We took Manchester by storm in March, with AllBright Meets, powered by Squarespace, the design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. Hosted by Lauren Layfield, our dynamic panel included author & journalist Otegha Uwagba, journalist & sexologist Emilie Lavinia, CEO & co-founder of Refy, Jenna Meek and model & influencer, Mia Maugé. Amazing things happen when women come together, and it was an evening of affirming insights around how to market your product, your brand, or yourself online. Here’s just a few that left us feeling inspired.  

“Customers no longer just buy a product, they buy into what the brand can do for them, how they can improve their lives” Jenna Meek

It’s true, marketing is no longer as simple as presenting a product to a customer and giving them a reason to buy it. They buy into who the brand is, whether their values align, who is associated. It’s all encompassing, but it’s a great marketing opportunity. It’s a touchpoint that highlights how invaluable a tool like Squarespace is in creating a modern business. The simplicity of the user experience allows everyone to leave their mark, no matter their technical skills, helping keep the audience’s interest easier than ever before.

The online space can be noisy, but it’s important not to compromise the values we hold at the heart of our businesses. Emilie’s reluctance to shy away from the ‘influencer’ label allowed her to embrace the power it gives women to position themselves as an expert in their field. But it’s not without its challenges, with platforms like Meta and Instagram, algorithmic changes can become a barrier. This highlights why platforms like Squarespace are so important. Giving the user complete control to be to be unashamedly true to their values, presenting their opinions and expertise in the way they know works for their audience. In fact, another one of our panellists, Otegha explained that it was the adaptability and freedom of Squarespace that encouraged her to delete more traditional social media, like LinkedIn.  

“From beauty products to the things we eat, we live in a youth-obsessed world. Loyal generations of customers are getting left behind by brands” Mia Maugé

Of course, the constant presence of social media can be a challenge, but it provides an opportunity too. The stereotypes around age remain prevalent in today’s marketing, particularly for women. But social media should also be a tool for pushing back on them by putting forward the most authentic versions of ourselves online. Using her own Squarespace site, Mia is fighting these ‘youth obsessed’ stereotypes in fashion. By staying true and connecting with similar women online she has created opportunities, including a seminal campaign with retail giant Marks & Spencer.  

A thread running throughout the evening was the support women can give each other when building their businesses and brands online. Otegha highlighted the importance of asking for help, no matter what stage of your career you are at. She explained how beneficial reaching out can be to both those asking and those who are asked, as it allows us to share our skills and learn the nuances of each audience. A clear take away from the evening, from the panel to the networking opportunity, was how much fellow businesswomen want to help each other, and how powerful the online community can be when we do. This AllBright Meets, we saw that power in action.  

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