The Truth About Standing Out in the AI Era: Building a Brand People Actually Trust
At our Marketing in the Madness Live anti-conference, George Sullivan, Founder of The Sole Supplier, takes the stage to deliver a powerful and energetic talk about human connection in the era of AI.
With social media reach declining, AI content flooding every feed, and trust becoming harder to earn, George cuts through the noise with a message every marketer needs to hear:
👉 People buy from people.
👉 Human feeling beats AI quantity.
👉 Your face, your story, your passion = your competitive advantage.
George shares:
- How The Sole Supplier grew from his bedroom to 4.5M monthly users
- Why being the face of the brand changed everything
- What AI “slop” means for marketers (and how to rise above it)
- The truth about authenticity, trust, and the future of content
- How brands like Nike, Apple, and LinkedIn master emotional connection
Why you need to think deeply again - not outsource everything to ChatGPT
The three pillars that make brands memorable: Educate, Entertain, Inspire
This talk is packed with insights, honesty, humour, and actionable takeaways for anyone working in marketing, brand, or content right now.
If you're a marketer, founder, content creator, or brand builder then this episode will hit home.
Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome to Marketing in the Madness LIVE
01:20 – George Sullivan takes the stage
02:10 – The power of building a brand through people
03:25 – George’s origin story
04:35 – “People buy from people”
06:05 – Reclaiming your thinking in the age of AI
07:55 – Trust vs. AI-generated content
10:14 – AI’s impact on brand trust
12:00 – Nike and human connection
13:45 – Rising above AI “slop”
15:05 – Loving the brand you work for
This is only the beginning. Over the next few weeks, we’re releasing more incredible talks from Marketing in the Madness Live - including sessions with some of the world’s biggest brands and thought-leaders like Richard Shotton, author of Hacking the Human Mind.
George Sullivan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-sullivan-tss/
The Sole Supplier
https://thesolesupplier.co.uk/
Katie Street
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestreet/
https://www.instagram.com/streetmate/
Marketing in the Madness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-in-the-madness-podcast/
https://www.instagram.com/marketinginthemadness/
Street Agency
https://www.linkedin.com/company/streetagency/
https://www.instagram.com/street.agency/
UK