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ex Global Senior Social Media Manager at Deliveroo, to unpack why the current “brand architecture” model is completely outdated for how social actually works today.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

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