Social Media Marketing Strategy

Paula Candelario’s Session

10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m. PT — Thursday, February 26, 2026

The Reactive Content Test: Knowing When to Engage and When to Ignore

Reactive content can be one of the most powerful ways to build brand awareness, but only when it’s done with intention. In this session, Paula Candelario, Senior Social Media Strategist at Akamai Technologies, explores how brands can join cultural conversations authentically without losing their voice. Through a real-world case study of Akamai’s unexpected engagement win around Taylor Swift’s engagement news (its most shared post of 2025), Paula will show how even the most “serious” tech brands can connect with audiences through relevant, timely storytelling.

Attendees will learn how to balance creativity with brand integrity, establish internal processes for fast yet responsible approvals, and identify when a moment is worth reacting to. With data-driven insights and competitive examples, Paula will demystify what makes reactive content resonate and why intentional engagement can be just as valuable as paid campaigns.

Key Takeaways:

Identify the right cultural moments to engage with and align them authentically with your brand voice.
Discover how Akamai’s Taylor Swift engagement post exemplified authentic, agile storytelling.
Ensure operational readiness and establish clear approval workflows to enable timely content creation.
Distinguish between meaningful engagement opportunities and unnecessary trend-hopping.
Leverage data-backed insights to understand how intentional reactive content drives brand awareness and community growth.