Social-First

Social-first is coded language.

Plain text reading would simply mean prioritizing channel-based thinking.

But that can’t be the case, no CMO or tuned in business leader could look at Meta or TikTok and say, “I want to bet my business on that.” The uncertainty, the lack of transparency, the fluctuating cost models, and the fickle nature of an opaque AI system governing your business seems disconnected from reality.

Instead, “social-first thinking” has become the stand-in coded language for a different kind of creative thinking.

It means: creativity focused on building its own attention rather than creativity that requires attention to be appreciated

It means: being deeply tuned in to culture and subcultures, relentless curiosity about finding resonant ways in to connect with the way people live and find joy

It means: more flexible production. Not just low-cost, but alt models: creators, merch and supply chain, stunts, collabs. Making shit happen outside an edit room

It means: ideas that innately spread, rather than stay bounded in ad formats. Not just ON PLATFORM, but attention flowing across the places people come together

It means: building recognition for the brand using non-traditional distinctive assets; tone, color, ethos all drive getting ‘full credit’

When looked at that way…that’s simply boundless creativity. It has nothing to do with the virtues of a social platform. That’s real performance creative.

Attention-first creative would be far, far more appropriate. But I can’t change the industry vernacular overnight. But when you hear “social-first” stop thinking about the platforms or the formats. Think about how attention can flow - capture it, and then make it grow beyond its budget.