Jayde Takes The Stage at Advertising Week NYC To Talk Why Brands Should Put Social First
During Advertising Week New York, social strategist Jayde I. Powell took the stage in the Female Quotient Lounge to moderate a panel with industry leaders, including Megan Farmer, Global Head of Social Media at JPMorgan Chase, Damon Berger, Head of Consumer Digital Engagement at Gap, Inc., Matt Prince, Head of Earned Media and Brand Social for KFC, and Shaun Dix, Global Leader, Creative Excellence for Ipsos.
The conversation explored a truth that many marketing professionals recognize—where and how a brand shows up on social media will define how it’s perceived. With audiences scrolling faster than ever, brands can’t afford to be slow or disconnected from culture. They must adopt a social-first mindset to shape brand identity and connect more meaningfully with consumers.
Jayde shared her first-hand perspective, having led campaigns for global brands like Delta Air Lines, Netflix, Timberland, and more. Together, the panel unpacked what it means to take an approach to brand growth, community building, and content development that considers social media first.
“Often, brands can easily forget that the word ‘social’ refers to people and society, and when you keep that top of mind, you realize that through social media, you can connect with audiences in a deeper, more intentional way,” says Jayde.
Standout quotes from the panelists include:
“We know that social media is the conduit to our consumers.. and our CMOs and brands have really been intentional about designing content and campaigns that allow the conversation to happen—and drive those conversations into the culture.” — Damon Beger, Head of Consumer Digital Engagement, Gap. Inc.
“Having a connection on human insight that you can really lean into is critical to succeed in the social space.” – Shaun Dix, Global Leader, Creative Excellence for Ipsos
“Social listening is not a proprietary thing; we all have the same access to the same information. But when you’re able to build teams that can move quickly and make decisions in the room, you can succeed.” — Matt Prince, Head of Earned Media and Brand Social for KFC
“The blend of co-creation is having your community create the content alongside you, and having it be an interactive experience.” — Megan Farmer, Global Head of Social Media at JPMorgan Chase
As the conversation unfolded, one theme became clear: the future of brand building isn’t just digital, it’s human. Brands that listen and show up with purpose will continue to earn real trust and loyalty from their audiences on and off the feed.
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