On Brand: A Podcast About Branding For Brand Builders, By Brand Builders

“I joke that I’m good at impressions — you have to do voices.” Why would a marketer need to be good at doing impressions? As founder of Cobblestone Creative Co, Kate Boyd uses this skill to help mirror the voices of the solopreneurs she serves as she creates marketing and sales systems. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Kate Boyd Kate Boyd is the founder of Cobblestone Creative Co. and a conversion marketing strategist who builds high converting marketing systems that help solopreneurs attract, nurture, and convert more clients they love without burning out. After leaving the world of non-profit marketing, she has built 3 profitable online businesses and created marketing and sales systems that convert up to 5 times the normal rates. Episode Highlights What makes solopreneurs so different? Beyond the simple fact that there’s only one person in the business, there’s a lot that’s different. “There are all kinds of entrepreneurs but we’ve seen a growth of mic

“A story lets you address problems in a very human way.” While traditional business books, textbooks, and case studies help us learn key concepts, they often miss what’s going on behind the scenes. The story arc or narrative. This week, author, designer, and brand advisor Marty Neumeier returned to the On Brand podcast (listen to his first episode here) to discuss his latest book Scramble — a business thriller about agile strategy! About Marty Neumeier Marty Neumeier is an author, designer, and brand adviser whose mission is to bring the principles and processes of design to business. His series of “whiteboard” books includes Zag, named one of the “top hundred business books of all time,” and The Designful Company, a bestselling guide to nonstop innovation. An online presentation of his first book, The Brand Gap, has been viewed more than 22 million times since 2003. A sequel, The Brand Flip, lays out a new process for building brands in the age of social media and customer dominance. His most recent book, Sc

“Content is expanding — it’s shifting. It used to be 2D and flat.” Now we have VR, AR, MR, and XR. What’s a marketer to do? Luckily, we can get this entire world demystified for us by extended reality expert and futurist Cathy Hackl on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Cathy Hackl Cathy Hackl is the lead Futurist at You Are Here Immersive Labs, one of the Southeast's most prominent XR labs. Hackl is an Emmy-nominated communicator turned augmented reality & virtual reality global speaker, producer and author. She is also a Partner at Mixed Reality Ventures. Prior to joining You Are Here, she worked as an HTC VIVE VR Evangelist during the launch of their latest headset, the VIVE Pro, and during the company’s partnership with Warner Brothers’ blockbuster, Ready Player One. She's the co-author of Marketing New Realities: An Introduction to VR & AR Marketing, Branding & Communications. Hackl has been featured in media outlets like Mic, CNN, Silicon Beat, Entrepreneur, CMO.com, Forbes, VentureBeat

“Brands that endure have long-term ambitions. They make a durable difference.” When it comes to celebrating your brand’s legacy, age is relative. In some industries it’s a benefit while others are looking for the latest, greatest thing. But your legacy is bigger than what you’ve left behind. Business journalist Lucas Conley shared the five pillars that make up a brand’s legacy on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Lucas Conley A journalist with an eye for stories that change how we see the world, Conley began his career at The Atlantic Monthly and has written for The Boston Globe, Fast Company, ESPN: The Magazine, SPIN, and The Wall Street Journal Magazine, among others. Lucas has been invited to speak about his work on The Colbert Report, ABC World News, CNN’s BookTV, NPR, and at South by Southwest. Lucas’s books explore the human dimension of business. Author of Obsessive Branding Disorder (one of Strategy + Business’s best books of 2008) and coauthor of The Method Method (listed as a “top t

“Brands today are more dynamic than ever before. We need to keep the idea of brand from being esoteric." And we need better tools for managing and measuring brand impact across platforms. That’s exactly what Luke Beatty does as CEO at Brandfolder. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Luke Beatty Prior to joining Brandfolder as CEO, Luke Beatty served as the President of Media Brands at Verizon and as a Managing Director at TechStars in Boulder. In 2004, Luke founded Associated Content, which was sold to Yahoo in 2010. He holds a Master’s from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree from Connecticut College. Along with riding a bicycle every day, Luke is a youth lacrosse coach and fly fishes around the world. Episode Highlights Brand’s today are more dynamic. Luke kicked off the show with something he talks about a lot — why brands today are more dynamic than ever before. There are three drivers of dynamic brands ... 1) Alignment. “Brands want to define

“Brands aren’t logos or static concepts. They’re value systems.” Mario Natarelli has branded everything. From Fortune 500 companies to entire countries. Regardless of how different the individual clients may be, the frameworks remain the same. Author and brand strategist Natarelli was kind enough to share them with us on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Mario Natarelli Mario Natarelli is a trusted advisor to executives and their companies looking to leverage their most important asset — their brand. By first being able to uniquely understand a brand’s true challenges and untapped potential, then through deliberate and extensive analysis, he has helped major Fortune 500 companies and even entire countries tangibly transform, align their cultures and deliver unprecedented growth and value.Trained as an architect early in his career, Mario uses the se fundamentals to balance the art and science of brand building. He understands that a brand’s essence and their cultures emanate from their strate

“Everything is an ad.” At times it seems as though our industry is in the midst of an existential crisis. Who are we? What do we really do? Are branding, marketing, and advertising still the best descriptors? Kevin Kelly, President and Founder of BigBuzz Marketing Group, helped us get to the bottom of these big questions on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Kevin Kelly Kevin Kelly is President and Founder of Bigbuzz Marketing Group, having launched the firm in his Long Island garage in 1995. Today, he oversees the agency’s client relationships, develops and innovates its suite of services, and provides the creative vision for long-term growth from the firm’s office in Manhattan. Bigbuzz Marketing Group is a full-service advertising agency based in New York City’s garment district with clients such as Honeywell, Garanimals, Leviton, Icon Parking, and other major brands. With over 20 years of experience working on multi-faceted advertising campaigns, Mr. Kelly’s most recent digital advertising

“The only exciting thing celebrity has is the privilege of platform.” To build something from this privilege, you need to understand your personal brand. Show business and personal branding are two topics Phil Pallen is uniquely qualified to talk about. And that’s exactly what we did on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Enjoy! About Phil Pallen Phil Pallen is a brand and social media strategist and regular contributor for international media outlets, including CNN, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, the Toronto Star, and the Daily Mail, Phil breaks down the business of branding and social media into tangible steps that anyone can do. Phil has since spoken at major conferences like Finland’s Arctic15, Japan’s iMedia Brand Summit, and HubSpot’s InBound Conference in Boston. Episode Highlights “You totally have a brand, babe.” That’s Phil’s reply when confronted with what he hears all too often from would-be personal brands — “I don’t even have a brand.” Wrong! You have a brand. But you may not

“We sell the communities as much as the homes that sit in them.” Buying real estate — buying a home — is the biggest purchase many of us make. Who we buy from is a big decision. This is magnified even further in the high-end real-estate market in New York. Matthew Leone, Chief Marketing Officer of Halstead, discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Matthew Leone Matthew J. Leone brings a fresh marketing perspective and extensive knowledge of web technologies & techniques to Halstead serving as the firm’s Chief Marketing Officer. Matthew oversees the 28-member MarTech division and is responsible for the creative brand direction. He is passionate about staying on top of the latest trends & integrating innovative solutions into all forms of marketing and technology, working as one of the first firms to embrace such forms as video, social media, drones, 3D, VR, wearables, co-branded partnerships, and many other ground-breaking approaches. Mr. Leone also regularly appears

“Many have seen a TED talk about design thinking but they don’t know what’s next — what it looks like.” This week on the On Brand podcast we unpacked design thinking, magical experiences, Nordic design, and how to criticize creative work with Jon Kolko, author of Creative Clarity and Partner at Modernist Studio. About Jon Kolko Jon Kolko is the author of Creative Clarity, Partner at Modernist Studio, and the Founder of Austin Center for Design. Previously the Vice President of Design at Blackboard, he has worked extensively with both startups and Fortune 500 companies. He has been a Professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and has taught at the University of Texas at Austin, the Center for Design Studies of Monterrey, Mexico, and Malmö University, Sweden. Episode Highlights How is teaching in the US different than teaching abroad? Jon has taught in some of my favorite places. But how is teaching Austin, Texas different from teaching in Malmo, Sweden? The work e

“We all need help. We all need to move people. But we’re reluctant to ask.” While it may not seem related to branding and marketing, the social sciences of motivation and influence underly everything we do. That’s why I couldn’t wait to have Heidi Grant back on the podcast. She’s the Global Director of Research and Development at the Neuroleadership Institute and the author of several books including her latest Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You. We discussed how to move people to get involved and take action on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Heidi Grant Heidi Grant is a social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation. She is the author of Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You. Her previous books include Succeed, Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, Focus, and The Eight Motivational Challenges. She is Global Director of Research and Development at the Neuroleadership Institute. She continues to serve as Associate Director o

“Everyone is so stressed out. All of the marketers I talk to. There are so many channels and so many reports to prove our existential existence!” What’s an overwhelmed marketer to do? Allen Gannett is founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a company with a left-brained marketing focus. However, he just wrote a book on cultivating creativity. Marketers can overcome today’s challenges by mastering both hemispheres and getting creative with how we organize our work. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Allen Gannett Allen Gannett is the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a marketing analytics platform whose clients have included Microsoft, Marriott, Saks Fifth Avenue, Home Depot, Aetna, Honda, and GE. He has been on the “30 Under 30” lists for both Inc. and Forbes. He is a contributor for FastCompany.com and has an upcoming book The Creative Curve, on how anyone can achieve moments of creative genius, coming out in June 2018 from Currency, a division of Penguin Random House

"Digital is content, content is stories." Listeners of the podcast know that I am a big fan of storytelling as a brand building tool. And I'm not alone. David Aaker has had a storied career in branding and marketing, as both an academic at UC Berkeley and Vice-Chairman of Prophet. He's also the author of 17 books including his latest, Creating Signature Stories. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About David Aaker David Aaker, the Vice-Chairman of Prophet and Professor Emeritus of Marketing Strategy at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, is the winner of four career awards for contributions to the science of marketing (the Paul D. Converse Award), marketing strategy (the Vijay Mahajan Award), the theory and practice of marketing (the Buck Weaver Award), and Brilliance in Marketing (NYAMA Marketing Hall of Fame). He has published over 100 articles and 17 books including Strategic Market Management, Managing Brand Equity, Building Strong Brands, Brand Leaders

"Why is our industry slow to adapt? Because the way we've done things had always worked ..." Until it didn't. While technology has changed the marketing and PR industry significantly, we're also at a cultural inflection point. People are demanding that the brands that they support take stands on social issues. Katie Kern of Media Frenzy Global discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Katie Kern Katie Kern, partner and COO of Media Frenzy Global, is a passionate, award-winning marketing and communications professional who has led creative innovation and strategy for a variety of global brands and agencies for more than 15 years. Named a finalist for the Technology Association of Georgia’s Digital Marketer of the Year and awarded the City of Atlanta Phoenix Award, Katie seeks to reimagine the agency model that cultivates innovation and new ideas, in an industry that is slow to transform. At Media Frenzy Global, Katie focuses on branding, communications and marketing s

“Every animal has a story to tell.” And we didn’t even get to them all! But we tried. This week I chatted with Dean Noble, Director of Marketing of the Santa Barbara Zoo. With a diverse background including the movie business, improv comedy, and theme parks, we discussed live events, storytelling, podcasts, Cary Grant, and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Dean Noble Dean Noble is currently the Director of Marketing at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Dean began his career in the entertainment industry and worked in feature film development and acquisitions for ITC Entertainment in Studio City, CA. He spent 10 years with the Universal Studios Recreation Group and was part of the Grand Opening Marketing Team for the two-billion-dollar Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka. He was part of the PR team, marketing training team and brand-managed licensing relationships for Steven Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marvel Entertainment, Peanuts, and Sesame Street, among others. He has a BA in En

“The CMO for a medium-sized brand is responsible for more words than the editor of a newspaper.” Words matter. And, to this very point, there are a lot of them in the crowded, digital world we find ourselves in. How can you develop a consistent yet flexible brand lexicon? Just ask strategist Al Hussain of Verbal Identity. And that’s exactly what I did on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Al Hussain Al is a thought leader in where language meets behavioral science. He’s helped position great British fashion brands like Fred Perry and Belstaff; Britain’s most popular car brand, Vauxhall; and he also lead the naming team for one of the world’s greatest hotels, although it’s not open yet. He’s also a guest speaker at various conferences, most recently the Telegraph Festival of Business in London. Episode Highlights Where do you start with brand language? “It has to be working at every level.” Al took us through the three major categories: 10,000-foot level — the brand narrative, 1,000-foot level

"Does your brand exist legally? The depends on what your brand is.” We only tackle the big questions on this podcast! Our guest this week isn’t a branding author, marketing strategist, or someone working in the trenches, building brands. But she helps people do just that. Jenny Odegard is a lawyer focusing on people and companies in advertising, marketing, and other creative industries. We discussed what your brand should know about the law on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Jenny Odegard Jenny Odegard started Odegard Law with the goal of being an advocate for the creative class in New York, which she sees as being neglected by the larger legal industry. She began working with freelancer friends and independent agencies, growing the practice to represent people and companies in marketing, advertising, production, designers of every variety, makers of beautiful objects, the fashion industry, and many more. Jenny has helped take companies from an idea over a beer to flourishing businesses by establishing ne

“Experience is the residue brands leave with people after the product’s gone.” Justin Wartell of Monocle knows a thing or two about brand experience. In working with brands as diverse as FedEx, Quiznos, Mass General, and the Denver Broncos, this brand builder knows that it all comes down to answering the big questions like “Why do we do that?” We discussed brand education, experience, and more on this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.   Enjoy This Episode Now Download Episode Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Stitcher About Justin Wartell With more than 10 years building hard-working brands, Justin Wartell is the “Why do we do that?” person—asking questions that encourage clients to think differently about how brands are built and managed. Justin’s expertise is in insights, analytics, strategy and experience, and he’s done extensive work around the world in mapping experience journeys. He spends most of his time helping clients’ brands to work harder while leading key practice areas at Mon

On this week’s Social Sound Bite — recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City — Jerry and I discussed how Starbucks is using a recent in-store crisis as an opportunity to step up their employee-training efforts. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite Starbucks to close all U.S. stores for an afternoon of racial-bias training (Mashable). Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Mondays, we serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand podcast. This podcast is sponsored by my new book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Pre-order now and get special digital extras. Learn more. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if

“The confused mind doesn’t buy.” As a psychology major — I know enough to be dangerous — I couldn’t wait to talk with Kaye Putnam. A psychology-driven brand strategist, she works with entrepreneurs from startup to high-growth. Creating a standout brand is harder than ever today. Brand builders need to understand how to appeal to customers’ hearts and minds. We discussed brand archetypes and critical questions on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast presented by Twenty20. About Kaye Putnam Kaye Putnam is a psychology-driven brand strategist for entrepreneurs. Through work with hundreds of clients from global brands to solo business owners, she developed The Clarity Code. She believes in pursuing audacious dreams and that there is genius that lives inside every entrepreneur. When you have a clear brand, your clients love, respect, and are willing to pay premium prices for your work. It gives you the clarity and confidence to scale your impact and income. She works with students in her Brand New Brand inc