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

“Bacon is a great metaphor for the perpetually interesting brand.” Taking a cue from comedian Jim Gaffigan (Bippity-boppity-BACON!), strategist and speaker Justin Foster has found that, while it may seem silly, bacon is an amazing metaphor for how we build and grow unique and engaging brands. We couldn’t wait to chat about bacon brands on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Justin Foster “Inside every brand is a truth waiting to be amplified.” This is the message that Justin Foster shares as he works with clients and in his presentations and workshops. Based in Austin, TX, Justin is a brand strategist, published author, professional speaker, and workshop facilitator. He has worked for nearly 25 years in sales and marketing for small businesses and large corporations, co-founding two marketing/branding firms, and one successful start-up. As a brand strategist, Justin works with senior leaders and business owners to help them discover the “bacon” of their brand and create a meaningful, relevant presence in the

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed my recent trip to SXSW Interactive 2015. This event is always one of my favorites and truly the best place for keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s next. What did I learn? 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 As we discussed last week, the new Meerkat app was big at SXSW. How big …? Everyone was talking about potential businesses uses for Meerkat. Plus everyone was Meerkat-ing (Meerkasting?) — even Julia Louis-Dreyfus! There were also several panels and discussion around social media privacy. BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Iowa’s own Pear Deck on their big win of $150,000 in funding at SXSW 2015! 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 have Justin Foster, author of Oatmeal vs. Bacon. Last but not

“I like to be dangerous with my content.” It’s quotes like this where Jason Miller’s rock-n-roll background and passion shine through in his work. By day, Jason is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn. By night, he’s an accomplished rock-n-roll photographer. We talked about both aspects of his work and everything in between on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jason Miller Jason Miller is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at Linkedin where he leads the global content marketing and social efforts for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. Prior to this, he managed social media strategy at Marketo, where he was responsible for leading the company’s content and social media efforts by increasing engagement, optimizing for lead generation, and ultimately driving revenue. Before Marketo, Jason worked at Sony Music entertainment developing and executing marketing campaigns around the biggest names in music. To this day, Miller remains a rock ’n roll photographer by night. You can view his wor

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new social app on the block. It’s called Meerkat and it allows users to live stream video directly to their Twitter account. Once you’re done streaming, the online archive of your video is gone (you can save the file to your phone if you choose). Why does Meerkat matter? 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 Want to dig in and play with Meerkat? Download the app here. Here’s a great breakdown of what brands and publishers need to know about Meerkat (Digiday). As I mentioned on the show, one of the biggest cases for why Meerkat might matter lies in the recent Infinite Dial study from Edison Research. This shows that after Facebook, mobile experience apps like Instagram and Snapchat dominate social media use. Is Meerkat next? Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’

“Digital has democratized marketing … Consumers are playing an active role in defining our brands.” Barbara Apple Sullivan would know. As the founder and managing partner at Sullivan, she’s helped complex regulated brands like American Express and Merrill Lynch build and socialize strong brand architectures. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with Barbara this week on the On Brand podcast. About Barbara Apple Sullivan Barbara Apple Sullivan founded Sullivan in 1990 after spending more than a dozen years on the client side in the financial services industry. Recognizing a gap in how she was being serviced, Barbara understood that there was a need for agencies dedicated to helping complex businesses reach customers and prospects through the sales funnel rather than simply focusing on high level brand and awareness building. With this in mind, she launched Sullivan & Company and has grown the agency into a highly strategic group of nearly 60 employees serving clients across the financial and professional ser

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a recent development from Google. On last week’s show, we shared new data illustrating that Facebook is far from dead with teens. However, Google is breaking their social network Google+ into three products — streams, photos, and Hangouts. 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 round-up of coverage on the Google+ news. First, this article from The Verge provides a great overview on how Google+ officially splits into Photos and Streams. While Engadget reports that Google is testing new Contacts that blend Gmail and Google+. 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 review the show – If

“Your brand is not something you create. It’s a story that is told by you and your customers. It’s a co-creation.” As part of his role at Edison Research, Tom Webster spends a lot of his time carefully examining the relationship between brands, their customers, and the media landscape. We discussed all of this during his recent visit to the On Brand podcast. About Tom Webster Tom Webster is Vice President, Strategy and Marketing of Edison Research with nearly 20 years of experience in media research, marketing strategy, and product development. An expert in qualitative and quantitative research techniques, Webster has directed hundreds of studies in nearly every major U.S. market and worldwide. He has conducted research for some of America’s most popular media programs, including nationally syndicated shows such as All Things Considered, The Takeaway, and The Bob and Tom Show. Webster also has experience in consumer research and new product development, and has worked with leading companies in the pharmaceuti

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed new data from Edison Research on social media usage among Americans age 12–24. Of particular interest is the fact that Facebook is still the dominant social network for this demographic in spite of characterizations to the contrary. 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 Don’t listen to what your friends say — Facebook is NOT dead. Want proof? Here’s an overview of social media use among Americans age 12–24 (Edison Research). As noted on the show, to dig deeper on this data, you can sign up for the free webinar for the 2015 Infinite Dial study. Sign up 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. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rat

“I don’t particularly love the term — branding.” This may come as a surprise when you consider the source. Jason Baer has an extensive background working with large organizations on large-scale brand transformations. He has a point, though. While branding isn’t any less important, we have to come up with a better definition. That’s what we set out to do on this episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jason Baer Jason’s passion for partnering with clients in pursuit of bolder, more ambitious definitions of success led him to SYPartners, where he joined in 2013. As a Principal, he combines his experience in strategy, communications, and creative direction to help great leaders and their organizations realize their true potential. He began his career in a variety of roles at the D. E. Shaw Group, an overachieving global investment and technology development firm. He then spent several years as a Director and two-time winner of the Best Work award at Interbrand, the world’s largest brand consultancy, and most rece

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed an upcoming episode of ABC’s Modern Family shot entirely on the Apple products (iPhone, iPad, etc). While this makes for some engaging TV, there’s also a content marketing lesson baked into this story as well. 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 on Modern Family’s episode that never leaves the screen of a MacBook Pro  (The Verge) Plus, does the Pinterest buy button mean no more affiliate links for marketers? (CNET) Have you downloaded our new 2015 Social Brand Trendbook yet? 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 review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, he

“Don’t think of digital as a channel — it’s the sum of all touchpoints.” It’s human nature to sort and categorize the world around us. All of these new marketing tools like Facebook and Twitter? They’re just part of “the digital channel.” Nope. They’re actually part of a larger, all-encompassing brand experience. I couldn’t wait to sit down and discuss this further with the author of Digital Branding and Mobile Marketing Daniel Rowles. About Daniel Rowles Daniel Rowles has been working in Digital Marketing for the past 16 years, with extensive experience working internationally both client side and within the agency environment. He is a Course Director for the CIM, a certified Google Squared trainer, and an associate professor at Imperial College and Cranfield School of Management. Daniel has helped organizations of all types use digital marketing effectively, working with a wide range of businesses, from startups to global clients like the BBC, Sony, Tesco, Vodafone, Mercedes, L’Oreal, and Warner Bros. He is

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the deal that Twitter inked with Google for full access to their “firehose” of tweets. We broke down what this means and also shared some light news about a Texas teen who lost her job due to an unfortunate tweet her boss saw. 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 Twitter Confirms Google Firehose Deal To Target Logged Out Users (TechCrunch) A great break down of who wins, who loses in the Twitter/Google deal (VentureBeat) And here’s that amazing story of young woman fired over Twitter before starting job (USA Today) 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 review the show – If you like what

“Pick one or two things instead of trying to do everything.” As a leading social media influencer, Silicon Valley CEO, and TED speaker, Bryan Kramer knows a thing or two about personal branding. Kramer also knows about some of the pitfalls that brands of all shapes and sizes can succumb to. You won’t want to miss this master class on personal branding from Purematter’s Bryan Kramer. About Bryan Kramer Bryan Kramer has extensive experience in brand marketing with a focus on integrated communications and strategic business planning. His focus, fun, and passion is as CEO at Purematter — one of the fastest growing private companies in Silicon Valley. As a social media strategist followed by over 200,000 combined social media followers, he’s an in-demand keynote speaker, recently giving a TED talk. Bryan is the author of the new best-selling book, Human to Human or #H2H. He also hosts the podcast, “From the Author’s Point of View,” as well as #Substance, PureMatter’s Luminary video series. He is a featured contrib

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the new Twitter group DM feature. We also added some more social media commentary about the recent Super Bowl — the game, the half-time show, the ads, and everything in between. 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 Twitter Group DM: A live test with William Shatner (Mashable) Here’s our commentary on this year’s Super Bowl Ads — Monday Morning Ad Quarterback: The Best Ads of Super Bowl XLIX And how social were brand’s in this year’s Super Bowl? Not very as Jeffrey K. Rohrs points out in this insightful post (Salesforce Marketing Cloud) 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 review the s

“Brands are being distracted by drones, 3D printing, and big data.” This keeps us from focusing on what we should be focusing on. Larger trends in consumer behavior pose even bigger shifts in how we build brands online and off. I couldn’t wait to sit down and chat with digital strategist, agency leader, and podcast extraordinaire Mitch Joel of Twist Image. About Mitch Joel Mitch Joel is President of Twist Image – one of the largest independent Digital Marketing agencies in North America. Marketing Magazine dubbed him the “Rock Star of Digital Marketing” and called him, “one of North America’s leading digital visionaries.” Mitch is a past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Marketing Association and a former Board Member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada. Mitch speaks frequently to diverse groups like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Unilever and has shared the stage with former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, Malcolm Gladwell, Ant

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the new Discover feature on Snapchat. We also offered some pregame commentary the upcoming Super Bowl, the ads, and what we’re watching for from brands online and off. 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. 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,

Each month as part of the On Brand podcast, we take a look back on the month that was. We’ll reflect on the brand builders we chatted with here on the podcast and also discuss the biggest stories and pop-culture funnery that made up our brand zeitgeist. To help with this, I’m joined by our special contributor Meghann Foster. Let’s take a look at January 2015! A Few Final Reminders A big thanks to a mentor of this podcast with a new resource that you should know more about. Jay Baer of Convince and Convert has done it again. In addition to being a digital marketing thought leader, speaker, and best-selling author he’s now created a new online resource indexing all of the great marketing podcasts out there — it’s called Marketing Podcasts and you can find it at MarketingPodcasts.com. If you like marketing and podcasts you need to check this out. 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 hear

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some of the lessons that brands small and large can glean from the President’s very social State of the Union address. We also reviewed new data on which forms of content are most effective at reaching B2B tech buyers. 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 Obama’s Social Media Team Tries to Widen Audience for State of the Union Address (New York Times) The Full Text of the President’s State of the Union Address (Medium) Content Types Valued Most by B2B Tech Buyers (MarketingProfs) Here’s the full report from Eccolo Media 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 review the show – If you

“When I first started, I shared a cubicle with Jerry.” Yes. That Jerry. Mike Hayes began his career at Ben & Jerry’s sharing space with the company’s legendary co-founder and he — like everyone on the team — has been living the brand ever since. On this week’s episode of On Brand, we had the opportunity to ask Mike what this means. About Mike Hayes As the Digital Marketing Manager at Ben and Jerry’s, Mike Hayes is responsible for developing and executing U.S. and European digital marketing programming and social media engagement strategies. He’s responsible for U.S. digital media planning and procurement and creates and manages global digital campaigns. Hayes also formulates and implements best practices and case studies for cascading globally. Like everyone at Ben & Jerry’s, he’s responsible for all things peace, love, and ice cream. A Few Final Reminders A big thanks to a mentor of this podcast with a new resource that you should know more about. Jay Baer of Convince and Convert has done it again. In additi

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – a recap of our show recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – I discuss some recent data from Pew Research Center as visualized by the smart folks at Statista. I also issue a stern warning on why you can’t simply slap the same two social media icons on all of your marketing and call it good. You have to choose your social networks wisely. 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. 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