Why That Worked #24: Pass/Fail—Breaking Down the Best and Worst in Branding
Release Date: 06/18/2025
StoryBrand Podcast #38: BIG NEWS—Introducing The StoryBrand Podcast
Marketing Made Simple
Welcome to the first episode of The StoryBrand Podcast (formerly Why That Worked), where we’re doubling down on what actually grows businesses: clear messaging. Most business owners are too close to their own work to explain it clearly. They tweak and refine, but your customers still don’t “get it.” That’s why we’re hitting reset on this podcast and going back to the foundation of great messaging. In this premier episode, Kyle Reed and Donald Miller kick things off with a full masterclass on the StoryBrand framework so you can stop confusing customers and start winning...
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Why That Worked #37: Slate—Why This $20K Truck Is Getting All the Attention (RE-RELEASE)
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s why (for just a couple more weeks)...
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Why That Worked #36: Annoying Ads—The Dumbest Campaigns That Won Your Attention and Made Millions (RE-RELEASE)
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s why (for just a couple more...
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Why That Worked #35: Annie F. Downs—The Strategy Behind Her Breakthrough Personal Brand (RE-RELEASE)
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s exactly why we’re rereleasing...
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Why That Worked #34: Magic Spoon—How One Tagline Dethroned Sugar and Disrupted a $65B Industry (RE-RELEASE)
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s exactly why we’re rereleasing...
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Why That Worked #33: Snipd—What Your Brand Name is Really Saying to Customers (RE-RELEASE)
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s exactly why we’re rereleasing...
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Why That Worked #32: Southwest—The Genius of ‘Bags Fly Free’ and What Happened When It Changed (RE-RELEASE)
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s exactly why we’re rereleasing...
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Why That Worked #31: Airbnb—The Brilliant Strategy Behind Their New Messaging Campaign (RE-RELEASE)
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s exactly why we’re rereleasing...
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Why That Worked #30: AI with Jay Owen—How Smart Businesses Use It Without Losing the Human Touch
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. We’re only sharing these episodes in the former Marketing Made Simple feed for a limited time! Catch them early every Monday by subscribing to the or following wherever you listen to podcasts. Now, enjoy this week’s episode...
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Why That Worked #29: Infomercials—What OxiClean & Shamwow Can Teach Us About Messaging That Sells
Marketing Made Simple
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. We’re only sharing these episodes in the former Marketing Made Simple feed for a limited time! Catch them early every Monday by subscribing to the or following wherever you listen to podcasts. Now, enjoy this week’s episode...
info_outlineExciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life.
We’re only sharing these episodes in the former Marketing Made Simple feed for a limited time! Catch them early every Monday by subscribing to the StoryBrand YouTube Channel or following Why That Worked wherever you listen to podcasts.
Now, enjoy this week’s episode of Why That Worked!
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Messaging can make or break a brand. Whether you're launching a campaign, building a personal brand, or responding in real time, what you say and how you say it matters. One wrong sound bite can sink your credibility, while one clear, compelling message can unlock massive opportunity. The stakes are high, and yet most people treat messaging like an afterthought. So how do you know if your message is building trust or breaking it?
In this new “Pass/Fail” segment, Don and Kyle grade recent moments in marketing and culture through the lens of what worked and what flopped. They dig into Shedeur Sanders’ controversial NFL draft comments, the bold branding of Liquid Death, and the rise of user and employee-generated content. You’ll learn why arrogance isn’t confidence, what makes provocative branding effective, and how to turn your messaging into a trust-building asset. Listen in to learn what great messaging sounds like and how to avoid a fail.
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Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world’s best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.
Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon or wherever you buy books!