The Drum Live 2025: “Under the Influencers” Panel

🔥 Last week, industry leaders gathered at The Drum Live 2025 to chat all things advertising. From AI to influencer economy hot takes, leaders, founders, and CEO’s spilled the latest on shifts & trends shaping the future of advertising right now. 

OOB’s Co-Founder, Sarah Fulford-Williams, hit the stage alongside Hypetap’s Detch Singh and Unilever’s Leandro Barreto to unpack a game-changing truth: the best influencer marketing starts where brand scripting stops. 

For decades, brand management meant controlling every detail, but Barreto explained that today’s brands thrive when they act as stewards, not gatekeepers. “Know your fundamentals, then surrender control,” he said, pointing to Vaseline’s Verified campaign ✅, which empowered 450 creators to showcase the authentic ways that they use vaseline (including the NSFW uses that didn’t make it into the campaign 👀). The result? Millions of organic views and cultural relevance that scripted content could never achieve. 

Sarah, OOB’s co-founder, echoed this philosophy: “People love content that feels real, independent and raw. Letting influencers interpret your brand, without being prescriptive, allows them to do what they do best.” Yes there are risks, but clinging to control could cost your brand. By giving creators freedom, brands unlock personal brand meaning and unexpected cultural resonance that’s impossible to manufacture.  

Hypetap’s CEO, Detch Singh, added that risk can be mitigated with strong creator vetting, brand safety measures, and clear values. The collective takeaway was clear: influencer marketing has matured beyond endorsements. As Sarah summed up, the real power lies in “giving people permission to show you what your brand means to them.” In this new era, influencers aren’t just there to push product. They shape brand meaning. They bring humour, honesty, and human insight that no in-house team could script. 

For the full video, follow this link ✌️