Let’s Be Real: Organic, Authentic Social
From working in European regions at MyProtein to working within the central UK team at innocent, Anni’s job has been about making social media work as a powerhouse for businesses, not an after-thought. Whether it’s B2B or B2C, her remit has extended across influencer management, planning multi-million pound media campaigns, and coming up with content that’ll make people smile (and want to press follow in return).
After 5 years, Anni is now freelance to help other brands build such a legacy across their own digital channels. The Retail Hive’s Ed Lawson sat down with Anni to learn more about organic, authentic social…
Anni Mueller
Ed Lawson
Anni, could you tell us a little about your background?
I started as a Content Exec at The Hut Group, running localised campaigns across Europe. Once I got to innocent, I was in charge of their digital media strategy, which is fancy words for connecting paid, organic, influencer and wider media campaigns to the brand. A huge part of those campaigns was using data insights to prove ROI. I guess you could say it gave me some good perspectives from both eCommerce and retail, and how to make social really work in each setting.
What did you learn about measuring ROI, especially from organic social?
With eCommerce it’s easier—you can track from post to purchase. In retail, it’s trickier. You often need retail media partners like Tesco’s Dunnhumby to link sales back to campaigns. The one thing that’s consistent across the board though is the data you get from your organic social posts will help you make creative decisions that’ll increase your ROI during campaigns. And you need to be clear on the exact KPIs you want: overall ROI or figuring out which products are driving it.
Don’t copy and paste. Figure out your own voice, your own audience, and build from there.”
How do you typically help brands?
It depends on their setup. If they already have a social media team, I help align them and make sure their ways of working are set up with a strategy to drive as much revenue as possible.
If they’re smaller, I focus on educating stakeholders, showing what social can achieve and how to grow step by step. Even though I can still help with the content creation if needed, I’m more about strategy, planning, and unlocking the bigger potential.
Social media can be a tough sell internally. How do you make the case?
By showing it’s not just about likes or quick sales. Social gives you insights into your audience, helps shape brand personality, and builds communities that people want to engage with. Look at Duolingo or innocent—people follow them for the voice, not just the product. Which means if they ever need data to understand how to market better, their audience will offer it up willingly, and most importantly, for free.
What advice do you give to teams who want to “be the next innocent or Duolingo”?
Don’t copy and paste. Figure out your own voice, your own audience, and build from there. The most successful brands online are the ones who know who they’re talking to and make that interaction authentic. The best marketing comes from human connection, as it’ll always give customers the incentive of worth paying more for.
Want to know more?
Join our upcoming Digital Café with Anni to delve into organic, authentic social!
When? 6th November 2025 (9am GMT)
Where? Taking place on Zoom, so you can dial in from the comfort of your home or desk!
Who? All of our Cafés are informal, retailer-only sessions. Get involved below…
