On Brand with Nick Westergaard

On Brand helps organizations and individuals tell stronger stories and build better brands. Each week host Nick Westergaard, author of Brand Now and Get Scrappy, interviews marketing and communication thought leaders or those working for innovative brands like Adobe, Ben & Jerry’s, Maker's Mark, the Minnesota Vikings, The Onion, Salesforce, and Whole Foods. For show notes and more, please visit http://onbrandpodcast.com.

What to Do If Your Brand Sucks with Ernie Harker 11/15/2021

What to Do If Your Brand Sucks with Ernie Harker “If you start off on the wrong foot and your brand isn't in line with the attitudes or personality of the brand, there's confusion.” Or, to put it bluntly, your brand sucks. That's the title of strategist Ernie Harker's new book. We discuss how to ... not build a brand that sucks this week on the On Brand podcast. About Ernie Harker is a creative branding mastermind. He recently published Your Brand Sucks, a book that reveals why most companies get branding wrong and reveals the secrets he has used to assist dozens of companies define a clear image and personality for their brands. One of his greatest successes was to help revitalize an old-western retail chain into a $3 billion high-energy adventure brand. He leads workshops, gives presentations, and offers an online masterclass to help organizations define and develop remarkable brands. Buckle up because his dynamic personality and passion for brand development will have you racing to build your brand. His friends call him Ernburn. Episode Highlights & Takeaways Why do most brands suck? “Most suck because we develop the logo first,” Ernie explains. This is focusing on the wrong thing. So, where should you start your brand-building work? “The first step is defining what makes you different from your competition—really different and special. It can't be something that everyone says like 'our people.'” A callback to a previous On Brand guest. To avoid saying the same things as your competition, you have to go deep. Ernie reminded us of the approach of in continuing to ask the question why. You have to 'why' your brand to death. What brand has made Ernie smile recently? Marvel! Why? “I dabbled in comics as a kid but they've re-inspired me with these stories through their movies and Disney+ (series).” To learn more, go to . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/21145514

Measuring Brand Dominance with Jonathan Tuttle 11/08/2021

Measuring Brand Dominance with Jonathan Tuttle “Good things take time to build.” In his work as Founding Director of the digital marketing agency Revenue Ascend, Jonathan Tuttle helps brands of all shapes and sizes build good things. How do you know if something in marketing is good? Measurement and ROI—and we spent a lot of time talking about best practices and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Jonathan Tuttle Jonathan Tuttle is the Founding Director of Revenue Ascend, a leading digital marketing agency based in Chicago. The firm is focused on driving new growth and generating measurable ROI. The agency was designed to dominate the market while working with each brand individually. Beyond this foundation, Revenue Ascend also creates a customized tactical marketing playbook and growth strategy. Jonathan is also a Fund Manager at Midwest Park Capital, a private real estate investment firm. Episode Highlights & Takeaways WORLD DOMINATION! As Jonathan’s bio notes, Revenue Ascend helps clients dominate the market. We kicked off the show defining domination. “It’s really about being everywhere,” he notes. Measurement and ROI best practices. Before planning your 2022 digital marketing strategy and budget, be sure to listen to Jonathan’s best practices on what to measure and when. “A lot of times we expect to get $1 back out for what we put in yesterday. Good things take time to build.” What brand has made Jonathan smile recently? In a first in the nearly 300-episode history of the On Brand podcast, we stumped our guest. Why? “I’ve been really frustrated. So many businesses have been dropping the ball and not giving back.” To learn more, go to . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/21062759

Building a Social-First Brand with David Brickley 11/01/2021

Building a Social-First Brand with David Brickley “People want to interact with people—not brands.” David Brickley has been helping brands interact with their people through his agency STN Digital and his two podcasts Business of Social and Entrepreneur Wrap. This week he joined me as a guest on my podcast to talk about how to build a social-first brand. About David Brickley After working with his first-ever client, Kobe Bryant, David Brickley used that as motivation to launch STN Digital in 2013, and has since grown an award-winning team of some of the best talent in the industry. STN Digital is an expert at launching brands and building highly-engaged audiences. STN is a social-first marketing agency and provides services ranging from 360 marketing, social media management, paid media, on-site activations and anything in between. STN Digital works with some of the biggest brands in the world including Amazon, the Olympics, NBC, FOX, & HBO to name a few. David is also the host of two podcasts, Business of Social and Entrepreneur Wrap, which was ranked by Forbes as a Top 10 podcast every business owner should listen to. Episode Highlights & Takeaways Using a Platform Mindset isn’t just for big brands. We talked a lot about how mega-brands like Disney can use their various brands and sub-brands' social channels to amplify their message. However, David was quick to note that smaller brands can embrace this mindset by working through brand ambassadors. “You’d be amazed what people will do for a free hoodie.” Fun Fact: 95% of podcasts end after episode three. I guess David and I have a lot to be proud of! What brand has made David smile recently? “Liquid Death Mountain Water. They’ve been such a disrupter in the water space.” Even the name Liquid Death brings a smile to your face! “What they’ve really done is build a lifestyle brand.” To learn more, check out the and David’s two podcasts— and . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/20984081

The Art of Visual Storytelling with Dan Roam 10/25/2021

The Art of Visual Storytelling with Dan Roam “We are profoundly visual creatures. We respond to what we see more than anything else.” Dan Roam has spent his career helping people master the art of visual communication and storytelling. His books from Back of the Napkin to his latest, The Pop-Up Pitch, help organizations and individuals put this system into action. I couldn't wait to discuss all of this with him this week on the On Brand podcast. About Dan Roam Dan Roam is the author of five international bestselling books on business-visualization and communication clarity. The Back of the Napkin was named by Fast Company, The London Times, and BusinessWeek as the 'Creativity Book of the Year.' Dan's book, Draw to Win, debuted as the #1 new book on amazon.com in the categories of Business Communications and Sales & Marketing. Dan is a creative director, author, painter, and model-builder. His purpose in life is to make complex things clear by drawing them and to help others do the same. Dan has helped leaders at Google, Microsoft, Boeing, Gap, IBM, the US Navy, and NASA solve complex problems with simple pictures. Dan and his whiteboard have appeared on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NPR. His latest book——is available for pre-order now. Episode Highlights & Takeaways Check out Dan's new book . As the book promises, you'll learn to spend two hours creating ten pages that will transform your audience in seven minutes, no matter what story you need to tell. “The best way to teach someone is to tell them a story. Everyone needs to be a storyteller.” – Dan Roam, #OnBrandPodcast I also can't say enough good things about Dan's other books including , , and . What brand has made Dan smile recently? Allbirds isn't just a client of Dan's—he's also their number one fan. “I'm wearing the most comfortable shoes in the world!” I couldn't agree more. To learn more, check out Dan's website . He's also got several useful Pop-Up Pitch templates there as well. As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/20908949

Choosing Your Customer with Jonathan Byrnes 10/04/2021

Choosing Your Customer with Jonathan Byrnes “In the old days, branding was a very broad thing. Today it's picking your spot.” Jonathan Byrnes knows a thing or two about building a profitable brand for the long haul. He's a Senior Lecturer at MIT, founding partner of Profit Isle, and the author of two books and numerous HBR articles. He's also my guest this week on the On Brand podcast. Enjoy! About Jonathan Byrnes Jonathan Byrnes is founding partner and chairman of Profit Isle, a highly successful MIT spin-off SaaS software company that helps organizations increase profits by 10–30 percent using its profitability analytics and management process. A widely followed thought leader on profitable growth and innovative customer-supplier relationships, Byrnes is a frequent speaker and writer who has advised over 100 companies and institutions. He earned a doctorate from Harvard and has been a Senior Lecturer at MIT for 30 years. In addition to his popular HBS column, “The Bottom Line,” he is the author of Islands of Profit in a Sea of Red Ink, an Inc. Best Book for Business Owners and Choose Your Customer: How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive. Episode Highlights Branding today ... “All you had to do was maximize revenue and minimize cost. In the old days, branding was a very broad thing. Today it's picking your spot.” First things first. Throughout our conversation, Jonathan stressed the importance of choosing your spot. “Look where you're actually making money,” he notes. Unless, of course, your competition is Amazon. “If you're in a space with Amazon you're doomed.” According to Jonathan, one of the best things you can do is ... “Add your CFO into the branding mix.” This can provide a critical and profitable perspective. What brand has made Jonathan smile recently? Irony alert! “This is going to sound funny but Amazon. They perfectly meet my needs.” To learn more about Jonathan, check out his new book Choose Your Customer on his or (where else?) on ! As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/20677151

Qualitative Research in Branding with Duane Varan 09/06/2021

Qualitative Research in Branding with Duane Varan “A lot of the assumptions we make are bad assumptions.” When it comes to making assumptions, sometimes we marketers can't help ourselves. To avoid this, we need to ensure that we have a good mix of both quantitive and qualitative research. Dr. Duane Varan is a leader in the field of qualitative research and was my guest this week on the On Brand podcast. About Duane Varan is CEO of both MediaScience and HarkConnect. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Australian Prime Minister’s Award for University Teacher of the Year, and is a global pioneer in developing new methodologies for the study of audience behavior. MediaScience is a leader in lab-based audience research counting almost every major US television network, social media platform and many global brands as clients. HarkConnect is the world’s most advanced qualitative research platform. Although Dr. Varan is now based in industry, he continues to contribute to academic journals. In fact, in four of the past six years, his work was voted as Best Paper of the year or runner up for Best Paper by the Journal of Advertising Research. Episode Highlights “Qualitative gives us space to explore.” I kicked off our conversation by asking Duane what makes qualitative research different. He also cautioned against the stigma that it's not as serious as quantitative. “That's a mistake.” How is HarkConnect different when it comes to qualitative research? “We have a direct measure of emotion vs. what people are telling us,” Duane said, as he shared how the technology works. A balanced diet of metrics. I couldn't resist being a little punny ... Duane stressed that there are actually three data sets that should be in your diet—qualitative research, quantitative research, and your performance metrics. What brand has made Duane smile recently? M&Ms! “I smile every time I see the characters.” To learn more about Duane, check out the websites for and . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/20360186

How Native Ads Build Better Brands with Dan Greenberg 08/30/2021

How Native Ads Build Better Brands with Dan Greenberg “If you can design triggers into the thing someone’s already doing, you make advertising even more impactful.” Expanding the definition of advertising to include more human-centric and respectful ideas has been at the heart of Dan Greenberg’s work as CEO and founder of Sharethrough and as a leader in the native advertising movement. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Dan Greenberg is the CEO and Founder of Sharethrough, the largest independent native advertising platform that powers in-feed native ads for publishers like Forbes, Time, and CBS and enables marketers like Coca-Cola and P&G to programmatically distribute branded content at scale. He dropped out of the Stanford Masters program to start Sharethrough and went on to popularize the term “native advertising” in 2008 and now serves as Chair of the IAB Native Ad Committee. He has been named to Ad Age’s 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, Inc.’s 35 Under 35 Founders List, and honored as an Ad Age Media Maven. Episode Highlights “I have money and can steal time” is an advertising approach that’s fading. Dan notes that native advertising is more human as it demands mutual respect between the consumer and the brand. When building a business becomes a movement. “This seed of an academic idea (respectful, human advertising) turned into a business and that turned into a movement,” says Dan. The rest is native advertising history. How to create a movement. Dan was quick to stress that this doesn’t happen on its own. “It starts with conviction. It starts with community.” He then went on to reverse engineer the process behind how this happened in the native advertising movement: Live in the future Find conviction Name it and frame it Help other people find it Speaking of the future, we also did a lot of talking about Web 3. Do yourself a favor and listen to the whole episode but Dan notes that Web 3 will be “owned by users, not the platforms.” What brand has made Dan smile recently? In keeping with our Web 3 theme, Dan pointed to Gary Vaynerchuk and the engaging, human content he creates as a brand that’s made him smile. To learn more about Dan, follow him on and check out the website. /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/20285582

What the Pandemic Means for Brands with Emmanuel Probst 08/23/2021

What the Pandemic Means for Brands with Emmanuel Probst “The pandemic has forced brands to change the way they communicate and the way they operate.” As a research professor, author, and VP at Ipsos, Emmanuel Probst spends a lot of time studying, teaching, and writing about consumer behavior. His latest update to Brand Hacks provides brand builders with a useful compass for navigating the increasingly challenging world we find ourselves in. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Emmanuel Probst background combines over 15 years of market research and marketing experience with strong academic achievements. As Senior Vice President at Ipsos, Emmanuel supports his clients by providing them with a full understanding of their customer’s journey. His experience spans a wide range of industries, including consumer packaged goods, retail, financial services, advertising agencies, and media outlets. He is the author of the upcoming book (September 2021). Dr. Probst teaches Consumer Market Research at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Emmanuel holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Hull, United Kingdom and a Doctorate in Consumer Psychology from Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom. Episode Highlights What does the ongoing global pandemic mean for brands? “Everything has changed and nothing has changed.” Brands are still focused on the quest for meaning. What has changed specifically? “What has changed is how we deliver our brands to our customers. The world now is hybrid—or else.” Brands need to demonstrate their purpose. “You need to demonstrate purpose instead of just talking about it,” says Emmanuel. “Brands like Patagonia and National Geographic are built around purpose.” But, he notes, tech brands like Google and Apple are starting to retool around purpose. What brand has made Emmanuel smile recently? In keeping with our theme of brand meaning and purpose, Emmanuel pointed to the (long overdue) rebranding campaign of Ben's Original, formerly Uncle Ben's. This is another example of a brand walking its talk. To learn more about Emmanuel, check out his book , the useful resources on the website, as well as . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/20208623

Why Conflict Is Critical in Storytelling with Norman Bell 08/02/2021

Why Conflict Is Critical in Storytelling with Norman Bell “Storytelling is in the air for business but why is that? Why is it so important?” These questions and more were at the very heart of my interview with Norman Bell, author of The Story Powered Speaker, this week on the On Brand podcast! About Norman Bell is a storytelling and presentation coach, award-winning speaker, theater and film actor, and author of the book, The Story Powered Speaker: How to Own the Stage, Enchant your Audience, and Grow Your Business Using the Magical Power of Storytelling. Norman is passionate about helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs and organizations communicate their stories and messages more effectively so that they connect with their audiences on an emotional level, which leads to more clients, more donations, and more impact. Episode Highlights Where do you start with storytelling? Norman often asks his workshop attendees to start with their why—their origin story. “I focus on telling stories on stage but it applies to all channels.” The trouble with business stories. Norman notes that we get business stories wrong a lot of the time. “Are your business success stories really stories? They have the word story in them but we spend most of our time on the solution—on our features, benefits.” Norman went on to tell us about the power of conflict in the stories that we love. If Star Wars was a business story ... as further proof that business focuses too much on the solution, Norman sketched out the business-story version of Star Wars (1977), which would be 80% medal ceremony rather than the final five minutes of the movie that it actually is. What brand has made Norman smile recently? He gave us two. First up, Tom's of Maine. Norman likes the daily reminder on his toothpaste to “Do a little good today.” Plus, as Norman noted, Tom's walks the talk. He also talked about Simone Biles's courage for taking a stand for her own mental health at the Olympics. Brave stories all the way around. To learn more about Norman, check out his website, . He also provided his email at the end of the interview for getting a free PDF of his book! As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19982714

Branding Through Science and Story with Jenna Arkin 07/12/2021

Branding Through Science and Story with Jenna Arkin “Consumers seek authenticity and they’re getting better at weeding out the greenwashing the brands that don’t have the people, story, and heritage behind them.” As the Vice President of Innovation at green cleaning brand ECOS, Jenna Arkin’s work sits at the intersection between science and creativity. This week on the On Brand podcast, she joined us for a discussion on this innovative brand’s story, differentiation, communicating science, and more. About Jenna Arkin , Vice President of Innovation at ECOS, uses her unique background in both chemistry and design to innovate safer, more effective formulations and compelling packaging designs for the ECOS product lines. She also leads the ECOS partnership with the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice program, a third-party certification that helps consumers choose products made with safer chemical ingredients without sacrificing quality or performance. As the Vice President of Innovation, Jenna brings a novel combination of passionate scientist and creative professional to solve modern green chemistry problems and move the cleaning industry toward a more sustainable future. Episode Highlights What led Jenna to the intersection of science and creativity? “Curiosity! And staying curious. It’s never one thing,” Jenna shared. A new digital home. In the midst of the pandemic, while ECOS remained open, they reimagined their digital home at . “Ecos actually means home in Greek.” How does ECOS communicate science in a simple, effective way? “It’s one of my greatest passions. You have to give consumers enough information to make informed decisions,” Jenna noted. “I like to say, it’s not rocket science—it’s soap science.” What brand has made Jenna smile recently? Jenna pointed us to Ritual vitamins, particularly because of the experience she had once she got the product. “I think a lot about the first physical interaction.” To learn more about Jenna, check out the —especially Jenna’s clean chemistry section! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19761515

Building an Influential Brand with Kyle Hjelmeseth 07/05/2021

Building an Influential Brand with Kyle Hjelmeseth “Influencers take the power out of the hands of those who used to tell us what we should like and not like. You've divested power to those bold enough to go online and share their stories.” From the College of Influence to his Normalize Equality initiative, teaching and managing the power of digital influence is at the heart of Kyle Hjelmeseth's work at G&B digital management. We discussed all of this and more on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast. About Kyle Hjelmeseth is the Founder and CEO of top-tier talent management agency G&B, which houses both the College of Influence and the Normalize Equality initiative. A self-made minority business owner, Hjelmeseth brings the full extent of his experience living as a half black, half white male to his work building media momentum around messages of diversity and inclusivity with his trademark solutions-driven attitude. Under his leadership, G&B has successfully re-invented the talent management world with integrity while creating a refreshingly diverse company culture, serving more than 60 exclusive clients with a powerfully inclusive ethos that transforms influencers into influential people. Episode Highlights Being an influencer vs. being an influential person. There's a big difference, which Kyle unpacked for us at the top of the show. “It's about building a business that lasts over time. Not just the next 100 followers.” Enter the College of Influence ... We're big fans of strong brand names here on the On Brand podcast. As such, I couldn't wait to ask Kyle about the College of Influence at G&B. “I have a strong connection to education and wanted to reinforce that with our name.” Diversity and inclusivity: Keeping the momentum going. Building on his lived experience as a self-made minority business owner, Kyle leads G&B's Normalize Equality initiative. Following last year's summer of social justice, we've seen a lot of box-checking, however, Kyle is quick to note the need for ongoing momentum. That's why he cited Netflix's ongoing work giving voice to diverse stories. What brand has made Kyle smile recently? “I actually call it a spice lifestyle brand ...” And with that, Kyle introduced us to spices—who not only made Kyle smile, it made him wear the brand as well! To learn more about Kyle, check out the and contact him through the form. As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19688990

Measuring Experiential Marketing with Jonathan Yaffe 06/28/2021

Measuring Experiential Marketing with Jonathan Yaffe “I’ve been completely obsessed with this—not only how do we prove the ROI of these specific experiential programs but how do we do it at scale.” Jonathan Yaffe was one of the first marketing hires at Red Bull following the brand’s entry into the U.S. market. His first task? Quantifying their experiential marketing efforts. Today he does this for numerous brands through his company AnyRoad. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jonathan Yaffe is the CEO and Co-Founder of AnyRoad (hailed one of Marc Benioff’s best investments), a data and analytics platform that powers the data behind many of the Fortune 2000’s offline experiences, including Absolut, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Michaels Arts & Crafts, Honda, Diageo, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, and the Golden State Warriors. Jonathan began his career in experiential marketing at Red Bull, and holds a degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California Berkeley. Episode Highlights “Experiential marketing is all about the brand—about causing emotions in customers,” Jonathan shared, adding: “And nothing is able to create these emotions at the level that experiences are.” Measuring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. While I haven’t traveled as much of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail as I’d like to (yet!), I do have a passport. As this brand experience is an AnyRoad client, Jonathan shared how and why measuring this experience is critical. “You visit a distillery and all of a sudden it becomes their favorite brand based on that experience.” “The world of experiential marketing has been data-less,” explains Jonathan noting that many brands like cola companies are still doing taste tests and counting smiles! Jonathan’s company AnyRoad—an Experience Relationship Management or ERM company—certainly sounds like a better road. “We measure anything that changes behavior.” Speaking of smiles … What brand has made Jonathan smile recently? “I smile all the time,” Jonathan began. However, he found himself smiling ear to ear recently due to Lego’s exceptional work developing new products and experiences around their adult customers or AFOLs (Adult Fans of Lego). He also shared that Red Bull called their core customers PINOEs (People In Need of Energy). Naming your core customers can help you get even more specific with your branding efforts. To learn more about Jonathan, check out the and . /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19607471

How Brands Can Overcome Chaos with Michael Zipursky 06/14/2021

How Brands Can Overcome Chaos with Michael Zipursky “There was a big group of people who were able to fare very well during this time and it was those who took action.” As CEO of Consulting Success, Michael Zipursky has worked with hundreds of clients across industries on overcoming the chaos and uncertainty this past year has presented. We discussed how brands can plan, pivot, and take action this week on the On Brand podcast. About Michael Zipursky is the CEO of Consulting Success® and Coach to Consultants. He has advised organizations like Financial Times, Dow Jones, RBC, and helped Panasonic launch new products into global markets, but more importantly, he’s helped over 500 consultants from around the world in over 75 industries add 6 and 7 figures to their annual revenues. Over 35,000 consultants read his weekly consulting newsletter. Michael is also the author of the Amazon Best Sellers ACT NOW: How successful consultants thrive during chaos and uncertainty, The Elite Consulting Mind and Consulting Success®, the book. Episode Highlights How do you prepare for chaos and uncertainty? Michael pointed out that, while we've all had to do this over the past year, this is often the case regardless of whether or not we're grappling with a global pandemic. Most are always dealing with chaos and uncertainty, whether from economic or geopolitical challenges. Who thrives in uncertain times? “We did a 2,800-consultant survey,” Michael shared, to get at this very question. First, they found that those who had an accurate assessment of their strengths and weaknesses thrived. “Those who were prepared—those who had a plan.” It all comes down to knowing your people, your community—building a list. But what if your list sucks? How can you fix it? “Start,” says Michael. You can't be afraid of the vanity metrics you see and the size of other lists out there. How do you start? Ask yourself: “What do they (your customers/community) most want?” Then spend your resources driving people to this lead magnet or opt-in. “It's not just about attracting the most people. It's about attracting the right people.” What brand has made Michael smile recently? Amazon! While this mega-brand can be challenging to some, Michael cited how responsive their customer service has been—even over the phone! To learn more about Michael and access free resources, go to . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19446080

Sonic Branding with Mastercard's Raja Rajamannar 05/31/2021

Sonic Branding with Mastercard's Raja Rajamannar “If you look at designing a brand logo in a visual form, there’s an infinite amount of material. With sonic branding, you have no choice but to create your own playbook. You need to understand the impact that sound has on people’s emotions.” Sonic branding was one of the many marketing and media disruptions I discussed this week with Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for Mastercard and author of the new book Quantum Marketing. About Raja Rajamannar is Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for Mastercard and president of the company’s healthcare business. He also serves as president of the World Federation of Advertisers. With more than 30 years as a global executive, Raja has held C-level roles at firms ranging from Anthem to Humana and has overseen the successful evolution of Mastercard’s identity for the digital age, from its Priceless experiential platforms to marketing-led business models. His work has been featured by Harvard Business School and Yale School of management case studies and taught at more than 40 top management schools around the world. Raja earned an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management and a Bachelor of Technology degree from Omania University. He’s also the author of the new book . Episode Highlights “This has been the most disruptive year for every single company including Mastercard.” And every sector that Mastercard works with has been affected differently. For example, e-commerce has been booming while airlines have frozen. “When revenue is under pressure, marketing dollars are restrained.” With smart speakers, we have to get past the tech and embrace sonic branding. “If you look at designing a brand logo in a visual form, there’s an infinite amount of material. With sonic branding, you have no choice but to create your own playbook. You need to understand the impact that sound has on people’s emotions.” As Raja points out, Alexa and Google only know the top brands. “You have to get past these new gatekeepers and influencers.” Speaking of visual brand identity, what went into dropping the brand name from the Mastercard logo? “We did a lot of research and testing first,” Raja shared. First, they answered the question of why they were proposing this. “The space for our brands to show up today—mostly digital screens—is getting smaller and smaller.” They also tested who could identify the brand without the words and found that 84% globally could still identify Mastercard. What brand has made Raja smile recently? Raja told us a tale of how Burger King made him smile by embracing another disruptive technology—geofencing—to poke at their competitor McDonalds. To learn more, go to and . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19275455

Future-Proof Your Marketing with Engelina Jaspers 05/24/2021

Future-Proof Your Marketing with Engelina Jaspers “Marketing's most fundamental role is understanding markets and consumers better than anyone else around. This past year has allowed us to pause and realign.” Engelina Jaspers has built her career around inflection points in periods of change. The author of the book Marketing Flexology, Engelina stopped by the On Brand podcast this week to share how we can all future proof both our marketing and our careers. Check it out! About Engelina Jaspers Over a rewarding 30-year corporate career, Engelina Jaspers experienced revolving-door CEOs, business course corrections, and lots of reinventions. Across all her VP leadership roles — marketing, brand strategy, environmental sustainability, corporate communications — none escaped disruption. After being tapped to lead multiple company-wide transformations, Engelina became a student and teacher of marketing and career agility. These experiences led her to develop the MARKETING FLEXOLOGY Management Framework — a mindset and a toolset for future-proofing your career, your team, and your marketing platform. Engelina shares marketing agility know-how in her book , presentations, and workshops so you, too, can anticipate and prosper from unplanned change. Episode Highlights “A renaissance.” Engelina and I kicked off the conversation with a discussion on the challenges of this past year. “It’s really been a renaissance—a return to marketing fundamentals. This past year has made us pause and realign.” The art and science of marketing. “People talk about the art and science of marketing all the time—I just Googled it yesterday.” As Engelina notes, this has led to an internal tug of war on brand vs. demand. “Forget that. Focus instead on insight and agility.” Prioritizing your focus. Engelina noted that too many practice “me-dership” instead of leadership by focusing on their careers instead of their team, their people, and the customers and business. She advises marketers to think first about the business with a customer mindset. From there, look at what it means to your team and then, finally, consider you and your role. And consider the potential of saying “Yes” to the unexpected especially in your career. What brand has made Engelina smile recently? Prior to the show, Engelina wondered if past guests had brought up her smile-inducing brand, Patagonia, before. While other guests have indeed mentioned Patagonia on the show through the years it’s because this brand is constantly innovating and finding new ways to walk the talk. For example, this week Engelina shared that they’re no longer adding logos to their “power vests” (a staple of Wall Street and Silicon Valley wardrobes). The reason? They found it decreases the life of the vest as people move from job to job. And Patagonia is all about sustainability and making clothes that last and can be used longer. To learn more, check out Engelina's . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19191401

Using Smart Data to Fill Brand Gaps with Aimee Irwin 05/17/2021

Using Smart Data to Fill Brand Gaps with Aimee Irwin “When you used to think about branding, you’d be thinking about advertising. Now it’s about building trust.” This week on the On Brand podcast, I welcomed back Aimee Irwin from Experian Marketing Services. Since we last spoke way back in 2019, the world has been dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. As a result, consumer behavior has changed in ways marketers need to know about. Aimee breaks it down this week on the show. Enjoy! About Aimee Irwin serves as VP of Strategy and Partnerships at Experian Marketing Services. Aimee is a skilled strategy and corporate development executive with deep experience in digital marketing and advertising and track record of success in developing and building profitable new digital and mobile businesses at both early-stage and public companies. Aimee led strategic partnerships and strategic initiatives for Nielsen’s Marketing Cloud where she negotiated and managed strategic data and identity management partnerships supporting Nielsen’s data targeting and marketing effectiveness businesses. Aimee also served as SVP of Strategy and Partnerships at Verve Mobile, a leading location-based mobile advertising platform. At Verve, Aimee developed and led Verve’s mobile application business and inventory partnerships with hundreds of media companies. Prior to Verve, Aimee was VP of Strategy and Corporate Development at AOL, where she was responsible for strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic partnerships for AOL’s advertising businesses. Previously, Aimee held executive positions at several successful internet and mobile companies including Lightningcast, an Internet video advertising company now part of AOL, Leap Wireless, a large U.S. wireless carrier and Backwire, an internet and mobile marketing company acquired by Leap. Aimee started her career in consulting with KPMG and Bain and Company. Aimee has a BS from Georgetown University and an MBA from Kellogg. Episode Highlights How can brands build trust for consumers impacted by COVID-19? “The consumer has to be at the heart of your strategy. There has to be an appropriate value exchange that happens there in terms of the data collected and consumer control.” What are some examples of brands using smart data? Aimee joked that Amazon is a great example but isn’t a great case study as they “collect lots of data from their customers through several interactions.” She then went on to highlight some innovative things Nordstrom and DSW are doing. What’s one thing marketers can do right now to move the needle? Once again, Aimee reminded us all to develop customer-focused strategies. What brand has made Aimee smile recently? She shared a story about how something as simple as a gift card in the mail from American Express made her day. The little things matter. To learn more, go to . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19096925

Agile Marketing in Changing Times with Brian Gioia 05/10/2021

Agile Marketing in Changing Times with Brian Gioia “Agile marketing is all about speed, transparency, and iteration.” In the face of a global pandemic, brand builders and marketers have relied increasingly on eCommerce partners like Amazon. This can make it challenging to build seamless experiences and brand trust. That's where Scrum50 comes in. I talked to Director of Product Strategy Brian Gioia about all of this and more on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast. About Brian Gioia is the Director of Product Strategy on the E-Business team at Scrum50, the first born-agile agency. Brian’s career has been focused on connecting dots for his clients and helping them solve their greatest digital marketing and eCommerce challenges. Prior to joining Scrum50, Brian worked for Accenture in its Digital Marketing practice, where he helped his clients transform themselves in order to communicate and transact with consumers through new, digital channels. So, when the opportunity arose to join Scrum50’s e-business practice in 2019, he jumped on it. Brian found a natural home at Scrum50 with its creative and strategic polymaths. In his current role, Brian helps brands come to life on eCommerce channels and does his best to continue learning as fast as the world of eCommerce changes. Episode Highlights So, what is a polymath anyway? “A polymath is a jack of all trades,” Brian noted, adding that marketers with more general skills can be useful in today's rapidly changing digital marketing ecosystem. What is agile marketing all about? Brian summed it up with three key traits/benefits on what this means at Scrum50: Speed Transparency Iteration What are some of the biggest shifts marketers are seeing today? Brian pointed to the emergence of Amazon as a brand breaking up the advertising duopoly of Google and Facebook. Where should marketers begin? Brian notes that paid search is still best. What brand has made Brian smile recently? Like many during the pandemic, Brian has been looking to entertain his family. He and his four-year-old have consistently turned to Lego to do that. Talk about a brand that delivers on its promise! To learn more, connect with Brian on and check out the website. As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/19022744

How to Build a Purpose-Driven Brand with Katie Burkhart 05/03/2021

How to Build a Purpose-Driven Brand with Katie Burkhart “As branders, the word soup is absolutely unbelievable.” Words matter. And if you like words as much as Katie Burkhart and I both do, you’ll love this week’s episode. We discuss defining, refining, and developing your brand’s purpose, mission, vision, and more. What do all of these labels mean and how can they help you and your brand? Listen to Katie and learn. Enjoy This Episode Now Download Episode About Katie Burkhart is on a mission to move purpose from aspirational messaging to tangible business practice by making the purpose-driven model more accessible and actionable. She started by founding Matter 7, which has built purpose-driven brands for almost a decade. More recently, she launched MatterPulse, which helps organizations run and grow against the double bottom line. Her latest project, MatterLogic, outlines what it means to be purpose-driven and how to operationalize your purpose, solidly moving purpose from brand to business strategy. Episode Highlights What does it mean for a brand to have a purpose? Katie walked us through her five-part system. Purpose-driven brands must have: Purpose Mission Vision Values Story or strategic narrative How do you find these pieces of your brand? “It’s all about refine, define, and develop,” Katie shared as she built on this further. Is purpose-driven branding easier for nonprofits? This was a question I’d recently gotten from one of Katie’s client’s—the smart folks at Kids’ Chance where I served as keynote speaker at their national conference. “That depends,” cautioned Katie. “How semantic do you want to get. A lot of nonprofits have a mission but not a purpose.” What brand has made Katie smile recently? Katie told about a very purposeful smile she’d had in response to a recent takeout order from American Joe’s Bar and Grill. The power of the hand-written note prevails! To learn more, check out (and her newsletter there) and connect with her on . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18928403

Tom Peters on Practicing Extreme Humanism 04/12/2021

Tom Peters on Practicing Extreme Humanism “Every day we spend with our fellow human beings, we can contribute to making their life a little bit better—making them a little bit smarter, a little bit more thoughtful, and so on—or not.” It’s rare that a single guest has appeared three times on the On Brand podcast. However, when Tom Peters calls and wants to talk about empathy and extreme humanism in the middle of one of the most challenging times in work and life, you answer the call. I’m thrilled to share my most recent conversation with Tom Peters on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Tom Peters Called “the Red Bull of management consultants,” is a leading business management guru and founder of the Tom Peters Company. He continues to be in constant demand for lectures and seminars. In 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Thinkers50 and the Jack Covert Award for Contribution to the Business Book Industry from 800-CEO-READ. Peters is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including In Search of Excellence (with Robert H. Waterman, Jr.), which is often cited as among the best business books ever written. These tumultuous times demand deep engagement, human connection, and, yes, Excellence. In response, Tom has launched his Excellence Now campaign, which includes a trio of tools designed to help you and your team take action. Episode Highlights “We (management gurus) are carrying a sin around on our shoulders. We behave as if the Fortune 500 is the economy.” In fact, this over-indexed group is only a microcosm of the jobs in the modern world of work. Furthermore, when it comes to impact, Tom stressed the importance of what local small businesses can do. TTDN–Things To Do Now. This feature pops up in Tom’s new Excellence Now course but, as I reminded him, it was a big part of the Tom Peters Seminar cassette tapes I listened to on my way to my first post-college job. (“How old are you?!?” Tom jokingly asked me.) So what’s one thing listeners should do now? “Know your people. Really know them.” Resume values vs. eulogy values. One topic we kept coming back to was David Brooks’ philosophy on . “Hard is soft and soft is hard.” We came back to this oldie/goodie once again as well. Why is Tom still talking about all of this? This simple quote provides an answer. What brand has made Tom smile recently? Tom shared a remarkable experience he had during a visit to the town hall in his hometown of Dartmouth, Massachusetts. “They were decent—they were the human face of the town.” To learn more, go to and . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18653954

Optimizing Your Marketing Mix with Bonnie Crater 04/05/2021

Optimizing Your Marketing Mix with Bonnie Crater “There’s been a big change in how businesses went to market.” Through a storied career that has taken her from Netscape to Salesforce to Oracle, Bonnie Crater gave use some important context in how brand building for B2B tech brands has evolved in the valley and beyond. She also stressed the ongoing importance of experimentation and optimization. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Bonnie Crater Prior to joining Full Circle Insights, was a five-time vice president of marketing and executive at many software companies in Silicon Valley. Bonnie held vice president and senior vice president roles at Genesys, Netscape, Network Computer Inc., salesforce.com, Stratify, Realization, and VoiceObjects (now Voxeo). A ten-year veteran of Oracle Corporation and its various subsidiaries, Bonnie was vice president, Compaq Products Division, and Vice President, Workgroup Products Division. In 2013, Bonnie was named one of the “100 Most Influential Women” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, in 2015 the Sales Lead Management Association named her one of the “20 Women to Watch” and in 2016 Diversity Journal honored her as one of the “Women Worth Watching.” Bonnie holds a B.A. in biology from Princeton University. Episode Highlights “If you’re not experimenting, your marketing is probably going to get worse.” While most marketers and brand builders agree that experimentation is a good thing, few put this into practice in a consistent way. That’s why Bonnie advises, “20% of your marketing should be experimentation.” Agile + brand management? Bonnie’s work at Full Circle Insights sits at this intersection. “Our software is designed to help marketers optimize their mix.” “Most companies don’t measure enough.” Bonnie shared her thoughts on how measuring what matters supports ongoing optimization efforts. While there are countless metrics marketers can follow, Bonnie points to “measuring processes and budget effectiveness” as those most useful in optimization. What brand has made Bonnie smile recently? Our closing podcast question actually made the conversation for Bonnie’s family dinner the night before. While Bonnie pointed to Grisini as a brand that made her smile, the whole family loves the brand of Dog Whisperer Caesar Milan. To learn more, go to the website. As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18581213

Customer-Focused Branding with FreshBooks’s Paul Cowan 03/29/2021

Customer-Focused Branding with FreshBooks’s Paul Cowan “I’m constantly coaching my team on how we market the marketing.” As CMO of FreshBooks, Paul Cowan has a lot on his plate—even marketing the marketing! However, this is important as it helps everyone internally find the brand’s “true north.” We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Paul Cowan is the CMO at FreshBooks, leading its global marketing team. Over the past 20 years, Paul has marketed phones, food, alcohol, toys, and SaaS products at big companies and start-ups, with an expertise in driving sustainable customer growth and retention strategies. He’s built brands through the appropriate application of data and insights and is always focused on driving results. He’s even won some awards that sit on a shelf somewhere and has written things for various publications that his mom is extremely proud of. Episode Highlights What drew Paul to FreshBooks? After a storied career on the agency side of things, Paul was drawn to the iconic global SaaS brand by their growth mandate. He was also eager to decode this and figure out the best way to manage that growth. It pays to know your people. FreshBooks has worked to define who their customer is—the small business owner vs. the corporate accountant who may be drawn to their competitors. “We wanted to understand the owner. To solve their pain.” Consider forming a Brand Council. At FreshBooks, a cross-functional team called the Brand Council oversees branding. This group has been critical in maintaining the voice of the customer and on new initiatives like branding. This group recently helped launch a “Roll Up Your Sleeves” program aimed at helping small businesses impacted by COVID-19. What brand has made Paul smile recently? Paul pointed to Nike for their powerful, emotion-invoking advertising around International Women’s Day. To learn more, check out and connect with Paul on and . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18482246

Influencer Marketing vs. Influence Marketing with Jason Falls 03/22/2021

Influencer Marketing vs. Influence Marketing with Jason Falls "I've always considered public relations to be influencer marketing—you're trying to find a third party to borrow some trust from." When it comes to trust, there's no one I trust more on the subject of digital marketing strategy than Jason Falls. As an agency marketer, podcast host, and author of three books including his latest—Winfluence—I couldn't wait to talk with him on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jason Falls solves problems. Most of the time they have to do with digital marketing for Cornett, a full-service advertising agency based in Lexington, Ky., where he leads digital strategy and hosts two marketing podcasts (Digging Deeper and Winfluence). His work has touched a number of major brands and has been recognized with several national and many regional awards including a 2020 Shorty Award for his influencer marketing work. He has worked with a number of the world’s most iconic brands including Buffalo Trace, Weller, 1792, Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbons, GE Appliances, AT&T, Valvoline, Humana, Rawlings, Tempur-Pedic, Fireball Whisky, General Motors, and more. His third book, , was published in February 2021 from Entrepreneur Press. He loves the kick-ass state of Kentucky, sports, and bourbon. Episode Highlights Bourbon content that fit the moment perfectly. As we began our conversation, I pointed to one of Jason's clients—1792 bourbon. Specifically, I mentioned their content strategy around the high-end drinking experience and style. To execute something like this, “You have to ask—what are our content pillars? What are the lifestyle touchpoints that go with this brand?” Developing an effective content strategy. Jason walked us through a fictional process using Oreo as an example with 'fun' and 'delight' as content pillars. Influencer marketing vs. influence marketing. As the title of his new book Winfluence suggests, Jason encourages us to drop the R off of 'influencer' marketing. When you do this, you broaden the approach. How do you measure influence marketing? “It all starts with the goal,” Falls stressed for both beginning and measuring an influence marketing campaign. He also shared ideas for setting up helpful 'data traps' for providing regular insight. What brand has made Jason smile recently? Jason looked no further than his Blue Yeti podcasting microphone, which we both use. Specifically, Jason pointed to their sound quality and that it makes him think of his radio days. To learn more, go to and check out his . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18380423

Neuromarketing with Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman 03/15/2021

Neuromarketing with Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman “I think you could have gotten away with mediocre branding before platforms like Amazon and Facebook came along.” However, today, the bar is set incredibly high. The modern consumer is savvy and expects exceptional branding from any company entering the market. That’s why we need to apply the latest in brain science and consumer behavior to our branding and marketing. Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman, co-authors of Blindsight, are here to help us do just that. About Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman is the co-author of the definitive neuromarketing book, , CEO & founder of the Neuromarketing Certification at PopNeuro.com, and professor at Hult Intl. Business School. Previously, he held dual roles as the U.S. Director of Consumer Marketing and the Global Director of B2B Marketing for OFX, a publicly-traded FinTech company handling over $100B in international payments. A contributor to major news outlets including Forbes, Refinery29, Entrepreneur, & The Washington Post, he was named one of the ‘Movers and Shakers’ by the San Francisco Chronicle. is the co-author of , a professor and researcher at Hult Intl. Business School. He received his BA in Psychology from UC San Diego, and his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University, where his dissertation focused on the neural basis of language and communication. His research focus now is ultimately about bridging the gap between neuroscience and marketing, and to this end, works across several fields including experiential marketing, behavioral economics, and marketing ethics. Episode Highlights How did this dynamic duo first join forces? “I found my complete inverse in Prince Ghuman,” shared traditional academic Matt Johnson. “It was a peanut butter and jelly moment,” agreed Ghuman. Good branding is ‘table stakes’ today. “I think you could have gotten away with mediocre branding before platforms like Amazon and Facebook came along. The bar is set so high now. Consumers expect Lululemon-level branding,” said Prince. “You couldn’t launch an airline today.” Your brain on brands. In their book Blindsight, Johnson and Ghuman explore different aspects of neuroscience in each chapter. “Brands exist in the temporal lobe,” began Johnson. “The brands we like are like the people we like.” It all comes down to competence and warmth, a model developed by Susan Fiske at Princeton. That’s why we respond when brands like Zappos showcase their humanity by going out and serving the community. What brands have made Matt and Prince smile recently? Matt went with Starbucks (“they continue to bring people together”) while Prince went with Redwing Shoes (“they awaken my inner patriot” with their handmade shoes and authenticity). Talk about competence and warmth! To learn more, go to . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18300077

Winning Hearts Through Branding with Evan Dash 03/08/2021

Winning Hearts Through Branding with Evan Dash “When we stumbled into this, we didn’t know anything about branding. We just knew it was important.” ‘Stumbled into it’ is putting it mildly. As the CEO of StoreBound and creator of the Dash brand of kitchen tools, Evan Dash has built a big brand with a lot of heart. Literally. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand About Evan Dash is the Founder and CEO of StoreBound and creator of the Dash brand of kitchen electrics. He previously was the SVP & General Merchandise Manager for the Home business at Macy's and served two terms on the board of directors of the International Housewares Association. He has two teenage sons and lives in New York City with his wife, Rachel. Episode Highlights The story behind the Dash brand name. I had to ask Evan about the company’s brand name—which is also his last name. He was reluctant to put his name on his at first as many entrepreneurs are. However, his team brought him and his wife around by sharing everything they could do with this powerful brand asset. Selling with story. “We’ve always tried to build an authentic brand voice.” As such, the focus of the brand story is key. Evan is quick to point out that this isn’t just about how cool their products and packaging are. It’s about customer stories and what they’re struggling with. Building a mission-based brand. “We have a simple mission of winning hearts,” Evan shared. How do they communicate this throughout the company? “We’re constantly saying to people, ‘Stop and ask yourself—how is this connected to winning hearts?’” What brand has made Evan smile recently? Evan had a great story, however, as it spoils a gift he’s giving, you’ll have to listen to the show so we can keep it off the Internet. He also has a “supporting smile” saved for his brand’s Instagram fans because of their heartfelt comments. To learn more, connect with , check out and . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18202616

Focus Your Content Marketing with Steve Pockross 03/01/2021

Focus Your Content Marketing with Steve Pockross “First, amplify what you’re doing really well and consider new channels. Second, if things aren’t going well you’ll need new channels!” This was Steve Pockross’s answer to my question about how marketers can know when new channels make sense to add. As CEO at Verblio, helping marketers focus their content marketing is the focus of his work. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Steve Pockross brings more than 20 years of startup, Fortune 500, and nonprofit experience to his role at Verblio. As CEO, he applies leading marketplace and SaaS principles to provide a high-quality, fast and flexible content creation platform. Steve was part of the early management team at gig economy pioneer LiveOps, growing the company into the largest crowdsourced contact center in the world. At LiveOps, Pockross served as vice president of business development and strategy, and also spearheaded the creation of the award-winning LiveOps Foundation. He also served in marketing, strategy, and operational leadership roles at Tendril, Western Union, Marketing Technologies Group, and HSBC. Episode Highlights How are content marketers juggling everything today? “I don’t know how.” But Steve knows how to help. “Be good at one thing and expand from there.” He credits Rand Fishkin’s T-shaped model in helping him do this. Where can you focus your content marketing? “First, look at your audience and where they are. Then ask what they like. Finally, consider what you like talking about.” On rebranding. Over the past few years, Steve worked through an extensive rebranding of Verblio. In working through the yearlong process, the branding consultant they worked with noted, “What I’m giving you—Verblio—is an empty vessel. You will infuse it with meaning.” Steve shared how they work to do this with a story bridging the gap (?) between Hubspot and Burning Man! What brand has made Steve smile recently? “I’m going to go with Wistia again,” Steve came back to a favorite brand he’d discussed earlier in the show (we’ve had Chris Savage and Kristen Craft as guests on On Brand). Why the smiles? “Their clever customer service emails.” To learn more, go to and check out their . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18106262

Transformation-Focused Branding with Allie Martin 02/22/2021

Transformation-Focused Branding with Allie Martin “I start with the transformation and work backward. What happens when the customer experiences your brand?” Allie Martin has a holistic approach to brand building that she’s refined over the last decade. Through her work, she helps brands find “fame and fortune” and entrepreneurs get a little “selfish” with self-care. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Allie Martin is a veteran brand and communication strategist with 10+ years of experience and owns Fame and Fortune. Fame and Fortune helps brands share their messages through a host of public relations and marketing tools. Allie received her bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University in Broadcast Journalism and her Master’s in Business Administration from Midway University. In 2019, she was named Public Relations Society of America’s Rising Star. She formerly worked in public relations for Amazon, Alltech, Kendra Scott, and the International SPA Association. Allie produces and hosts a podcast called Selfish, a show dedicated to self-care for entrepreneurs. You can find her at . Episode Highlights Transformation-focused brand building. “I start with the transformation and work backward. What happens when the customer experiences your brand? People won’t remember what you say but they’ll always remember how you made them feel. To do this, you have to know your customer avatar.” How do you create a customer avatar? “What’s going to get their attention? What’s going to get them to stop the scroll? I like to create a vision board for customer personas or avatars.” As host of the Selfish podcast, I wanted to ask Allie about self-care for entrepreneurs. First, “self-care for entrepreneurs is different” than regular self-care. As an entrepreneur, you can’t always turn off your work at home. What’s one thing we can differently today on the topic of self-care? “One thing you can do is make self-care into one thing.” Allie noted that a big mistake we often make is being too generic when it comes to this topic. What brand has made Allie smile recently? Allie shared a story—driven by story—from the Kentucky Humane Society in Louisville. It made me want to adopt Ethan! To learn more, follow and DM her for special bonus materials. As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/18013700

Positioning and Planning for Growth with Benjamin Shapiro 02/15/2021

Positioning and Planning for Growth with Benjamin Shapiro “Planning is the most important part of everything we do.” And Benjamin Shapiro does a lot of things. He’s producer and host of the top-rated MarTech Podcast as well as the Voices of Search Podcast. Managing two daily shows and running a consulting business takes a lot of planning—especially this year. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Benjamin Shapiro is a brand development & marketing strategy consultant. He left a successful career in business development at eBay to become an entrepreneur that has run a bootstrapped startup, multiple marketing teams at early-stage VC-backed companies, and an independent consulting & content business. Benjamin specializes in helping growth-stage companies understand how to identify the overlap between corporate identity and customer needs to build an effective marketing strategy. He is also the producer & host of the top-rated MarTech Podcast. Episode Highlights “You can’t get bogged down with all of the things that need your time.” As Benjamin noted, you have to “take a step back and not be an operator for a sec.” You have to plan the time for planning. The GTD mindset. Benjamin pointed to his time with the Handle app for his “getting things done” mindset. Specifically, he focuses on: Triaging Planning Prioritizing Executing Evaluating Above all, “planning is the most important part of everything we do.” When it comes to podcast growth, Benjamin focuses on getting the key questions right: Who are your guests and what do they do after they’ve been on your show? How can you set them up for success in sharing their interview on your show? What brand has made Benjamin smile recently? Benjamin pointed us to Miles Apparel. Like our conversation, they too understand their audience and communicate with them accordingly. To learn more, check out the and the . You can also earn more about Benjamin’s work on his . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/17926388

Brand Strategy Is Defined by Choices with Peter Wilken 02/08/2021

Brand Strategy Is Defined by Choices with Peter Wilken “The best marketers never lose sight of their customers.” As a brand builder with years of agency leadership experience, Peter Wilken has seen it all. From global brands to bootstrap basics, we discussed it all on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Peter Wilken Allie Hembree Martin is a veteran brand and communication strategist with 10+ years of experience and owns Fame and Fortune. Fame and Fortune helps brands share their messages through a host of public relations and marketing tools. Allie received her bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University in Broadcast Journalism and her Master’s in Business Administration from Midway University. In 2019, she was named Public Relations Society of America’s Rising Star. She formerly worked in public relations for Amazon, Alltech, Kendra Scott, and the International SPA Association. Allie produces and hosts a podcast called Selfish, a show dedicated to self-care for entrepreneurs. You can find her at IWantFameFortune.com. Episode Highlights In our crowded, distracted, digital world is there still a place for the 30-second ad? I don’t always start with ‘softball’ questions like this but I couldn’t resist this week with the Super Bowl on the horizon. “Yes,” says Peter adding, “There’s something wonderful about the discipline of the 30-second ad.” “Stop thinking about what you’re adding in and more about what you’re taking out,” Peter cautions, noting he sees many struggling with the same mistakes that businesses were struggling with 30 years ago. “Strategy is all about choice.” You have to make decisions on both message and media. “When you understand media you don’t get driven by it. You can end up spending all day feeding the beast.” What brand has made Peter smile recently? “My team—Southhampton FC!” Peter shared noting that British “football” (soccer to those of us stateside) is “about as tribal as you can get.” Specifically, he celebrated the smile he had over the recent win against rival Liverpool. To learn more, go to . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/17835116

Brand Reinvention During a Pandemic with Joseph Jaffe 02/01/2021

Brand Reinvention During a Pandemic with Joseph Jaffe “There’s the story and there’s the story behind the story …” And Joseph Jaffe certainly has both to share as he has managed to rebrand himself during a global pandemic through his innovative web series CoronaTV. And he’s quick to add that, “You can too!” We discussed branding in the midst of a pandemic, streaming, and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Joseph Jaffe Joseph Jaffe is an author, entrepreneur, and as of March 2020, the host of , a daily streaming interview-based show about hope, positivity, and optimism…and if there’s time left over…a little bit of marketing! To date, he has done just under 200 interviews, including Seth Godin, James Rollins, Jamal Mashburn, Philip Kotler…but by far, the highlight was Nick Westergaard. (NOTE: Here at the On Brand podcast, we run with the bios our guests provide and this is what was provided.) As a speaker, Joseph delivers a brilliant, high impact message with innovative and practical advice for movement towards growth. Jaffe has written 5 books including Life After The 30-Second Spot, Join the Conversation, Flip the Funnel, and Z.E.R.O. His latest book is Built to Suck: The Inevitable Demise of the Corporation…and How to Save It? Visit to find out how you can suck less. As a thought leader in the marketing and innovation space, he has worked with countless Fortune 500 companies, as well as startups. Joseph currently serves as Admiral at the HMS Beagle, a strategic consultancy that helps its clients navigate the journey to survival…because let’s face it; we’re all in the survival business nowadays! HMSB is Jaffe’s third startup venture, after Evol8tion and crayon. In 2019, he joined West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media as an instructor in the Integrated Marketing Communications online graduate program. Episode Highlights How did Corona TV start? “I was one of the first marketing bloggers. I’m a proud marketer.” And then, in the blink of an eye, it all vanished due to COVID-19, which impact Jaffe’s speaking and consulting revenue. “Sometimes strategy is best when it’s retrofitted.” Joseph decided to create a show embracing all of the smart marketers he knew designed to spark hope, positivity, and optimism at a time when we need it most. And CoronaTV was born. What’s the show look like? Check out my recent appearance back in November 2020: “WWCD—What would Carson do?” Jaffe shared how his show has been inspired by the variety and talk show formats of Bill Maher and Johnny Carson. What brand has made Joseph smile recently? “We need to smile. We need to laugh.” This is an opportunity for brands. Joseph shared recent brand-prompted smiles from Budweiser opting out of the Super Bowl in order to promote vaccine-awareness and Patagonia selling used clothes on their website. “Brands should have been doing this from day one.” To learn more, check out and everything he’s up to at . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/17741084

How Leaders Create Culture Virtually with David Burkus 01/26/2021

How Leaders Create Culture Virtually with David Burkus After a brief holiday hiatus, the On Brand podcast is back for 2021! And we're kicking things off with an exciting new topic and guest. As we've discussed in various episodes through the years, leadership is critical in the development of standout brands. Already a challenging pursuit, leadership got a whole lot harder this past year. This week on the show, I was joined by David Burkus, author of the new book Leading from Anywhere. About David Burkus One of the world’s leading business thinkers, forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. Episode Highlights So, what's David's new book Leading from Anywhere all about? Written in just six months, Leading from Anywhere looks at the characteristics of managing successful remote teams today. “We often talk about leaders and we think of the grandiose speeches, the charismatic presence, and those sorts of things. And none of that really matters when you're one little digital square in a Brady Bunch on Zoom. But there's still a lot that leaders do around culture that really matters.” “Leaders have to be deliberate about building culture.” David walked us through what leaders need to remember to be successful today. “It's less of a tools thing and more about how we use them. Remember—meetings sucked before this!” What's one thing leaders need to watch in the year ahead? “Many aren't thinking enough about the fact that a large percentage of the workforce won't want to come back in the same way that they were before.” This issue alone raises several additional questions around salary, employee geography, benefits, and more. What brand has made David smile recently? David shared the story of Pela—compostable phone cases made from sustainable materials. To learn more, go to . As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. . Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via , , , , , and . Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? . Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! /episode/index/show/onbrand/id/17683127

On Brand with Nick Westergaard

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