior marketer with over 20 years experience working for some of the most respected and well-loved brands in New Zealand and overseas. She started her own business, Cue Marketing Partners in 2024, specialising as a fractional CMO.

She’s currently the Marketing Director at Hell Pizza , helping deliver a new brand platform  “Worth Going to Hell for” and redefining the channel strategy to deliver effective marketing in the highly competitive world of QSR.

She’s passionate about long term brand building and loves talking marketing and advertising with anyone who will listen.

Local brands have proven that you don't need a massive budget to make a big impact on social media. In this session, we talk to the people behind Two Dudes, Stickman and Hell Pizza. They will share their journeys—from scrappy beginnings and trial-and-error approaches to carving out unique niches and achieving standout success. 
If you want to find out how they capitalised on new and trending social media channels, got creative on a budget, and built a loyal community of followers, then you don’t want to miss this session!

• Finding what works for you and your brand
• Getting the right people involved
• Finding your unique voice
• Early adoption tactics that helped us stand out from the competition
• Test, learn and build from there.

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.

Local brands have proven that you don't need a massive budget to make a big impact on social media. In this session, we talk to the people behind Two Dudes, Stickman and Hell Pizza. They will share their journeys—from scrappy beginnings and trial-and-error approaches to carving out unique niches and achieving standout success. 
If you want to find out how they capitalised on new and trending social media channels, got creative on a budget, and built a loyal community of followers, then you don’t want to miss this session!

• Finding what works for you and your brand
• Getting the right people involved
• Finding your unique voice
• Early adoption tactics that helped us stand out from the competition
• Test, learn and build from there.

About Kate

Since founding Moodi in 2022 straight out of university, Kate has bootstrapped the business into what it is today, executing all marketing in-house and now managing a multi-million-dollar annual spend across Meta and TikTok to generate millions of social media impressions every week.

As a marketer navigating an increasingly fragmented landscape, Kate combines creativity with data-driven insights to adapt strategies and stay ahead. From leading innovative digital campaigns to impactful in-person activations, she has built a brand that thrives on connection and storytelling.

Kate’s philosophy centres on the belief that while products can be replicated, a strong brand cannot. As the marketing landscape evolves, she champions embracing new tools, leaning into change, and prioritising authentic connections to remain competitive.

Discover how to harness internal talent to drive your social media presence. Learn about the strategies, successes, and how it works in practice.

• Building a social-first culture in your organisation
• How to think as a creator and continue to push the boundaries
• Co-creation with your customers
• Boosting reach and engagement
• Creating a human voice
• Challenges, opportunities and what’s next.

About Ryan

Ryan Stokes is the social content and community manager at ASB where he takes ideas from concept to final edit for the companies’ social channels.

With 4 years of experience in the social media space, Ryan specializes in creating ambitious pieces of content on a small budget and team.

Along with ASB, Ryan runs a content agency with his partner that specialises in high-quality photos and video for small businesses and personal brands. Post Party was birthed out of a passion for making social media more accessible and achievable for smaller brands, which is Ryan’s favourite part of the job.

Discover how to harness internal talent to drive your social media presence. Learn about the strategies, successes, and how it works in practice.

• Building a social-first culture in your organisation
• How to think as a creator and continue to push the boundaries
• Co-creation with your customers
• Boosting reach and engagement
• Creating a human voice
• Challenges, opportunities and what’s next.

About Sam

Sam Mills is an Auckland native who has worked within the adventure tourism industry for the past 6 years, and currently works at AJ Hackett Bungy NZ in an operational capacity and as the lead content creator for their Auckland sites.

Within her content role, Sam has produced ‘Bring It Home,’ a short documentary surrounding Auckland Bungy’s most recent Guinness world record attempt. With a keen interest in videography, she focuses on medium-form content, website content and promotional material.

Social media isn’t just evolving - it’s being completely disrupted. In a world where yesterday’s trends are already old news, how do you stay ahead of the curve and actually cut through the noise?

In this fast-paced, insight-packed panel discussion, we’ll break down what’s hot, what’s hype, and what’s actually working in social content today. From AI-powered creativity to the rise of co-created and community-driven storytelling, this session will explore the forces reshaping content as we know it.

You’ll walk away with:

• The weird, wonderful, and wildly effective content examples making waves right now
• A breakdown of social media trends worth watching — and the ones to ignore
• The real impact of AI on creativity and authenticity
• The fine line between trend-jacking and original content (and when to do each)
• Why a "social-first" mindset is non-negotiable in 2025
• How co-creation and the democratisation of content are changing the game
• What authenticity really means in today’s algorithmic world.

Social media isn’t just evolving - it’s being completely disrupted. In a world where yesterday’s trends are already old news, how do you stay ahead of the curve and actually cut through the noise?

In this fast-paced, insight-packed panel discussion, we’ll break down what’s hot, what’s hype, and what’s actually working in social content today. From AI-powered creativity to the rise of co-created and community-driven storytelling, this session will explore the forces reshaping content as we know it.

You’ll walk away with:

• The weird, wonderful, and wildly effective content examples making waves right now
• A breakdown of social media trends worth watching — and the ones to ignore
• The real impact of AI on creativity and authenticity
• The fine line between trend-jacking and original content (and when to do each)
• Why a "social-first" mindset is non-negotiable in 2025
• How co-creation and the democratisation of content are changing the game
• What authenticity really means in today’s algorithmic world.

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. 

Social media isn’t just evolving - it’s being completely disrupted. In a world where yesterday’s trends are already old news, how do you stay ahead of the curve and actually cut through the noise?

In this fast-paced, insight-packed panel discussion, we’ll break down what’s hot, what’s hype, and what’s actually working in social content today. From AI-powered creativity to the rise of co-created and community-driven storytelling, this session will explore the forces reshaping content as we know it.

You’ll walk away with:

• The weird, wonderful, and wildly effective content examples making waves right now
• A breakdown of social media trends worth watching — and the ones to ignore
• The real impact of AI on creativity and authenticity
• The fine line between trend-jacking and original content (and when to do each)
• Why a "social-first" mindset is non-negotiable in 2025
• How co-creation and the democratisation of content are changing the game
• What authenticity really means in today’s algorithmic world.

About Trent

Trent is a seasoned creative and media professional with over 13 years of experience, currently leading L’Oréal ANZ’s newly established influencer agency, WPP Beauty Tech Labs, within GroupM. In his role as Managing Partner, Trent and his team are responsible for consolidating influencer activity across 32 of L’Oréal’s iconic brands, redefining influencer engagement strategies, and elevating the advocacy industry as a whole.

Prior to this, Trent held senior advisory and client management roles, where he was instrumental in building merging three creative studios to form an award-winning multifunctional agency, and fostering high-performing teams.

He is passionate about driving innovation and achieving impactful results within the dynamic landscape of beauty and advocacy.

Social media isn’t just evolving - it’s being completely disrupted. In a world where yesterday’s trends are already old news, how do you stay ahead of the curve and actually cut through the noise?

In this fast-paced, insight-packed panel discussion, we’ll break down what’s hot, what’s hype, and what’s actually working in social content today. From AI-powered creativity to the rise of co-created and community-driven storytelling, this session will explore the forces reshaping content as we know it.

You’ll walk away with:

• The weird, wonderful, and wildly effective content examples making waves right now
• A breakdown of social media trends worth watching — and the ones to ignore
• The real impact of AI on creativity and authenticity
• The fine line between trend-jacking and original content (and when to do each)
• Why a "social-first" mindset is non-negotiable in 2025
• How co-creation and the democratisation of content are changing the game
• What authenticity really means in today’s algorithmic world.

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Katie Questions Like These:

• How do your Māori values or tikanga inform the way you approach social media and community management?
• Can you share how concepts like manaakitanga, whanaungatanga (relationships), or kaitiakitanga (guardianship) influence how you nurture online communities?
• Was there a moment or kaupapa (cause) that made you realise the importance of protecting vulnerable voices online?
• What does a values-led community management strategy look like in practice?
• How do you balance authenticity, cultural representation, and safety when managing a space for marginalised voices?
• What are some non-negotiables for you when building inclusive and respectful online communities?
• How can social media managers act as allies or advocates without tokenising or overstepping?
• What role does language (e.g., Te Reo Māori, Pacific languages) play in creating safe and inclusive digital spaces?
• How do you empower community members to use their voice while also protecting their wellbeing?
• How do you prepare or train teams to manage online spaces through a culturally informed lens?
• How can brands or organisations better engage with Māori and other minority communities online in a meaningful way?
• What advice would you give to non-Māori social media managers trying to build safe spaces for diverse communities?

You say search! Gen Z says... TikTok? 46% of Gen Z prefer to use social media to search over search engines (Forbes, 2024). In this roundtable, we will explore the shift in behaviour and platform function that has led to social media as a search engine, what it means for social media going forward, and how to make the most of it. 

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Brianna Questions Like These:

• Why has this preference for social media as a search engine developed?
• How do we prepare for the shift in search behaviour?
• What is available in NZ to optimise search across social media?
• What are some tips to develop/optimise my SEO strategy for social?
• What does this mean for the future of search engines and strategy?
• Do users trust the information they find on social media?
• How does search behaviour differ between platforms? (Reddit v. TikTok)
• How do influencers & user-generated content share search results?
• What are common social search topics? Does this differ from traditional search engines?
• Are search engines adapting to social media trends (e.g., showing Reddit or TikTok results in SERPS?
• What role do visuals and short-form videos play in information discovery? 

About Brianna

Brianna Regester is a seasoned social media professional with a passion for evolving the role of social platforms.

With over 12 years of experience leading social strategy and media management, she has helped brands navigate the ever-changing and exhilarating adventure that has been social media, and search is just the newest frontier. 

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Dan Questions Like These:

• What makes a great brand collab from your point of view?
• What advice would you give to brands or marketers just starting to work with creators?
• Tips on how to determine if the fit is right between brand and creator.
• What to look for when choosing creators to work with.
• What’s something brands often get wrong when approaching creators?
• How do you stay authentic to your audience when working with brands?
• What’s your process for briefing creators? How much creative freedom do you give them?
• What metrics do you track to measure the success of a creator partnership?
• How do you report the impact of creator collaborations to your wider team or leadership?
• How do you see the role of creators evolving in the next few years?

About Dan

Dan’s passion is assisting athletes and artists identify their purpose to build their personal brands in order to partner with aligned commercial and non-profit partners.

With a business background from film to finance and a MComLaw(Hons) in Sports and Entertainment Law, A partner since the company’s inception in 2016, Dan enjoys being able to utilise his diverse skills to create successful partnerships.

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Nathan Questions Like These:

• How did you first pitch the idea to your team, and what was their initial reaction?
• Were there any hesitations from team members? How did you overcome them?
• What incentives or motivations have worked well to encourage participation?
• How do you identify who in the team could be a good fit for creating or appearing in content?
• Do you give them specific guidelines, or let them create freely?
• How do you balance authenticity with brand voice when team members are creating content?
• Did you provide any training or tools to help your team feel confident creating content?
• Do you schedule or plan content creation sessions with your team, or is it more spontaneous?
• What kinds of content have worked best when created by your team (e.g., behind-the-scenes, product tips, day-in-the-life)?
• What advice would you give to other social media managers who want to try this approach?
• Any unexpected wins or standout moments from this journey so far?

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask David Questions Like These:

• Does social media marketing contribute to revenue growth?
• What are the key social media metrics driving sales?
• What type of content achieves the metrics that grows brands and revenue?
• What are the key mistakes brands make when measuring social performance?
• What framework should I use to measure my performance in social – what are the key components?
• Which metrics or KPIs do you recommend tracking regularly — and which ones aren’t as meaningful?
• What should I measure if I’m a smaller brand and it’s hard to compete against bigger budgets?
• Should I focus on brand building in social or performance marketing?
• Do you think AI or automation is going to change the way we track and interpret brand performance online?

About David

Dave is the Managing Director of Zavy, a NZ-based world leader in social media analytics. With a passion for measurement and unlocking the link between social media activity and business growth, Dave and his team have studied the revenue growth and social media impact of over 2,500 businesses.

Through this work, they have developed a unique understanding of social media performance and work with leading brands and organisations to help them grow their brands using social media.

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Blue Questions Like These:

• What are your go-to tools right now for social content creation — and why?
• How do you decide which tools are worth investing time and money in?
• Are there any underrated or lesser-known tools that more marketers should know about?
• What tools are best for creating content across multiple platforms without losing quality or creativity?
• How do you balance using tools like Canva or Adobe Express with maintaining brand uniqueness and originality?

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. 

Creating high-performing content that truly resonates with your audience. Using SEO and customer insights to shape content, establishing a stand-apart brand voice, defining content themes, embracing authenticity, lo-fi production, storytelling, and choosing trends that fit.

Takeaways:

Learn how to uncover what your audience actually wants using tools like TikTok Creator Search Insights, Google Trends and AnswerThePublic.

We’ll explore how to “take your brand on a date” to define its 360° personality, set tone-of-voice guidelines, and build content themes rooted in insight - not assumption.

You’ll walk away with a clear path to creating scroll-stopping content that adds value, drives engagement, and builds real connection.

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Zania Questions Like These:

• How do I find out what content my audience wants to see?
• How do I create content themes based on trends and data?
• What’s the best way to balance storytelling and selling?
• How do I establish a unique tone of voice for our brand?
• What’s the right mix of high-production vs. lo-fi content?
• How do I create a regular, sustainable content rhythm?
• What makes content feel authentic and not “ad-like”?
• How do I empower my team to confidently create on-brand content? 

About Zania

As a prominent figure in New Zealand's digital and social media marketing landscape, Zania is dedicated to transforming the online presence of businesses across industries to build thriving brands. She proudly serves on the Marketing Association Digital SIG committee, leads her digital and social media consultancy, Zaniaguy.com, and hosts the popular business podcast "Marketing Masters - The Art and Science of Modern Marketing." In her consultancy, she leverages AI-powered tools to help businesses succeed faster and more efficiently.

Zania has specialised in digital marketing her entire career, including 4.5 transformative years leading New World's digital and social marketing. She not only met KPIs but soared past them, cultivating a buzzing foodie community across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and propelling their social conversations from 400 to 40,000 a month. Beyond driving social engagement, she contributed to all campaigns by building seamless customer experiences across all digital touchpoints and was a key contributor to driving sales.

Her journey has allowed her to work with industry leaders and loved brands like Bluebells Cakery, Colliers, New World, Vodafone NZ (now One NZ), Les Mills International, and The Salvation Army among others. Zania’s career also spans a decade in the UK, where she honed her digital skills with prestigious companies such as Phaidon Press International and The Engine Group crafting and executing digital marketing and social media strategies that delivered results.

A passionate and creative problem-solver, she thrives on collaborating with clients and teams to drive business growth and foster enduring brand loyalty.

Using paid social media to drive real business outcomes. Aligning paid social with business goals, budgeting, targeting, creative effectiveness, and measuring success.

Takeaways:
Actionable insights on strategy, campaign execution, and optimising for results

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Julian and James Questions Like These:

• How do you measure ROI in social media advertising?
• How do you decide the right campaign objective?
• Should I use automated features like Meta’s Advantage+?
• How big should my target audience be?
• What are common mistakes brands make in paid social?
• How do you improve ad relevance and engagement?
• How do you know if your paid social campaigns are actually working?
• What's the best way to structure my campaigns / adsets / ads>
• How do you choose between broad vs. niche targeting?
• How do you balance brand awareness and direct response ads?
• What's a Pixel for, and what's CAPI?
• How often should you refresh ad creatives to avoid fatigue?

Using paid social media to drive real business outcomes. Aligning paid social with business goals, budgeting, targeting, creative effectiveness, and measuring success.

Takeaways:
Actionable insights on strategy, campaign execution, and optimising for results

Join This Roundtable for Your Chance to Ask Julian and James Questions Like These:

• How do you measure ROI in social media advertising?
• How do you decide the right campaign objective?
• Should I use automated features like Meta’s Advantage+?
• How big should my target audience be?
• What are common mistakes brands make in paid social?
• How do you improve ad relevance and engagement?
• How do you know if your paid social campaigns are actually working?
• What's the best way to structure my campaigns / adsets / ads>
• How do you choose between broad vs. niche targeting?
• How do you balance brand awareness and direct response ads?
• What's a Pixel for, and what's CAPI?
• How often should you refresh ad creatives to avoid fatigue?.

About James

Having started his career in digital marketing back in 2014, James brings to the table a wealth of tactical knowledge from working over the years with clients big and small across a wide range of verticals.

As someone who likes to describe the process of social media marketing as "problem solving", James enjoys applying his knowledge to real world scenarios, taking a friendly and holistic approach when sharing his experience.