In April, I was fortunate enough to attend the 2026 Social Summit in Melbourne. This event brought together creators, marketers, and brand builders to share ideas, and unpack what’s happening in the digital space in 2026. Though every panel provided fascinating insights, here are 4 key ideas that I took away from the event.
Written by Digital Strategist Alexandra Russell.
1. Know the value of your touchpoints
In 2026, audiences are smarter and more technologically savvy than ever. Their decision-making often requires exposure to a brand several times over. This is why ensuring you have multiple brand touchpoints for your audience to interact with is integral to both awareness and action. These touchpoints can include your website, social media channels, email list, and even a podcast where appropriate. Each serves a specific purpose, so ensure that you understand their roles and how to optimise them to reach the specific goals you have set.
2. Community is earned, audience is interrupted
During a panel discussion on how brands are showing up in the podcast space, the guest speakers explored what the difference is between audience and community. Community has been a buzzword over the last year, but it is something that not everyone understands as well as they might think. Put simply, community is earned, and forged in connection. A community can take an active role in the existence of a podcast, whether that means involvement in a fan Facebook group, sharing their thoughts online or in-person, connecting with other fans, and seeking out other ways to express their listener commitment. An audience on the other hand is more passive. They might come in contact with the podcast in their feeds, but their commitment to listening or engaging with it regularly can be swayed or disrupted by other content that they resonate with more.
The key takeaways for building community? Understanding your audience exactly, and not being afraid to break them down into niche categories beyond age, gender, and life stage. What are their specific interests? How do they spend their time? No one wants to feel like just a number in your audience statistics. They want content that resonates with them.
3. Consistency is still key
If you took the content you create and removed your logo, would you be able to recognise your brand? Not having core elements that keep it recognisable can dilute the work you have put into creating recognition and building trust. This doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to undergo a rebrand, but doing so should be based on strategy and careful intention, with core elements still embedded, such as visual language, taglines, or brand values. A great example is Specsavers. Though they have evolved over 40 years, they remain as recognisable and consistent as ever. When other brands don’t deliver, audiences know they ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’.
4. If you try to be for everyone, you won’t connect with anyone
One of the core pieces of advice from the summit when identifying your goals and target audience is first starting with your ‘why’. It sounds simple, but when you have this insight, it can provide incredible clarity around who you want your brand to connect with. Trying to appeal to everyone or a diverse range of people isn’t a bad goal to have, but not clearly defining and strategising around target audiences can imply a lack of confidence and direction. It might sound risky to focus on a certain audience, but specificity is in the name of human beings. We all have different values, interests, and preferences for the businesses and brands we invest in. When a brand takes a clear stance and is comfortable not being for everyone, that shows confidence in their offerings, plus a clear belief in - and support of - the select audience they are focused on.
A big thank you to the Social Summit team for putting on such a great event! At Ruby Assembly, we focus on long-term outcomes for each of our clients. This means understanding the exact ways they contribute to their category and deliver great work to their clients. With meaningful, human-centric content of high quality, we’re committed to elevating your comms in a way that drives reach, nurtures trust and helps you find your audience. Learn more here.
