Marcus Foley: The Rule of No Rules: A Framework for Distinctiveness

2025

Apr 14

Marcus Foley, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Tommy, is bringing his signature energy and unconventional thinking to SocialDay 2025, and we couldn’t be more excited. With a client list that includes Netflix, TikTok, Nike, Adobe, and YouTube, and offices in London, LA, and Singapore, Marcus is at the forefront of delivering some of the most distinctive and memorable creative work in the industry.

At this year’s festival, Marcus will be diving into why “no rules” might just be the most powerful rule of them all, and what brands can do to embrace this new era of creative chaos.

About Marcus

Marcus Foley is a self-confessed content obsessive and the driving force behind Tommy, the creative agency redefining what brand distinctiveness really looks like. He’s worked with some of the most culturally iconic brands in the world and helped shape how they show up online — bold, disruptive, and unforgettable.

As someone who’s constantly interrogating what makes content stick, Marcus has turned his fascination with distinctiveness into something bigger: a data-backed, neuroscience-informed framework for marketers who want to stand out. Whether he’s presenting to global innovation teams or hijacking a plane full of influencers (yes, really — more on that below), Marcus brings ideas that challenge, provoke, and inspire.

What to Expect from The Rule of No Rules: A Framework for Distinctiveness

In this session, Marcus invites you into the lawless new era of marketing — where being distinctive means ripping up the playbook and creating something truly original. With culture colliding in unexpected ways and consumer preferences shifting at speed, it’s never been more important for brands to break away from sameness and deliver work that stands out.

Drawing on the first academic behavioural and cognitive neuroscience studies investigating distinctiveness and memory, Marcus will share the insights and strategies brands need to cut through the noise and stay top of mind.

Key Areas of Focus

The four key sources of distinctiveness — grounded in neuroscience, helping marketers understand what makes content memorable.
The Distinctiveness Framework — a lens to uncover strategic and creative gaps in your content.
Building blocks of distinctivity — four practical strategies you can adopt right now to elevate your marketing.
Brand breakdowns — real-world examples of brands leading the way in distinctiveness, across categories.

Key Takeaways

Attendees will leave with the knowledge to:

Understand the science behind what makes content stick.
Apply a proven framework to audit and improve their own brand distinctiveness.
Create marketing that cuts through cultural noise and remains memorable.
Navigate change and consumer behaviour shifts with bold, brand-defining work.

What’s Exciting in Social Media Right Now

For Marcus, the standout moment of the last year has been watching small brands with tiny budgets completely disrupt their categories with creative, brave, and wildly distinctive work. From gins in engine oil cans to sun lotion packaged like whippy cream, brands are proving that originality and personality win — not just big spend.

A Social Media Success Story

One of Marcus’s biggest social media wins? Hijacking a plane full of influencers for a Netflix premiere and letting 100,000 people control the experience live via Twitch. The result? Sky-high engagement and a shining example of what happens when bold ideas meet brave clients.

Favourite Social Media Campaign

Marcus’s top pick is Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal album launch — a creative masterclass in world-building and cohesive content. Every story, asset, and piece of media was stitched together into a single, unforgettable aesthetic and narrative. For Marcus, this is how you do it right.

What Marcus Would Like to See More of in Social Media

More originality. More bravery. More brands ditching the rinse-and-repeat content calendar and embracing unique playbooks that truly engage the brain. For Marcus, distinctiveness isn’t just an advantage — it’s the way forward.

Connect with Marcus

Want to keep up with Marcus and the work he’s doing at Tommy? Follow him here:

LinkedIn: Marcus Foley
Website: wearetommy.com

Marcus joins a lineup of leading industry professionals at SocialDay's Social Media Marketing Festival 2025, where top minds in social media marketing will share their insights and expertise.