Why mindset-led marketing drives smarter performance

Attention is fragmented. Algorithms are evolving daily. Yet most brands are still planning media using demographics that offer zero insight into why people buy. “Age and gender don’t tell you what makes someone stop scrolling,” says Gareth Harrison. “Mindset does.” Performance today doesn’t start with placements or budgets, it starts with how people think. 

In Episode 2 of The Media Lift Effect — our SocialMinds x Brave Talk special — Brave Bison’s Mark Byrne and SocialChain’s Gareth Harrison break down exactly how brands can activate the methodology for measurable lift.  

Audit before you optimise 

Before activating The Media Lift Effect, most marketers need to “fix the plumbing”. That means auditing creative, pixels and account structures first. “If the signals are wrong, your bidding strategy doesn’t stand a chance,” says Mark. Ask yourself: is content mapped to funnel stages? Are your conversion events tracking correctly? Without the right foundations, the algorithm can’t do its job. 

AudienceGPT: AI that thinks like your customer 

Brave Bison’s proprietary tool, AudienceGPT, simulates real behaviour to uncover what on-platform moves people, and why. It’s not a persona deck. It’s a living model that evolves with your audience. “It’s how we spot the unexpected segments and validate creative before we scale,” says Gareth. 

 Target mindsets, not demographics 

Algorithms don’t care about income. They care about interests, intent and interaction. Gareth puts it bluntly: “Stop talking to women 25–34. Start targeting mindsets — curiosity, exploration, validation.” Align to how platforms serve content, and you’ll naturally improve efficiency. 

With broader targeting comes a new truth: creative is the new targeting. “It’s how people self-select into journeys,” Mark explains.  

The creator edge 

Creator-led content is outperforming brand-first assets because it feels native. It builds trust and drives results, especially when amplified through paid. “It’s the two-for-one format,” says Gareth. Organic resonance signals what’s worth scaling; paid adds the jet fuel. 

Organic is your R&D lab 

Organic isn’t just for engagement, it’s where you test. Identify hooks and formats that naturally stop thumbs, then tweak (add a logo, sharpen the caption) and push into paid. “It’s the cheapest way to de-risk creative,” says Mark. 

 Preheat your paid 

Meta prefers creatives with results history, so new assets need separate ad sets to warm up until they hit ~50 conversions. “It’s like marinating before cooking,” says Gareth. Only then should they enter main campaigns to compete fairly. 

 Budgets should flex with growth 

60/40 brand-to-performance is a useful benchmark, but Mark stresses it’s not fixed. “Startups might go 80% bottom-funnel and shift as scale builds. Rigidity kills momentum.” 

Not every platform wants the same content. Pinterest needs polish, TikTok demands entertainment, Reddit expects community-native language. Tailor creatively, not just fiscally. 

Measure what matters 

The Media Lift Effect brings paid and organic together through one ladder: Social outputs to audience outtakes to brand outcomes. It means testing assets against curiosity and conversion, and understanding that creative is your biggest lever for lift. 

 Ready to activate smarter performance? 

Download The Media Lift Effect white paper to learn more about the framework and listen to Episode 2 now to hear the full conversation with Mark and Gareth.