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

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new report on which digital marketing tactics are most effective. Guess what? Once again, the winner was email marketing. Quit writing this channel’s obituary and ask yourself what you’re doing to reinvigorate your email program. 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 link to the story on Marketing Charts sharing the data. Here’s where you can download the complete report from Ascend2. 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 Poo~Pourri Founder and CEO Suzy Bátiz. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subs

“Everyone has a brand because everyone has a reputation.” John Michael Morgan knows a thing or two about branding for everyone. That’s because the Brand Against the Machine author has worked with everyone from bestselling authors, Fortune 500 companies, small business owners, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and churches to build better brands. I couldn’t wait to chat about what all of these different types of brands have in common on this week’s On Brand podcast. About John Morgan John Michael Morgan has been called the Chuck Norris of branding and leadership and is known for his high energy and passion when teaching proven strategies designed to help achievers reach their goals. John is the founder of The Achievers Alliance, a personal development coaching program designed to equip leaders and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to achieve success. He has served as a private consultant and mentor to bestselling authors, Fortune 500 companies, small business owners, entrepreneurs, celebrities, churches, and so

“Every single time you respond to a customer complaint it increases advocacy. Every time you don’t it decreases it.” Jay Baer would know. For his new book Hug Your Haters, Jay didn’t just write about what he thought and felt about customer complaints. He commissioned a study from Edison Research to better understand the role customer service plays in how we build brands online. We talked about all of this — including his upcoming keynote at Social Brand Forum 2016 — on this week’s On Brand podcast.   About Jay Baer Jay Baer is a marketing and online customer service expert and eye-opening keynote speaker who has advised more than 700 brands since 1994 including The United Nations, Nike, Cisco, Allstate and 32 of the FORTUNE 500 companies. Jay is the most re-tweeted person in the world among digital marketers and is the President of Convince And Convert, a consulting firm where he and his team help companies gain and keep more customers. Jay also publishes the world’s #1 content marketing blog, the #1 marketin

“People want to hang out with brands they like and trust. Those are the principles we were founded on in 1906.” As Chief Marketing Officer at Coldwell Banker Real Estate, it’s Sean Blankenship’s job to guide a brand going through one of the most disruptive periods in its 110 year industry with the help of 87,000 independent contractors as brand ambassadors. All of this provides challenges and opportunities I couldn’t wait to discuss more of this with Sean on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Sean Blankenship Sean Blankenship is the Chief Marketing Officer at Coldwell Banker Real Estate. He joined Coldwell Banker in June 2013 with nearly 20 years of marketing experience. A “digital native” with a wide-array of branding and product experience including Gulf States Toyota, Nissan North America, Inc., and noted digital agency iCrossing, Blankenship is responsible for developing and growing the Coldwell Banker global brand architecture, including the luxury home program Coldwell Banker Previews International®. B

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed Facebook instant articles. These fast-loading, mobile friendly articles have been available for big publishers like The New York Times and National Geographic but are now on their way to the marketing masses this April. 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 overview on Instant Articles. Forbes poses an interesting question: Can ‘Instant Articles’ Drive Revenues For Facebook? 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 New York Times Best-selling Author Jay Baer. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subs

“I think 2016 is the year of the blog.” And Maddy Osman knows a thing or two about brands and blogging. That’s because she’s the force behind not one but two blog brands. Her lifestyle blog, Chicago Cheap Ass, helps young Chicagoans find the best deals in the second city. Over at The Blogsmith, Maddy helps personal brands and small businesses find their voice online through better blogging. I couldn’t wait to discussing stronger branding through better blogging on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Maddy Osman Maddy Osman is a digital marketer who has a passion for blogging. Her lifestyle blog, ChicagoCheapAss.com, shows young adults how the find the best deals and values in Chicago. If you’re more interested in learning how to be more effective with your own blog, check out her website, The-Blogsmith.com. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community … Recently Dewi Eirig Jones gave a shout out — all the way from Wales — on our recent episode featuring Brian Fanzo. Thanks

“Brands often fall flat when trying to be an Onion or a Buzzfeed.” As these irreverent powerhouses have taught us, humor can significantly impact your online reach. A mistake many make is trying to execute this potent mixture on their own. What they should be doing is looking to experts like The Onion. As social media lead for Onion Labs, Eric Munn and his team help brands bring the funny while connecting and engaging with their audience. About Eric Munn Eric Munn is Social Media Lead for Onion, Inc.’s creative services division, Onion Labs. Munn began his career at TrainSignal, where he grew the company’s social following organically by over 12K in less than a year. Shortly thereafter, Munn was recruited by Social@Ogilvy to help run social strategy for brands like CDW, Jim Beam, Pinnacle Vodka, and Braintree. In what one can only assume was a clerical error, Munn was contact by The Onion in 2014 to lead social strategy for Onion Labs and spends most of his days explaining how jokes work to brand managers. Mu

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed new features for brands on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook page managers can answer back in private and Instagram users can now seamlessly switch between accounts. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. 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 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? Check this out. Until next week, see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you’re looking at risks, you’re going to want to quantify those risks.” Whether its upset customers, out-of-control advocates, or failed campaigns, marketers have their hands full when it comes to managing online brand reputation in the digital age. In his new book — Managing Online Reputation — Communications Advisor Charlie Pownall does just that. I couldn’t wait to learn more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Charlie Pownall Charlie Pownall is a communications adviser who draws on twenty years’ experience in public relations, government communications, advocacy and digital and social media marketing to advise companies, public sector bodies and individuals how to protect, manage and defend their reputations. Previously Charlie was Regional Managing Director (Asia-Pacific) at public relations consultancy Burson-Marsteller, Global Communications Manager at advertising and marketing network WPP plc and Group Communications Director at European digital agency SYZYGY AG. He started his c

“If you don’t embrace the new rules online you’ll be left behind if you aren’t already.” David Meerman Scott knows a thing or two about new rules. Over a decade ago his landmark book The New Rules of Marketing and PR was first published. Now in its 5th edition and used in classrooms throughout the world, this best-seller continues to set the stage for how we build brands in the digital age. I couldn’t wait to discuss this, his new Newsjacking course, and the role all of this plays in the upcoming presidential primaries on this week’s On Brand podcast. About David Meerman Scott David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed strategist whose books and blog are must-reads for professionals seeking to generate attention in ways that grow their business. Scott’s advice and insights help people, products and organizations stand out, get noticed and capture hearts and minds. He is author or co-author of ten books – three are international bestsellers. The New Rules of Marketing & PR, now in its 5th edition, has

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a fun story: a Twitter feud between Wendy’s and Burger King, which provided a good reminder on why it’s important to be human online. We also discussed the difference between what men and women search for on Pinterest. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. 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 marketing strategist and author David Meerman Scott. 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 you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. O

Today brands of all shapes and sizes are creating content. However, there are also brands known exclusively for the content they create. Such is the case of the Harvard Business Review, the separate publication arm of the Harvard Business School. How does a brand that’s over 90 years old and an extension of another brand that’s centuries old continue to innovate and evolve? I asked that very question and a few more to HBR Senior Editor Sarah Green Carmichael. About Sarah Green Carmichael Sarah Green Carmichael is a Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review. She also hosts their podcast, the HBR IdeaCast, which has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards under her tenure. Connect with her on Twitter: @skgreen. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community … Recently past guest and HBR contributor Heidi Grant Halvorson gave me a shout on Twitter about my upcoming book Get Scrappy. Thanks Heidi! Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a q

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new report just released from software provider Domo and CEO.com stating that 61% of Fortune 500 CEOs aren’t active on social media. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. 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 Sarah Green Carmichael of Harvard Business Review. 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 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/rev

“It’s too possible to be personable.” Live streaming video via platforms such as Periscope and Snapchat have presented marketers with an amazing opportunity to deepen the relationships they have with their customers. However, many brands are apprehensive about this very public, immediate form of content. How will we tell our story? How will we engage with our audience? This week video expert Amy Schmittauer joined us with the answers to all of these questions.  About Amy Schmittauer Amy Schmittauer is the Founder & Face of Savvy Sexy Social, an online show helping rising stars and think-big brands embrace their amazing personality and share it with the world. Amy writes, hosts and produces the show, which airs weekly and has an archive of more than 500 episodes. Impacting businesses in almost every country in the World, these advocates have helped Savvy Sexy Social amass more than 2 million YouTube views, giving her a portfolio of work on the platform totaling over 10 million views. Amy’s strategies have led

“The expression of your brand strategy should excite the customer.” For Mark Di Somma, brand strategy is as much a creative process as a logical one. It’s about making decisions that enable a brand to change how it’s valued by the people who buy its products and by those who work so hard from the inside to bring the brand to life. It’s about being interesting and staying interesting in a world where attention quickly flags. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Mark Di Somma Mark Di Somma works alongside brand owners and communicators to define, articulate, and elevate the competitive value of their brands at critical moments of change. For Mark, brand is a lens – a very powerful lens – through which to look at how competitive a business is, how well a brand culture works and why people will choose to pay above the market rate for your products. Di Somma started working in advertising, direct marketing, and the design industry as a writer and creative consultant. Today

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a topic we’ve been hearing a lot about over the past few months. Is Twitter really going to drop their signature 140-character limit in favor of longer tweets with a 10,000-character limit?! If so, what does this mean? Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. 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 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? Check this out. Until next week, see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc

“I love storytelling. It builds trust faster than anything else.” Brian Fanzohelps brands of all shapes and sizes — from IBM to Applebee’s — tell their stories and build trust with their customers. As an early adopter of live-streaming social video like Meerkat and Periscope, Brian has fearlessly jumped in and quickly become a leading expert in this new and exciting media. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with Brian on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Brian Fanzo Brian Fanzo is a leading voice of the millennial generation in digital media. He has 10+ years experience managing, deploying and training enterprises and small businesses on cyber security, community management, collaboration, digital marketing, video conferencing, and social business. As a technology and social media strategist, Brian’s presented at numerous technology conferences, as well as quarterly presentations for the Federal Government Joint Chiefs of Staff and on-site in Iraq and Afghanistan for the United States Arm

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I got the new year started with a discussion of the 2016 digital marketing trends to watch. Specifically, creating more meaningful content, social video, and amplification through paid advertising. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. 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 social video expert Brian Fanzo. 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 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

“A brand is a divining rod. It’s a filter to make big decisions.” Drew McLellan spends his time tackling brand from a few different angles. First, as the owner of McLellan Marketing Group, he helps B2B clients build better brands. As part of his work with the Agency Management Institute, he also helps agencies focus their brands as well. I couldn’t wait to talk to my fellow Iowan and agency owner Drew McLellan on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Drew McLellan Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for 25+ years and started his own agency, McLellan Marketing Group in 1995 after a five-year stint at Y&R. MMG will celebrate its 20th anniversary in the fall of 2015. The agency specializes in the B2B financial services industry. He also owns and runs Agency Management Institute (AMI), which offers agency management training, consulting, and facilitates agency owner peer networks for small- to mid-sized agencies (advertising, digital, marketing, media and PR) so they can increase their AGI by at

“Our brand means many things to many people.” As we cheer from the sidelines and the comfort of our couch on game day, it can be easy to loose sight of the fact that great American sports teams like the Minnesota Vikings are some of our most prominent brands. One thing these mega-brands can’t loose sight of is their fans. “Fans first and foremost,” said Vikings CMO Steve LaCroix during our recent chat. If you’re a Vikings fan, a brand builder, or both, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode. Ready? BREAK! About Steve LaCroix Now in his 15th season with the Minnesota Vikings, Steve LaCroix serves as the team’s Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer. LaCroix oversees all aspects of Vikings-generated revenues. He also leads the team’s radio and television programming, websites, digital and social media initiatives, merchandise and e-commerce operations, community and special events, marketing partnerships, advertising, branding, promotions, graphic design, fan relations and game day activities. H