Brands In Action

What happens when the host becomes the guest? Today, David Baldwin sits on the other side of the microphone to talk with Mitch Bennett, the ECD who took over creative duties for David, and Ashley Yetman, Co-CEO and head of strategy at Baldwin&, who recently bought the agency. Join us for a fun discussion about what it was like building three purpose-based brands, the power of creativity, and what retirement might look like for someone who can't stop creating things.00:18 - David Intro03:12 - David's Story/Podcast Purpose09:20 - Balancing starting an agency with purpose12:03 - David's Core Beliefs14:31 - HB2 and Ponysaurus20:31 - Creativity going forward23:17 - Determining how to choose which idea comes next26:54 - Stepping away and being held accountable31:34 - How did you pull off the transitionhttps://www.baldwinand.com/https://www.ponysaurusbrewing.com/https://takeyourseat.co/

Mariah Eckhardt runs one of the coolest natural brands going, and one of the OG purpose brands at that. On today's episode, we talk with Mariah about how running everything at Burt's Bees – from PR and promotions to marketing and everything in between – has led her to know and live this brand, inside and out. She also talks about how their purpose drives everything they do, not just the communications.00:18 - Mariah Intro02:10 - Mariah's background07:37 - Burt's Bees Mission09:48 - How does Burt's Bees fit into the natural marketr14:34 - Customer trust driving other products16:29 - Who are Burt and Roxanne22:34 - How does Burt live on now in the brand24:28 - Other Iconography26:10 - Conscious Beauty31:31 - Where can the brand go that it hasn't and vice versa37:28 - How did Burt's Bees influence Clorox39:50 - Influencers and Social Media

Bojangles is an iconic Southern brand with a storied past and some pretty famous fried chicken around these here parts. Today, Bojangles Restaurants CMO Jackie Woodward talks about what it's like to market a brand that is entrenched in the South and to take it to greater heights than ever before. Give it a listen. 00:18 - Jackie Intro01:21 - How Jackie got to Bojangles04:20 - What is Bojangles09:22 - Bojangles "Southern” branding14:03 - Tailgating16:32 - Telling the Bojangles brand story19:05 - Tone of Voice19:52 - Hard Sweet Tea22:35 - Testing/Research24:03 - Championing Women Executives26:35 - Where to find Bojangles

Can you think of a brand with better unaided awareness than Butterball? Today, Christa Leupen talks about how the company uses their purpose to drive the entire organization. Join us for a lively discussion on what makes the brand tick and how they use their purpose to drive the use of turkey every day – not just on Thanksgiving.00:18 - Christa Intro01:22 - Director of Purpose and Consumer Communication Role02:34 - Path to this role04:49 - Work/Life Balance06:11 - Purpose defined by Butterball12:42 - Iconography13:22 - Challenges of being popular in specific seasons16:37 - Turkey Talk Line17:17 - Tone of Voice18:29 - Branching outside of tukey20:10 - Jimmy Fallon22:11 - Influencers26:17 - Driving the message for customers27:28 - Where are you in driving the purpose throughout the entire organization https://www.butterball.com/

Philip Freeman is a walk-the-talk kinda guy in every aspect of his life. As the founder of Murphy's Naturals, he's building a company that brings natural mosquito repellents to the world that are good for you and good for the environment at the same time. They call their philosophy DOG – Do Others Good. Philip uses the Murphy's brand and mission to drive everything they do, and they're growing like crazy – so maybe give it a listen.00:18 - Philip Intro01:13 - Murphy the Dog02:40 - How did your background lead you here05:16 - Formulation09:50 - B-Corp Status13:49 - The Dog Philosophy16:53 - Articulation of Brand's Purpose18:51 - Driving Culture22:01 - Company Traditions23:48 - Getting customer onboard28:47 - What are you most proud of at Murphys29:41 - The Loading Dock32:18 - How can people find you? Additional Resources: https://www.murphysnaturals.com/

We're talking education this week with Quinn O'Brien, CMO at Carnegie Learning, which is the leading brand for education tools and methods. Quinn brings his experience working on mega brands like IBM, Volkswagen, and Lenovo to the space where Carnegie is dedicated to helping teachers create more “Aha!" moments” for students. Quinn has a lot of marketing wisdom, give him a listen. 00:18 - Quinn Intro02:14 - Journey to current position05:26 - Lenovo and IBM10:47 - How did those experiences leave a stamp on you15:27 - Unpacking Carnegie's offerings23:09 - Carnegie Mission25:46 - Biggest challenges27:27 - What role do the parents play29:14 - How do you advertise most effectively30:30 - Brand Articulation33:22 - The future of learning35:54 - Tone of Voice41:18 - Being an objective voice in education https://www.carnegielearning.com/

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Christopher Symmes, Director of Marketing at Unilever where he manages their dressings line, including Hellmann's, Sir Kensington's, and Maille. Christopher is a living, breathing adherent to Brand Purpose and showing how it can drive your business – not just your advertising – to foster growth and create change. In fact, sometimes Brand Purpose isn't part of the advertising at all. 00:18 - Christopher Intro01:18 - What brought you to Unilever06:50 - How do you define brand purpose and how does that fit at Unilever13:17 - Super Bowl Commercials / Brie and Ham18:56 - Does the purpose of food waste live outside of Hellman's within Unilever19:54 - Does every Unilever brand have a social good component22:26 - Customer feedback25:21 - Other adjacent brands and their purposes29:25 - How does your personal purpose manifest itself professionally34:18 - Googling Hellmans Food Waste  

Brilliant decisions, a great culture, and really smart people are the reason Best Buy has thrived during the great migration to e-commerce. That and smart people like Bruce Bildsten. Bruce has built a world class in-house agency and now produces work as good as any you can find in the biz. In today's episode, he talks about what makes a great in-house agency, creative person, and brand. 00:18 - Bruce Intro02:02 - Moving out of the "Silver Age" and going in-house05:47 - What are the challenges of moving in-house10:40 - Is it possible to have the same type of career if you're in-house16:23 - Best Buy's comeback20:33 - Articulation of Purpose25:42 - Brand Iconography27:18 - Tone of Voice Articulation29:03 - What have you learned being on the inside at Best Buy that you would take back to the agency world32:29 - BMW Films37:23 - Should you get the warranty?37:46 - What Best Buy work should people check out?https://bestbuy.box.com/s/kiii5k51j21r29apuwt9yc5uviqlbmtw

How good are you when it comes to listening? Matty Wishnow believes it's one of the keys to growing a company and, in particular, to accelerating a startup's success and efficiency. Today I talk to Matty about his book, "Listening for Growth," it's a great read about lessons he's learned and the plan forward he developed for launching his three successful startups. A must-read for anyone thinking of starting their own company. 00:18 - Matty Intro01:45 - Starting your first company03:58 - How do you define growth08:38 - The pressure to grow disrupting the company10:09 - Epiphany leading to changes in entrepreneurship13:31 - GPS (Goals, Problems, Solutions)16:00 - Pentagon tool20:53 - How do you institutionalize this mindset within a company23:04 - Definition of “Listening"25:58 - Experiments and Hypotheses30:00 - When did you implement GPS with your companies33:48 - The business you didn't start36:47 - Past Prime Podcast39:49 - How can people find youhttps://www.mattywishnow.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattywish/

On this week's episode, we take another look at excellence in B2B marketing with our guest Emma Powers, Executive Director of Enterprise Marketing at Comcast Business. Emma has had a ringside seat for some massive changes in technology over the years, including the BlackBerry and IBM's Watson. And, during our conversation, she talks about how to bring a human touch to B2B marketing. Give it a listen. 00:18 - Emma Intro01:29 - Emma's background04:10 - Beginnings of AI06:51 - AI as a creative revolution08:11 - AI at Comcast Business10:17 - What drew you to Comcast11:22 - How do you approach B2B marketing14:59 - What have you learned as technology changes so fast17:47 - How is Comcast showing up in the world20:37 - What do the customers rely on Comcast for22:32 - The human touch23:25 - Advice to other B2B marketers25:57 - Where can you find more about Comcast Business Additional Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmapowers/

On today's episode, we welcome Amy Merrill. When it comes to brands leading the way in using what they do to create social change, Amy and her brand, Plan C, are the real deal. Amy talks about the opportunities and challenges Plan C has found in providing information and access to women who've been deprived of their personal choice. Branding, social mission, and creativity collide in a fascinating conversation. 00:24 - Amy Intro01:35 - Amy's Story14:41 - Making world changes in a capitalistic society17:49 - How did Plan C come about?24:47 - US background compared to other countries30:02 - Complexities of working with each state36:50 - Bigger goal for the company44:44 - How do you get the message out via the brand47:43 - Does "C" have another meaning51:01 - Formerly Alien54:27 - How can you find Amy and Plan CAdditional Resources: Amy Merrillhttps://www.eyesopendesign.com/abouthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/amyjmerrill/instagram.com/amyjmerrill Plan Chttps://www.plancpills.org/instagram.com/plancpills Formerly Alienhttps://www.formerlyalien.com/Formerly Alien on Spotifyinstagram.com/formerlyalien The NYT podcast Amy referenced on the story of how abortion became a politically conservative issue:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/07/podcasts/the-daily/roe-v-wade-supreme-court-jane-roe.html

It's not often you get to talk to someone who is transforming the music industry but that's exactly what Garland Brown, CEO and founder of Swaye for Music, is doing. Garland describes how his super cool company lets fans support the artists they love while putting musicians in charge of the music they create. Talk about a powerful mission – check it out!00:18 - Garland Intro01:15 - America's "Techiest” Lawyer03:52 - What is Swaye?07:36 - How does it work for independent artists?10:54 - Where does Swaye "live”?12:47 - What does this do for streaming partners?14:49 - What is the music industry excited about this?22:25 - How does it work for an artist who signs up24:42 - Brand mission32:15 - How can you find Swaye? Additional Resources: https://swaye.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/garlandb/

Every now and then, we're going to replay your favorite episodes. This one features Andy Pearson, VP of Creative at Liquid Death. Andy talks about how to grow a business using creativity as a fame builder and how to turn a startup into a category dominator. 00:32 - Andy Intro01:39 - Andy's story04:20 - Journey of Liquid Death11:22 - Plastic in the environment12:16 - Purpose Brand14:52 - Traditional Brand Work prior to the product18:00 - Articulation25:14 - What is too far?26:02 - Using agencies29:31 - Using the first idea31:22 - Creating Briefs33:30 - Business ethos37:17 - Hiring creative in house39:29 - What advice do you give start ups?43:51 - What's next for Liquid Death Additional Resources: https://liquiddeath.com/

Today's episode is a doozy. We're featuring Mike Watson: technologist, marketer, entrepreneur. The man was on the team that invented Bluetooth, of all things. Now he's turning his acumen to the spirits category as president of Lonerider Spirits, which is new on the scene of spirits but sure to make noise with Mike in charge. 00:18 - Mike Intro01:22 - How does a Tech and Bluetooth background lead to Spirits03:54 - Origin of Lonerider Spirits05:01 - Decision to move from beer to spirits07:51 - How do you make your brand stand out on the shelf12:31 - What are the challenges for being known for the Lonerider Brewery12:58 - Beer only drinkers vs Spirits only drinkers16:09 - How did you gain the expertise to make whiskey17:28 - Lonerider sub-brands21:22 - Driving penetration24:22 - Tone of Voice25:36 - How do you use measurements27:48 - Marketing specific cocktails and using influencers29:42 - How did Covid affect Lonerider31:25 - Sober curious movement39:16 - What's next for Lonerider https://loneriderspirits.com/

Today we welcome Tara Sahu, VP, Head of Integrated Marketing at Varo Bank. Tara talks about Varo's mission to democratize financial power and create a world where that power is no longer a privilege – providing access for over 100 million underbanked people. When was the last time you were inspired by a bank? Today. Today is the answer. Give it a listen. 00:18 - Tara Intro02:05 - Journey to where you are now10:11 - Varo Bank Charter13:14 - Trust with online banking14:48 - Varo Mission Statement18:56 - History of income equality in banking space22:49 - Definition of Underbanked and Unbanked24:19 - Varo ideal customer27:21 - How does Varo make money28:42 - Getting people to switch to Varo30:04 - Purchase Funnel34:38 - Diversity moving from Coke to Fintech37:09 - How does the brand drive the culture38:31 - What keeps you up at night

Would you look at that, our 50th episode. While that ain't nothing but a thing, we do have a doozy for you this time, an episode about the impact of AI. Few creative people in the ad industry know AI the way George Tannenbaum does. Considering his long stint working with Watson at IBM, who better to engage in a thoughtful discussion about the effects and ramifications of AI? As usual, George says things you should listen to – so listen here. 00:18 - George Intro02:57 - George's thoughts on AI04:29 - George's AI Experience07:44 - Gutenberg Press09:10 - Has the Smartphone changed us13:05 - What does AI do well15:29 - AI and Economic Pull26:49 - Curating the bottom but creating the top30:32 - 10 year AI ad projection 35:11 - Behaviors affecting brands38:33 - AI and churn45:56 - Showing companies and value and downfall of AI https://georgeco.de/

In this episode of Brands In Action, we welcome Will Burns, CEO and Founder of Ideasicle X, to talk about creativity and, more specifically, how to generate a ton of ideas that will solve a problem for you. Ideasicle X's philosophy is “Nothing is Unthinkable,” and Will tells you all about the platform and how it can transform your work. 00:18 - Will Intro01:58 - Ghosts2:57 - How your experience led to the creation of Ideasicle9:59 - How does Ideasicle work12:32 - How does Ideasicle work with people15:22 - Crowdsourcing16:45 - How do you put a team together17:55 - Brainstorming doesn't work21:04 - Bad ideas leading to good ones24:25 - Is Ideasicle a product or brand?28:19 - Where else can Ideasicle go32:57 - Where does AI fit into this platform35:52 - Creativity as a force versus a resource39:30 - What's next for Ideasicle42:08 - Who plays Will Burns in the movie https://www.ideasiclex.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamoburns/

Yeesh, when you talk about clients who understand how to build a brand through great work, you'll undoubtedly bring up Melissa Waters, CMO of Upwork. Melissa talks about how Upwork is leading the way in the “new work awakening” and telling those stories with some of the best advertising of the year, their “This is how we work now” campaign…okay, the Zombie CEO campaign. If you haven't seen it, you'll want to. 00:18 - Melissa Intro02:04 - Journey to Upwork05:42 - Upwork Mission08:47 - Does Upwork drive the industry or fill the need12:41 - Covid affecting strategy15:38 - Empathy with your customer20:22 - Company culture in a remote workforce23:21 - Global layoffs bringing opportunity to Upwork26:02 - Smart advertising37:39 - What needed to change at Upwork when you arrived39:51 - Tone of voice44:27 - Where can you find Upwork https://www.upwork.com/howweworkhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/melissawaters/

Welcome to the Best of Brands in Action. Today we're replaying our most popular episode of 2022 with our guest Joey Manfre from Fender Guitars. Joey talks about keeping the flame alive to take one of America's most iconic brands into the future. Happy holidays everyone. 00:33 - Joey Intro01:45 - How did you get to Fender?05:51 - Being mission driven08:23 - Fender culture11:43 - Intimidation to start working for Fender13:23 - Response to "Guitar is Dead”18:35 - Influencers22:43 - Mission of Fender24:39 - How does Fender support artists33:07 - Genre stories in marketing communication37:48 - Fender Brand ID41:05 - New Fender guitar42:40 - Imitations44:11 - Tone of Voice46:21 - What knowledge would you take with you to former self47:31 - How can you find Fenderhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-manfre-10218612/https://www.fender.com/en-US/starthttps://www.facebook.com/Fender/https://twitter.com/Fenderhttps://www.instagram.com/fender/https://www.youtube.com/user/fendermusical

Not everyone gets to climb a mountain twice. Almost 20 years ago, Chris Knott built a brand called Peter Millar working out of his closet, turning it into a global force in the process. And now he's doing it again with his new partners at johnnie-O. Chris talks about how his merchandising knowledge and his sense of design come together to help him make very special things. 00:18 - Chris Intro01:33 - How Chris got here07:03 – johnnie-O Style10:12 - Distribution Strategy13:46 - Label vs Brand16:03 - Brand Articulation20:16 - Near Luxury Casual22:52 - Is the SoCal lifestyle aspirational everywhere?25:38 - Value32:33 - Who plays Chris Knott in the movie?33:55 - Where can you find johnnie-O? https://www.johnnie-o.com/

You wanna talk grit? In our latest episode of Brands in Action, Brett McCoy, CEO and founder of Huck Cycles, talks about how his career in the Army, client-side marketing, and agency strategy has prepared him to become the founder of a hybrid electric motorcycle startup. Their mission is to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and maybe change the way you get to work. 00:18 - Brett Intro01:24 - The journey to Huck02:30 - What did you learn in the army to become a better marketer03:07 - The Huck Story06:00 - Mission of the company07:15 - Barriers to manufacturing in USA07:45 - Brand driving your organization09:55 - How has it worked getting into the E category13:28 - Customer Base15:27 - Adding to product line16:50 - Women in customer base17:06 - Bolts vs Welding18:24 - Repairs19:02 - Design Inspiration20:35 - Brand behaviors within the company22:26 - Brand Articulation23:59 - Tone of Voice27:06 - What price do you pay starting a business while working full time30:16 - Importance of life experience plus paycheck31:51 - How can you find Huck https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettmccoy/https://huckcycles.com/

Can you imagine having the guts to start a food company when you're only 25? Ian Walker and a friend did just that to create Canada's largest organic bulk foods distributor. And now they have an amazing brand called Hippie Snacks, a better-for-you, plant-based food that's sold all over the place. In this BIA episode, Ian talks about how leading with their values has been a key ingredient in their success. 00:18 - Ian Intro01:50 - Journey of starting a food distribution company at 2505:49 - Original Brand08:36 - What ties your different brands together?10:48 - Articulation of purpose16:41 - Real food movement20:28 - Articulation of Hippie Snacks26:32 - Could Hippie Snacks exist with a copacker29:41 - How are you fostering employee development34:11 - How does the brand focus on social relevancy38:30 - What advice would you give to a new CEO39:47 - Who plays Ian Walker in the movie? https://www.hippiesnacks.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-walker-a8725318/

Leah Day, CMO of Red Hat, joined the company over 20 years ago and has worked through many different roles on her way to the top. She talks about the company's journey: From open source rebel-brand, dead set on bringing down the big players, to becoming the leader in the open source movement by making coopetition a superpower. Give it a listen. 00:18 - Leigh Intro02:12 - Evolution of Red Hat03:57 - Linux Vs. Unix05:53 - Journey to becoming CMO of Red Hat07:44 - Marketing through the digital experience08:49 - Brand Values13:35 - Rebellion to Cooperation15:15 - Team dynamics18:54 - Design voice22:38 - How Covid affected remote work26:12 - Red Hat and internal communication27:51 - How do you drive awarement30:48 - Red Hat Summit33:11 - Lightning Round of Questionshttps://www.redhat.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-cantrell-day-8436312/

Here's part two of our interview with Melissa Katrincic, founder and CEO of Durham Distillery, known for producing one of the best gins anywhere. Don't just take our word for it, their Conniption Gin's win all the prizes everywhere they go. But building a world class Gin isn't all Juniper and Coriander, it's a tough business. Join us as Melissa talks about the rise of this great brand. 00:30 - Kinship09:46 - The Tito's factor12:43 - Women in the gin industry24:18 - Celebrity brands27:23 - What magical thing do you want to happen with Durham Distilleryhttps://durhamdistillery.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagreenkatrincic/

Today's episode of Brands in Action is part one with our guest Melissa Katrincic from Durham Distillery. We hear how Melissa is building an empire from out of this little distillery in Durham, NC. She and her husband started from absolutely nothing and have built one of the finest gins in the world. 00:18 - Melissa Intro02:06 - Origin Story09:3 - Entrepreuners and actually doing it15:42 - Covid Taskforce19:19 - Making the product feel big with design23:38 - What makes gin "gin”?31:06 - How do you educate about gin via messaging32:34 - Differences in types of gins and how that relates to messaging36:27 - Categorization in gin competition https://durhamdistillery.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagreenkatrincic/

Kevin runs one of the biggest brands in advertising: Advertising. As CEO of the One Club for Creativity he manages a big swath of the Awards Industry itself. Kevin talks about how the One Club is much different from many other bigger awards shows because it's a nonprofit and is driving education and diversity as much as the creative conversation. They're making a huge difference in the industry. Lend it an ear. 00:18 - Kevin Intro02:06 - History of The One Club04:19 - What Makes The One Club different?09:54 - What is the mission for The One Club?13:50 - Cannes19:47 - Purpose Brand25:13 - Trends of the amount of money spent on award submissions29:52 - Scam Policy35:57 - The One School and education40:36 - The One Club in 5 years43:26 - Uniqueness of The One Club https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinswanepoel/https://www.oneclub.org

One of the most powerful things about a brands purpose is how, when it's well articulated, it can drive everything the company does. Marketing is only one aspect. On today's episode Hannah Magnan from Bandwidth, tells how the ethos within the walls of the company informs everything they do, top to bottom and side to side. Give it a listen.  00:18 - Hannah Intro02:16 - Creativity is the ultimate competitive advantage04:28 - Story of Bandwidth and how you got there08:12 - Navigating the world of acronyms in B2B13:52 - Tone of voice19:21 - Purpose Brand21:35 - “Bandmates"32:32 - Culture35:31 - What will the brand not do38:03 - If Bandwidth was a Pinterest board42:10 - Internal Structure https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmagnan/  https://www.bandwidth.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/bandwidth-inc/https://twitter.com/bandwidthhttps://www.youtube.com/user/bandwidthhttps://github.com/bandwidth/ 

Jeremy Jones and his team are building a full service agency inside of Mailchimp, and they're doing work any ad agency would love to have done. On this week's episode, Jeremy talks about his career and how MailChimp uses their brand to drive everything they do.  00:18 - Jeremy Intro01:34 - Doing work with soul03:58 - How did you get to Mailchimp05:52 - Story of Mailchimp07:56 - Mailchimp Magic09:39 - Empowering the underdog10:32 - Small business vs Large enterprise14:19 - How does Mailchimp fit into Intuit world15:59 - Brand Articulation19:58 - Importance of design22:28 - Design & Tone of Voice25:22- Wynk26:22 - Dream project27:22 - Bringing creative dreams into your role32:44 - Keeping creatives motivated34:08 - Purpose https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyejones/https://mailchimp.comhttps://www.facebook.com/mailchimp/https://twitter.com/Mailchimphttps://www.instagram.com/mailchimp/https://www.linkedin.com/company/intuitmailchimp/https://www.youtube.com/user/Mailchimphttps://www.pinterest.com/mailchimp/

Joey Manfre leads creative for Fender Musical Instruments, one of the coolest and most iconic brands in the world (OK, maybe one of the coolest brands in the history of brands). Joey talks about Fender turning the quarantine into an advantage, working with artists to take the brand into new places, and generally how Fender fits in popular culture.00:18 - Joey Intro01:30 - How did you get to Fender?05:36 - Being mission driven08:08 - Fender culture11:28 - Intimidation to start working for Fender13:08 - Response to "Guitar is Dead”18:20 - Influencers22:28 - Mission of Fender24:24 - How does Fender support artists32:51 - Genre stories in marketing communication37:33 - Fender Brand ID40:49 - New Fender guitar42:25 - Imitations43:55 - Tone of Voice46:06 - What knowledge would you take with you to former self47:16 - How can you find Fender https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-manfre-10218612/https://www.fender.com/en-US/starthttps://www.facebook.com/Fender/https://twitter.com/Fenderhttps://www.instagram.com/fender/https://www.youtube.com/user/fendermusical

If there's a more courageous brand out there right now, we don't know it. Liquid Death is succeeding by overturning all the category norms and driving not only customers but advocates. They do it by going to 100 on everything they do – if it's them, they do it and they do it well. Andy Pearson, VP of Creative, tells us what they're up to and how they look at what a brand is. 00:18 - Andy Intro01:25 - Andy's story04:05 - Journey of Liquid Death11:08 - Plastic in the environment12:01 - Purpose Brand14:37 - Traditional Brand Work prior to the product17:36 - Articulation24:59 - What is too far?25:47 - Using agencies29:17 - Using the first idea31:07 - Creating Briefs33:15 - Business ethos37:03 - Hiring creative in house39:15 - What advice do you give start ups?43:36 - What's next for Liquid Death https://liquiddeath.com/https://www.instagram.com/liquiddeath/https://www.tiktok.com/@liquiddeathhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpRMG5MU1RurWtdiRFtPyvQ

It's not often that you find a company whose mission is to make a difference on the planet and off. But this week, we get to hear from Shawn Linam, CEO of Qwaltec – a company helping the aerospace industry do just that. Shawn talks about being a woman in a male-dominated category and how Qwaltec looks at marketing a mission that's bigger than most. 00:18 - Shawn Intro01:30 - Story of Qwaltec04:42 - AX1 Launch05:56 - Qwaltec mission08:47 - Brand Strategy11:01 - Advice for working with branding companies13:13 - Product Planning and Strategy15:25 - How has privatization affected the business21:28 - Personal brand within the larger brand23:00 - Being a woman in a male dominated industry27:09 - STEM for females30:25 - Plans for the next few years32:04 - Commercialization and margins33:06 - Creative Team33:38 - Where can you find Qwaltec https://www.qwaltec.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/qwaltec/https://www.facebook.com/qwaltec/https://twitter.com/qwaltec

Here's part two of our discussion with Jenny Bonchak, Founder of Slingshot Coffee Co/Needs & Wants. In this episode, Jenny talks about her newest brand – a line of sparkling superfruit teas called Needs & Wants – as well as the pitfalls of brand purpose, the importance of commitment to craft, and, oh yeah, social media. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Jenny is the epitome of humanity in the world of entrepreneurs.  00:18 - Part 2 Intro00:32 - Where purpose can go wrong01:04 - What does Community mean?06:13 - Goal of beverage13:07 - Needs and Wants Design17:37 - Commitment to Craft21:04 - Needs & Wants - The Brand25:17 - Big P Purpose34:31 - How do you drive trial?36:23 - How do you use social media?39:07 - Where can you find Slingshot? https://slingshotcoffee.com/https://www.instagram.com/slingshotcoffee/https://www.facebook.com/SlingshotCoffeeCompany/https://twitter.com/slingshotcoffee

If you're interested in seeing how passion turns into an incredibly diverse set of brands in just a decade, then this episode is the one for you. Jenny Bonchak, Founder of Slingshot Coffee Co/Needs & Wants, talks about the company's journey from kitchen table idea to emerging as a force in the category. So much so, they're now expanding into new ones. Jenny is the epitome of humanity in the world of entrepreneurs.  00:18 - Jenny Intro01:35 - How does it feel to watch how Slingshot has grown?04:03 - The story of Slingshot11:14 - Hustle Culture with Entrepreneurs12:06 - LinkedIn20:55 - Loneliness that comes with being a company founder21:59 - Pioneers in Entrepreneurship29:52 - Do you think of yourself as a Purpose Brand? https://slingshotcoffee.com/https://www.instagram.com/slingshotcoffee/https://www.facebook.com/SlingshotCoffeeCompany/https://twitter.com/slingshotcoffee

You might not think of a waste management company as a leading Purpose Brand but if that's true you don't know about WM, a company dedicated to a more sustainable tomorrow. Today we talk to Stu Redsun, Vice President of Brand & Marketing for WM, who is leading the charge to get their story out.00:18 - Stu Intro03:32 - How did you get to WM?08:06 - How does name change play into where the brand is going?10:34 - “Big P” brand11:52 - Consumer & B2B14:16 - How do you use the brand within each channel of business?14:57 - Importance of brand purpose living within the company?17:31 - What messaging do new employees get at WM?19:18 - Has purpose brand led into other categories?21:09 - Overcoming perceptions23:34 - How much does imaging limit or power the company?24:45 - What are you trying to measure?26:44 - Circular Economy28:22 - Recycling right31:02 - Tone of voice32:20 - Look and feel34:16 - What is WM celebrating in five years35:10 - How can people find out more about WM? https://www.wm.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/waste-management/https://www.facebook.com/WasteManagement/https://www.instagram.com/wastemanagement/https://twitter.com/WasteManagementhttps://www.youtube.com/user/wastemanagement

What do NFT's, Crypto, DAO's, the Tokenomy and Web 3.0 have to do with a new line of Cannabis infused drinks? Everything. Find out in today's latest episode featuring Robert Lund, co-founder and Chief Creative at Studio TBD, a company bringing Web 3.0 to life across a number of businesses. 00:18 - Robert Intro01:34 - How Studio TBD came to be09:11 - Did you bring brand training into Studio TBD?14:57 - How do you create a mainstream brand?18:34 - Web328:37 - Creating an Enterprise/Brands32:24 - Storytelling33:59 - TBD Brand/Product41:02 - How do you tell story within brand?44:46 - Where do you get TBD?45:18 - Conversation on evolution of internet51:30 - How can you find out about Studio TBD? https://studio-tbd.io/https://studio-tbd.io/tokens/Launchpad2.0byStudioTBD.pdf

We hear a lot about bravery in our industry but rarely do we see it in action like we do with Priscilla Johnson. Brands come from all sort of interesting places and experiences, but Priscilla faced down a global corporation who tried to falsify their environmental data and paid a huge personal price. One of the amazing outcomes of the experience was EcoBellus, a sustainable cleaning products company that is trying to change the equation in the industry.00:18 - Dr. Intro01:20 - Journey to EcoBellus14:33 - What does EcoBellus do?16:33 - What does the name EcoBellus mean?20:12 - Toxicity in endocrine system22:22 - Articulation of brand23:48 - EcoBellus values28:41 - Product Formulation32:28 - Perception of natural ingredients35:03 - Getting sample product out35:45 - Marketing to drive product36:48 - How much of the brand is Dr. Priscilla?39:00 - Brand changes from EcoDaisy to EcoBellus41:04 - If EcoBellus was a Pinterest board41:14 - EcoBellus in five years41:43 - Where can you find Ecobellus? https://www.linkedin.com/in/priskainc/https://ecodaisyusa.com/https://www.facebook.com/ecodaisyusa/https://www.instagram.com/ecodaisyusa/?hl=en

Our first truly luxury goods episode, Randy Ramsey co-founded Jarrett Bay custom boats when he was 18 and his positive impact and outlook has gone in every direction on everything he touches. If you want to hear “paying it forward” in action, this is the episode for you.00:18 - Randy Intro02:08 - How did Jarrett Bay start?07:58 - Boat building cycle10:14 - Collaboration11:03 - Scaling the business13:49 - Boat repairs15:24 - Brand articulation16:54 - Furniture line18:28 - Jeff Burton's boat19:03 - Sun Communities acquirement23:40 - Marketing24:33 - Measuring ROI26:28 - Accidental boat builder28:45 - Company's values30:23 - Dream build31:03 - Educating others33:49 - What keeps you up at night34:43 - The next five years https://www.jarrettbay.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JarrettBayBoatworks/https://twitter.com/JarrettBayhttps://www.youtube.com/c/jarrettbayhttps://www.instagram.com/jarrettbay/

On today's #BrandsInAction #podcast episode, we welcome Steve Luttmann, a serial innovator and entrepreneur. Maybe it's because Steve has the rules down from his time in the traditional packaged goods space that he's found ways to break them into pieces to create so many amazing brands in the spirits category over the last few decades. His newest, Hercules Mulligan, is another hit 

Today we welcome Jon Schlesinger, Vice President and General Manager, Hidden Valley Ranch at the Clorox company. Jon talks about taking a storied brand into new categories and new possibilities by listening to culture and even helping to shape it a bit. Jon is one of the smartest marketing minds we've ever worked with on a previous client, we always learn a lot from him. You will too. 00:18 - Jon Intro02:03 - How do you manage all the specific brands under the Clorox umbrella?03:55 - What adjustments were made from Clorox to food?06:12 - Story behind Hidden Valley Ranch08:10 - How ranch has become so popular11:24 - How much has HVR contributed to market change?13:23 - How has Covid affected business?17:04 - Brand awareness17:55 - Where are the dollars focused?19:59 - How has the branding evolved?21:32 - Iconography22:57 - If HVR was a Pinterest board23:45 - Where is HVR in the spectrum of purpose brands?26:21 - How do you stay relevant in culture?29:23 - Traditional marketing30:26 - What have you learned from Burt's Bees?34:19 - What's next for HVR?35:11- Is there anything that scares you?36:33 - Where can you find HVR? https://www.hiddenvalley.comhttps://www.instagram.com/hidden.valley/https://www.youtube.com/user/hiddenvalleyveggieshttps://twitter.com/HVRanchhttps://www.pinterest.com/hvranch/https://www.facebook.com/hiddenvalley

In our first episode featuring a sports marketer, we have an incredible one. Stephen Malik is the driving force behind the North Carolina Football Club, the largest youth to pro soccer club in the country. With multiple teams, properties, and world class players, the organization manages multiples brands. It doesn't hurt that The Courage has already won two back-to-back championships in its first two years. And with all they've accomplished, they've only just begun. 00:18 - Steve Intro01:55 - How did you get into soccer? (Note: I just went with soccer the whole time.. the first questions were actually stated as futbol, and then soccer was later used so I kept the notes consistent)03:52 - Strength of North Carolina in soccer05:25 - Organization chart from youth to pro13:08 - Championships14:55 - How did Covid affect the team18:08 - How do you think about all the different soccer brands under the umbrella25:11 - Team name change to The Courage27:12 - How “North Carolina” plays into the design30:18 - Building onto the brand31:17 - Brand purpose36:50 - What's next for NCFC39:14 - How did healthcare and soccer grow together44:22 - How can you find NCFC/Steve https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-malik-45840/https://www.nccourage.comhttp://facebook.com/thenccouragehttp://twitter.com/thenccouragehttp://instagram.com/thenccouragehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6A1Ay5UQhpBM5iyB6Y-oBghttps://www.northcarolinafc.comhttp://www.facebook.com/NorthCarolinaFC/http://www.twitter.com/NorthCarolinaFChttp://www.instagram.com/NorthCarolinaFC

In a category marked by over-promises, Melisse Shaban CEO of Virtue Labs, has created something that truly delivers. Virtue's hair care line is just different because of, well, a miracle ingredient. You heard us, a miracle ingredient. In our latest episode, Melisse talks about creating the company, the products, and the brand from scratch and building it for the long haul. 00:18 - Melisse Intro00:56 - Origins of Virtue05:11 - Why is human keratin better07:53 - How is original technology being used08:15 - How do you cut through the noise in the beauty industry12:02 - How does Virtue stand out in D2C world14:59 - Salon business during Covid17:56 - Salons and word of mouth22:31 - Is Virtue a purpose brand25:55 - Brand articulation33:10 - If Virtue was a Pinterest board38:17 - Would you open source the technology42:50 - The next five years44:46 - Where can you find Virtue https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisse-shaban-377969b/https://www.virtuelabs.comhttps://www.twitter.com/virtuelabshttps://www.facebook.com/virtuelabshttps://www.instagram.com/virtuelabs/https://www.pinterest.com/virtuelabs/

On today's episode, meet Sara Ward, Senior Vice President, Brand Marketing at Spoonflower. Sarah is leading the team at Spoonflower to make amazing design accessible for everyone's home, supporting artists, designers, and customers along the way. Today she talks about how to use your brand to create phenomenal growth by always remembering your mission. 00:18 - Sarah Intro01:36 - Kickball Champions!03:03 - Sarah's journey04:32 - What is Spoonflower?06:52 - Growth and Covid12:31 - Standing out in a Direct to Consumer world14:44 - Spoonflower artists and marketing15:32 - Articulation of the brand16:12 - Purpose brand18:13 - Spoonflower values22:35 - If Spoonflower was a Pinterest board23:27 - Tone of voice25:00 - Shutterfly Acquisition28:09 - The next five years29:32 - Possibility of brick and mortar30:45 - Where can you find Spoonflower https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-ward-79206679/https://www.spoonflower.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Spoonflower/https://twitter.com/spoonflowerhttps://www.instagram.com/spoonflower/https://www.pinterest.com/spoonflower/https://www.flickr.com/groups/spoonflower/https://www.youtube.com/user/spoonflowerfabric

Josh Bach is a one man army and set out to add a little fun into the fashion world at a time where neckwear in particular was mostly striped, slanted, and available in maybe 5 colors. On this episode we to Josh about how he started a business in his New York City apartment and turned it into a fashion phenomenon in Men's Neckwear. Just in time for the holidays, here's a podcast about ties. 00:18 - Josh Intro01:55 - Josh's journey05:17 - Bravery in starting a business06:12 - What is Josh Bach Neckwear - conversation turns to background08:11 - The idea behind Josh Bach Neckwear10:26 - Issues moving into fashion12:43 - How did you run the business by yourself14:31 - Josh Bach as a brand15:39 - When was “spirited neckwear” adopted17:51 - Ties as billboards for the brand19:14 - Casual Friday20:58 - Where won't Josh Bach Neckwear go21:53 - Is Josh Bach a purpose brand25:01 - How have you been ripped off - Intellectual Property29:17 - Brand iconography from NYC30:58 - What drives the business32:08 - Will there be a resurgence in neckwear?33:21 - Where can you find Josh Bach? https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-a-bach-812621118/https://joshbach.comhttps://twitter.com/joshbachltdhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Clothing--Brand-/Josh-Bach-Limited-116976464995792/https://www.pinterest.com/JoshBachLtd/https://instagram.com/joshbachltd

Scott Philbrook made a career pivot from top commercial and music video editor to a now top podcaster. Today we talk about the podcast he co-hosts, Astonishing Legends, and how they've marketed their podcast from a bedroom production to the global phenomenon it has become. Hint, they took what they know about branding and let it guide them to phenomenal growth.00:18 - Scott Intro01:48 - What is AL about?04:11 - Mindset - healthy skepticism06:00 - Scott's change in view08:54 - Cognitive closure10:13 - AL as a brand16:27 - How do you handle poor production value from guests?18:31 - Articulation of the brand20:04 - Topics AL won't touch21:37 - Tone of voice22:25 - Openly skeptical but skeptically open23:57 - How have you built an audience?27:18 - Feedback through social media28:11 - ARC - Astonishing Research Corp30:04 - Advice for brands with fan engagement31:17 - If you started AL today, what would you do differently33:24 - Advice for people starting a podcast - Spotify usage40:34 - Sub-brands of AL43:16 - Cross Promos45:05 - Where can people find AL https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-philbrook-257100aa/ https://www.astonishinglegends.com

Who says a B2B brand can't be powerful and have a big personality? Critical Start CMO Carrie Kelly brings her experience from both sides of the Client/Agency ball to show that it most definitely can. She's using the brand to drive awareness while leveraging the company's culture to become one of the fastest growing companies in Texas. 00:18 - Carrie Intro01:03 - Path to CRITICALSTART04:20 - Starting position right before COVID05:01 - How did COVID affect business06:03 - Explain role as CMO06:55 - Who is target audience07:28 - Emerging competition08:41 - How do you look at competition10:59 - Mission Statement11:30 - “Badass” in Mission Statement12:55 - Company values14:34 - How do you get your message to customers16:26 - How was manifesto received17:14 - Articulation of tone of voice17:53 - If your brand was a Pinterest board18:41 - Category of business operating with fear19:50 - Is Critical Start a purpose brand21:47 - Is marketing 24/36523:29 - How was marketing accepted into an engineering world26:08 - In house creative26:35 - Does brand drive B2B or B2B drive brand?27:57 - What cocktail is CRITICALSTART?29:12 - How can you find CRITICALSTART?29:31 - “Son of a Breach” Podcast31:12 - Where did the name CRITICALSTART come from? https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrienkelly/https://www.criticalstart.comhttps://www.criticalstart.com/sonofabreach/https://www.instagram.com/criticalstart/https://www.facebook.com/CriticalStartMDRhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/critical-starthttps://twitter.com/CriticalStart

Ed Roberts is a lot of things, he's an accomplished designer, creative director, and now the Brand and Creative Director at Georgia Power. On today's episode, Ed talks about how the brand lives its stand to generate possibility for its customers and its own employees. Ed shows how design thinking can drive marketing rather than the other way around. 00:18 - Ed Intro01:19 - Are you working at home due to Covid?02:00 - Working for a utility company during Covid04:08 - Where did love of design come from?08:14 - How did you go client side?11:09 - How has it been to integrate marketing into your role?14:28 - Advertising without objective is art - comment makes Ed recall story16:12 - Mentality of students coming out of school and reframing ideas17:55 - How do you look at brand when customers aren't experiencing challenges20:29 - GA as a community22:27 - Living the brand23:42 - Hyperlocalization26:13 - Is GA Power a purpose brand?28:20 - Brand statement30:46 - How do you generate possibility in your role34:02 - Articulation for brand tone of voice37:08 - If your brand was a Pinterest board38:00 - How does the brand and you as a leader view the company within social change https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-roberts-3096b35/https://www.georgiapower.comhttps://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaPower?WT.svl=fb2&hp=rfy_facebookhttps://twitter.com/georgiapower?WT.svl=tw3&hp=rfy_twitterhttps://www.instagram.com/ga_power/https://www.youtube.com/user/GeorgiaPowerChannel?WT.svl=yt2&hp=rfy_youtube

What started as a hobby in the founders apartments has turned into a nationwide enterprise with distribution in stores and bars all over the country. After graduating from Wharton Business School, Jomaree Pinkard could have done anything he wanted, listen to him tell the story of how he and his close friends chased their passion and turned it into the powerhouse it has become. 00:17 - Jomaree Intro01:51 - Jomaree's Journey04:36 - How did Hella Cocktail happen?05:38 - Funny story about making bitters in the early days07:26 - Decision to make bitters for nonalcoholic drinks09:16 - What was your first bitter/infusion?10:24 - How has Covid affected business?13:19 - Bitters and soda - did Covid affect the innovation?15:56 - Shelf space fight18:56 - Your brand as a black owned business22:37 - History and points of view of founders26:09 - Rebranding journey30:18 - Articulation of the brand31:53 - How are you advertising?33:49 - Versatility of bitters36:43 - The “Included” Organization41:30 - Do you use the brand to further social movement44:46 - How can people find you? https://hellacocktail.cohttps://instagram.com/hellacocktailco?utm_medium=copy_linkhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/hella-bitter/https://twitter.com/hellacocktailco?lang=en

Kurt Squiers isn't just a very successful ad guy who owns his own shop, he's also acknowledged as one of the biggest AC/DC fans in the world. And he's found a way to marry his two passions into one of the coolest podcasts around, AC/DC Beyond the Thunder. Today we talk to him about AC/DC's impact on culture, the music world, and how marketers can learn from them as one of the smartest Rock brands in the world. 00:18 - Kurt Intro01:28 - The path that led to AC/DC06:14 - The path to Beyond the Thunder10:05 - Lessons learned from AC/DC11:30 - Bands as brands12:37 - Difference in branding between AC/DC and KISS15:13 - Articulation of AC/DC the brand17:33 - AC/DC never sold out18:52 - Tone of Voice20:43 - AC/DC being rebellious but loved23:02 - How does AC/DC adapt as a brand25:51 - What's the closest AC/DC has come to a ballad26:15 - AC/DC selling music to brands28:52 - Licensing music from AC/DC and dealing with the band31:56 - What other bands are brands?32:22 - Bon or Brian?37:40 - Summation of what we've learned from AC/DC Additional Resourceshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtsquiers/https://beyondthethunder.comhttps://twitter.com/ACDC_Podcasthttps://www.facebook.com/ACDCBeyondtheThunderhttps://www.instagram.com/squiersllc/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMCcQV5fUzeV4C5odzyn4wA

For our first live in-studio interview, Joe Kwon brings the heat. Okay, actually he brings the kindness, enthusiasm, and passion you may know him for with his work in the Avett Brothers. We talk about his new brand CARV Fitness, a company dedicated to getting people to live their fittest lives, but Joe being Joe, we talked about how he looks at everything as an opportunity to create community and give back. 00:18 - Joe Intro01:27 - How do you define yourself as a home cook03:04 - Do you have a set of values that follows what you do06:38 - Where did CARV come from09:50 - Who would CARV be in 5 years11:39 - CARV being part of a community14:58 - Avett Brothers community with CARV16:47 - How aware are you of your band being a brand25:54 - CARV giving back to community29:09 - Community organizing32:50 - What did you want to be as a kid38:04 - Joe redefining roles41:25 - Being an influencer43:21 - What should David have asked

Dion Hughes isn't just a brilliant advertising and marketing mind, he's put his money where his mouth is by creating a successful, sustainable, personal hair care brand called HiBAR. This new company aims to take on the issue of ocean plastics while delivering an optimistic start to your day. There's no plastic in their products or in Dion's personality.00:18 - Dion Intro01:42 - Why did you start Hibar03:12 - Forging a different path with advertising08:14 - How did freelance lead to Hibar12:21 - Who is the competition15:19 - Stance on sharing plastic free technology19:11 - Is Hibar a new category20:16 - Articulation of the brand look25:48 - Intention driving interaction with the right people30:24 - What are your challenges32:03 - You are the brand33:41 - How do you go up against beliefs about liquid products36:10 - Purpose of lathering37:43 - 10 years from now what kind of client is Hibar41:53 - Where can you find Hibar42:42 - How can clients find you at Persuasion43:26 - Helping brands articulate45:58 - How do you think about your brand's purpose

Our latest guest, Colleen Craig, has an infectious energy that will get you very excited about the world of Wild Blueberries. It isn't every day that you get to hear from someone managing the work for a fourth generation, family owned business that is absolutely killing it in their category.00:17 - Colleen Intro00:55 - History with Oscar Meyer03:57 - What did you learn from all the food experiences05:20 - Food Universities encompassing the brand and how that would apply to Wyman's07:05 - History of Wyman's08:47 - Wyman's wild blueberries in lots of products10:24 - How is working for a family owned company different12:43 - The mission of Wyman's16:16 - How is Wyman's integrated into foodie scene19:03 - How does marketing change for a behind the scenes company21:58 - How do you win the sale over Dole25:24 - Are fresh blueberries biggest competitor26:45 - Wyman's truck and jingle30:44 - Wyman's promoting other types of fruit in business31:42 - How the harvest gets affected by temperature36:45 - One sentence brief38:07 - Brand articulation40:25 - What cocktail is Wyman's