ABOUT THIS FIRESIDE CHAT

Playing it safe was never part of BrewDog’s playbook. From anti-establishment campaigns to deliberately provocative brand decisions, BrewDog built growth by choosing to polarise.

They knew not everyone would agree, but many would care.

In this session, James Hickson (Head of Brand Hackers & FMCG nerd) will be interviewing Sarah Warman where she’ll share what it looked like to build a brand that takes a stand from the inside. Sarah draws on her 12 years at BrewDog, where she was the company’s first marketing hire!!

She’ll be unpacking how conviction-led marketing can drive attention, loyalty and growth, and where the line sits between bold brand building and unnecessary controversy.

In this fireside chat expect to hear all about:

• The value of taking a stand

• BrewDog as a masterclass in polarisation

• What I learned about managing risk, controversy, and conviction

• How to create brand magnetism without crossing into toxicity or gimmickry.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Sarah's marketing career started agency-side before a 12 year tenure at BrewDog, where she was the first marketing employee before dabbling in everything from marketing to sustainability to International brand awareness for the renegade craft brewer.

She is now a Fractional CMO, advisor to start-ups and scaleups, and is not shy with her opinions on business, strategy and brand