Brandbeats Podcast by BASIC

Our team celebrated Juneteenth and discussed the legacy of this momentous occasion. What’s the historical significance? Why should it be a national holiday? Press play to hear our answers to these questions as well as our stories and perspectives.

We continue our discussion from the last episode with a few new faces. This time, we dive deeper into colorism as well as anti-Blackness in our respective communities. Hear us chat about the minority experience in America, and challenge yourself to confront your own biases. Press play and join us for another enlightening conversation.

The loss of George Floyd and so many innocent Black lives at the hands of police around the country has reached a breaking point. The world is collectively outraged at these injustices, and in this episode of Brandbeats, we talk about revolution, healing, solidarity, and the Black experience in America. Join us for this ongoing discussion.

The outbreak has, out of necessity, forced consumers into a specific niche and made survivalist subculture the new norm. Facemask sales are through the roof and, even bigger than fashion, the outbreak has given rise to new habits and lifestyles. Could the values of post-apocalyptic and dystopian literature and entertainment make their way into the larger cultural consciousness? Hit play and let’s discuss.

The world has changed drastically within the past month. What are some shifts that have occurred culturally, socially, and within our industry? Tune in and find out with our first live episode of Brandbeats.

The digital conversation has become increasingly heated within the past few years. How did this come about? What are the implications of "cancel" culture? Is there room for nuance and gray area? What does democratization do for future dialogue? Join the discussion as we talk about Internet infighting with Webby Awards executive producer Steve Marchese.

What is appropriation, and what are its cultural implications? Who’s behind the Lil Miquela character? How do people decide who gets a “pass” for appropriative or even borderline problematic behavior? We unravel these mysteries in the new episode of Brandbeats.

After learning from our in-house analyst Russell Pinke, this episode of Brandbeats takes a deep dive into the data. How can insight and imagination coexist? When does a best practice outlast its shelf life? Could metric dependence bring about the decline of our industry? We explore these questions with Russell in S3E13 of Brandbeats.

When it comes to ComplexCon, we cover a lot of ground in this latest episode. What impact do collabs have on business? Why are brands becoming more tangible and nostalgic? Which brands capitalize on storytelling, and which capitalize on hype? Find out in this episode of Brandbeats.

Beliefs. Values. Morals. These things guide the biggest religions and also the biggest brands. We break down the parallels between spirituality and business in this latest episode of Brandbeats.

From Sandy Hook Promise to Bstroy, it seems like brands all across the country are protesting gun violence yet have been met with opposition. Are these campaigns effective? Do they send the right message? We explore these questions in the latest episode of Brandbeats.

A lot has happened recently, and we're here to talk about it. All of it. Quite possibly our longest episode to date, we ask each other questions like: what's the difference between an industry plant and a real artist? Why is augmented reality so terrifying? Is Lil Miquela more human than actual humans? And so, so much more. Tune in and satisfy your listening pleasure.

In today’s mass-produced, open-source market, how can we tell which products are real and which are fake? What impact do counterfeits have on brands? Let’s get to the bottom of this ongoing phenomenon.

What happens when brands abandon their lanes? Will this deviation from specialties have a lasting effect on our business? Is this shift sustainable? Join us on Brandbeats as we take a deep dive into these questions.

Who are the big players in our industry? How have they impacted our craft? What lessons can be learned from them? We explore these questions and more in this special Webby edition of Brandbeats. Cast your Webbys votes through our blog at https://basicagency.com/blog/webbyaoty2019.

Is hype harmful or beneficial to brand success? How does it translate across industries outside of streetwear? What’s the difference between a one-hit wonder and sustained greatness? Get some answers by hitting that play button.

Are awards accurate barometers for success and effectiveness or expensive paperweights? What does being an award-winning agency mean in today’s industry? Let’s find out.

Is it better to work in a group or in solitude? How can collaboration inspire creativity? What should you do to maximize your productivity as a remote employee? Press play and let’s explore.

Brandbeats | S3E2 | The Influence of Space by BASIC®

Why have younger generations embraced analog technology over digital? Is nostalgia a passing fad or a sustainable tactic? What influence has simplicity had on brand trust? We explore these questions and more in this episode.

When is the impossible possible? Who has influence in design and how is it yielded? Have teams replaced titles? How has transparency shifted to make better work? What small choices make a big impact?

How do brands support their community? When is it important for Brands to take a stand based on their values? What role does culture play in driving the conversation? What should they avoid? How has this played out historically? Who is doing a great job of this today?

How do brands support collaboration and community? Whose voices rise to the top? When and where do individual creators, small brands, and large brands have a level playing field? What tools have opened the way to democratization? In this episode we discuss the benefits to brands and agencies of an open-source culture.

Brandbeats | S2E6 | Hyperlocality by BASIC®

As designers, strategists, and creatives, how do we use data and how does it affect us? What should we rely on in order to come to a sound solution? Is our intuition enough to disregard data? Or do the numbers always add up? Throughout this episode we make an effort to understand the role that data and intuition play within the creative process.

In this discussion, we weigh-in on the future of tech. We share stories around how technology may be affecting us before diving deeper into technologies affect on society as a whole. Those futuristic cliches of self driving cars are becoming our reality, but what baggage will the future carry? Have we become too reliant on technology? Are companies designing for the individual, the collective, or themselves?

In the latest episode of Brandbeats, we explore the new cultural landscape that brands are functioning in. A landscape where, social influence has paved a political path where freedom of speech and fake news fuel highly divisive political topics. In an overly politicized world both brands and consumers have started taking sides. Our team shares their thoughts on recent campaigns and activations while providing their opinions on how brands can and should, navigate the diverse landscape.

In our first episode of the year, we got a chance to sit down with local creative entrepreneur, Jamuelle Zumel to discuss the importance of cultural diversity in the workplace. Jam is Co-founder of SIFTR, a creative collective that focuses on coffee, community & culture. SIFTR is a platform for entrepreneurship and a vehicle of inclusion for marginalized peoples. Their focus is on selling high quality, ethically sourced fair trade coffee to reinvest in and empower local communities. SIFTR is set to launch later this year. Be sure to listen to his podcast, Coffee Talks and follow him on IG for a closer look at his latest projects.

In this episode, we reflect on the trials and tribulations of season one and provide a closer look at what’s in store for season two. The new season is focused on bringing our audience closer to our team by providing more focused conversations, driving insights around pressing issues and topics within our culture, and utilizing stories from our close network of creatives within our community. Stay tuned for more episodes from Season 2 launching each month.

In a time where change is the only constant, companies have taken cue to the increased importance of fostering a purpose-driven team culture.

Every new project brings a refreshing set of challenges for freelancers, creative teams, and clients to come together and share their ideas.

As creatives, we’re constantly looking for new ways to elevate the quality of our work. One of the easiest ways to improve a project is to learn how to take outside feedback.

In this episode, we take a dive into the gray area of job titles and address the recent issue of job title hijacking. We look at the specific roles of a designer, and discuss the standards of becoming a designer in the industry.

Looking beyond the digital horizon, our sights are set on the progression of augmented & virtual reality technology. We take a look at the future of digital and weigh the pros and cons of a new world of artificial intelligence.

During our discussion, we talk about the importance of building a network both online and offline with the purpose of gaining honest feedback on your work.

Are students actually getting the education they need to be successful in the industry? Or is the gap between a textbook education system and the progression of culture getting worse?

As designers and strategists, what should we rely on the most in order to come to a sound solution? Is our intuition enough to disregard the data? Or do the numbers always add up?

Our team explores how brands like Nike and adidas gain the reigns of youth culture and inspire a new generational mindset.

During our discussion, we explain the importance of looking for inspiration beyond your field, as well as how to identify it beyond an aesthetic level.

In the first episode of Brandbeats, we attempt to understand what causes groupthink mentality by exploring the pros and cons of blending in vs. sticking out.