Morgan Selzer, Canva’s Global Head of Content Partnerships, emphasizes that the quickest route to brand recognition is by capitalizing on existing audiences rather than trying to build your own from scratch. Drawing from her experience at Headspace, where she led a successful collaboration with Sesame Street that garnered over 45 million YouTube views, she highlights the importance of partnerships. By leveraging platforms where your audience already spends time, brands can significantly increase their visibility and engagement. For instance, Headspace chose to host its content on Sesame Street’s channel, which proved far more effective than sticking to its own. Selzer points out that many brands mistakenly believe they must cultivate their own channels, leading to wasted resources and minimal returns. She advises marketers to shift their mindset toward accessing established audiences, focusing on collaboration with influencers and creators to enhance reach. Understanding cultural trends is also vital; brands should align their messaging with current pop culture, popular media, and emerging formats. Selzer suggests dedicating time to explore trends actively, which can inspire fresh ideas for brand storytelling. Creating valuable content that entertains or educates is essential. Selzer notes that audiences will disengage if they feel they are being sold to. For example, the “Sunday Scaries” series from Headspace offered free meditations without overt promotional messaging, resulting in increased brand loyalty over time. As traditional marketing strategies falter, Selzer advocates for a shift toward access-focused marketing, where brands collaborate on content creation, like documentaries or podcasts, to build cultural relevance and trust with their audiences.