Reddit's Close Knit Community Helps Unlock Upcoming Trends

During the pandemic, many people joined Reddit to find that lost sense of community that they were missing in their lives. Together, groups like r/wallstreetbets played the stock market and created stand-out pop culture moments. But as more people begin to go out, there is no reason for these newfound communities to disappear. Laura Nestler, vice president of community at Reddit, is positive that such groups will play an even more crucial part in the consumer's purchase path. Discover how Reddit works with their communities to predict what's coming next, how the influencer space is turning brands into more transparent organizations, and why marketing is the balance of art and science. ADWEEK: How did you get to where you are today? Any noteworthy aha-moments along the way? I’ve always been drawn to adventure, and this led me to jump at growth-phase opportunities with Yelp, Duolingo, and most recently Reddit. My career has allowed me to live around the world and build teams and communities across a variety of cultures and contexts. The industry itself has grown up alongside me. Community was a fledgling discipline when my career started, but today companies can’t grow teams fast enough. Sustaining communities is about unlocking intrinsic—not extrinsic—motivation. It’s tempting to hack community growth with incentives but what you gain in volume, you erode in authenticity. Once the extrinsic rewards dry up, so does your community. Satisfying intrinsic motivators like joy and purpose are the only path to sustained success. It is why I love working at Reddit, where community is at the heart of every decision, every team’s goal, and our mission itself. What's the most innovative thing you're currently working on? Reddit is the most human place on the internet, and many of the most prolific pop culture moments start right here: r/wallstreetbets is just the latest in a long list of examples. These moments and phenomena present so many opportunities—from our moderators to marketers seeking insights on the latest trends—and the more we can work with our communities to predict what’s coming next, the more value we can provide. We are working cross-functionally on systems to detect these signals before they become mainstream news, which is very exciting. https://twitter.com/Reddit/status/1354917351263662080 What new or up-and-coming innovation(s) are you most excited about and how do you think it will change the future of marketing? Consumer trends toward vulnerability and authenticity, as well as increased scrutiny over data privacy, are forcing brands to reevaluate their marketing tactics. People aren’t just buying products because an influencer told them to, they’re buying products that align with their values and inspire identity. Brands must adjust by connecting directly with consumers on a transparent, human level. Online communities, like those on Reddit, provide an ideal platform for brands to meaningfully connect with consumers because the interest is already baked in. Our Advertising business is growing rapidly with innovative and creative campaigns from a diverse range of brands. We’ll see brands co-creating with communities, using a core ideology and envisioned future to motivate consumers through ideas, not products. Passionate communities drive real-world action (which r/WallStreetBets clearly demonstrated) and I’ll be fascinated to see how marketers invest in generating a sense of belonging to fuel innovation, build long-term loyalty, and drive advocacy at scale… likely in partnership with a newly minted community team. What’s one piece of work from your career that you’re the proudest of? During my time at Duolingo, I had the opportunity to produce Something Like Home, a documentary about the impact of language on the lives of refugees. It challenges viewers to consider how the world looks completely different depending on where you are and what language you speak. Working with this community and the incredible team behind this production was some of the most humbling and fulfilling work of my career. Was there ever a time where you questioned your career path? How did you handle that? Right out of college, I obsessed over getting a job at a big, well-known brand. However, I soon realized I wanted my work to have a direct impact on what we were building. After that, I optimized every career choice for: 1) the people I’d work with/learn from, 2) the potential for adventure, and 3) my opportunity for outsized impact. This commitment has led friends and colleagues to question every career move I’ve made and that’s always the first sign that I’m on the right track. My alternate-reality career path is a pilot. There’s still time! What is one skill that you think is currently underdeveloped in Marketing? The balance of art and science. Our obsession and reliance on data to inform decisions have caused the pendulum to swing so far toward only doing things that are rational and evident in the metrics that we lose sight of just how irrational human decision-making is. We must allow for the creative magic and gut instincts that drove so many of us to get into the industry in the first place, then validate the value we created by articulating our impact to core business objectives. It must be art and science. Check out Predictably Irrational and Alchemy. How do you pick and develop the talent on your team? The greatest leaders I’ve known have shown incredible ambition and focus, but never for themselves I select talent based on candidates’ combination of growth mindset, tenacity, and humility. I’m looking for ego-free teammates who will bring passion and perseverance to support our communities and be consummate team members when we face obstacles. Developing future leaders is my most important job, and how individuals on my team show up as team members is crucial to me. I want us to achieve our individual goals, but also to dedicate significant energy toward being a high-performing team, because these go hand in hand. The greatest leaders I’ve known have shown incredible ambition and focus, but never for themselves—it’s always a blend of honesty, humility, and unparalleled will to lead others in service of a greater cause. I do everything I can to emulate this model. What's a way that you predict marketing will change as more people begin traveling/going out again? Community is having a moment. We saw this firsthand as millions of new users came to Reddit throughout the pandemic for connection, belonging, information, and distraction in a time of unprecedented physical disconnection. But I don’t think the genie will go back in the bottle. I’m predicting an evolution to our former office habits, a commitment to athleisure as work attire, and a collective agreement that we shouldn’t start shaking hands again (it’s never not awkward), I believe that eCommerce is a secular trend that will continue to thrive post-pandemic. As a result, communities—like the 100k+ found on Reddit—will play an even bigger role in the consumer path to purchase, and online communities will become even more integral to the marketing mix. What’s the first post to come to mind when you hear “best-in-class social”? I’ve never been more impressed with a brand than when KFC changed its name to FCK when there was a chicken shortage in the UK. It was a masterclass in humor, self-awareness, and authenticity. The Reddit community loved it. The backstory of why KFC only follows 6 men named Herb and the Spice Girls (and how they rewarded the person who found the easter egg) is further evidence of their best-in-class crown. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Think big, start small, learn fast. A year from now, you’ll wish you started today.To get more, focus on less. Make the most of one opportunity and more opportunities will come your way.Listen. Really listen.

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Reddit's Close Knit Community Helps Unlock Upcoming Trends

VP of community Laura Nestler points to the state of social media influence

Julian Gamboa

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Julian Gamboa