Win the Applause.
Win the Accounts.

Introduction

In 2019, on the heights of Montmartre in Paris, I made what might have been the biggest decision of my life—right before getting blackout drunk with my Belgian friend.

Yifei Yang, Founder of DreamWeaver

Back then, digital marketing in Europe was little more than a gentle breeze rustling through willow branches. Legacy brands like Dior were still locked in heated debates over whether to embrace e-commerce, while the few pioneers who dared to host virtual runway shows were utterly crucified.

At the time, he and his wife (then-girlfriend) had just started their influencer journey on Instagram with 50K followers. As we talked about the future of marketing, his conviction—amplified by liquid courage—inspired an idea: I'd return to China to build a business rooted in digital marketing's potential. "We sell, or else," as the old adage goes. We'd dismantle the ad agencies that only knew how to burn budgets (my employer at the time being a prime example). He, in turn, vowed to become a powerhouse KOL with his girlfriend—though I'm certain his resolve was shaky at best, given he'd drunk far less than I had.

Who could've predicted that six years later, those drunken proclamations would become our unwavering reality? Today, they boast 2 million followers across platforms. If you're into fashion, you've probably seen her—or rather, them—on Instagram: @marta__sierra.

I've always believed marketers must return to their fundamental purpose: driving measurable sales directly tied to content and strategy—not just buying traffic. In the pre-social media era, brands (whether via agencies or in-house teams) had no real way to attribute sales to marketing budgets, let alone determine if creative efforts outperformed mindless ad spend. Clear financial formulas mixed with murky market data turned marketing into a theater where anyone could claim, "My single ad made this brand #1 nationwide"—a laughable farce.

Two Non-Negotiables

Closing Thoughts