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Date: Thursday 22nd January 2026
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Time: 09:00am to 10:00am (UK time)
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Format: Virtual brand panel on Microsoft Teams
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Host: Dominic Wren, Head of Brand Partnerships, The GO Network

Community by Design: How Brands Build Loyal Audiences Through Purpose and Connection

A practical panel on how community thinking turns customers into advocates and drives long-term growth.

Consumers want connection and authenticity. The strongest brands are building communities, not just audiences, and those communities drive loyalty, advocacy and growth.

In this live panel, senior brand leaders will share what authentic connection looks like in practice, how to balance purpose with commercial goals, and how to measure community-led impact.

Expect clear examples, honest lessons, and takeaways you can apply in 2026.

Panel

  • Matt Shotton, Head of 247, Represent. LinkedIn
  • Arafa Heneghan, Director Brand, AO. LinkedIn
  • Helen Hope, ex-Frasers Group and N Brown. LinkedIn

What We Will Cover

  • What brand community means in 2026
    How communities differ from audiences and why it matters now.
  • Purpose that creates advocacy
    Turning shared values into genuine participation and loyalty.
  • Balancing commercial goals with authenticity
    Where brands get it right and where it can go wrong.
  • Lessons from real community-building programmes
    What has worked, what has not, and what they would do differently.
  • Measuring impact
    Engagement, retention, lifetime value and practical signals of momentum.
  • The role of content, ambassadors and owned platforms
    How brands build belonging through channels they control.

Format

A live, Q&A-style panel discussion. Submit questions in chat throughout and we will bring them into the conversation.

  • 08:45 to 09:00: Speaker tech checks
  • 09:00 to 09:10: Welcome, setting the scene, panel introductions
  • 09:10 to 09:55: Panel discussion and audience Q&A
  • 09:55 to 10:00: Closing takeaways

Why Attend

You will leave with sharper thinking on how to build belonging around your brand, clearer guardrails for authenticity, and practical ways to prove community-led growth.

Places are limited. Register now to secure your spot.

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