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In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we're joined by Vendela Grahn, Head of Brand at Redhead Snacks, for a conversation that challenges how brands think about social media, creativity and cultural relevance.  Redhead may be a snack brand, but it operates just as much like a content company. And behind its distinctive approach is a team that doesn't just follow internet culture. They're part of it.  Vendela shares how growing up in fandoms and online communities shaped her approach to marketing, why understanding a platform's language goes far beyond following trends, and why some of the most valuable creative talent might never have studied marketing at all.  We also explore how Redhead is building an identity beyond its famous founder, Mauri Hermundsson, why brands aren't always welcome in online conversations, and what happened when a team that's deeply skeptical of AI decided to experiment with AI-generated content.  From hiring fangirls to questioning traditional content calendars, this episode offers a different perspective on what it really takes to build a brand that belongs in internet culture.  We also get into:  Why Redhead treats its chips as props, not the main event  How Mauri went from every TikTok to every fifth  Why HBO is hiring fan editors  How trends travel from X to TikTok, Reels and Facebook  Why Redhead ditched rigid content calendars for daily trend check-ins

What happens when the things that once gave your brand a competitive edge become available to everyone?  In this episode, we sit down with Victor Halvarsson, founder and CEO of VANBRUUN, to explore how a digital-first jewellery brand evolved into something much harder to replicate - a modern luxury experience built around taste, hospitality and human connection.  VANBRUUN started by selling engagement rings online, competing on price and efficiency. Thirteen years later, the thinking has shifted. As AI makes content, technology and digital experiences easier to copy, the brand is doubling down on the things that don't scale: the physical spaces, the smallest details, the feeling you get when you walk through the door.  We get into what that looks like in practice - from building desirability without a hundred years of heritage, to why the hardest things to scale might become the biggest competitive advantage.  We also explore:  Why competing on price and efficiency wasn't enough to build the brand Victor wanted  What hospitality can teach us about modern brand building  Where VANBRUUN uses AI, and where it deliberately doesn't  Why the things that are hardest to scale might become the biggest competitive advantage

What if the biggest creator marketing shifts of 2027 have very little to do with the next platform, format or viral trend?  In this episode, Sanna Ödmark and Frida Ekholm look beyond the usual trend predictions to unpack the bigger changes reshaping creator marketing - and marketing itself.  Creator marketing is moving closer to the core of how brands build relevance, creativity and growth. At the same time, AI is making content faster and cheaper to produce, raising the bar for what actually earns attention. And as social platforms become more participatory again, the role of creators is evolving far beyond simply producing and distributing content.  We get into what these shifts mean in practice: from why creator marketing might start to disappear as a separate channel, to bringing creator expertise further upstream, building creative frameworks that work at scale, and understanding why more content doesn't necessarily mean more impact.  We also explore:  Why creator marketing is becoming increasingly integrated into marketing itself  What “creator-first” actually means, and why it doesn't mean handing creators the strategy  Why AI makes human judgment, creativity and distinctiveness more valuable  How brands can balance creative freedom with strategic direction  Why social is becoming social again, and what the shift from broadcasting to participation means for brands

What does it actually take to turn a brand around, in a category where standing out is anything but easy?  In this episode, we sit down with Teresa Hedlund, Head of Brand & Marketing  at Telenor Sweden, to unpack the transformation the brand has been through over the past few years.  Telecom is one of the most competitive, and arguably least differentiated, categories out there. For Telenor, creating change has meant rethinking not only how the brand shows up, but how the marketing organisation behind it works.  We get into the decisions behind that transformation: from making sharper choices and challenging established ways of working, to creating an organisation that can move faster and deliver more impact. Teresa also shares what she has learned about leading through change, bringing people with you, and building a stronger, more distinctive brand.  We also explore:  How to create meaningful differentiation in a highly competitive category   Why real transformation goes beyond marketing   What it takes to make tough decisions while bringing people with you   How sharper priorities can create more impact   The role of leadership in taking a brand through transformation

We're back with season 12! In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Patrick Axzell, CEO of BUBS and Orkla Snacks Sweden.  Most brands spend years trying to create demand. BUBS suddenly had the opposite problem. As Swedish Candy exploded on social media, demand grew to 14 times what the company could produce – and content around BUBS went on to generate 9 billion views on TikTok.  In this conversation, we get into what actually happens when the internet chooses your brand: how BUBS responded when demand took off faster than the business could keep up, why letting go of control became part of the strategy, and what it takes to turn viral momentum into long-term brand and business growth. We also talk about why speed can matter more than perfection, how BUBS lets consumers and creators shape the brand, and what Patrik has learned about leading through unexpected growth.  We also explore:  What happens behind the scenes when demand suddenly exceeds supply   Why BUBS built its brand playbook by listening to consumers, rather than starting with an agency   How to let consumers and creators shape a brand without losing what makes it distinctive   Why the BUBS concept store became one of the brand’s most valuable marketing platforms   How to turn a cultural moment into something much bigger than a viral hit

In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Alexander Shmelkov, Director of Global Brand Tracking at IKEA.  Most brand trackers are built to tell you what happened. Alexander has spent the last few years rebuilding one to help the business decide what to do next, across 64 markets, in an environment where the rules of growth are changing fast.  In this conversation we get into why data on its own has no value, what it actually takes to turn insights into decisions, and how IKEA is transforming a 20-year-old measurement system into a genuine strategic tool. We also talk about what relevance really means for a global brand today, and why the bottleneck in most organisations isn't data, it's interpretation.  We also explore:  The shift from reporting to predicting: insights as a forward-looking function, not a rearview mirror  Why the aha moment, not the data, is the real deliverable of insights work  What it takes to run a global brand tracker across 64 markets without losing local relevance  Insights as a people business: why human capability, not technology, is the real constraint

Most marketers today are under pressure to do more, move faster and constantly prove results. But what actually drives growth long term?  In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Sorin Patilinet, Global Marketing Effectiveness & Measurement Lead at PepsiCo and recently published author on Marketing Effectiveness, to unpack what really drives growth today - and why many marketers are making things far more complicated than they need to be.  As AI floods the internet with more content and more noise, the real challenge is no longer producing marketing - it’s knowing what’s actually worth doing.  We talk about why restraint might become one of the most important marketing skills of the next decade. Why short-term excitement often beats long-term thinking. And what brands like Cheetos, Geico and Lindt understand about distinctiveness that many others still miss.  We dive into:  Why “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” matters more in the AI era  The tension between short-term performance and long-term brand building  What actually makes brands distinctive and memorable today  Why more content doesn’t automatically mean better marketing  How PepsiCo applies marketing science and growth principles in practice

The creator role has changed - and not just in how content looks, but in what it demands from the people behind it.  In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Norwegian creator Elisabeth Asserson Ingebrigtsen to unpack what it actually means to build a personal brand today, beyond aesthetics, algorithms and surface-level engagement.  We talk about the shift from being “polished” to being personal, and the pressure that comes with it. Because the more you share, the more you grow… but also, the more is expected of you.  We cover:  Why she doesn’t identify with the term influencer, and what she sees her role as instead  How expectations on creators have fundamentally changed over the past few years The tension between growth, authenticity and personal boundaries  What brands still get wrong when working with creators, and why control often backfires  Why people today don’t just want products, they want to be part of something

TikTok is no longer a channel you test. It’s a platform shaping how brands build relevance.  In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Elin Palmelius from TikTok Nordics to unpack what’s actually changing - not just on the platform, but in how brands think about creativity, audiences and growth.  Over the past few years, TikTok has evolved from a fast-moving challenger to a core part of the media mix, redefining everything from content formats to the path to purchase. But the real shift goes deeper than that.  We’re moving from a world where brands broadcast, to one where they’re expected to participate. Where discovery, consideration and conversion can happen in seconds. And where relevance is no longer owned by the brand, but shaped in real time by communities.  We dive into:  Why TikTok has moved from “nice to have” to a true business driver   What Gen Alpha expects from brands, and why they don’t just consume content, but shape it   How the definition of “good creative” is changing, and why less polished often performs better   What “organic branding” really means, and how brands can show up in a way that feels native, not interruptive   Because the real question isn’t whether brands should be on TikTok - it’s whether they’re ready to let go of control, and actually become part of the culture they want to reach.

In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we’re doing something a little different.  Instead of bringing in a guest, we’re taking you inside our internal insights chat at Cure Media, where our team shares the signals, shifts and conversations shaping the creator economy in real time. This episode is built from those discussions.  We unpack five shifts we keep coming back to. Not trends in the traditional sense, but patterns that say something bigger about where the industry is heading, and what brands need to understand to stay relevant.  We cover:  Why many brands still struggle to operationalise creators, and what it actually takes to move from ambition to execution   The rise of the status economy, where cultural fluency matters more than category   Nostalgia as more than a trend, and how brands can create meaning, not just reference the past   The optimisation mindset, and how wellness and longevity are reshaping consumer behaviour   How AI is collapsing the funnel, and what it means to be recommended, not just discovered

The beauty industry talks a lot about inclusivity. But few brands are actually built around it.  In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Roger Dupé, founder and CEO of Melyon, to explore what it really takes to build a brand rooted in culture, identity and long-term vision.  Before launching Melyon, Roger spent years inside the global fashion industry, working with brands like Kenzo, Acne Studios and Rolls-Royce. Today, he’s using those insights to challenge how beauty brands are built - from the inside out.  This isn’t a conversation about skincare routines or product launches. It’s about power, perspective and what happens when someone who has seen the industry up close decides to build something on his own terms.  We dive into:  How Roger’s experience in fashion shaped his view on representation, storytelling and brand identity  Why true inclusivity can’t be added later as a marketing layer - it has to be built into the structure of the company  How culture, heritage and ingredient storytelling can become a brand’s most powerful differentiator  And why the next generation of beauty brands will be defined less by products, and more by the meaning they create  And it leads us to a bigger question: What does it take to build a brand that actually reflects the world we live in?

The male beauty scene is evolving fast. But the way brands approach it often hasn’t caught up.  In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Danish creator Jonathan Oteiza, also known as Jonna Skincare, to explore what’s really happening inside the male beauty space, from the perspective of someone building credibility in an industry driven by trends.  This isn’t another conversation about skincare routines or beauty tips. It’s a discussion about trust, influence and what it actually takes to build authority as a creator today.  We dive into:  Why viral content doesn’t automatically build trust, and why Jonna has turned down campaigns that prioritise performance over credibility  What brands still misunderstand about male beauty audiences and why simply choosing a male creator isn’t the same as real representation  How creator authenticity becomes a competitive advantage when audiences are more sceptical than ever  And why the future of beauty may have less to do with trends, and more to do with trust.  At the heart of it all lies a bigger question: In a world of endless content and short attention spans, what actually makes people believe you?

Åhléns was losing money for over a decade. Today, it’s profitable, three years in a row.  In this episode of Inside the Creator Economy, we sit down with Thomas Engelhart, Chief Strategy, Customer & Marketing Officer at Åhléns, to unpack one of the most impressive retail turnarounds in the Nordics.  This isn’t a surface-level transformation story. It’s a conversation about what actually happens when a 126-year-old heritage brand decides to rethink how it operates, without losing its identity.  We dive into:  How entrepreneurial leadership and a radical shift in pace turned strategy into execution - and made profitability possible again.  Why Åhléns chose to double down on physical retail, service and private labels, while building new revenue streams like retail media and wholesale  And how they evolved the brand, dialing down “premium” to reconnect with their roots, strengthen loyalty and stay relevant for a new generation  At the heart of it all lies a fundamental question: How do you evolve to stay modern, without becoming someone you’re not?

After more than five years and ten seasons of Influencer Marketing Talks, we’re stepping into a new chapter. Not because the conversations have changed, but because the industry has. Influencer marketing is no longer the debate. The proof is there. Budgets are shifting. Global CEOs are talking about scaling creator collaborations at speed. The real question now isn’t whether it works, it’s how brands organise around it.  That’s why we’re evolving into Inside the Creator Economy.  To open Season 11, we’re joined by Sam Foroozesh, CEO and Co-Founder of Cure Media, who has been building in this space for over a decade.  We talk about:  The shift from inside-out to outside-in brand building Why creator-led is a strategy, not a channel Why so many large organisations still struggle, despite knowing this works The real business risk of treating creators as a tactic, from generic communication to competing on price  This episode sets the direction for the season ahead, focusing less on buzzwords and more on how modern brands are actually built in a creator-first world.

We’ve been bringing creators from our community into the podcast to understand what’s actually shaping culture locally - and right now, running culture is one of the biggest shifts we’re seeing.  This week, we’re joined by Hedda Schroeter Skaug, creator, runner, and one of the strongest voices in Norway’s running community.  And she’s refreshingly clear on what many brands still miss: running isn’t becoming more extreme - it’s becoming more human.  We talk about:  why the most important “metric” is learning to trust your body (not your Garmin)  what comes next after run clubs and where the running community is heading  plus Hedda’s best running tips (including why you actually need at least 6 pairs of shoes)  If you’re a brand trying to enter running culture in an authentic way, this episode is your shortcut to understanding what the community values right now.