Every brand is jumping on the latest meme, audio clip, and micro-trend. But does any of that actually build lasting value—or are we just burning budget chasing directionless attention? Creative Directors Ro and Jahfre will break down the real business case for viral content and community-building. They'll explore when trend-chasing makes sense and when it's just expensive theater. They'll also dig into examples that prove why building community requires heavy upfront investment but creates compounding returns that trend-chasing never will.

Speaker BIO

Jahfre Colbert is Associate Creative Director at DEPT®, a former club kid and recording artist. Proudly “un-chronically online,” when he’s not planning communications to hit growth and brand marketing objectives, you can find him reading fiction under a window in Brooklyn with his two cats. On the side, he helps teens navigate the digital wilderness with the non-profit Young Futures.

Ro Otamendi is a Venezuelan Creative Director and Strategist based between Miami and New York. He comes from a brand strategy background and has led brand, digital, and influencer campaigns across tech, hospitality, and entertainment verticals.

LINKS

Jahfre Colbert - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahfre-colbert/Ro Otamendi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodolfootamendi/

DEPT - https://www.deptagency.com/

HOST

Talin Wadsworth - https://www.linkedin.com/in/talinwadsworth/

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About Adobe: Adobe offers groundbreaking technology that empowers everyone, everywhere to imagine, create, and bring any digital experience to life. ⁠www.adobe.com⁠
About SoDA: SoDA is a global network of innovative digital agencies. ⁠www.sodaspeaks.com⁠
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Edited with Adobe Audition and Adobe Podcast: ⁠podcast.adobe.com⁠.

For more information please contact ⁠sodaserieslive@adobe.com⁠

When we talk about products, we’re really talking about people—their needs, their habits, and the experiences that become part of their everyday lives. In this SoDA Series LIVE session with Adobe, Luke Des Cotes, CEO of Metalab, will unpack what it takes to build digital products that not only work—but resonate. From shaping intuitive interfaces for category-defining brands to helping startups find product–market fit through design, Luke will share lessons from nearly two decades of building products that billions of people use every day.

Speeaker BIO

Luke Des Cotes is the CEO of Metalab. Since 2006, Metalab has helped some of the world’s coolest companies build products and services that are attractive, thoughtful, and enjoyable to use. To name a few: Slack, Coinbase, TED, Apple, Disney, and Google.

LINKS

Luke Des Cotes LinkedIN

METLAB WEBSITE

Slack Project - https://archive.metalab.com/projects/slack

"Referenced making the grid to break the grid" https://medium.com/subform/are-grid-systems-still-relevant-in-digital-407beb4128c1

"Referenced this code assist tool" https://www.anthropic.com/

Karin Fyhrie

HOST

Talin Wadsworth

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About Adobe: Adobe offers groundbreaking technology that empowers everyone, everywhere to imagine, create, and bring any digital experience to life. ⁠www.adobe.com⁠
About SoDA: SoDA is a global network of innovative digital agencies. ⁠www.sodaspeaks.com⁠
__
Edited with Adobe Audition and Adobe Podcast: ⁠podcast.adobe.com⁠.

For more information please contact ⁠sodaserieslive@adobe.com⁠

When thinking about your own brand, or when you are at the beginning of a journey with a client, you must first understand what the definition of "brand" actually is. In our next SoDA Series LIVE session with Adobe, our special guest, Liz Stone, Co-Founder of OK Cool, will be discussing the many facets of brands and why being persuasive, patient, and having perseverance is critical to success. Among other relevant topics, we'll also cover important factors to consider when building and navigating client relationships and how brands should seize the opportunity to humanize their messaging to fit within the lives of their audience.

Speaker BIO

Liz Stone is the Co-Founder & CEO of OK COOL, strategic and creative partners to the world’s leading brands. Headquartered in London, New York, Melbourne and Toronto.

LINKS

Liz Stone LinkedIN

Co-founder, Jolyon Varley, also mentioned in the session: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolyonvarley/

OK COOL - Website

OK COOL Trend Report

The article mentioned in interview - https://www.vogue.com/article/gen-z-broke-the-marketing-funnel

HOST

Talin Wadsworth

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About Adobe: Adobe offers groundbreaking technology that empowers everyone, everywhere to imagine, create, and bring any digital experience to life. ⁠www.adobe.com⁠
About SoDA: SoDA is a global network of innovative digital agencies. ⁠www.sodaspeaks.com⁠
__
Edited with Adobe Audition and Adobe Podcast: ⁠podcast.adobe.com⁠.

For more information please contact ⁠sodaserieslive@adobe.com⁠