Elena Solakova

Elena Solakova

We didn’t make it to Cannes Lions this year. No rosé by the marina. No sunburnt schmoozing. But that doesn’t mean we missed the plot. Because beneath the yacht selfies and the sea of sequins, there were big signals. Clarity. And, dare I say it, a few quiet…
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There’s been much hype around Creators in recent months. They’re not a silver bullet to social. But they are a growing force in marketing, one that’s become harder to ignore, and even harder to use well. Creators are professionalising fast. They’re running businesses, monetising audiences directly, and…
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Let’s be honest, when B2B marketers talk about channels, YouTube often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It’s typically seen as a brand awareness play, useful for visibility, but not necessarily for targeting decision-makers or driving meaningful action. That’s a myth worth challenging. While YouTube isn’t a perfect tool for…
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If you hate face-to-camera videos on LinkedIn, I get it. But here’s why you’re wrong. It started with a chat.I was talking to a few brilliant marketers the other day, and someone said, “I really can’t stand those face-to-camera videos on LinkedIn. They’re cringey.” And you know what?I understood exactly…
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Yes, that is me being a bit obvious, but sometimes you need to be a bit blunt.  Social is where buyers research, where conversion journeys begin, and where measurable business outcomes are shaped. And yet too often, it’s still seen as secondary to ‘real’ marketing. This newsletter edition…
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You don’t need a major breach to feel the burn. One dodgy influencer tag, a forgotten login, or a missed “#ad” can be enough to knock trust, damage reputation, or lock you out completely. We’ve been digging into the latest brand safety insights — and honestly, it’s more chaotic…
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And just like that, your brand’s been hacked. Your Instagram’s full of dodgy crypto reels. The TikTok logins are in a spreadsheet last edited in 2022. And no one’s sure if Lucy from PR still has access… even though she left last summer. A recent study by eMarketer…
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Meta didn’t announce updates. It announced control. At NewFronts 2025, Meta rolled out tools, formats, and algorithms that signal one thing: it wants to own the attention economy from top to bottom. Discovery, distribution, and even your creative process. This isn’t just about more ad slots. It’s…
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We’ve all heard it — “digital works.” But if you’re still treating social media as an afterthought or a cherry on top of your marketing strategy, you’re likely missing the real opportunity that’s right in front of you. A key insight we took away from the recent FinTech Marketing Conference…
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Why short, sharp social campaigns are your secret weapon When the world wobbles, marketing must sprint, not stroll. And let’s be honest, right now it’s less “steady as she goes” and more “brace, brace!” (I am laughing in a slightly manic way as I write this!)…
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If you’re not using video on LinkedIn yet, consider this your nudge. LinkedIn just shared some updated specs and tips for video content — and it’s all a timely reminder that the platform is putting serious weight behind video. In fact, video watch time on LinkedIn rose…
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Seems AI has dominated the conversation for such a long time now – so it was only a matter of time before the likes of Meta strutted their stuff in line other LLMs. The announcement of Llama 4 is set to revolutionise AI usage, as it…
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Instagram is quietly experimenting with a new feature: lockable posts that can only be viewed with a code. Spotted on the Instagram Design profile, these posts display a blurred image and a prompt to “Enter secret code.” Once entered, the content unlocks. At first glance, it might…
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Why are brands waking up to the DTC power of social? Since the pandemic upended how we shop, the social media feed has quietly become the new high street. But this isn’t just about adding shoppable links to pretty posts. Social commerce is now a full-on growth…
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Meta’s Twitter clone, Threads, is testing a new feature that would let users replicate their X (formerly Twitter) follows on the platform. Sounds useful, right? Well, not so fast—the process isn’t exactly seamless. According to app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Threads’ “Creators from X” tool will require users to…
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