Episode 5: Designing customer advocacy for long-term growth

Dave Hansen explores what separates short-lived customer advocacy initiatives from programs built to scale and last over time. The conversation challenges the idea of optimizing only for launch success, arguing instead that healthy advocacy programs are designed around long-term relationships, continuity, and evolution.

Drawing from years of experience in customer advocacy and engagement strategy, Dave shares why advocacy should never become purely transactional. From the limits of incentive-based participation to the importance of trust and meaningful customer experiences, the episode explores what it takes to build sustainable advocacy ecosystems.

The discussion also dives into governance, customer over-engagement, and the risks of relying too heavily on disconnected teams or individual program owners.