Eliza Florendo is a strategic storyteller with 10+ years of experience in editorial, social, and digital. She鈥檚 a writer, content creator, culture expert, and a bridge between creative and strategy鈥攕o she can think big, then make it happen. Eliza has worked with brands across fashion and beauty, auto, and food and beverage鈥攆rom Refinery29, to Nike, Converse, Maserati, Basil Hayden, and more.
Eliza> We鈥檝e seen AI and deepfakes play a trend in social for a little while now鈥攕tarting with Maybelline鈥檚 larger-than-life mascara application on the London tube to Jacquemus鈥 oversized bags driving down the street. As consumers, and marketers, these had us turning our heads and asking, 鈥淲ait, is this real?鈥 Over a year later, we鈥檙e still seeing this trend develop and continue.
Every platform functions so differently鈥揳nd the way they function evolves over time and there鈥檚 a lot of fun to be had on social, from shoppable livestreams to AI filters鈥搒o where are you finding the most satisfying or exciting creative opportunities right now (and can you give an example of a campaign that demonstrates that)?
I鈥檓 absolutely in love with Jacquemus鈥 latest campaigns on social. They鈥檝e recently done a whole series on Rube Goldberg machines, which I thought was genius. I love how the brand plays on whimsy, playing with size, scale, and also incorporating social media darlings: Alex Consani on a row machine, oversized handbag in tow, scarf flying? Incredible. It鈥檚 the sort of content that actually stops users in their scroll. It鈥檚 somehow nothing and everything about the product at the same time.
Eliza> I think it all comes down to authenticity. Warning: Marketing buzzword, hah! But it鈥檚 true, there are certain brands that can get away with being more human and personable, even sometimes unhinged, and others that can鈥檛.
I think brands need to be very strategic with how they peel the curtain back, and make sure those tactics align with their overall brand and strategy. Some brands can get away with the raw, real. Other brands make more sense in the polished, curated world. But always be true to who you are as a brand. People can smell a mile away if you鈥檙e not being authentic.
One example of GALE doing this really well is our work with Tequila Don Julio for D铆a de Muertos. To honour and celebrate this deeply meaningful holiday, we created Celebraci贸n, a five-episode docuseries that beautifully showcased the brand鈥檚 authentic Mexican heritage. The series highlighted the heart and soul of D铆a de Muertos through the stories of four Mexican creators sharing their ofrendas, offering a genuine reflection of tradition while aligning Don Julio with its cultural roots.
Eliza> Creative exists in a spectrum, and the pendulum always swings. A few years ago, as a response to the perfectly curated Instagram aesthetic, we saw the rise of people posting memes that were purposefully ironic and visually unappealing imagery and design. Users pushed social to be more real, unhinged, 鈥渋n it.鈥
We鈥檝e seen it work successfully for brands like Slim Jim, McDonald鈥檚, Nutter Butter. They gained so much love from audiences that were looking for something new, the antithesis to the perfection influencers served up.
Now, we鈥檝e almost gone the other way鈥攚e鈥檙e back to polished, but with a more thoughtful approach. We鈥檝e truly gone high-low, and we鈥檙e seeing a huge rise in single creators that are making these almost mini films.
A great example of how to mix craft and social is SSENSE. Their feed is elevated, simple, clean, yet their content remains social-first, as they take trending subjects, lingo, and cultural niches and marry them into their design. The result is a brand that 鈥済ets it,鈥 but still feels true to their aesthetic.
Eliza> At GALE, we have a social-first marketing team. Social-first doesn鈥檛 mean social media alone鈥 nor is it confined to social platforms; it requires a synchronized team of experts across PR, social, influencer, content, creator, social, community management, and paid media that operates both in feed and in real life.
The idea is that organic, paid, and earned aren鈥檛 in silos, but, in fact, operate together鈥攊n concert with a holistic strategy鈥攖o get the best possible reach - both in platform and in real life. The key is creating content tailored for each channel that drives community, conversation and culture based on . real audience insight. Things people really care about.
Our approach is a mix of science: data, plus a team with their finger on the pulse of culture. That insight drives a creative idea which lives across all the channels you mentioned, but, again, tailored for each platform.
This unique approach fosters connection and community by meeting our audience where they already gather, designing new hubs that cater to their shared interests, and encouraging dialogue with the very voices driving trends forward.
Eliza> Working in social can be really difficult鈥攜ou鈥檙e chronically online, 24/7, you see the good, the bad, the really ugly. It鈥檚 by far the most visible department to work in. As soon as you hit publish, your work can so quickly be seen, reviewed, nit-picked. And because the nature of social is meant to be agile, there are some things that need to be sacrificed.
As someone working in social, people sometimes assume you鈥檙e a strategist, content creator, photographer, editor, community manager, and analyst. We鈥檙e expected to wear many hats! So on a personal level, I try to advocate for my team to dismantle that assumption, and try to get support where we can. And just try to bring the fun back to social where we can.
We also try to come together in a monthly forum and ongoing group message to support in areas we need help in鈥揻rom knowledge sharing to just dropping our favourite social campaigns.
Eliza> I have been guilty of doing this, so no shade to brands that do this鈥攂ut, for me, a big misstep is blindly following trends without first thinking back to the brand strategy and brand image. The internet can be such a fun place, and when we see a trending audio, format, or video, we want to jump in. And, for some brands, that鈥檚 the right strategy. But it鈥檚 not for every single brand. I love a test-and-learn, but content should always tie back to who the brand is.
Eliza> At GALE, we have a proprietary culture-sensing tool, which enables us to see real-time culture opportunities for our brands. It鈥檚 an incredibly powerful tool to see which types of conversations are happening that we could possibly tap into. I love using it to brainstorm opportunities, but the buck doesn鈥檛 stop there. The next step is asking, 鈥淪o what?鈥
Eliza> I worry the younger generation will be unable to tell what鈥檚 real versus what鈥檚 AI. I also worry about the loss of real creative. Opportunities are endless鈥揳gain, from an inspiration standpoint. But, with limits.
Eliza> Like most folks working in social, I love TikTok. I think it鈥檚 such a powerful tool for democratised learning. I absolutely love long-from analysis on fashion trends and marketing trends. I watched a video the other day about art versus content that kinda blew my mind. I also love it for learning spreadsheet and presentation hacks.
Eliza> Early on in your career, learn about social from a holistic point of view鈥攈ow all the levers come together (influencer, organic, paid). In every piece of content, think audience-first: What is this asset telling me? What context do I need to understand what I鈥檓 looking at? What kind of creative do people care about?
Surround yourself with people with different talents (creatives, strategists, producers, etc.). Learn what they do, and how it plays into what you do. Exchange ideas. Brainstorm together.
I have not quite figured this out yet: learn how to use social in your professional sense, but also learn how to separate from it when you need to.
Lastly, have fun.