Observed Signal · Oct 5, 2026 · Interview · Source: The Drum · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Jo Bromilow urges social media leaders to embrace 'a little bit weird'
In an interview with The Drum, Jo Bromilow, Director of Social and Influencer at MSL UK, shares her views on the future of social media leadership. She emphasizes the importance of embracing one's uniqueness ('being a little bit weird') and investing in long-form writing and speaking skills to counter the industry's obsession with optimization, which is exacerbated by formulaic AI-generated content. Bromilow highlights the growing significance of social commerce and generative engine optimization (GEO), but warns brands to protect the trust and authenticity that made social media effective for sales and LLM training. She criticizes the over-reliance on short-term commercial benefits that can undermine influencer marketing, and expresses frustration with inconsistent ad disclosure rules and algorithmic dependencies, especially in restricted categories like HFSS. She advocates for showing up on fewer platforms with more intention, moving away from trends like NFTs and the metaverse that led to burnout.
The article is an interview with an industry figure sharing opinions and advice, but it does not announce any specific corporate event, product launch, or funding. It offers insights into social media strategy but lacks actionable news for the AdTech ecosystem.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Jo Bromilow is Director of Social and Influencer at MSL UK and a juror at the Drum Awards Festival.
- She advocates for investing in long-form writing and speaking skills in 2026.
- She criticizes the formulaic nature of AI-generated writing in social media.
- She warns against over-optimizing influencer marketing for short-term commercial gains, citing risk to trust and authenticity.
- She expresses frustration with ad disclosure rules and algorithmic dependencies, especially in HFSS categories.
Connected Companies & Entities
6 Entities mapped“works within global specialist teams across the Publicis network...”
“directing social and influencer programs for brands including Adobe...”
“directing social and influencer programs for brands including Microsoft...”
“directing social and influencer programs for brands including Lloyds Bank...”
“directing social and influencer programs for brands including Tesco...”
“directing social and influencer programs for brands including Unilever...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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Unilever's Creator‑First Shift Still Needs a Big Idea
Jo Bromilow argues in The Drum that Unilever’s move to a creator-first approach and heavier reliance on influencer marketing is a correct challenge to legacy agency habits, but warns brands still need an overarching, flexible “big idea” to tie creator activity together. The piece notes The Drum’s interviews with Unilever executives showing the company no longer treats influencers as a pure distribution channel and is elevating creators into core creative conversations. Bromilow cites industry research (WPP Media, System1 and TikTok) showing influencer effectiveness requires consistent, phased storytelling and long-term partnerships, and contends agencies should help brands translate flexible big ideas into ongoing creator-led activations.
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