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 some new data on social media sharing that Twitter will want to take note of. After discontinuing support for tweet counts on their share button last month, Shareaholic reports that sharing via Twitter is down 11%. 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/adchoic

“Figure out what you’re doing right and do more of it.” This deceptively simple advice should come as a cautionary tale to brands of all shapes and sizes. As a best-selling author and leader of one of the Southwest’s top agencies, Steve McKee spends all of this time help stalled, stuck, and stale brands. I couldn’t wait to chat with him about all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Steve McKee Steve McKee is the president of McKee Wallwork + Company, Advertising Age’s 2015 Southwest Small Agency of the Year. He is the author of When Growth Stalls: How it Happens, Why You’re Stuck and What To Do About It, an award-winning business book now published in four languages, and Power Branding: Leveraging the Success of the World’s Best Brands. MWC specializes in revitalizing stalled, stuck and stale brands across the U.S. A marketing strategist for nearly thirty years, Steve has held executive positions at notable international agencies including NW Ayer, Della Femina, and a division of McC

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new feature that’s finally on it’s way to Instagram. A constant struggle for community managers keeping their brand’s Instagram presence up to date is the current inability to easily toggle in and out of accounts. Sounds like this feature is on the way at last. 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 Steve McKee, author of Power Branding. 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 hel

“If a picture paints a thousand words, then a video packs an even bigger punch. Being able to show versus telling is powerful.” As people consume more and more content online, video is one of the most useful tools for brands. When does video make sense and how can you use it to build a better brand online? As Director of Business Development at Wistia, Kristen Craft spends a lot of her time talking about branding with video. This week, she did so as my guest on the On Brand podcast. About Kristen Craft Kristen is a big fan of technology, education, and business. As the Director of Business Development at Wistia, she enjoys helping people use video more effectively. She loves working with Wistia’s partner community, building connections with other companies that care about video marketing. Kristen holds advanced degrees in business and education from MIT and Harvard. In her spare time, she brews and drinks different varieties of beer. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our commu

“Every order sold is a story waiting to be told. Everyone has a story to tell.” You won’t meet a bigger advocate for story and its ability to move people than Bobby Lehew. As Chief Branding Officer at ROBYN, he employs story every day in redefining this growing business. While story is an exciting topic for marketers, it’s also misunderstood. I couldn’t wait to unpack story — why it matters and how we can use it more — with Bobby on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.  About Bobby Lehew Bobby Lehew is the Chief Branding Officer at ROBYN, a branded products fulfillment company that creates and distributes promotional products, corporate apparel, and printed materials through e-commerce company stores. Robyn’s achievements include being recognized three years in a row by Inc. magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the US, numerous industry awards, an Addy, and being featured twice in the $20 billion promotional industry as one of the top fifty “Best Places to Work.” Bobby is

“Nothing is ever, ever going to challenge a good, solid, legible, readable, scalable, beautiful, crafted mark. It’s got the right DNA.” As one of the leading designers working today, Aaron Draplin has a thing or two to say about brands. This past week, Draplin was in Iowa City on his fall tour “Tall Tales from a Large Man,” which he presented at the University of Iowa. I was fortunate enough to be able to chat with him after his workshop and before his evening lecture about identity and the new dynamics at play today.  About Aaron Draplin Hailing from the mighty Pacific Northwest (but a Midwesterner at heart), Aaron Draplin is one of the most unique and outspoken designers working today. The Draplin Design Co. proudly rolls up its sleeves on print, identity, web development (or not web — if you listen to the first thing out of his mouth during the interview), illustration and Gocco muscle projects. They make stuff for Field Notes, Esquire, Nike, Wired, Timberline, Ford Motor Company, Woolrich and even the Oba

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some some new data on how we use social networks. In their most recent quarterly summary of the latest trends in social networking, GlobalWebIndex notes that we’re spending more time on social media — on average 1.77 hours per day! 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 Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co. 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. H

“Most brands don’t risk enough — there’s too much jargon and too little personality.” As a designer, brand builder, and agency president, Nathan Sinsabaugh has spent his career bringing design thinking and innovation to applications outside of a traditional design context. Along the way, he’s worked to infuse B2B brands with more personality and purpose. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with Nathan on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Nathan Sinsabaugh As President of Studio Science—an Indianapolis based design and innovation consultancy—Nathan leads an amazing team of designers, developers, writers, and strategists that are helping enterprise-focused tech-companies design and build the new generation of digital business products and services. Central to Studio Science’s work are the beliefs that true insights only come from a genuine understanding of people, and that purposefully crafted brands have the power to unite teams, transform cultures, and produce truly meaningful outcomes. As

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some some new data on Facebook use. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, most of us are lurking more and posting original content less. While this may not seem like a big deal it could lead to a less engaging social experience which could threaten Facebook’s emerging ad network. 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 Nathan Sinsabaugh. 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 help

“Your brand can’t just be a promise. It must be a promise delivered.” Denise Lee Yohn knows a thing or two about great brands. Specifically, What Great Brands Do — the title of her best-selling book. The follow-up Extraordinary Experiences examines the principles of her first book at work in the restaurant and retail industry. I couldn’t wait to discuss great brands, extraordinary experiences, and more this week with Denise Lee Yohn. About Denise Lee Yohn Blending a fresh perspective, twenty-five years of experience working with world-class brands including Sony and Frito-Lay, and a talent for inspiring audiences, Denise Lee Yohn is a leading authority on building and positioning exceptional brands. Denise is the author of the bestselling book What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles That Separate the Best from the Rest (Jossey-Bass) and the new book Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our li

“Brands are not static anymore. They’re fluid.” As the Director of Transformation for Liquid Agency and the author of several books on branding including The Brand Gap and The Brand Flip, Marty Neumeierhas spent his career studying, speaking, and writing about the shifts in brand building, design thinking, and business strategy. I couldn’t wait to chat with Neumeier about all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Marty Neumeier Marty Neumeier is an author, designer, and business adviser whose mission is to bring the principles and processes of creativity to industry. His series of “whiteboard” books includes The Brand Gap, widely considered the foundation of modern brand-building; Zag, named one of the “top hundred business books of all time” for its insights into brand strategy; and The Designful Company, a guide to building a culture of nonstop innovation. His latest book, The Brand Flip, lays out a new process for building brands in an age of social media and customer dominance. In

“You have to start the conversation by understanding who you’re having the conversation with.” As a professor and Dean at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, David D. Perlmutter spends a lot of his time studying, speaking, teaching, and writing about the inflection point we face in building brands and developing audience. Specifically, the relationship between the two. I couldn’t wait to talk with David about all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About David D. Perlmutter David D. Perlmutter is a professor at and Dean of the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University. He received his BA (’85) and MA (’91) from the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication and his Ph.D. (’96) from the University of Minnesota. Perlmutter is the author or editor of nine books on political communication, war, and persuasion. He has also written several dozen research articles for academic journals as well as more than 250 essays for U.S. and i

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some big changes in store on Twitter. Specifically their new CEO, stagnating use numbers, and possibly losing their 140-character limit. We also discussed the upcoming Social Brand Forum. 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 David Perlmutter of Texas Tech University. 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? 

“Your employees can be the biggest advocates your brand has.” However, you have to engage and enable their advocacy. That’s what Greg Tiricospends his time working with brands on. As the Senior Manager of Advocacy Solutions and Services at Sprout Social, Greg is leading the development of the social engagement platform’s first stand-alone brand extension, Bambu. We discussed the power and potential of employee advocacy on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Greg Tirico Greg Tirico is Senior Manager of Advocacy Solutions and Services at Sprout Social. He has spent the majority of his career leading digital marketing initiatives in Fortune 500 organizations. From brand building to paid search activities, social media to communications programs, Greg brings 20 years of experience to his role at Sprout Social. When not espousing the benefits of employee advocacy, he can be found searching for the perfect Pinot Noir. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our listeners … 

“So many marketers have never walked a mile in their user’s shoes.” While we joked about playing “buzzword BINGO,” Litmus’ Justine Jordanand I spent a lot of time talking about mapping the customer journey and designing intentional experiences. Before she joins us in Iowa next month at the Social Brand Forum, I wanted to take a few moments and chat with Justine about email, lists, landing pages, and everything in between. About Justine Jordan Justine Jordan is an email critic and popular industry speaker. After mastering table-based HTML in college, she fell in love with the unruly art of email design, helping some of the world’s biggest brands build and manage their email campaigns. A designer masquerading as a marketer, Justine currently directs all things marketing at Litmus, educating and inspiring fellow marketers to create better email. The recipient of the 2015 eec Email Marketing Thought Leader of the Year award, you can find her organizing The Email Design Conference, editing Litmus’ latest blog post

“Your brand is what people say about you when you aren’t in the room.” This very personal, very human definition is what Kary Delaria uses to guide her brand building online and off. As the Social Media Manager at Allianz, she spends her time navigating the engaging yet challenging waters of digital marketing in a regulated industry. This week, she took some time to talk to us about brand ambassadors, compliance, and more on the On Brand podcast. About Kary Delaria Kary is the Social Media Manager at Allianz, overseeing and managing all aspects of the Fortune 100 brand’s corporate social media channels – from strategy to content to community engagement. This work has been the recipient of both the Allianz Project Team of the Year and Sabre awards. With 15 years of experience in public relations, media relations and marketing communication, Kary has helped clients from a wide range of industries develop and manage their brand’s online presence and reputation through a combination of social media analysis, moni

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some big news on Facebook. This past Tuesday Mark Zuckerberg announced that they were adding a new button. While many have called this a Facebook dislike button, the truth is that it’s likely to be much more complicated than that. 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 Kary Delaria of Allianz. 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 ra

“This is a cultural shift. Not an operational shift. You have to understand people first.” As the SVP of Marketing for Sysomos and co-author of The Now Revolution, Amber Naslund understands the impact people — both internally and externally — now have on brands. Before Amber joins us in Iowa next month at the Social Brand Forum, I wanted to take a few moments and chat with her about the role that company culture and social intelligence plays on building brands today. About Amber Naslund Amber is the SVP Marketing for Sysomos, a global leader in social intelligence. She’s a dynamic communications strategist with deep experience with and passion for the emergence of social business. Her professional expertise spans nonprofit management, corporate communications, marketing, professional services, and social business strategy. She’s successfully run multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns, built and led executive communication and professional services teams, and launched and grown international brands. As an e

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed several new Facebook page features that should make admin’s lives a lot easier. Soon pages will start appearing in new shopping and services tabs for easy discovery. Facebook also announced new commenting features including saved replies and reply privately. 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 Facebook is turning Pages into an online mall (Mashable) Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Social Brand Forum! Learn more and register now. 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 Amber Naslund of Sysomos. 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

“It’s not what we sell. It’s what we stand for.” This simple statement provides a concise summary of the key differences between traditional brand advertising and modern content marketing. At the forefront of this movement is Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, author of the new book Content Inc., and lover of the color orange. In the midst of hosting Content Marketing World, where he’s launching a new book and a documentary, Joe took a few moments to be “On Brand.” About Joe Pulizzi Joe Pulizzi is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcaster, father and lover of all things orange. He’s the founder of multiple startups, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), the leading content marketing educational resource for enterprise brands, recognized as the fastest growing business media company by Inc. magazine in 2014. CMI is responsible for producing Content Marketing World, the largest content marketing event in the world (held every September in Cleveland, Ohio), as well as the leadi