​Thursday 29th May: 12pm-1pm

​This session is for Up Club Members only!

​Our doors for Up Club are open for a limited time. Sign up here to be a member before the EOW to come along!

​ABOUT THE EVENT

​How on EARTH does a brand thrive without ads, influencers, or social platforms? 

​Well…

​Meet Annabelle Baker.

​She started out at LUSH in the 90s and worked her way up to Global Board Member and Brand Director over a period of 25 years 🤯 

​During her time there, Anabelle had to think creatively with her team to find ways to grow and engage their consumers, in spite of making such a bold (and let’s face it – risky) move like this. 

​Now Anabelle has gone on to make her own bold move, having recently co-founded her fragrance brand DIEM. Her goal? To disrupt the fragrance industry, just as LUSH once upturned the skincare and cosmetics industry.

​What You’ll Learn:

​How you grow a brand when you’re not chasing eyeballs

​No ads, no boosted posts, no influencers-just brand, trust, and product. What Lush did instead to stay culturally relevant and keep growing.

​What happens when you can’t rely on paid to drive performance

​How you build a strategy when performance marketing isn’t part of the mix-and how it changes the kind of marketer you need to be.

​The lessons that still stick

​From navigating algorithm chaos to sticking to your values, Annabelle shares what worked, what didn’t, and what she’d do again.

​Building a brand in the ‘90s vs 2025

​From shop counters and leaflets to direct-to-consumer and AI—how launching DECIM has made her rethink everything she learned, without forgetting what matters.

​ABOUT THE SPEAKER

​Annabelle Baker is an accomplished business leader and board member. She recently joined as Co-Founder of DIEM® - a fine fragrance brand from London innovating how we interact with perfume. She was a key member of the leadership team that expanded Lush from the UK to 50 international markets, Annabelle brings over 26 years of experience in sustainability, strategy, and leadership. 

​A skilled strategist and problem-solver, Annabelle has deep expertise across retail, e-commerce, licensing, manufacturing, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing. Her passion lies in inspiring multi-cultural global teams—spanning retailers, financiers, marketers, technologists, and digital innovators—to reach new heights of success.

​Born in London and a global explorer at heart, Annabelle has lived in Asia and remains deeply committed to issues of equity and justice. As an international keynote speaker, she has shared her expertise at renowned platforms such as TEDX, OMR, SXSW, CSR Asia Summit, and governmental forums in the UK and Singapore. A true collaborator with businesses and governments, she is dedicated to driving positive change, from advocating for the living wage to ending animal testing.