Staying Level-Headed During Economic Turbulence
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
Release Date: 04/08/2025
Summer Marketing Strategies: Let's Make Memories!
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
Once the calendars hit June, everybody wants to make a summer full of memories: your business might be in the position to provide them. In this episode of The Briefcase, Kirsten Cutshall, CEO of Steel Advertising, calls in from Texas to share the trade secrets of the Summer Marketing Strategies. What you’ll learn: During the summer, people want to make memories-- and to make memories, people need to make time. By playing to the aesthetics of the summer, you can secure your business's place in the season and the hearts of others. If you can make your marketing a meetup, you can make memories...
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LL Bean and Brands taking Stands
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
Sometimes, the best way to make a statement is with silence. For the entire month of May, LL Bean has been pausing all social media to support mental health. In this episode of The Briefcase, Makaila Hickey, Sutherland Weston's Digital Content Strategist, walks us through the reasoning behind and the impacts in the wake of the brand's seasonal silence. What you’ll learn: Having your brand take a stand on well-being and other values adds new dimensions for consumers to latch onto. Sacrificing online presence in a community-minded manner can give rise to a brand's earned media. Consumers,...
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Audio First: The Unsung Hero of Great Video
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, unpacks the often-underappreciated yet pivotal role that audio plays in video content. Framed by his professional insights and casual banter, Paul highlights how audio can elevate a video’s impact or derail its effectiveness. As video habits shift toward "listening over watching," Paul shares tips for using music, sound effects, and clean vocals to guide the audience and keep their attention emotionally. Packed with practical wisdom and analogies that stick, the episode reveals how...
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Stand Out With Perspective: How Video Angles Can Set You Apart
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, follows up on a previous episode titled “Unforgettable” about the importance of standing out in business. Paul takes this idea further by discussing how video, specifically how you shoot video, can make your business not just seen, but remembered. Whether you’re selling tires or cakes, the goal is to highlight what makes your company different in a visual way that captures attention. With a phone camera and a willingness to think visually, you can craft video content that educates,...
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Lessons From “We Solve Murders”-- Separating Fact from Fiction
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
In this episode, Elizabeth Sutherland, President and CEO of Sutherland Weston, explores the blurred lines between fiction and real-world media access, sparked by a plot twist in Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders, part of the Thursday Murder Club series. Using the fictional scene as a springboard, Elizabeth and Ric Tyler offer a behind-the-scenes look at television media protocols, typically involving multiple layers of approval from producers to anchors before a story sees airtime. The idea that someone could simply walk into a studio and share a narrative unchecked is, for most people,...
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Can You Read Me Now? Closed-Captioning Matters
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
In this episode of The Briefcase from Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, audiovisual specialist Paul Chadwick shares how turning on closed captioning for his television viewing sparked a deeper appreciation for the practical power of subtitles in marketing and communication. He explains that closed captioning isn’t just for accessibility; it’s a strategic tool that boosts engagement, reaches silent viewers, and improves SEO by making video content readable by search engines. Paul emphasizes how easy it is to add captions using built-in platform tools. He encourages marketers...
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Corey Morris-- How to START a Successful Digital Marketing Plan
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
Corey Morris, CEO of Voltage and author of The Digital Marketing Success Plan, joins The Briefcase to share the power of START, a five-step framework designed to help marketers and businesses cut through the noise and create actionable, enduring plans. Morris provides a compelling argument for structured agility in digital marketing, from avoiding over-complication to building strategies that outlast employee turnover to reminding listeners that agility can quickly become chaos without a clear plan. You'll learn: – The START Framework – A five-step, 90-day process for building actionable...
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Knowing When to Let Go — Lessons from 15 Years of Local TV
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
In this episode of The Briefcase, Dan Cashman reflects on the decision to end The Nite Show, the nation’s last locally produced late-night talk show, after a 15-year run. He explores the emotional and strategic complexities of knowing when to let go, whether in media, business, or personal projects. From pandemic pivots to long goodbye planning, Dan shares lessons on flexibility, gut instinct, and making peace with transitions. He offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and creatives navigating change. You’ll learn how to: Trust Intuition in Leadership...
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Brainstorming 101-- An All Witch Orchestra?
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
In this imaginative episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist Mark Parent unpacks a creative technique called Brainstorming 101. The heart of Brainstorming 101 lies in bypassing traditional product benefits and instead asking questions that generate real stories about the product’s context. As Mark explains, it’s not about laundry detergent—it’s about memories of doing laundry (good and bad). Not about cleaning tools—but how those tools connect to lived experiences. This approach grounds creative ideas in human insight, making marketing more emotionally...
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Power of Personification: Understand Your Brand and Your Buyer
The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications
In this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist Mark Parent recount a memorable branding exercise that reveals how employees and customers can perceive the same brand differently. The activity asks participants to personify their company using analogies like “What kind of car would your brand drive?” or “Which superhero would it be?” The goal is to shape a brand’s internal identity in fun, familiar terms and uncover mismatches in perception that can create tone-deaf messaging or missed opportunities in customer engagement. This tool is simple and...
info_outlineElizabeth Sutherland, Dan Cashman, and Shelley Sund of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications tackle the economic uncertainty many business owners face today. Drawing on lessons from past experiences, they offer grounded, strategic advice on recalibrating marketing efforts without retreating—focusing on customer retention, message relevance, and brand empathy. With real-world examples like Ford’s COVID-era messaging pivot, the team illustrates how to stay visible and smart, not silent and scared. They also invite listeners to a free Lunch & Learn on April 15th to explore tailored strategies for marketing during economic turbulence.
Takeaways:
[00:01:00] “How you show up now shapes what happens next.” — Shelley Sund reminds listeners that business presence during uncertainty sets the stage for future success.
[00:02:30] “Marketing is not a light switch you turn off—it’s a dimmer.” — Dan Cashman emphasizes the need for strategic scaling, not shutdowns, during downturns.
[00:03:15] “Retention is cheaper than acquisition.” — Shelley suggests investing in loyalty programs and personal outreach to strengthen current customer relationships.
[00:05:45] “They didn’t act like nothing was happening.” — Dan highlights how Ford’s early COVID messaging pivot balanced empathy with brand consistency.
[00:08:10] “Now is the time to develop your plan, not the plan.” Elizabeth urges businesses to avoid one-size-fits-all solutions and tailor strategies to their needs instead.
You'll Learn:
Marketing During Economic Uncertainty – How to remain visible and valuable without overextending.
Customer Retention Strategies – Practical ways to double down on your existing relationships.
Message Relevance and Emotional Intelligence – Adjusting tone and messaging to reflect the moment.