Brand Land

The excitement of a new product or service, the tingle of uncertainty, the ambition that makes you throw caution to the wind — these are all parts of what make up the thrill of marketing a startup. But can you use those same things to drive the marketing within an existing company?  It was this idea that inspired Pablo Marvel — who was fresh from a startup — to take on the role of Chief Marketing Officer at legacy real estate company Brown Harris Stevens. This week Pablo shared how he used his startup mentality to shake up the marketing at the 150-year-old company, taking it from stuffy and dated to a modern classic.  What we discussed: - Why internal buy-in is essential to pivoting a marketing department, and how Pablo achieved that buy-in - What Pablo did with a limited budget to create more engaging content for a digital marketplace - Why it’s okay — and even essential — to try lots of different marketing tactics before settling on a strategy - The role that “radical optimism” plays in a startup mentality - Why Pablo believes that forward motion can be more important than aiming for a specific goal - The importance of bringing humanity and personality into your brand, especially in today’s world

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic pulled the rug out from pretty much every business in the world, and brands had to quickly learn to adjust. Some adjusted well, and others, sadly, were unable to ride the coronavirus wave.  We wanted to know what strategies might have made a difference between the brands that survived and those that did not, so we sat down with Megan Fink, the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Palmetto Goodwill in Charleston, SC. Palmetto Goodwill managed to ride the wave and come out on top, and Megan shared with us the things she felt most contributed to her company’s post-lockdown success.  What we discussed: - How Goodwill’s core brand story impacted the approach Megan and her team used to reopen stores - The sources Megan’s team used to gather necessary information for creating a reopening plan and cohesive reopening campaign - The importance of establishing high-level goals with specific, measurable objectives in times of uncertainty - The “paid, earned, social, owned” strategy that helped Megan’s team reach a wider variety of media outlets more effectively - Why Megan believes in the power of planning, even when the future is uncertain

As good as your product and messaging might be, the truth is that there will always be other brands competing with you to sell the same product (or similar products) to the same audience. So what can you do to stand out from the crowd? Liz Comer, Director of Marketing and Communications at Silvercreek Realty Group, knows what it’s like to operate in a saturated market. But despite facing a sea of competition, her company is ranked as one of the top 40 brokerages in the country, making her an ideal person to talk to about this challenge.  What we discussed: - The impact and importance of passion on building your brand’s reputation  - Why focusing on your customers’ needs is more effective than worrying about your competitors - How to create unique solutions by recognizing weaknesses in your company and your industry - Why it’s essential to get your marketing and sales teams on the same page - What you need to do to prepare for unexpected brand building opportunities

When someone from a technical discipline needs to collaborate with someone from a more creative discipline, it can be a challenge for both sides to communicate their needs and ideas in a way that moves the project forward. This week we sat down with Sadie Koehler, Associate Creative Director at Principal Financial Group, to discuss how to bridge the gap for more effective design consultations.  What we discussed: - How Sadie’s experience as a designer in a large corporation differs from her experience as a freelancer - The most common barriers that lead to discomfort between designers and their clients during consultations - How to use reflective listening and other communication techniques to make sure everyone is on the same page - The best approach to prioritize a client’s needs while still managing expectations on a project - Why it’s important to communicate the rationale behind the design process and leave space for criticism

Whether you’re working with digital products or physical items, packaging matters. In fact, your packaging may be the only interaction a customer has with your brand, so it’s important to make it count. But where do you start? This week we sat down with Michael Keplinger, Director of Strategy and Managing Partner at SmashBrand, to learn more about how his company helps clients optimize their packaging through a strategic, data-driven process. Michael’s unique background in engineering and consumer psychology helped him design a specialized approach to A/B testing that has helped drive sales for a variety of brands both on the shelves and online.  What we discussed: - Why A/B testing is essential, and why it’s worth the investment - The main objectives of packaging, and why it’s important to get it right - The key factors to measure when undertaking A/B testing - How A/B testing a physical product compares to A/B testing a digital one - The SmashBrand approach to A/B testing and why it’s effective - Real-life examples of A/B testing and its impact on brand sales

In past Brand Land episodes we’ve talked a lot about the importance of communication and consistency within a company, especially when it comes to marketing messaging. But what exactly should you be doing to ensure that the actions and speech of your frontline employees are aligning with corporate marketing goals?  Fortunately, we found an expert on that very topic. Christopher Wallace is the Co-founder and President of InnerView Group, a marketing consulting firm whose services help companies “effectively transfer their brand messages to their employees and partners on the front lines.” We sat down with Christopher to learn more about how he aligns customer experience with brand messaging. What we discussed: - The monetary and intangible value of providing a customer experience that is consistent with company messaging and culture - Why it’s important that front line workers not only know the message but believe in the message - How to create messaging that both aligns with the brand and resonates with frontline workers - Why marketers are in a unique position to make a difference in the behavior of frontline workers - How to get valuable feedback from frontline workers that can create a more effective corporate marketing strategy

Marketing is all about using the right tools to reach your ideal customer. But when your ideal customer is transient, unemployed and has no transportation — what tools do you use then? This week Garrett and David sat down with Colin Jeffries, fellow podcaster at Take5 and Director of Marketing & Communications at addiction recovery center BrightView. Colin talked about the unique challenge he faced in connecting to a vulnerable, hard-to-reach population, and we discussed how he came up with some outside-the-box solutions to meet that challenge.  What we covered: - Why marketing can’t — and shouldn’t — be confined to a single department within an organization - How BrightView used customer service to increase patient retention and recovery, differentiating itself in an industry notorious for bad customer service - The debunked myth that helped BrightView start focusing on a different audience than their competitors  - How Colin used patient feedback and focus groups to create a more effective message - Why geofencing played a significant role in communicating that message to BrightView’s target audience

Marketing and PR are like fraternal twins that often get mistaken for identical twins. Despite being similar in purpose, they’re markedly different in approach, but that doesn’t mean they can’t work together — in fact, they’re more powerful when they do. This week I sat down with Ashley Murphy (Brennan) to talk about her role in PR as Senior Vice President of Communications at Brown Harris Stevens and how she works with her company’s marketing department to communicate important messages about their brand. What we discussed: - What Ashley learned from her career in journalism that has helped shape her PR strategy - The biggest differences between PR and marketing, and how understanding these differences can help both departments work together better - Why it’s important for marketing and PR to have a functional relationship, and how to achieve it - Real-life examples of how Ashley has coordinated with the Brown Harris Stevens marketing department to promote important brand messages - The most important shifts in the world of PR that marketers should be aware of as they work with their PR teams

Marketing professionals know that storytelling is a powerful marketing tool, but how do you discover your brand’s most impactful stories, and how do you tell them?  Gabrielle Dolan is the founder of Jargon Free Fridays and the author of six books about storytelling in business. This week we sat down to talk about her most recent book, “Magnetic Stories,” which focuses on “how to connect customers and engage employees with brand storytelling.”   What we discussed: - Why Gabrielle founded Jargon Free Fridays and how it relates to her work teaching business executives about storytelling - The inspiration for “Magnetic Stories,” and why she feels that it covers a gap in the realm of business storytelling - How storytelling relates to brand, and why it’s an essential piece of good brand marketing - Real-life examples of highly impactful brand stories from both large and small companies - The 5 different types of stories that matter: how to create them, how to find them, and how to share them - Why it’s crucial to involve employees in creating, collecting and communicating stories

Every marketing professional dreams of being part of a company where everyone not only understands the purpose of marketing but also uses on-brand marketing tools appropriately and effectively with little to no assistance.  When Tali Thomason was faced with a bigger workload than her small marketing team could handle at the University of Denver’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, she realized that as the school’s Director of Marketing, Communications, and Events, she could empower faculty and staff — and even students — to join forces with her, essentially turning an entire school into an extension of her marketing department.    What we discussed: - The benefits of using a subtle, relationship-based approach to get non-marketing professionals into a marketing mindset - How to help employees understand the purpose of storytelling and identify the unique value in their brand - The importance of simplified, user-friendly brand tools to equip and empower employees for greater brand cohesion - How to avoid micromanagement and over-critiquing, and what to do when employees stray off-brand - Why it’s important for employees to have easy access to marketing resources — including you

Knowing your customer is standard marketing practice, but becoming obsessed with them can elevate your customer service to a whole new level. In this week’s episode of Brand Land, Pam Piligian, SVP of Marketing and Communications at Navy Federal Credit Union, shared real-life examples of how her company’s values-driven customer obsession strategy has helped grow NFCU into the largest credit union in the world.    What we discussed: - How NFCU’s customer-centric company culture drives its approach to marketing and customer service - Why viewing your customers as members can transform a business transaction into a human relationship - The effectiveness of using metrics and incentives to achieve internal buy-in and increased customer satisfaction  - Why your customer strategy should be focused, concise, and able to fit on a single page - The impact of the treatment and training of your customer service reps on customer experience

“Brand valuation” may seem like a vague, subjective concept, but as I learned after speaking with Ron Zwerin, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Brand at the National MS Society, it’s anything but.  In fact, a brand’s valuation is a specific dollar amount — a mathematically quantifiable and calculated figure — and it’s one every marketer should know when it comes to their brand.   What we discussed: - What brand valuation is and why it’s important - How brand valuation can help you create an effective marketing road map - What you need to do to get started on brand valuation - How to use 10 key brand factors to raise your brand valuation

Some companies ignore social responsibility and some dabble in it, but some — like Cotopaxi — fully embrace it, with a “people and planet over profit” mindset. This week I sat down with Annie Agle, Director of Brand and Impact at B Corp-certified Cotopaxi, and Carie Behe, GTM Marketing Manager at Cotopaxi. We talked about how their brand marketing works with their brand mission to create a company where, according to Annie, social responsibility “lives alive and well in every single role and is championed in the hearts and roles of every employee.”    What we discussed: - The aspects of Cotopaxi’s messaging and mission that drew both Annie and Carie to the company - How Cotopaxi uses its products and marketing to reduce poverty, promote sustainability and champion humane practices around the world - Why it’s important to educate consumers and use the power of marketing to inform and inspire, rather than to lure and brainwash - How to use your brand’s core values to steer your company toward an authentic approach to corporate social responsibility  - The importance of integrity and cohesion in both outward messaging and behind-the-scenes decision making

Rebranding an iconic organization was a challenge in and of itself, but facing a global pandemic during the relaunch was something Liz Brown, Senior Vice President and CMO at Little League International, never expected when she started on the project back in 2019. In this second part of a two-part series with Liz, she discusses the groundwork laid by her team that allowed them to successfully navigate the launch of the new Little League brand, even as a pandemic altered their plans, and what she learned along the way.   What we discussed: - The importance of thinking of a relaunch as more of a brand evolution over time, rather than a single event with a set finish line - How having a “copy playbook” allowed Liz’s team to share messaging that was both relevant to current events and in line with the new brand identity - The tools Liz used to encourage open communication between the branding team and the organization’s volunteers during the launch - How the marketing team handled instances of brand divergence by offering coaching and correction rather than confrontation or criticism - What Liz says she wished she’d known at the start of the discovery process, and what she recommends to others just starting a rebranding project

It takes creativity, innovation and a decent dose of nerve to tackle a rebrand of one of America’s most iconic sports organizations, especially when the majority of the organization is run by volunteers. But Liz Brown, Senior Vice President and CMO at Little League International, did just that.  In this first part of a two-part series with Liz, she discusses her strategic approach to the Little League rebrand and shares the specific, actionable steps she used to set the stage for this daunting endeavor (whose effects would be felt in 80 countries across the globe).    What we discussed: - How a general sense of unease nudged Liz and her colleagues to view Little League in a new light and embark on a brand identity project  - What Liz and her team did to manage concerns from those worried that the organization would lose aspects of its heritage in the rebranding process - The benefits of partnering with an outside agency to distill brand messaging and ensure that it resonated with Little League’s target audience - How Liz used strategic discussion sessions to include individuals from all levels of the organization in the discovery phase and as the rebranding progressed - Why it’s important to recognize that branding is about more than just a logo, and why storytelling should be at the heart of any rebranding

As my guest this week said, “We know as marketers that a strong, consistent brand is important to success. It builds customers’ trust.” But it can be tricky to maintain consistency when your company has multiple locations or franchises across a wide geographical area. This week I sat down with Christy Barnes, VP of Marketing at Camp Bow Wow, to discuss how she manages brand consistency across nearly 200 franchised locations — and how she uses marketing to not only build the Camp Bow Wow brand but also support its franchise owners.    What we discussed: - How Camp Bow Wow adjusted messaging to better address the needs of its customers during the pandemic - The importance of understanding marketing from a franchisee’s point of view, and building trust among franchise owners - How Christy uses her creative team and high-caliber marketing materials to encourage and promote brand consistency - Why collaborating with franchise owners and employees is pivotal to creating meaningful marketing strategies - How to coordinate both national and local marketing campaigns to get the most bang for your buck

As a marketing professional, your job is to get buy-in from customers – but have you ever considered how vital it is to use your marketing skills to get buy-in from the people you work with every day?  This week I sat down with Chris Panebianco, CMO at Bankers Healthcare Group, to learn more about how he helped to grow a company of 50 employees with 500-1,000 leads a month into a company of 850 employees with 25,000-30,000 leads a month using intentional internal marketing combined with a data-driven strategy. What we discussed: Why it’s essential to step outside your marketing bubble and get feedback from every sector in the company ecosystem  How getting buy-in from coworkers and company leadership can improve your ability to successfully market your brand to your customers How getting data professionals involved in marketing allowed Chris and his team to use KPIs to track and measure campaign success The importance of having the ability to adapt and pivot when the data doesn’t support your strategy Why failure is a good thing, and how you can leverage it to achieve your goals faster

In a business where personal touch is everything, what do you do when a global pandemic has made personal touch nearly nonexistent? Devin Harvey, Director of Marketing Projects at Pegasus Residential, shared with me how his 100% woman-owned apartment management company used preparation and innovation to successfully pivot their high-touch sales strategies from the physical space to the virtual realm during Covid-19. What we discussed: - How implementation of better in-house communication tools prepared Devin’s team to go all-virtual from the start - The importance of constant innovation and early adoption – because you never know when the “next big thing” could be vital to your success - How high-quality media and online consistency can provide great ROI, especially in a no-touch pandemic economy - Why it’s important to think outside the box of your industry for fresh new marketing ideas

It isn’t easy making your brand stand out in what John Oxford calls the “Age of Distraction,” but as he shared with me in this episode, there are specific things you can do to make your brand more memorable. John has (literally) written the book on the subject, “No More Next Time: Marketing in the Age of Distraction,” and puts his marketing principles into practice in his work as SVP of Marketing at Renasant Bank. What we discussed: - The mistake you’re probably making that’s causing your brand to get lost in the noise of your industry - Why you should replace the 4 P’s of marketing with the 4 C’s: content, connection, conversion and campaign - The importance of clients and context when it comes to creating content for successful campaigns - How John used the 4 C’s to plan and execute a successful digital campaign during the pandemic - Why consistency and repetition can make up for less-than-creative content if you use them effectively

All marketers know that consistency in branding is key, but it can be challenging to maintain consistency in a company when you’re dealing with several offices and sales reps across multiple markets. I sat down with Chelsey Puckett, Marketing Manager at Texas Title, to discuss her strategic approach to implementing brand consistency across her company’s nine different offices throughout the state of Texas.    What we discussed: - Why it’s important to nail down your desired customer experience before attempting brand consistency - The direct correlation between good customer service and brand success - How seeking feedback from all levels and markets can improve brand buy-in from sales reps, managers and other office staff - The importance of taking baby steps and starting small when implementing new brand features across markets

One question I often ask Brand Land guests is, “What is one thing our audience can take action on today to help them achieve success?”  For this podcast episode, I decided to fly solo and answer my own question by sharing three frameworks from industry leaders that have helped me take actionable steps to improve the positioning of the Lucidpress brand in the marketplace.  What I discussed: - Why positioning and branding are different, why they’re the same, and how they influence each other - How Andy Cunningham’s three types of company DNA helped me better understand positioning based on company focus - How Patrick Lencioni’s four-step framework helped me create a more cohesive internal leadership team and clearer messaging - How Andy Raskin’s strategic narrative framework helped me better understand and communicate the Lucidpress brand story

Between TikTok, Reddit, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, email, and many more, it’s clear that there’s no shortage of media channels available for marketing – but it’s not realistic to use them all. So how do you decide which are the best vehicles to deliver your brand messaging to your target audience? I sat down with Elsa Abramov, National Industry Marketing Manager at Nearmap, to learn how she keeps up with the many media marketing options out there, and how she strategically leverages specific channels to promote her brand.  What we discussed: How to use specific marketing goals to define your multi-channel marketing strategy How to stay current and educate yourself about different media channels Why your audience should drive your decisions about which channels to leverage How to use internal alignment to customize your marketing strategy Why flexibility and agility play a big role in successful multi-channel marketing

Technical SEO can be something of a monster under the bed for marketers, but it plays a significant role in how easy it is for customers to find you and how much trust they’ll place in your brand.  We don’t often interview CEOs for the Brand Land podcast, but Geoff Atkinson’s background in marketing and his current position as the CEO of SEO software company Huckabuy made him the perfect candidate for our discussion on technical SEO and why marketers should be paying closer attention to it.   What we discussed: What technical SEO is and how Google uses it to rank websites How search rankings can affect users’ perception of your brand How to strike a balance between good technical SEO and a good user experience The correlation between technical SEO and conversion rates Tips for making your site more Google-bot friendly How to prepare for the 2021 change in the Google algorithm   Check out these links to learn more: 2021 Google Update Page Speed Software Technical SEO Knowledge Base

When Mike Barzacchini, Director of Marketing Services at Harper College, moved to a Chicago suburb, he started noticing how small, locally-owned businesses were doing branding better than many larger corporations — and he knew there was marketing wisdom to be gained from their successes.  Mike sat down with me to talk about the lessons he’s learned from small-business entrepreneurs (including several in his own family) and to discuss how big businesses can apply these lessons in practical and meaningful ways to strengthen their brand stories. What we discussed: Why marketing professionals should be paying attention to small-business branding What big brands can learn from the focus and discipline of small businesses How limited resources and agility play major roles in small-business branding success How small businesses use strategic listening and consistent storytelling to build brand trust  How high-value experiences and invitations to act help small businesses better connect with customers

Not all brands can be as exciting as electronics, food or apparel. Some are … well, “multi-family real estate” – aka, apartment buildings. But just because your industry isn’t interesting on first glance, it doesn’t mean your brand can’t be.  Justin Choi is the Director of Marketing at Sequoia, one of the largest property management companies on the West Coast. Sequoia’s motto is “Elevate the everyday,” and its branding definitely follows its own advice by creating a memorable, human brand with a consistent, community-centered story.  Boasting more than 1,100 organic, unsolicited online reviews of the company with an average 4.5/5-star rating, it’s clear Sequoia is making apartments exciting again. I sat down with Justin to find out more about what it takes to take a brand from commonplace to compelling. What we discussed: The factors that motivated Sequoia to separate themselves from the pack The practical steps Justin took to rebrand Sequoia in a way that would appeal to everyone, not just the target demographic How Sequoia guides its storytelling across all levels for brand consistency How Justin has repositioned community-centered marketing events to adapt to Covid-19 restrictions The metrics he and his team use to measure marketing impact

The most successful brands all have one important thing in common: they feel human. But is it possible to build a human-centered brand in the traditionally less-than-human B2B space? I sat down with Degreed’s VP of Brand, David Johnson, and VP of Product Marketing, Todd Tauber, to learn more about how Degreed is taking a fresh, human approach in marketing their B2B HR product using a combination of deep-dive research, customer education and distinct brand identity.   What we discussed: Why B2B companies are shifting from a standardized approach to building more human-centered products  What B2B brands can learn about human-centered marketing from B2C brands How B2B brands can make their products stand out in a marketplace flooded with similar products How to create a brand that looks, thinks, sounds and feels authentic, human and unique The importance of defining exactly what your brand is and what it stands for The value of top-down leadership in brand personality creation and messaging consistency

Knowing why brand building succeeds is great, but sometimes knowing why it fails is even better.  When Apixio Chief Marketing Officer Mark Scott proposed the topic “Why brand building often fails” for our discussion, I was intrigued. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communication, Mark has had a front-row seat to some spectacular fails – some of them his own – and has analyzed what went wrong and how it could have been prevented.  What we discussed: The rookie marketing mistake of focusing on form over function – the icing before the cake How focusing on customer experience and consistency can give your brand a solid foundation to build on The two brand building mistakes Mark made that taught him some important lessons about internal marketing and financial implications of rebranding His four main reasons why startups fail at brand building, including a lack of focus and biased hiring decisions Six ways to build a more effective brand strategy, including having a clear vision and the ability to measure your progress

There’s no playbook for snagging a sports sponsorship, but it helps to get some advice from someone who’s been in the game for awhile.  In this episode, Tom Shaw, Chief Marketing Officer at LoanStream Mortgage and Managing Director at ElevenX Marketing, shares his best practical tips for rookies interested in getting into the sports sponsorship game. Tom addresses everything from getting your foot in the door to negotiating the final deal.  What we talked about: The different kinds of sports sponsorships and their limitations Where to start if you’ve never negotiated a sports sponsorship before How to select a sponsorship situation that aligns with your brand story and marketing goals What to expect and what to aim for in contract negotiation

Whether it’s in-person or virtual, when it comes to event planning, you have to know your audience.  In today’s Brand Land podcast, we talked to the Director of Marketing at Sierra Nevada University, Daniel Kelly, about how he tackled planning a virtual commencement for the school’s Class of 2020.  During our discussion, Daniel shared how listening to concerns from students, parents and faculty at the university forced him to think outside the box and discard ready-made solutions. As a result of his attention to feedback, the college enjoyed a one-of-a-kind, wildly successful virtual commencement that surpassed everyone’s expectations.   What we talked about: How Daniel prioritized brand consistency and trust by forgoing pre-made virtual event solutions and creating a truly unique experience for his audience How student and faculty feedback factored into his process for creating the ideal virtual event  The key ingredients for creating a quality, community-centered experience that resonates with your audience How this experience is likely to influence and inspire future virtual events at SNU

Building a brand is about building trust. But how exactly do you go about doing that, especially when you’re introducing your customers to something new? In today’s podcast, Senior Product Marketing Manager Marin Rowe and I discussed how she used customer feedback and consistent storytelling to coordinate the vital steps leading up to the successful launch of Lucid’s latest product, Lucidspark.  What we talked about: How customer feedback influenced Lucidspark’s inception How Marin utilized story to create a cohesive end-to-end customer experience Why it’s important to get every team member – from UX to IT – involved in the storytelling  How customer feedback and testing can guarantee a successful product launch   You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

In professional sports, everything culminates on game day.  But in 2020, game day isn't happening like it used to. How are creative teams producing assets that keep fans excited and engaged when they can't be at the game in person? Sarah Eikmeier, digital designer at Las Vegas Raiders, joined the Brand Land podcast to talk about how COVID-19 affected creatives for her team. What Sarah and I discussed: How the shift to WFH is affecting creative collaboration The ways COVID has changed creative production in preparation for this season Producing an engaging asset that keep fans engaged on game day, even when they can't be at the game How this season is going to play out for the Raiders You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Three guys fresh out of college set out to disrupt the $40-billion-a-year self-storage industry. So they created Neighbor, a peer-to-peer economy marketplace that matches people who need to store things with unused space listed by a neighbor host. Tony Mickelsen, growth marketing lead at Neighbor, joined the Brand Land podcast to talk about brand building. An analytical guy who trained in statistics, Tony brought his left-brain way of life to a career in branding. What Tony and I discussed: How a left-brained, analytical marketer feels about typical “brand building” marketing activities What magical brand-building moments look like Measuring the success of these magical brand moments How a left-brain digital advertiser leverages magical brand moments   You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Escape rooms have gotten crowded in the last six years.  Employers want team-building activities, and families want fun things to do in their free time.  The enthusiasm has created a lot of brand confusion for escape room companies.  Teddy Cheek, senior director of marketing & brand at The Escape Game HQ, joined the Brand Land podcast to talk about competing in a crowded category. What Teddy and I discussed: The pros and cons of being in a crowded category How to know when you're successful When to compete head to head and when to go another direction What drives decisions regarding marketing and branding You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

When I started this podcast, I invited the best and brightest minds in marketing to join me for conversation. One of those was Rachael Ferranti, director of marketing at Selling Simplified.  Her response to my request for an interview was: Me? Best and brightest? What do I have to say? I got into marketing by the backdoor.  Her response led to our topic today. Rachael and I discussed imposter syndrome in marketing. What I talked about with Rachael: A snapshot of Rachael's career from job seeking in Denver to her role today  Why Rachael wanted to talk about imposter syndrome The real reason brands can't be vulnerable Advice for overcoming imposter syndrome You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

When a salesperson hears that line, it's a problem. And it's a marketer's job to fix that problem. Piece of cake? Hardly! On this episode of Brand Land, we invited Joe Staples, a go-to-market advisor for b2b companies with an amazing background as a CMO and SVP of marketing. Joe talked about how and why you need to conduct a brand audit.  What we discussed with Joe: What a “brand audit” typically consists of and what it accomplishes How often we should do brand audits and where to start Nontraditional approaches to conducting a brand audit Doing a brand audit on a limited budget You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.  

Yesterday, while you did your thing, 4.4 million new blog posts got published, the U.S. Postal Service delivered 207 million direct mail pieces, users uploaded 350 million new photos to Facebook, and viewers watched more than 1 billion hours of YouTube videos. Those stats are crazy. How can your content stand out amid that kind of noise? I did something different on this episode of Brand Land. Instead of inviting a guest, I just sat down at the mic and started talking one-on-one with you about how to create effective content that gets real results. What I talked about: Things buyers believe about vendor content What you can learn about content marketing from NBA great Steph Curry Why people are deleting your emails and ignoring your content My 3 tips to help you create more effective content   You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Where do you start to build a brand? Especially when change seems like the only constant. Markets change. Customers change. Products change.  How do you constantly build and evolve your brand while maintaining consistency? Rachel Hofstetter, chief marketing officer at Chatbooks, the world’s first subscription-based photo book service, joined this episode of Brand Land to talk about maintaining brand consistency while actively working to scale the brand. What we discussed with Rachel: Start with Why: the underlying mission Product Pillars and Brand Pillars, how to align everything around them and connect. "Your Brand is What People Say About You" and how that evolves over time You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

"Marketing is akin to snake oil."  Ever heard someone say that? A colleague? Friend? Family member? Those of us who work in marketing get annoyed when people call our industry's ethics into question.  But do we really understand what we do? What is marketing? How should people think about it? And how can we market our products and services ethically? Elaine Ezekiel, director of marketing at Atomic Object, a custom software design and development consultancy company, joined this episode of Brand Land to talk about why so many organizations misunderstand marketing and how to fix it. What we discussed with Elaine: Why is marketing misunderstood? How do we change marketing’s marketing problem? What's the problem with marketing guidance from thought leaders, authors, marketing tool companies, and conference speakers? What are the key similarities and differences between B2B and B2C marketing? You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.  

Everything is about your website. You gotta rank well, draw a crowd, and shake them down through the funnel right there on your website. Or do you? Contemporary branding experts are saying online discoverability doesn't work that way anymore. They believe a website-focused approach is legacy thinking. In 2020, you have to get a lot more creative about how you position your brand online. Garrett Mehrguth, international speaker and CEO at Directive, a company that provides performance marketing for SaaS, joined this episode of Brand Land where he shared how to make your brand discoverable on search engines.  What we discussed with Garrett: Why the traditional marketing funnel is broken Why focusing on “brand awareness” marketing tactics is not a waste of time and money How to measure success in brand awareness and discoverability How to become “discoverable” in search as a brand You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Is your marketing a mess or a success? Hopefully, it's a success, but if there's a little mess going on, too, this episode can help you out! We talk with an expert on messy marketing.  When you hear the phrase "messy marketing," what does that really mean? What are the challenges that marketers face today that might cause marketing to get a little messy? Scott Miller, Executive Vice President, Thought Leadership at Franklin Covey, joined this episode of Brand Land where he shared three tips to go from marketing mess to branding success. What we discussed: Smallest Viable Market  More Is Not Better, Better is Better Hire People Smarter Than You Resource mentioned on the show: From Mess to Success: Scott Miller | FranklinCovey You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Olivia Newton-John suggested we all get physical in her hit song back in 1981. In recent years, though, marketing gurus have turned "Let's get digital" into their theme song. Could both be right? Could the secret sauce of an unforgettable buying experience combine physical and digital marketing? Some strategists think so. Tactile Marketing Automation is a strategy that involves using your data on your consumers' digital behavior to inform what that customer receives in a tactile format. Samantha Patterson, Marketing Director at PFL, the leader in Tactile Marketing Automation®, joined this episode of Brand Land to talk about how TMA can fit into your marketing stack and support your brand. What we discussed: The ingredients and recipe for creating unforgettable experiences Examples of B2B and B2C multi-channel experiences that convert Where TMA fits into your marketing stack and how it works Why TMA is different from direct mail You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

For decades, sales and marketing notoriously butted heads. Then, something started happening in the world. The two groups began to discover that working together amped up results. All of a sudden, ABM came along and later COVID erupted. That led to the whole remote work challenge, which makes it more important than ever for sales and marketing to work together to benefit their customers and their company. Megan Bell, Director of Marketing at Falvey Insurance Group, a company that insures marine cargo, joined this episode of Brand Land to talk how to align sales and marketing. What we discussed: Why marketing needs to collaborate with sales How to leverage ABM for more effective sales and marketing Ways to elevate the sales pitch Why marketing needs to get in the Zoom room with sales more often. You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

A small rider once sat atop a huge elephant. The rider felt sure he could make that elephant go wherever he wanted. But the elephant mostly ignored the rider and went whatever direction it pleased.  The moral? The elephant represents our emotions, and the rider symbolizes our logic. As much as we might wish our logic dictated our emotional direction, it rarely does. Even in B2B sales, we make buying decisions based on emotions over logic. Jennifer Black-Janke, VP Marketing at Chargeback, a SaaS solution for internal dispute management, joined this episode of Brand Land to talk about 5 ways to be more human in B2B Marketing. What we discussed: Use normal human words. Stop “we, we, we-ing all over yourself.”  Talk to your customers MORE. Create good content when the timing is right for your customers, not you. Start one piece/project at a time. You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

"We just hired this company, and you won't believe what dumb thing they did." Everybody's told a story that starts with that line, right?  And while you want people to tell stories about your company, you don't want them telling that story about you. So when it comes to marketing, how do you shape your message to match your mission so you set and meet your customer's expectations? Robert Thomas, Director of Marketing at Feazel, a roofing repair and remodeling company, joined this episode of Brand Land to talk about how to infuse your company's mission into your marketing content. What we discussed: The role a company mission can play in shaping its marketing initiatives How Feazel used drones and AI technology to help fulfill their mission How to get all employees to understand and live up to the mission so the marketing feels authentic You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

No matter how busy you are... No matter how booked out your calendar is with internal meetings...  You must do this one key thing to build a strong brand — spend time with those colleagues who spend time with your customers. Heather Hurst, Director Brand Marketing at Basic Research, joined this episode of Brand Land to talk about how to keep the customer at the center of content marketing. We asked her: What are some easy steps to figure out who our audience is? How do you prioritize among multiple customer personas? And how can you leverage collective knowledge to know your audience better? What we talked about: Defining your customer base or audience Rallying your team around the anchor of customer-centricity Ensuring that your marketing content is serving your ultimate audience or customer You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

300 million views.  What marketer wouldn't give an arm to get that many eyeballs on their content?  Caleb Hepler, Creative Director at Lucid, got exactly those results with the Doggo video series. On this episode of Brand Land, we invited Caleb to share his secrets for viral video marketing with the rest of us. We asked him: How do you make a viral video? How do you get that much attention on something? And how do you engage with viewers in a meaningful way?  What we talked about: How the Doggo campaign came about Why the videos have worked so well The power of video sequencing How to have success with the viral gods You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.  

When you rescue children from sex slavery, it's easy to tell sensational stories, even over-sensational stories. It's tempting to create heroes. Victims. Monsters. To take your donors to the darkest places of the world. But is that ethical storytelling? Aaron Brown, International Media and Marketing Director at Destiny Rescue, joined the podcast to discuss what it means to tell consistent, ethical, and hope-filled stories in a non-profit setting. What we talked about: How to gain donors' trust through consistent storytelling The challenges to branding and marketing across 11 different countries Constructing messages of hope in dark places Why you need to understand where your own impressions of yourself don't align with other people's views of your organization You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

When did you know it was time to shift gears with your marketing?    A week after COVID hit?    Two weeks?    At some point, we all realized this thing wasn't going anywhere and that our normal marketing messages would sound like a lot of white noise.    Time to batten down the hatches, hold every dollar accountable, and shift strategy.   To talk about that, we brought Luke Schoenbeck, marketing director at Mark VII Equipment, on the podcast to discuss marketing strategies to grow your brands and drive your business.   What we talked with Luke about: - How Luke rethought his company's branding strategy when COVID hit   - Redirecting resources away from business-as-usual activities to save money and improve results   - How Luke replaced in-person events with virtual conventions   - The one most-overlooked key factor to think about buttoning up when putting on a virtual convention   - 5 recommended free or freemium tools for virtual conventions You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Marketing ruins everything.   Or so the saying goes.   It really comes down to a matter of trust.   Social media platforms are coming up on 10-15, almost 20 years of giving people and companies a way to be known.   And in that time, most people have learned that corporate social media marketing can be less than trustworthy.    Garrett Jestice, Head of Marketing at Lucidpress, hosts this special solo episode on why supporting your employees to build their personal brands on social media is shaking up corporate marketing as we know it.   What he talked about:   - Why corporate brands should be synonymous with personal brands   - How to create a personal brand   - Leveraging social media to build trust   You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Remember that blue-and-black dress the internet went crazy for in 2015? (   Or was it a gold-and-white dress? We never decided.)   The man who launched the technology that created that legendary piece of interactive content — 50,000 people a second hit on it — joined the Brand Land podcast for this episode.   Owen Fuller, General Manager at LucidPress, discussed how to uncover what your brand is—and how to communicate it.    At LucidPress, Owen makes it quick and easy for anyone to create on-brand content materials.    That's great and all. But what does "brand" really mean? How does it work? And what does the future of branding look like?   What we talked about: - What a brand actually is   - How to apply your brand as you communicate in an in-person setting   - How to think about what you convey to your market at each touchpoint   - What's new and noteworthy in marketing You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

86% of buyers will pay more if you give them a great customer experience.    That's why customer experience has become "the new product," and it's the thing most people are excited about on the marketing side.   So what is the DNA of a really good customer experience?   On this episode of Brand Land, Joe Martin, the GM and VP of marketing for CloudApp, discussed creating loyalty through customer experience.   What we talked about:   - How a brand can stand out by creating an experience   - The DNA of a good customer experience   - How visuals and video can enhance a customer experience   You can find this interview, and many more like it, by subscribing to the Brand Land podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.