In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, titled, From Social to Strategy – How Smart Organic Content Fuels Consumer Interest & Revenue Growth, host Kerry Curran sits down with Clayton McLaughlin, EVP at BBDO’s innovation division, DaVino, to uncover how brands can stop chasing engagement and start creating value.

Clayton challenges the outdated mindset of treating social media as a broadcast channel and instead introduces the concept of interest media—where brands thrive by aligning their content with consumer curiosity, intent, and behavior. He shares why the most successful brands focus less on likes and more on building long-term connections that drive measurable business impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Interest Media > Social Media – How shifting your mindset can improve content performance
• Consumer-First Content Strategy – Why fulfilling audience interests leads to organic growth
• Platform Selection & Strategy – How to ruthlessly choose the right platforms for your brand
• Fast vs. Slow Data – The difference between instant engagement metrics and long-term revenue impact
• Proactive vs. Reactive Social – Why waiting for engagement isn’t enough—brands need to create it

If you’re serious about elevating your organic social strategy, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you cut through the noise and build a sustainable, revenue-driving social presence.

Listen now and start turning your organic strategy into a true business growth engine!

Podcast transcript

Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.107)
So, welcome, Clayton. Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background and expertise.

Clayton McLaughlin (00:07.416)
Sure, happy to be here. I'm Clayton McLaughlin, EVP and business lead for an innovation division inside BBDO called Dobbino. I've been there for almost a year now, but I’ve spent nearly 20 years in the ad industry, working at agencies of various sizes and with brands of all scales. My background has always been in the digital world, but I now bounce between both the media and creative sides, trying to fulfill the full agency roster at this point.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:38.473)
Excellent. Well, we're excited to have you today. I know you’ve got a wealth of experience. There’s so much we could cover, but what’s top of mind? What’s hot for your clients and the brands you're working with today?

Clayton McLaughlin (00:57.036)
When you say “wealth of experience,” it really just means you're old. I appreciate that.

No, but seriously, top of mind for us has been organic social. It’s been my focus for the last year or so, and I believe it’s at the forefront of digital right now. It reminds me a lot of the early SEO conversations we had 15 or 20 years ago—discussing the value of organic presence, what it really means, and how we position it differently from just a traditional social platform.

We like to talk about it as interest media, not social media. Originally, Facebook was about engagement and communities, and while those elements still exist, social today is much broader than just Meta. There are multiple platforms, each with their own unique characteristics. However, the one thing central to all of them is that people use them to find information or engage in conversations about their interests.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:33.447)
Yeah, definitely. I know we joke about having “a wealth of experience,” but we’ve been in the industry long enough to remember the early days of SEO—when we had to convince marketers why it was important. And now, we’re seeing organic social take on that same level of importance.

Clayton McLaughlin (02:08.302)
Exactly. Whether it's a hobby, work-related content, or pure entertainment, everything people do on these platforms is interest-driven. If brands can shift their mindset from simply chasing engagement and likes to fulfilling audience interests, they can unlock a whole new level of effectiveness.

Marketing, to me, is 100% about a value exchange. If a brand can provide valuable content—whether through information, education, or entertainment—within their audience's area of interest, it completely changes how social strategy should be approached. Instead of trying to force engagement, brands should focus on offering value that aligns with consumer interests.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:30.717)
That’s such an interesting perspective because we all use social platforms differently depending on our mindset. Seeing it as “interest media” rather than just another social channel could be a valuable way to build awareness, attract new audiences, and foster loyalty with existing customers.

Clayton McLaughlin (03:59.906)
Exactly. If brands stop thinking about themselves as the center of the conversation and instead put their audience at the center, they’ll find new creative opportunities to engage with people in meaningful ways.

Not only does this help brands connect better, but it also creates incremental reach—which, let’s be honest, is the whole point. Even when I was on the paid side, everything came down to incrementality. Loyalty is great, but every brand needs a steady flow of new customers. Organic social is a great tool for that if done right.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (04:43.881)
That makes a lot of sense. So, how should brands determine which platforms to focus on? What’s the best way to decide where to invest their organic efforts?

Clayton McLaughlin (06:20.738)
That’s a crucial question. The first step in any organic strategy should be determining the right platform for your brand.

Each social platform serves a unique purpose. YouTube is all about long-form content (even though they’re pushing Shorts, which, let’s be honest, can be annoying). Pinterest is inspiration-driven. TikTok is built around short, engaging snippets. And so on.

Brands need to be ruthless in channel selection—choosing platforms that align with their identity and where their audience is already active. Red Bull, for example, is essentially a content company that happens to sell energy drinks. Their home base is YouTube, where they create long-form, high-production-value content. Everything else is a distribution channel for that content.

Nike, on the other hand, thrives on Pinterest, even though it's not an obvious choice. That’s because they’ve spent 40 years building an aspirational, inspirational brand—which fits perfectly with Pinterest’s ethos.

It’s not just about where your audience is—it’s about where your brand naturally fits and where your voice feels authentic.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (09:34.333)
Yes, that’s a great point. It’s not just about choosing a platform but matching the content format to what resonates with users there—whether that’s long-form video, short-form clips, static images, or text-heavy content.

Clayton McLaughlin (10:09.390)
Exactly. And measurement plays a huge role in this, too.

There are short-term and long-term metrics—what we call fast and slow data.

• Fast data includes immediate engagement metrics—likes, comments, shares.
• Slow data is about compound interest over time—how consistent organic efforts drive brand visibility, audience trust, and incremental reach.

Too often, brands get caught up in moment-in-time engagement and miss the bigger picture. Organic social isn’t about one viral post—it’s about consistent, strategic execution that builds momentum over time.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (12:42.825)
That’s a really important distinction. And it ties into proactive vs. reactive engagement.

Clayton McLaughlin (13:14.850)
Exactly. Organic Social isn’t a Field of Dreams—if you build it, they won’t necessarily come. You have to be proactive in community engagement.

• Reactive means responding to audience interactions on your own channels.
• Proactive means inserting your brand into relevant conversations elsewhere.

The best organic strategies don’t wait for engagement to happen—they create it.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (17:28.268)
Absolutely. And quality over quantity is key—having high-value interactions with the right people is more important than vanity metrics like inflated follower counts.

Clayton McLaughlin (25:02.210)
100%. Be ruthless with platform selection and only invest in what you can sustain consistently. Inauthentic participation will hurt your brand more than no participation at all.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (25:30.823)
This has been so insightful, Clayton. Where can people find you if they want to connect?

Clayton McLaughlin (25:42.774)
Best place is LinkedIn—Clayton McLaughlin. Should be easy to spot—lots of gray hair.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (26:05.572)
We’ll link that in the show notes. Thanks so much, Clayton—this was a great conversation!