A LOOK AT CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS IN SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL MARKETING.
26TH & 27TH AUG 2025
PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA
SOS25: REFRESH
resetting the rules. shaping what’s next.
Not just a conference, State of Social is an award-winning event – an educational, inspirational experience – where we transform Optus Stadium into a hub of marketing reinvention.
We’re bringing together the industry’s sharpest minds to share fresh ideas, case studies, and proven tactics, so you can refresh your perspective and re-energise your approach to all things digital and social.
Over two days of learning and laughs, we’ll equip you with everything you need to reset your strategies, cut through the noise, and get back to what really matters: growing your brand with purpose and clarity.
The data. The know-how. That creative spark. Plus the tools to transform it all into a wave of awareness, engagement, and measurable conversions. Come ready to hit refresh and leave ready to redefine the rules.
See what our industry’s frontrunners are (and aren’t) doing. Hear what the digital world’s trailblazers think before it’s trending. Savour the gourmet eats and treats, inhale the aroma of bottomless barista-brewed coffee, and buckle up for those oh-so-refreshing SOS experiences.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
PROGRAM
*SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Early risers win! Doors are open and the coffee is brewing.
Get in early, grab your lanyard, a quick nibble, and settle in for a day of magic and mystery.
State of Social Founder Meg Coffey takes to the stage to kick things off for 2025.
Keeping Your Legacy Brand Relevant
How do you drag a legacy brand into a new era of social media stardom (especially when it’s a HUGE icon, 443 metres high and weighing in at over 300,000 tons)? Ask Tyler O’Day, the man behind the Empire State Building’s new-found headline-grabbing fame and social engagement.
In his must-see Day One keynote, he’ll explain how to refresh your legacy brand, be topical and trendy and push the limits, even when you need to juggle multiple stakeholders, reconcile conflicting opinions and keep shareholders sweet.
Building Bluey: The Lessons I Learned in How to Build and Scale a Brand
How did Kate O’Connor build the global Bluey brand? How did she stay true to Bluey’s Aussie roots, even as the show became the number-one streamed show in the US? What would she do differently if she were building the Bluey brand from scratch today? And what can we all learn from her experience when we’re strengthening and commercialising our own brands?
From brand strategy fundamentals to cheeky Bluey stories, Kate’s keynote will be packed with brand-building insights and inspiration you can apply in your own work.
SPONSORED BY DOUBLEVERIFY
Beyond the Garden Walls: Master Performance with AI in Social
Google’s and Meta’s data and analytics are great, but they’ll only help you get – or see – so far. How do you escape these walled gardens? We have the answers.
This keynote will reveal how brands use AI to redefine performance measurement and optimisation. You’ll learn how to use AI to connect the complete customer journey, enhance media quality and drive performance at scale, with actionable insights that’ll simplify your path through our complex digital landscape.
Enjoy a long lunch in the Sports Lounge and take in the sights of the incredible grounds at Optus Stadium. We’ve left you plenty of time to grab a feed and check your emails and then devour the brain food on offer.
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
RIVER VIEW 1
Like a Journo: Make it through the (digital) wilderness being anti-AI, for AI
How can brands stand out in a sea of AI content? By thinking like journalists, like Missy Burrell and Tanya Waite.
Get the inside story on powerful, human-centered content strategies that put AI in its place and your brand centre stage. Learn how to create irresistible, share-worthy narratives, using your creativity, originality and AI-driven tools to cut through, connect and build trust, authority and community.
RIVER VIEW 2
From Posts to Purchases: The Impact of Micro Influence
Is the influence of mega-influencers fading? Do everyday micro-influencers hold the key to trust and engagement? Sharyn Smith, the CEO of Australia’s leading influencer marketing agency, believes so.
Join Sharyn for her lesson-packed breakout where she’ll share research, real-world case studies and practical tips and strategies for harnessing the power of micro-influencers to boost brand awareness, sales and both online and offline advocacy.
RIVER VIEW 3
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
RIVER VIEW 1
The Algorithm Whisperer: Humanising Engagement in an AI-Driven World
Forget algorithms. Stop chasing trends. Start setting them. Join Sophie Winter for a masterclass in balancing data-driven decisions with authentic storytelling.
From understanding the limitations of algorithmic trends to techniques for creating content that prioritises human connection, Sophie will show you how to build and nurture online communities organically, just like the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
RIVER VIEW 2
Maps, Memes & Meteorological Mayhem: Harnessing the Cyclonic Power of Social Media
How did Greyhound Australia turn a cyclone of challenges into an opportunity to meme their way into people’s hearts and minds? PR & Social Media Manager Saira Manns will pull back the curtain in her fascinating case-study session.
From turning dry updates into engaging, shareable posts to repurposing content, Saira will explain how she used mission-driven storytelling and cyclone memes to engage, inform, expand reach, create viral momentum and even deliver cultural benefits for Greyhound.
RIVER VIEW 3
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
Take a quick break and find your friends in the Sports Lounge. Grab a snack, charge the phone.
A quick recap and it’s time to move on to drinks!
Day One is done. Let’s have a drink and reminisce.
Get your gold coins or cards ready because Dogs’ Refuge Home is back for our famous Barkout Session – that’s right, you get to cuddle puppies and DRH gets a donation!
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
RIVER VIEW 1
Introducing Metaphor Muesli: The Breakfast of Brand Champions
Forget sugar highs that crash by Q2. Chapter’s Hannah Muirhead and Dean Hunt are dishing out a crunchy metaphor for the power of slow-burn brand building to drive long-term growth. Join their science-backed deep dive into how strategy and storytelling can fortify your business.
You’ll learn how to shift from campaign thinking to long-cycle brand building, where performance marketing fits (and why a strong brand supercharges it), and how to sell brand investment and creative storytelling to even the most ROI-obsessed CFO.
RIVER VIEW 2 | SPONSORED BY ORIGINAL AUDIO
Rethinking Audio: How Personalised Audio Can Drive Bigger Impact for Your Brand
Imagine an ad that speaks to each individual listener. That alters according to their location, the time, even the weather. Original Audio’s Aaron Matthews and Adam Johnson are coming to SOS25 to explain how you and your brand can achieve just that.
From using live data signals to tailor ad copy to maximise relevance and cut-through, to harnessing AI to do it at scale and in real-time, it’s a masterclass in dialling the business-boosting potential of audio up to 11.
RIVER VIEW 3 | SPONSORED BY BONFIRE
Google’s AI Mode and the Future of Search
How will AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode reshape online search? What does it mean for business visibility and marketing? Bonfire’s Will Bal will reveal all, including practical steps that you can take to stay ahead in an AI-first world.
Cut through the hype and discover how ChatGPT and LLMs will change the SEO landscape. Find out what Google’s AI Mode is, how it’s different to ChatGPT, and what impact it will have. And walk away with a to-do list for your website, online presence and digital marketing.
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
RIVER VIEW 1
RIVER VIEW 2
Get Out of Your Glass Towers
Forget that data. Cancel that brainstorm. Step out of your glass tower and away from your ego. It’s time to find your next BIG idea in the real world with Hypnosis’s creative ad-venturer Amber Martin.
In her provocative deep-dive session, Amber will show you how to smash out of your creative prison, immerse yourself in culture and use empathy and agility to light up your marketing (and customers’ lives). With examples from Hypnosis’s Empathy Lab and more, it’s a must-see session.
RIVER VIEW 3 | SPONSORED BY EQU
What I Wish I’d Known About Journey Marketing
Ever tried building customer journeys? It’s easy to lose your way and fall down the gaping chasm between theory and reality. Lucky for you, equ’s journey marketing ace Kirsty O’Connell is here with some time- and face-saving shortcuts.
In this practical session, Kirsty will share what she’s learned on the frontline. No jargon. No silver bullets. Just the stuff she wishes someone had told her earlier, from mapping simple, scalable journeys (with effective segmentation) to harnessing automation and creating after-sale loyalty.
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
RIVER VIEW 1
RIVER VIEW 2
The Power of Employee Generated Content (and How to Do It Right)
When it comes to cutting through in today’s saturated social environment, employee-generated content (EGC) can be a game-changer in driving advocacy and conversion. Take it from Keshnee Kemp, co-founder of social and EGC consultancy August One.
In her fascinating deep dive, Keshnee will answer all your questions, from why EGC has become such a vital content stream to how you can use it to build authenticity and trust. You’ll leave with strategies for building an EGC ecosystem, methods for measuring the impact of EGC and much more.
RIVER VIEW 3 | SPONSORED BY QUIIP
Holding the Line
Ever wondered: ‘Should we turn the comments off?’ Then, you’ll want to join Quiip’s Dan de Sousa and SBS’s Sean O’Byrne for their no-holds-barred deep dive into moderation, one of the most strategically important – but often misunderstood – facets of digital comms.
Discover how to mitigate harm and actively shape culture by promoting healthy debate. Get a handle on the changing nature of moderation in the age of AI. And learn practical skills, like how to scale and flex moderation in moments that matter without sacrificing your values or your people.
Enjoy lunch in the Sports Lounge and take in the sights of the incredible grounds at Optus Stadium. We’ve left you plenty of time to grab a feed and check your emails and then devour the brain food on offer.
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
RIVER VIEW 1
Why Liveshopping Is the Biggest Missed Opportunity for All Australian Marketers
Join Amaury Treguer for this immersive deep dive into the dynamic, engaging and personalised world of Livestream Shopping, where brand storytelling, influencer marketing and e-commerce intersect.
Imagine enjoying the perks of an in-store shopping experience from your couch. Shopping for your favourite influencer’s look while getting their feedback on colour and sizing. Watching a meal be created in real-time while shopping for the ingredients to make it in the moment. With TikTok Shop coming to Australia soon, you need to understand the next social commerce revolution.
RIVER VIEW 2
How to Fix Work: An Interactive Workshop to Refresh Your Life/Work Balance
We spend around a third of our lives working. But it isn’t working. Digital media entrepreneur and author Tim Duggan knows something is about to break. And if we don’t change, it’s going to be us.
In his interactive session, Tim will share the findings of his years-long research project and give you new, personalised tools to seize this once-in-a-generation moment to work smarter, recharge your creativity, and ultimately live better.
RIVER VIEW 3
Reach into the Past to Figure Out the Future: How to Connect with Gen-Z Through Social Media
How do you create compelling content – and a brand – for a generation that’s online to be entertained? In her myth-busting masterclass, Georgia Tappy will help you listen to Gen-Z, learn from them and create content they enjoy and respect.
From TikTok to Insta. From YouTube to Substack. From broad cultural trends to specifics about channels, strategies and tactics. From 13-year-old boys to 28-year-old marketing pros and everyone in between. Georgia will help you find your Gen-Z A-game.
Your choice of sessions covering the hottest topics in social media and digital marketing.
RIVER VIEW 1
Making Dry Topics Sexy on Socials
How do you turn information that’s a little, ahem, bland or dull into fun content people will want to eat up? Heather Lansdowne from the Australian Bureau of Statistics knows. And she has the playbook and case studies – and stats – to back it up.
Learn how to generate, trial and refine fun ideas, develop a new social media strategy and content calendar, and win over even the most strait-laced stakeholders. And walk away with Heather’s step-by-step guide to doubling or even tripling engagement in a few months.
RIVER VIEW 2
Trending Isn’t Trendy
Some businesses aren’t built to jump on trends. Some trends kinda suck. Sometimes it’s just better to avoid the latest one. And Liana Rossi is ready to help you decide whether the trend is your brand’s friend.
In her thought-provoking dive into the cultural zeitgeist and the place of brands within it, Liana will interrogate the role of content, the validity of our BAU approach to always-on content creation and whether tricking the algorithm into views is the right way to build a brand.
RIVER VIEW 3
Welcome to Your Flop Era: How Tragic Views Should Rock Your World
Award-winning ABC journalist Lia Walsh has flopped – an experience that sparked a complete 360 in her storytelling and her rise from the most junior of juniors to 100 million views for the ABC on TikTok alone.
How did Lia do it? How does she use social media as a learning tool that gives her an insight into the minds of audiences and a competitive storytelling advantage? And what can you learn from her about using social media as a report card to transform the way your brand connects with audiences?
Take a quick break and find your friends in the Sports Lounge. Grab a snack, charge the phone.
Surviving the Era of Unsocial Media
The bad news: Social engagement has fallen off a cliff for brands. The good news, according to brand strategy mastermind Eugene Healey: People are still hanging out online, just in private. So, it’s time to pivot from social carpet bombing to an intimate, authentic, hyperfragmented niche-at-scale model.
Get to grips with the cultural, economic and technological factors driving users into the dark. Find out why intimacy is the key brand imperative within this new paradigm and what it looks like. And discover how brands are already executing successful intimacy strategies at scale.
State of Social Founder Meg Coffey takes to the stage to close things out for 2025.
Two epic days are done. Time to let the drinks flow.
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TICKETS
ALL ACCESS
$995+GST
UNTIL 19 AUGUST
TWO DAYS OF FUN
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$725+GST
UNTIL 19 AUGUST
DAY ONE ONLY
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“Absolutely fantastic two days. I have come away inspired, educated and in awe of all the talent that was in the room. The speakers were superb and workshops fantastic. … Cannot wait to implement what I learnt and see you next year.” – Nicola D.
“you hit the nail on the head when it comes to organising an event for marketers. The two days of the event are two of my favourite days of the year and something I really look forward to!”
“This is the only event my team comes together for and we’ve had so many great conversations out of it.” – brad l.
“AMAZING CONFERENCE, THE BEST SOCIAL AND DIGITAL CONFERENCE I’VE ATTENDED IN AUSTRALIA.” – ELIZA T.
“DEFINITELY THE BEST MARKETING AND OR SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCE I’VE BEEN TO.” – SARAH B.
In the spirit of reconciliation, State of Social acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
SPONSORS
State of Social ‘25 would not be possible without a dedicated group of supporters and friends.
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