Coolr COO on Scaling Social Without Losing Its Soul

Coolr has always been known for moving fast — from pioneering social-first campaigns to building a client roster that blends daring creativity with measurable business impact.

Now, with fresh private investment and a heavyweight leadership team, the agency is gearing up for its most ambitious chapter yet.

At the centre of this evolution is Alex MacLaverty, Coolr’s new COO. Having scaled agencies from boutique beginnings to global players, she joins at a critical moment, with a clear mission: to grow Coolr into a category leader without losing the entrepreneurial spirit and cultural DNA that made it stand out in the first place.

LBB> What drew you to Coolr at this particular moment, and what is your overarching vision for where you want to take the agency in the next few years?

Alex> I’ve been following Coolr’s meteoric rise for a while and have always admired its work, client roster and attitude. With the private investment last year, the business is now primed for more growth into different client sectors and services. It’s an exciting time for everyone, but it needs to be done with intention and a clear focus on building a business we all want to still be working in, in three years’ time. Growth has to be underpinned by solid operational and cultural foundations and that’s what I’m here to achieve.

LBB> You’ve helped scale agencies from boutique to global players before. How do you plan to balance Coolr’s rapid growth ambitions with preserving the creative culture and entrepreneurial spirit that define it?

Alex> For me, it’s always about putting the vision and values of the business at the heart of your growth plans and using them as a lens for decision-making and as a tool for holding leadership accountable. A team that’s fully aligned behind their core goals and freed up to pursue their own ways to achieve them is always the best and fastest way to grow. If you build your operating framework to actively support greater creative freedom and entrepreneurial flair then scale becomes a tool for empowering your team, not stifling them.

LBB> Coolr has big international ambitions. What are your priorities and first steps in laying the groundwork for successful expansion into new markets?

Alex> It has to start with the client's needs. Where’s the gap in how they’re currently being served by the local market, and how can we fill it? How does our unique Coolr offering translate to other markets and audiences? Once you’ve hit on that winning formula, it’s how fast can we spread that message and get on those pitch lists!

LBB> Having seen the evolution of comms and marketing agencies over the past two decades, how do you think the agency model needs to adapt to meet the demands of social-first, influencer-driven marketing today?

Alex> The sheer pace and unruliness of social has hugely disrupted the more traditionally linear agency model – vastly for the better in my opinion. In many ways, agencies need to mirror their environment so fluidity, agility and a laser focus on creative impact is critical, and that starts from the top. Gone are the days of command and control structures, annual planning and rigid hierarchies. What we’re working towards is a model where great ideas, for clients or the business, from anyone in the organisation, can go from brainstorm to implementation in a matter of hours so that we’re constantly iterating and making full use of our exceptional talents.

LBB> Social media marketing is an increasingly crowded space. Where do you see the biggest opportunities for Coolr to stand out and cement its position as a category leader?

Alex> Social has never been a bolt-on for us, it’s where we started and what we live and breathe.

Being social-first from day one means we understand the platforms, the culture and the audiences in a way that advertising or PR agencies simply can’t replicate. Our edge comes from delivering tangible business impact, not just likes or views. We’re ahead of new platforms and trends, working with some of the most creatively daring clients to push boundaries and create work that actually moves the needle.

In such a crowded market, the gap is clear: boutique shops often lack scale, while big agencies treat social as an add-on. Coolr offers the best of both - the specialist focus and agility of a social-only partner, combined with the scale to deliver multi-million-pound campaigns. That’s what cements our position as a category leader.

LBB> With new senior leadership appointments and rapid growth underway, how will you ensure operational excellence and build structures that support people, not just processes?

Alex> I see the role of the leadership and operations teams much like the back of house team in a restaurant. We need to give the chefs everything they need to create incredible food – sharp knives, quality ingredients and permission to experiment, while the waiters need a beautiful restaurant, clean cutlery and sensible pricing to create an exceptional customer experience. Neither should have to worry about where the carrots came from, how the cutlery gets washed, or if we’re about to run out of till roll. They’re able to excel in their jobs and create an incredible product for our clients because the processes are invisible, automatic and seamless.

LBB> Looking at the industry more broadly, what trends or shifts do you think will most shape the future of social and influencer marketing — and how do you see Coolr positioning itself to lead in that space?

Alex> The future of social and influencer marketing will be shaped by three big shifts: the rise of grassroots communities, the growing role of data and AI, and the need for greater agility. Social influence has moved away from polished campaigns toward more authentic, raw content at the grassroots level, where culture is really being shaped. That means success will come from being genuinely embedded in those communities, building relevance through the consumer lens and staying close to the platforms and spaces where younger audiences are spending their time.

At the same time, data will be critical not just for reporting, but for spotting future trends and helping brands “see around corners.” AI will obviously add another layer of disruption and evolution, transforming how creative is developed and scaled, and rewarding those who are agile enough to adapt quickly.

Coolr is uniquely positioned to lead in this space. One of our mantras is “What got us here won’t get us there,” and we live by that. Our talented team, who live and breathe social, is built to move with culture, not chase it. We combine grassroots insight, forward-looking data and an agile mindset to help brands navigate the next era of influence.