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

What sets apart good branded content? “Strategic tools, storytelling, and understanding your objectives.” Melanie Deziel helps brands and publishers better understand the shared goals and potential wins that are possible through native advertising. She’s worked with The New York Times, Time, Inc, Netflix, and more to do just that. We discussed all of this including her upcoming talk at Social Brand Forum 2016 on this week’s On Brand podcast.  About Melanie Deziel Melanie Deziel is an award-winning branded content strategist and consultant, and the founder of The Overlap League, the native ad newsletter. She is a board member of the Native Advertising Institute, has served as an executive judge for the Digiday Content Marketing Awards, and travels the country educating marketing, sales and editorial teams on branded content strategy. Melanie is the former Director of Creative Strategy for Time Inc., where she led ideation for sponsored content programs across 35+ publications, and was the first editor of brand

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some new numbers that Instagram shared this week. The popular Facebook-owned social network now boasts 500 million users and 300 million actives. This makes Instagram the second largest and second most used social network. 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 Here’s the full story from Social Media Today — Instagram Hits 500 Million Users, 300 Million Daily Actives. Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can s

“There’s something inherently valuable about viewing television.” Andy Bryant and Charlier Mawer would know. As the creative force behind the UK’s Red Bee agency, they help global clients such as the BBC, NBC Universal, and Fox market their networks and shows. They’re also co-authors of the new book The TV Brand Builders: How to Win Audiences and Influence Viewers. I couldn’t wait to discuss TV brands past, present, and future on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.   Andy Bryant and Charlie Mawer Andy Bryant is Managing Director of Red Bee, a London-based, internationally acclaimed creative agency specializing in marketing and design for TV brands. He is a recognised thought leader in his field and frequent speaker at leading industry conferences globally on TV brand strategy, marketing, and creativity. He is an Honorary Professor of Film & TV Studies at the University of Nottingham in the UK. Charlie Mawer is Exec Creative Director of Red Bee, responsible for their global creative output. Acknowledg

“Everything we do as employees translates into the brand.” I’ve been fascinated by the Spiceworks brand since I first read about them in Jay Baer’s new book Hug Your Haters. This people-focused community platform for IT professionals is the very definition of an inside-out brand. I couldn’t wait to discuss this philosophy and more with Spiceworks’ Exec Brand Muse Jen Slaski on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jen Slaski Jen Slaski is the Executive Director of Marketing Communications at Spiceworks but she’s more commonly known around the office as the “Exec Brand Muse” where she’s responsible for the essence of the Spiceworks brand – a brand that’s previously won MarketingProf’s Brand of the Year. And a brand that Jen refers to as an “inside-out” because of how Spiceworks company culture helps fuel it. Jen joined the company in 2006 and has been helping to create and evolve the company’s brand and marketing efforts ever since. Jen has always had a passion and flair for the start up world. Be

On this week's Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a shocking new stat about Snapchat's use numbers. This past week, Bloomberg reported that Snapchat overtook Twitter in number of daily users. Great news for Snapchat! Not so great for Twitter ... 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 Here's the story from Bloomberg on Snapchat passing Twitter in daily use. Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we'll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and

“Snapchat is Twitter meets YouTube.” The meteoritic rise of this new network has left many marketers scratching their collective heads. Not Carlos Gil. An early adopter of social media from back when it was called AOL, Gil has led social teams for brands such as Winn-Dixie and LinkedIn. Today, as Global Head of Social Media for BMC Software, he’s become a leading authority on Snapchat for business speaking at events like this fall’s Social Brand Forum. I couldn’t wait to learn more on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Carlos Gil Carlos Gil is the Global Head of Social Media for BMC Software. Previously, he served as Senior Social Marketing Manager for LinkedIn. His proven track record includes leading consumer-facing digital and social media programs as Social Media Manager for Winn-Dixie, where he developed strategy and led the launch of all Winn-Dixie’s social channels, social listenings, and blogger influencer program. In addition, Carlos served as the Head of Digital Marketing for Save-A-Lot food storie

On this week's Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some new data compiled by Fractl outlining who's sharing what on Facebook. With 91% sharing something at least once weekly on the social network, it's important to understand the demographic differences as we plan content that's as effective as possible. 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 Here's a digestible infographic from Fractl citing the study's key findings.  Speaking of compelling data, Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2016 report came out this week. If you live or work online (HINT: that's all of us!) you'll want to check out this industry-leading data. Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and sa

“You learn more by doing than by watching.” Jason Keath knows a thing or two about learning and doing. As CEO and Founder of Social Fresh, he helps marketers stay on top of the latest, greatest, FRESHEST digital marketing insights through their Social Fresh Conference as well as their blog, podcast, and emails. Recently, they raised the bar on their mission even further by releasing the Future of Social research study. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jason Keath Jason Keath thrives on ideas and inspiring others to build something new, to take chances. As the Founder and CEO of Social Fresh Conference, he curates some of the smartest voices in online marketing. Graduating from UNC Charlotte with a fine arts degree, Jason’s roots are firmly in the creative arts. Jason lives in New York City, where you can find him blogging from a local coffee shop or roaming the streets of Manhattan as a full time tourist. Jason is a keynote speaker, presenting to thousand

“You have to build marketing inside out today. It has to come from inside the company.” It’s this kind of hard work that drives John Zissimos, Chief Creative Officer for software giant Salesforce. His work includes growing a coherent brand and bringing a promise to life across a variety of channels online and off. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About John Zissimos John Zissimos is the Chief Creative Officer at Salesforce. As CCO, John is responsible for building the Salesforce brand and crafting the company’s story around the world. He leads the creative organization across digital, strategy, interactive design, films, events, customer stories, and UX. Over the past 6 years, John has inspired a design-led culture and built a full-service, creative agency within Salesforce to inspire, innovate, and tell the story of the fastest-growing software company in the world. Prior to joining Salesforce in 2010, John spent over two decades as an advertising creative ex

“Branding today isn’t that different. It’s just harder.” Jason Falls is a branding, digital marketing and PR expert. The founder of Social Media Explorer, author of No Bullshit Social Media and The Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing, and VP at Elasticity joined us for a raucous “Jason Falls” brand conversation around social listening, branding with attitude, and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jason Falls Jason Falls is the no-nonsense, loud, brash, straight-shooter who is more apt to tell you the truth about digital marketing, public relations and social media than try to sell you something. Sure, he drives strategy and content for clients through his work with Elasticity, but when Falls talks, people listen. Unabashed, unafraid and unfiltered, Falls leaves audiences thinking, laughing and wanting more. Aside from his engaging talks, he is a well-respected social industry analyst, oft-interviewed and quoted by the likes of the BBC, Reuters, Forbes and more. Falls writes at JasonFalls

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed an emerging turf war between social media’s 800-pound gorilla Facebook and its latest shiny new thing Snapchat. Ironically at the very moment when Facebook is looking to make their Messenger app even more like Snapchat. 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 Here’s the story about how Twitter and Facebook want publishers and brands to stop promoting their Snapchat accounts (Digiday). But is Facebook trying to be more like Snapchat? Facebook Messenger testing Snapchat-style disappearing messages for iOS (Macworld). Remember, early registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, and Gini Dietrich. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. Last but not l

“The companies that don’t have a good strategy around their content usually don’t have a good strategy around their brand either.” Creating an engaging content experience is one of the most effective branding tools marketers can employ today. However, it’s also one of the hardest times to create content that stands out. That’s why Yoav Schwartz co-founded Uberflip — to take control and better leverage the content marketing experience. We talked about all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Yoav Schwartz Yoav Schwartz is the CEO and co-founder of Uberflip, a platform for marketers to create, manage, and optimize content experiences, so that content can be fully leveraged by all company stakeholders at every stage of the buyer journey. With a Computer Science degree from the University of Western Ontario, Yoav is a unique combination of a creative and analytical thinker. For over a decade, he has combined his love of technology with his inherent talent for product and design, showing t

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed Facebook’s latest, greatest (frustrating!) update to their ever-evolving news feed algorithm. Part of their new “Feed Quality Program,” this update will focus more on the content you spend the most time with. 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 Here’s Facebook’s official update from their pressroom — News Feed FYI: More Articles You Want to Spend Time Viewing. Why Video Might Be Your Best Bet With Facebook’s Algorithm Update (Entrepreneur). Remember, early registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, and Gini Dietrich. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. This week we’ll be talking to Yoav Schwartz, CEO and Founder of Uberflip. Last but no

“Our Instagram voice is very different than even Facebook and Twitter.” As Associate Director of Social Media at Whole Foods Market, Lisa Grimm is responsible for how the innovative natural supermarket chain comes to life online. From developing brand standards to working with the creative team and engaging with customers, Lisa has her eye on both the big picture and the tactical, practical day-to-day operations. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with her on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Lisa Grimm Lisa Grimm (@lulugrimm) is an integrated marketing communications leader passionate about building relationships and relevance between people and brands through the convergence of technology and communication. As Social Media Lead for Whole Foods Market, Lisa is responsible for building brand and deeper customer connection through a data-driven approach to social strategy, community, and the integration of earned, owned, and paid media. Prior to joining Whole Foods Lisa led PR and emerging

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some confusion Facebook created recently for all of us who manage Facebook pages. They moved our favorite features including using Facebook as your page! We tell you where they are on this week’s show. 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 Here’s where to find those hidden features … Facebook Switches Page Management and Posting Options – What You Need to Know (Social Media Today). See you in Louisville! This week the focus of Jay’s Jukebox Friday is Kentucky! I’m actually heading there next month for a Get Scrappy book event for the Louisville Digital Association. Learn more. Remember, early registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, and Gini Dietrich. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll s

“Don’t be afraid to inject humor and humanity into your brand. People love this. Life’s too short to be that serious.” This week’s episode was many things but serious was not one of them! Spin Sucks author and founder Gini Dietrich stopped by our virtual studios for a discussion on brands that stand out, avoiding spin, and infusing your brand with personality. Enjoy this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Gini Dietrich Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a digital marketing communications firm based in Chicago. She is the author of Spin Sucks, co-author of Marketing in the Round, and co-host of Inside PR. She also is the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. As We Wrap … 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 you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences a

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed two major social platform updates. First, after Facebook bowed out of negotiations, Twitter picked up the streaming rights for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games. Instagram is also in the process of rolling out a longer, 60-second limit for videos. 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 Thursday Night Football to be streamed live on Twitter (NFL). Which is either good news or bad news as … Twitter NFL deal shredded by another analyst (MarketWatch). Here’s Instagram’s official ‘coming soon’ announcement on longer video (Instagram Blog). Engagdet on why Instagram’s big bet on video doesn’t stop at 60 seconds. Remember, early registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, and Gini Dietrich. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just th

“Your brand is more than your logo.” How many times have you heard something like this? If you’re a visual brand builder like Mike Smith, you probably find yourself saying this a lot. But what does it really mean? As art director at email marketing solution AWeber, Mike has been responsible for reinvigorating the venerable brand and bringing it to life across new touch points including a live event and a mascot. I couldn’t wait to talk to Mike about all of this on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Mike Smith Mike Smith is an art director with a passion for high-quality design and a knack for branding. He first realized his love for graphic art as early as middle school and has been nurturing this love ever since. Today, he is an expert in design, branding and visual consistency. As a member of AWeber’s creative team, he thrives on visually presenting the AWeber brand. “It’s more than just slapping a logo on everything,” he says as he spearheads the company’s artistic direction; knowing that small visual det

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the new Instagram algorithm. While some are freaking out — pleading with followers to turn on push notifications for their brand — a better bet is to focus on being more engaging on the platform to ensure that your content stands out. 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 Here are 3 ways to boost Instagram engagement from PR Daily. Do you like lists of three? Here are 3 Tips to Improve Your Instagram Strategy from Entrepreneur. Remember, early registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, and Gini Dietrich. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. This week we’ll be talking to Mike Smith from AWeber. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast

When your business category is taboo, how do you get people to talk about it? Suzy Bátiz is the inventor and entrepreneur behind Poo~Pourri, an innovative brand that is literally changing the way we go to the bathroom. As founder and CEO, she’s built everything herself including one of the most engaging brands of the day. Grab some reading material and join us in the loo for this week’s On Brand podcast. About Suzy Bátiz Suzy Bátiz is the founder and CEO of Poo~Pourri and is an expert in entrepreneurial intuition. A serial entrepreneur, she created an exponentially growing enterprise worth $300 million without borrowing a dime or enlisting a single investor. Today Suzy teaches other entrepreneurs the feminine approach to business – how to harness intuition, body intelligence, and creative energy to achieve a natural flow state of success.   As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community … Recently Gini Dietrich gave a shout out to our recent episode on customer service featur