Everything We Learnt at State of Social 2025

For its eighth year, State of Social took over Optus Stadium under a theme that matched the moment: REFRESH. The number eight, as I’m sure we’re all aware, becomes the infinity symbol when tipped sideways, a nod to constant renewal. Whether it suggests endless possibilities or the dreaded spinning wheel on your laptop, the call is the same: refresh.

This year’s speakers showed that while tools and platforms shift, the heart of marketing remains unchanged: authenticity, consistency, and human connection.

Every speaker brought something valuable, but a few themes cut through across the two days.

As a founding partner and long-time sponsor of State of Social, we were proud to see our Account Director, Will Bal, return to the stage.

Bonfire’s Take: Refreshing SEO for the AI Era

We opened day two with our session on how Google’s new AI Mode is reshaping search. Attendees called it one of the most impactful talks of the conference, with many describing it as “mind-blowing.”

Will showed how quickly search, shopping, and discovery are shifting. Now is the time to return to the basics:

• Quality content that directly answers questions.
• Smart technical SEO to ensure content is found and indexed.
• Cross-channel content strategy that reduces reliance on any single platform.

One attendee said, “Kicking off a huge day two at State of Social with Will Bal from Bonfire takes us deep into how AI search is blowing up traditional SEO.”

Authentic Brands Win Trust

• Tyler O’Day (Empire State Realty Trust): Authenticity over perfection. Campaigns should be social-first, responsive to cultural moments, and always anchored in brand identity.
• Sophie Winter (Australian Wildlife Conservancy): Reach means little without resonance. Her HUMAN framework showed how to pair scale with meaning:
  • H — Hook with purpose: Share real and relatable insights.
  • U — Unlock emotion: Emotion is what sticks and makes people act.
  • M — Measure what matters: Count impact, not just numbers. Elevate thought leadership over vanity metrics.
  • A — Amplify authentic voices: People trust people more than brands. Give space to staff, interns, influencers and community.
  • N — Nurture the conversation: Use a conversational tone, share links, and engage directly with your audience.
• Keshnee Kemp (August One): Employee-generated content builds powerful trust. With 77% of audiences preferring authentic voices over polished PR, empowering your people is a brand strategy.

Consistency Creates Memory

• Steph Edwards (WiredCo): Consistency is the secret to recall. Distinctive repetition creates memory shortcuts that help brands stand out in a crowded feed.
• Kate O’Connor (Bluey, BCC Studios): Patience, values and quality. Bluey grew from launch to $4 billion ROI by refusing to compromise on authentic Australian storytelling and building slowly, with fans at the centre.

Fandom and Storytelling as Strategy

• Freddy Hollow (GolfBox): Fandom is loyalty put to work as strategy. When brands become part of someone’s story, they create communities that last.
• Eugene Healey: In today’s “unsocial” internet, users retreat into private spaces. Brands must show up with intimacy and purpose, not performance.
• Jonathan Harley: We live in a “visual economy.” AI can scale content, but the edge lies in human strategy. That is what gives content its soul.

What Marketers Need to Refresh Now

• Kirsty O’Connell (EQU): Journey marketing should be helpful, straightforward and emotionally intelligent. Data and empathy together create experiences people pay for.
• Amaury Treguer (Bread Agency): Live shopping is set to reshape retail in Australia, with TikTok Shop on the horizon. Brands that keep it simple, interactive and fun will win.
• Heather Lansdowne (Australian Bureau of Statistics): Even the driest subjects can triple engagement with design thinking and a COPE (Create Once, Post Everywhere) strategy.
• David Stewart (Bennett): The AI slowdown is a rare chance to implement smart regulation before the next wave hits.

To Wrap It Up

State of Social 2025 called on us to refresh. The message was clear: marketers must update strategies, stay consistent, and, above all, stay human.

With full notebooks and ideas running hot, our team are ready to implement these lessons.

Whether you could attend Will Bal’s State of Social presentation or not, we’re offering brands the chance to see how they show up in AI Search before AI Mode launches in Australia.

Fill out the form here and our Senior Advisory team will be in touch.

Header image in courtesy of Soco Studios.