Founder POV

Stop putting all your digital eggs in one basket

design element
design element

Social. TikTok. Reddit. Podcasts. Influencers. Email. Paid media. SEO. GEO. AEO. LLMs. And probably another acronym somebody will invent before I finish writing this. Ufff, it's exhausting, isn't it?

And I say that as someone who's been working in digital since 2006. 

Before that, I worked in the music industry, when radio was still pretty much the be-all and end-all. Get your song played and, brilliant, you had a shot at a huge audience. But if radio would not play it, discovery became a lot harder.

That was what first got me excited about digital. Suddenly, a handful of radio station directors no longer controlled the whole route to discovery. We could find people through their interests, tastes, communities and culture. You did not need everyone. You needed to find your people.

Twenty years later, I still think that's one of the most exciting things about digital. But it's also become one of its biggest headaches.

Social. TikTok. Reddit. Podcasts. Influencers. Email. Paid media. SEO. GEO. AEO. LLMs. And probably another acronym somebody will invent before I finish writing this. Ufff, it's exhausting, isn't it?

And I say that as someone who's been working in digital since 2006. 

Before that, I worked in the music industry, when radio was still pretty much the be-all and end-all. Get your song played and, brilliant, you had a shot at a huge audience. But if radio would not play it, discovery became a lot harder.

That was what first got me excited about digital. Suddenly, a handful of radio station directors no longer controlled the whole route to discovery. We could find people through their interests, tastes, communities and culture. You did not need everyone. You needed to find your people.

Twenty years later, I still think that's one of the most exciting things about digital. But it's also become one of its biggest headaches.

Social. TikTok. Reddit. Podcasts. Influencers. Email. Paid media. SEO. GEO. AEO. LLMs. And probably another acronym somebody will invent before I finish writing this. Ufff, it's exhausting, isn't it?

And I say that as someone who's been working in digital since 2006. 

Before that, I worked in the music industry, when radio was still pretty much the be-all and end-all. Get your song played and, brilliant, you had a shot at a huge audience. But if radio would not play it, discovery became a lot harder.

That was what first got me excited about digital. Suddenly, a handful of radio station directors no longer controlled the whole route to discovery. We could find people through their interests, tastes, communities and culture. You did not need everyone. You needed to find your people.

Twenty years later, I still think that's one of the most exciting things about digital. But it's also become one of its biggest headaches.

The platform panic problem

So where the hell should your brand be? Consumers now have a ridiculous number of ways to discover a brand. Social, search, creators, newsletters, podcasts, forums and now AI.

And now they're asking ChatGPT and other AI platforms what wine to buy, where to travel, what restaurant to book, which rum to try or what the difference actually is between one bottle and another.

Which leaves marketers – particularly those who didn't grow up living their entire lives online – with a pretty understandable question: How do I know where my brand should be?

And that's where digital marketing has started making things far more complicated than they need to be. Every time technology changes, we panic. Suddenly there's another channel your CEO has read about. Another acronym somebody mentions in a meeting. Another agency telling you that if you aren't doing this thing immediately, you're already behind. Usually, you are not.

The platform panic problem

So where the hell should your brand be? Consumers now have a ridiculous number of ways to discover a brand. Social, search, creators, newsletters, podcasts, forums and now AI.

And now they're asking ChatGPT and other AI platforms what wine to buy, where to travel, what restaurant to book, which rum to try or what the difference actually is between one bottle and another.

Which leaves marketers – particularly those who didn't grow up living their entire lives online – with a pretty understandable question: How do I know where my brand should be?

And that's where digital marketing has started making things far more complicated than they need to be. Every time technology changes, we panic. Suddenly there's another channel your CEO has read about. Another acronym somebody mentions in a meeting. Another agency telling you that if you aren't doing this thing immediately, you're already behind. Usually, you are not.

The platform panic problem

So where the hell should your brand be? Consumers now have a ridiculous number of ways to discover a brand. Social, search, creators, newsletters, podcasts, forums and now AI.

And now they're asking ChatGPT and other AI platforms what wine to buy, where to travel, what restaurant to book, which rum to try or what the difference actually is between one bottle and another.

Which leaves marketers – particularly those who didn't grow up living their entire lives online – with a pretty understandable question: How do I know where my brand should be?

And that's where digital marketing has started making things far more complicated than they need to be. Every time technology changes, we panic. Suddenly there's another channel your CEO has read about. Another acronym somebody mentions in a meeting. Another agency telling you that if you aren't doing this thing immediately, you're already behind. Usually, you are not.

The Reddit rush

We have just watched this happen with AI search. First came SEO. Then suddenly everyone needed an LLM strategy, GEO, AEO and AI visibility. Then came headlines about how frequently Reddit appeared in AI-generated answers.

And brands did what brands tend to do. They gravitated to the latest shiny thing – Reddit. Then came another headline. Reddit's share of ChatGPT citations had reportedly fallen by more than 86%. 

Oops – as Britney would say! 

That does not mean Reddit stopped mattering. Its communities still contain some of the most detailed conversations around wine, whisky, rum, cocktails and restaurants. But that is precisely the point. You shouldn't be on Reddit because ChatGPT likes Reddit. You should be there if your audience is there and you have something credible to add. Because the algorithm will change again. Your audience is the strategy; the platforms are tactics.

The Reddit rush

We have just watched this happen with AI search. First came SEO. Then suddenly everyone needed an LLM strategy, GEO, AEO and AI visibility. Then came headlines about how frequently Reddit appeared in AI-generated answers.

And brands did what brands tend to do. They gravitated to the latest shiny thing – Reddit. Then came another headline. Reddit's share of ChatGPT citations had reportedly fallen by more than 86%. 

Oops – as Britney would say! 

That does not mean Reddit stopped mattering. Its communities still contain some of the most detailed conversations around wine, whisky, rum, cocktails and restaurants. But that is precisely the point. You shouldn't be on Reddit because ChatGPT likes Reddit. You should be there if your audience is there and you have something credible to add. Because the algorithm will change again. Your audience is the strategy; the platforms are tactics.

The Reddit rush

We have just watched this happen with AI search. First came SEO. Then suddenly everyone needed an LLM strategy, GEO, AEO and AI visibility. Then came headlines about how frequently Reddit appeared in AI-generated answers.

And brands did what brands tend to do. They gravitated to the latest shiny thing – Reddit. Then came another headline. Reddit's share of ChatGPT citations had reportedly fallen by more than 86%. 

Oops – as Britney would say! 

That does not mean Reddit stopped mattering. Its communities still contain some of the most detailed conversations around wine, whisky, rum, cocktails and restaurants. But that is precisely the point. You shouldn't be on Reddit because ChatGPT likes Reddit. You should be there if your audience is there and you have something credible to add. Because the algorithm will change again. Your audience is the strategy; the platforms are tactics.

Your audience is the strategy

I recently read a comment from Duolingo's CMO that resonated with me: “We don't change our strategy every time an algorithm changes.”

YES. Because we shouldn't.

The question is not: Do we need a Reddit strategy? Should we be on TikTok? What is our ChatGPT strategy?

The useful questions are: Who are we trying to reach? Where do they discover brands like ours? What are they looking for when they get there? What can we genuinely add?

For one drinks brand, Reddit could be incredibly valuable. For another, it could be a complete waste of time.

A sommelier might discover your wine through trade media, an educator, Instagram or Google. Someone looking for a new £25 rum might see a bartender make a cocktail, search the brand, read a review, visit the website and buy through a retailer. Someone considering a €200 bottle may spend weeks moving between YouTube, specialist publications, Reddit, Google, your website and – increasingly – an AI assistant before deciding.

There is rarely one moment of discovery anymore. And there definitely isn't one channel. This is why I keep banging on about ecosystems.

Your audience is the strategy

I recently read a comment from Duolingo's CMO that resonated with me: “We don't change our strategy every time an algorithm changes.”

YES. Because we shouldn't.

The question is not: Do we need a Reddit strategy? Should we be on TikTok? What is our ChatGPT strategy?

The useful questions are: Who are we trying to reach? Where do they discover brands like ours? What are they looking for when they get there? What can we genuinely add?

For one drinks brand, Reddit could be incredibly valuable. For another, it could be a complete waste of time.

A sommelier might discover your wine through trade media, an educator, Instagram or Google. Someone looking for a new £25 rum might see a bartender make a cocktail, search the brand, read a review, visit the website and buy through a retailer. Someone considering a €200 bottle may spend weeks moving between YouTube, specialist publications, Reddit, Google, your website and – increasingly – an AI assistant before deciding.

There is rarely one moment of discovery anymore. And there definitely isn't one channel. This is why I keep banging on about ecosystems.

Your audience is the strategy

I recently read a comment from Duolingo's CMO that resonated with me: “We don't change our strategy every time an algorithm changes.”

YES. Because we shouldn't.

The question is not: Do we need a Reddit strategy? Should we be on TikTok? What is our ChatGPT strategy?

The useful questions are: Who are we trying to reach? Where do they discover brands like ours? What are they looking for when they get there? What can we genuinely add?

For one drinks brand, Reddit could be incredibly valuable. For another, it could be a complete waste of time.

A sommelier might discover your wine through trade media, an educator, Instagram or Google. Someone looking for a new £25 rum might see a bartender make a cocktail, search the brand, read a review, visit the website and buy through a retailer. Someone considering a €200 bottle may spend weeks moving between YouTube, specialist publications, Reddit, Google, your website and – increasingly – an AI assistant before deciding.

There is rarely one moment of discovery anymore. And there definitely isn't one channel. This is why I keep banging on about ecosystems.

Build a digital ecosystem

I've used the term digital ecosystem for years because digital doesn't work particularly well when everything lives in isolation.

Your PR creates authority and third-party validation. Your social channels build familiarity, personality and community. Creators introduce your brand to audiences you may never reach yourself. Your website gives people somewhere to understand who you are and why they should care. Your content gives Google – and now AI platforms – something meaningful to discover and understand.

Search captures intent. Paid media amplifies what's working. Email and CRM give you something incredibly precious: a direct relationship with your audience that doesn't disappear because Mark Zuckerberg wakes up one morning and changes an algorithm. They all connect.

But an ecosystem doesn't mean doing everything. Please don't read this and go and open seven new social accounts. 

Some channels should work bloody hard for your brand, some deserve experimentation, some just need a light presence – and some you can completely ignore. Diversification doesn't mean doing everything. It means not being dangerously dependent on one thing.

Build a digital ecosystem

I've used the term digital ecosystem for years because digital doesn't work particularly well when everything lives in isolation.

Your PR creates authority and third-party validation. Your social channels build familiarity, personality and community. Creators introduce your brand to audiences you may never reach yourself. Your website gives people somewhere to understand who you are and why they should care. Your content gives Google – and now AI platforms – something meaningful to discover and understand.

Search captures intent. Paid media amplifies what's working. Email and CRM give you something incredibly precious: a direct relationship with your audience that doesn't disappear because Mark Zuckerberg wakes up one morning and changes an algorithm. They all connect.

But an ecosystem doesn't mean doing everything. Please don't read this and go and open seven new social accounts. 

Some channels should work bloody hard for your brand, some deserve experimentation, some just need a light presence – and some you can completely ignore. Diversification doesn't mean doing everything. It means not being dangerously dependent on one thing.

Build a digital ecosystem

I've used the term digital ecosystem for years because digital doesn't work particularly well when everything lives in isolation.

Your PR creates authority and third-party validation. Your social channels build familiarity, personality and community. Creators introduce your brand to audiences you may never reach yourself. Your website gives people somewhere to understand who you are and why they should care. Your content gives Google – and now AI platforms – something meaningful to discover and understand.

Search captures intent. Paid media amplifies what's working. Email and CRM give you something incredibly precious: a direct relationship with your audience that doesn't disappear because Mark Zuckerberg wakes up one morning and changes an algorithm. They all connect.

But an ecosystem doesn't mean doing everything. Please don't read this and go and open seven new social accounts. 

Some channels should work bloody hard for your brand, some deserve experimentation, some just need a light presence – and some you can completely ignore. Diversification doesn't mean doing everything. It means not being dangerously dependent on one thing.

The one-basket problem

If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, or your account was hacked (as mine was recently), would your brand still have a meaningful relationship with its audience? 

If Google sends less traffic to your website because people start getting their answers directly from AI, what happens to your discovery? 

What if your biggest retailer changes its algorithm? If TikTok isn't where your next generation of customers actually is? Or ChatGPT suddenly stops citing you.

That's when an ecosystem matters, because one channel changing shouldn't bring the whole thing crashing down. However, not putting all your eggs in one basket doesn’t mean buying every basket in the shop.

The one-basket problem

If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, or your account was hacked (as mine was recently), would your brand still have a meaningful relationship with its audience? 

If Google sends less traffic to your website because people start getting their answers directly from AI, what happens to your discovery? 

What if your biggest retailer changes its algorithm? If TikTok isn't where your next generation of customers actually is? Or ChatGPT suddenly stops citing you.

That's when an ecosystem matters, because one channel changing shouldn't bring the whole thing crashing down. However, not putting all your eggs in one basket doesn’t mean buying every basket in the shop.

The one-basket problem

If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, or your account was hacked (as mine was recently), would your brand still have a meaningful relationship with its audience? 

If Google sends less traffic to your website because people start getting their answers directly from AI, what happens to your discovery? 

What if your biggest retailer changes its algorithm? If TikTok isn't where your next generation of customers actually is? Or ChatGPT suddenly stops citing you.

That's when an ecosystem matters, because one channel changing shouldn't bring the whole thing crashing down. However, not putting all your eggs in one basket doesn’t mean buying every basket in the shop.

Digital doesn’t need to be complicated

I've spent nearly 20 years working in digital and I still sometimes look at everything changing around us and think: far out, that's a lot!

If you're a Marketing Director or CMO trying to run a brand, manage a team, hit your numbers, deal with distributors, retailers and ten different markets – while somebody is simultaneously telling you that you urgently need an LLM strategy – I understand why digital can feel overwhelming. But underneath all the technology, the fundamentals really haven't changed that much.

Know your audience. Understand how they discover. Give them something genuinely worth finding. Build a strong digital home you control, then choose the channels around it that earn their place.

Measure what happens. Learn. Adjust. And when the next big platform or acronym comes along, don't immediately pivot your entire strategy. Ask whether it genuinely adds something to your ecosystem. Because technology will keep changing. Human curiosity, taste, recommendation and discovery won't. 

Digital doesn’t need to be complicated

I've spent nearly 20 years working in digital and I still sometimes look at everything changing around us and think: far out, that's a lot!

If you're a Marketing Director or CMO trying to run a brand, manage a team, hit your numbers, deal with distributors, retailers and ten different markets – while somebody is simultaneously telling you that you urgently need an LLM strategy – I understand why digital can feel overwhelming. But underneath all the technology, the fundamentals really haven't changed that much.

Know your audience. Understand how they discover. Give them something genuinely worth finding. Build a strong digital home you control, then choose the channels around it that earn their place.

Measure what happens. Learn. Adjust. And when the next big platform or acronym comes along, don't immediately pivot your entire strategy. Ask whether it genuinely adds something to your ecosystem. Because technology will keep changing. Human curiosity, taste, recommendation and discovery won't. 

Digital doesn’t need to be complicated

I've spent nearly 20 years working in digital and I still sometimes look at everything changing around us and think: far out, that's a lot!

If you're a Marketing Director or CMO trying to run a brand, manage a team, hit your numbers, deal with distributors, retailers and ten different markets – while somebody is simultaneously telling you that you urgently need an LLM strategy – I understand why digital can feel overwhelming. But underneath all the technology, the fundamentals really haven't changed that much.

Know your audience. Understand how they discover. Give them something genuinely worth finding. Build a strong digital home you control, then choose the channels around it that earn their place.

Measure what happens. Learn. Adjust. And when the next big platform or acronym comes along, don't immediately pivot your entire strategy. Ask whether it genuinely adds something to your ecosystem. Because technology will keep changing. Human curiosity, taste, recommendation and discovery won't. 

Get the Chelsea Co. Digital Launchpad

Is your digital ecosystem working hard enough? 

This is exactly the kind of knot the Chelsea Co. team likes untangling for wine and spirits brands. Sometimes that means building a digital ecosystem from scratch. Sometimes it means looking at what you already have and asking more useful questions.

If you'd like to define or refine your digital world, get in touch >> The first chat's on me. 

Get the Chelsea Co. Digital Launchpad

Is your digital ecosystem working hard enough? 

This is exactly the kind of knot the Chelsea Co. team likes untangling for wine and spirits brands. Sometimes that means building a digital ecosystem from scratch. Sometimes it means looking at what you already have and asking more useful questions.

If you'd like to define or refine your digital world, get in touch >> The first chat's on me. 

Get the Chelsea Co. Digital Launchpad

Is your digital ecosystem working hard enough? 

This is exactly the kind of knot the Chelsea Co. team likes untangling for wine and spirits brands. Sometimes that means building a digital ecosystem from scratch. Sometimes it means looking at what you already have and asking more useful questions.

If you'd like to define or refine your digital world, get in touch >> The first chat's on me. 

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