Didn't See It Coming by Marc Stoiber

'Personal brand' is an overused, increasingly meaningless term. What it should stand for is clarity in who you are, and what you stand for. But it has been co-opted by the get-rich-quick-self-help crowd, and devolved into little more than superficialities - what you wear and who you hang out with.  So it was with a cynical eye that I opened an email from my friend Mark Busse, asking me to take a look at his personal brand document. The document floored me. It was an intensely personal exploration into every facet of Mark's personality, both intimate and bold.  I jumped on the phone immediately with Mark, who revealed it was an exercise he had conducted with a personal coach. Not only had it helped him gain clarity into what really mattered to him, but it provided a compass for decisions - both personal and professional - he might make in the future.  In fact, Mark recounted that he had shown the document to a prospective employer. The employer was floored, and offered Busse a job on the spot. Tellingly, Busse refused the post, insisting the employer meet Busse's wife and, together, they should dig deeper into personal fit before proceeding.  That's when I knew I had to share Mark's story. Over the course of two recordings, Mark and I explored his journey with the personal brand exercise.  The first recording was done before Busse and his wife had met the prospective employer. The second, after. I'm not going to spoil the podcast by telling the outcome. Enjoy!

Brand storytelling is both powerful and perplexing. We all acknowledge that a good story 'sticks' better than any list of brand features or benefits... but we also know that crafting a memorable story is damn hard. What's worse, there are no easy step-by-step processes or manuals that enable you to generat a decent brand story.    Well, actually, I found one.    Park Howell is a brand strategist who specializes in dissecting, analyzing, and generating great brand stories. His podcast, The Business of Story, is one of the top business podcasts in North America. And he's just written a killer book called Brand Bewitchery, which tweaks the classic  Hero's Journey to fit the business paradigm. It works!    In this podcast, Park and I dig into Brand Bewitchery, and why it works for business. We also cover a wide swath of topics - hey, we've known each other for years, and this was a wonderful time to catch up on tall tales and adventures.    Liked this podcast? Here are a few more you'll enjoy Bootstrap marketing and the beautiful idea In disruptive times, you need outsider marketing Building your own brand? Start with my book BrandDIY, and my BrandDIY facebook group. Want my insights straight to your inbox? Sign up for my newsletter. And please, if you enjoyed this show, share it on social media and review it on Apple Podcasts. 

I've known Len Laycock for years. His stunning home furnishings design / retail brand Upholstery Arts was a beacon on the Vancouver scene - not least of which for its impeccable sustainability cred.  Fast forward a few years, and Len is launching another green brand. Horizontal.eco is a stunning bed that features innovation, striking design, and sustainability built in.  What's the secret to launching a values-based brand? That's what we talked about on the show, dipping into anecdotes from Len's career as Director of Marketing at IKEA, his 17-year experience building Upholstery Arts, and his new venture Horizontal.  Liked this podcast? Here are a few more you'll enjoy The innovation story every frustrated entrepreneur needs to hear Test or trust? The idea validation debate rages on Building your own brand? Start with my book BrandDIY, and my BrandDIY facebook group. Want my insights straight to your inbox? Sign up for my newsletter. And please, if you enjoyed this show, share it on social media and review it on Apple Podcasts.   

Sarah Darcey aspired to build a fashion styling brand. But with a great job, her aspiration never left the back burner.  COVID-19 changed all that.  For months, Sarah was confined to her apartment. The more time she spent staring at the wall and reflecting, the more she knew she had to make her dream happen.  Discouraged by advice from fashion insiders, she decided to fast-track her road to fame with a crazy challenge: to style 50 items in her apartment in 50 days, and document her adventure on video.  Today, as she nears the 50 item finish line, her creativity and spark have inspired viewers to cheer her on, offer styling gigs, and more.  I got a chance to chat with Sarah about her inspiration, the limitations of the fashion industry, the roots of her idea, and the cool movement she wants to start. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Enjoyed this entrepreneur's story? You'll like these, too: Delivering brand disruption, one order at a time Doing a successful pandemic brand pivot Want to check out Sarah's work? Here's her website, and her Youtube channel with her 50 days / 50 items videos.  Want to meet Sarah and other entrepreneurs building their own brand? Join my BrandDIY Facebook Group. Ready to DIY your own brand? Download my book BrandDIY and get started! Make sure you get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter. 

As COVID and the economic meltdown grind on, we're seeing yawning market chasms emerge that are ripe for brand disruption.  One of the most glaring is the massive gap between 'big' retail and, well, all other merchants.  The poster child for big retail is Amazon. Granted, the giant has delivered an excellent product for these strange times, enabling us to do our shopping from the hunkered-down safety of our homes. But when you contrast that with the crippling effect the shutdown has had on local merchants - 35% of whom are expected to never emerge from the enforced closure - you see that we're losing something important here. Local retail is what makes our cities dynamic and vibrant. They stitch our community together. What's more, they're a critical piece of our financial ecosystem: the dollars we give them are recycled back to the rest of us.  The last thing we need at moments like these are maudlin, overwrought commercials from big corporations reminding us how much they care about frontline workers. Spare me.  What we do need are new brands that take advantage of the disruption to deliver new business models, fill niches, and even give some of the most hard-hit businesses a leg up. That's the sort of stuff I cheer for. A few weeks back, I was introduced to the founder of one of those new brands. Gabriel Cornejo of Delovery.  I loved the business so much I immediately volunteered to help them with their brand positioning work. And I invited Gabriel on my podcast. His story definitely deserves to be told.  Over the course of our podcast, we covered the inspiration behind Delovery, Cornejo's philosophy of service and social sustainability, and even the brass tacks of how Delovery would deliver the goods.  Enjoy! If you enjoyed this podcast, you'll probably like these as well: Doing a successful pandemic brand pivot In disruptive times, you need outsider marketing Want to avoid big brand mistakes? Download my book Stop Busting Your Brand.  And please, don't forget to share this podcast on social media!

How do you do a successful pandemic brand pivot? COVID has spawned a cottage industry of advice on  shifting the tactics of your brand - amping up the education and free value to your followers, reaching out more often, focusing on empathy over persuasion, etc etc. But so much of it seems, well, timid and incremental. And - speaking as a focus group of one - most of it is absolute shite. If I log onto one more webinar that delivers lame advice taken from the back cover notes of a Seth Godin book, I swear I'll walk off a bridge. Where are the awesome pivots? Where are the titans forging brave new paths forward? Well, I found one. And as luck would have it, he was right in my backyard, here in Victoria, BC. Matthew Watson is the CEO of SendtoNews, the biggest sports video service you've never heard of (I can't take credit for that handle - it was the headline of a great Toronto Star story). The company provides engaging, up-to-the-moment official video clips from major sports leagues to publishers. They even attach advertising to the clips, sharing the ad revenues with the publisher and league. SendtoNews is a beast - outpacing even ESPN as a video sharing platform. They share over one billion video views a month. But when COVID hit, one of the first casualties was sporting events. No sports, no sports clips. How did SendtoNews pivot? Amazingly well, as it turns out. They started an entirely new video clip sharing service that actually made March 2020 the company's most successful month ever. What was the new offering? It's all in the interview I did with Matthew. Enjoy! Enjoyed this podcast? You'll probably love these ones, too: The innovation story every frustrated entrepreneur needs to hear.  Turning ugly constraints into beautiful innovation. Want my insights straight to your inbox? Subscribe to my newsletter.  And please, make sure you share this story with your friends!

Outsider marketing means getting an 'outside the jar' perspective on your company's positioning, messaging and selling. Here's why it's more important than ever. The economy is melting down. Everywhere you look, companies are ducking for cover, going under, or struggling to stay alive. Or are they? Times of disruption deliver opportunities for companies agile and aware enough to seize them. Smart companies are already engaged in finding those opportunities, and retooling. Their goal is to slingshot out of the disruption stronger than ever.  Karen Hayward is a Managing Partner with Chief Outsiders, a national consulting firm that delivers fractional CMO's to mid-cap firms on limited engagements. Today, that means her team is working with a lot of CEO's who need slingshot strategies. I chatted with Karen for my podcast. Her insights were sharp, her tips thoughtful, and her personality infectious. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.  If you enjoyed this interview, you'll like these ones, too: The innovation story every frustrated entrepreneur needs to hear Test or trust? The idea validation debate rages on Want my insights straight to your inbox? Sign up for my newsletter here. And please, don't forget to share this story!

Chris Meade, his brother, and his best friend were just sitting around watching ESPN when an idea for a cool game hit them.  Today, that game is on the shelves at Amazon, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, to name a few.  It's called CROSSNET, and it comes with a story that'll inspire every entrepreneur frustrated by the deluge of data and get-rich-quick advice flooding the internet and social media. Enjoy! Liked this podcast? Here are more stories you should check out:  Turning ugly constraints into beautiful innovation Test or trust? The idea validation debate rages on Want my insights straight to your inbox? Sign up for my newsletter. And please, don't forget to share this story!

As an entrepreneur, I know how easy it is to be swept up by a new idea, ignoring lukewarm or contradictory feedback from potential customers. 'They don't get it' or 'They don't know what they want', we blithely say while charging forward. Truth is, consumers do get ideas they like. And if your idea isn't resonating in its most rudimentary form, chances are developing it further won't solve their problems - or yours.  Customer discovery is a methodology for testing pain points, and crafting solutions to answer them. It's not a new concept, but it is all too often ignored by entrepreneurs.  To provide a better understanding of customer discovery, and how to apply it, I spoke with Christopher Naismith, an entrepreneur using the methodology to effectively develop a new product in the commercial building management space.  We defined customer discovery in common sense terms, and went through steps to conduct it that every startup founder could follow.  Hope you enjoy the conversation. Here's to using customer discovery in your next project. Enjoy this podcast? Here are some more stories you'll like: Test or trust: the idea validation debate rages on Using creative dissonance to build surprising brands Want my ideas to come straight to your inbox? Subscribe to my newsletter. And please, don't forget to share this podcast!  

Oh, the stories I could tell of pitched battles over idea validation. I've seen the debate swing like a pendulum between test and trust through the years. In the pre-digital days - back when dinosaurs and mad men roamed the savannah - creatives like myself battled researchers over the validity of focus groups and mall intercepts. Usually, we'd be given leeway to trust our intuition on ideas... until a concept bombed. Then, like Dad busting up the keg party, researchers would be brought in to restore a bit of sober adult thinking to the proceedings. Fast forward to the birth of the internet. In the raucous pre-bubble days, we witnessed the rise of dot coms with more investment money than sense. Insane advertising (remember the E*Trade monkey?) made us laugh, but not buy. As the pendulum inevitably swings, so too did the forces of testing. Which brings us to today, where data gathering and testing rule the roost. Kevin Indig caught my eye with a recent Linkedin post, where he took the position that far too much faith was being placed in testing. This coming from a person responsible for all things SEO at G2 (and previously at Atlassian).  I knew we had to talk. Here's the recording of our chat - definitely a thought-provoking podcast for anyone with a vested interest in bringing new ideas or innovations to market! Like this podcast? Then check out more here! Subscribe to my newsletter to get my insights straight to your inbox. And please, if you like this podcast, please share it on social media! 

What goes into a killer elevator pitch? Turns out, many of the same things that go into a great brand. On March 3rd, I'm going to be the lead judge at an event where participants compete with their elevator pitches. Not only will this be a fun evening, but I'm certain we'll see that we all get the same things wrong when it comes to creating a memorable pitch. The event organizer, Pascale Hansen, had a preliminary call with me to get my thoughts on the subject for an event promotion podcast. She was kind enough to share the recording. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. If you enjoyed this podcast, sign up for my newsletter to get notified when new episodes come out. Putting your own pitch together? Read my book Your Ultimate Presentation first.  Finally, don't forget to share this podcast on social media!  

Spirit Bay is a whole new kettle of fish when it comes to real estate marketing. The village, on the southern coast of Vancouver Island in Canada, was developed based on traditional principles of community design: Building light on the land, with homes following the contours of topography – instead of blasting the entire site level, Designing narrow roads with plenty of twists – ensuring slow driving and more walking, Building hundred-year-homes with materials that outlast (by far) those used in other new homes, Tapping renewable heating and cooling using ocean thermal, Working in partnership with the First Nation band that owns the land, to ensure their values are built into the Spirit Bay manifest. Now for the rub. Perception. Spirit Bay is a textbook case of how to get sustainability right, and sometimes wrong, in real estate marketing. It was, for me, a journey with a definite learning curve. I was asked to do a presentation on the marketing of Spirit Bay by the Urban Design Institute. Prior to the presentation, though, I went on the air with Mark Brennae of CFAX to give a preamble to my talk. It was entertaining, to say the least – enjoy! If you like this podcast, please share it with your 5,000 closest friends on social media. And drop me a line at marc@marcstoiber.com - I love listener feedback!

Solar lighting as a brand is beset by misperceptions. People still overwhelmingly believe the lights break, the batteries don’t last, the whole category is a cheap, Home Depot novelty. Winning hearts and minds over to solar may be a big challenge. But the reward for breaking down the misperceptions will be huge. Justin Taverna, co-founder of First Light Technologies, is determined to make First Light that breakthrough brand. I’ve known Justin and his First Light co-founder Sean Bourquin a number of years now. I helped them streamline their brand message then, and I’m helping them figure out how to reach more customers now. Justin and I sat down a short while ago to talk about the evolution of the solar lighting brand, the a-ha moments he’s had, and the brand space he believes First Light can stake in consumers’ minds. If you liked this podcast, make sure to share it with your 5,000 closest friends using the social share buttons on this page. And if you'd like to talk about your brand, drop me a line at marc@marcstoiber.com. 

Quick, name two top tech cities. San Francisco, and, ummm... Exactly. Being a top tech city and being known as a top tech city are two quite different things. I challenge that the difference all comes down to brand. Here in Victoria BC, my hometown, we're blessed with an exploding tech industry. Even better, we have an amazing tech city brand. At least part of that is due to the hard work and creativity of people like Dan Gunn, CEO of VIATEC.  I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Dan and unpack the elements of the Victoria tech brand. Among other things, we dug into... What's in a name - and why Tectoria (the name created as an umbrella for everything from conferences to VIATEC's building) is a great one, The complexities of creating a brand in a city where virtually none of the stakeholders sell their products, The brand power in Fort Tectoria - an HQ that is open to the public as well as VIATEC staffers and stakeholders The connection between tech, spilled wine bottles, and inflatable killer whales, Creating a consistent brand code, and ensuring that code is based on the true personalities that live it, Why orange is cool, The power of metaphors in describing an industry that is often criticized for hyper-complex, unintelligible communication, Origin stories, and why they work for VIATEC the way they worked for Superman, Why people are the best ads, and Why tech industry leaders are coming to Victoria to study how Dan and VIATEC pulled this off. I hope you enjoy the conversation. As you might guess, it's jam-packed with brand information anyone can use - and there's nary a tech term in the entire 30 minutes! If you like my podcast, please share it with your nearest 5,000 friends using the social media buttons conveniently located on this page. Hit 'subscribe'. And make sure to contact me if you want to talk brands - I'm at marc@marcstoiber.com

To me, podcasting is a passion - I simply love bringing guests on who have an interesting perspective on brands, marketing and communication, and I love sharing their ideas with my audience. If someone gives me business because they enjoy my podcast, that's icing on the cake. Nice, but not necessary. So it was very interesting to me to read this story in the New York Times about 'Peak Podcast' - a state where monetization and get-rich-quick podcasting schemes seem to be ruining the industry. Hey, podcasting is about building my brand, but for how long?  To that end, I invited Craig Thomas on my show. Craig does guest relations at CallForContent, a company that helps podcasters get more listeners, grow their show, and all the other noble things podcasting is supposed to do. Over the course of half an hour, Craig and I chatted about the evolution of podcasting, what podcasters absolutely have to get right to succeed (in all senses of the word), and what the future holds. It was an entertaining conversation. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this show, make sure you subscribe to my podcast. And if you want to chat about your brand, drop me a line at marc@marcstoiber.com. 

The Calgary Stampede - the greatest outdoor show on earth - just wrapped up. This year, the show was marred by the tragic deaths of 6 horses in the chuckwagon races, sparking outrage among fans and activists alike.  Is it time for the Calgary Stampede to evolve its brand? Or can it weather the storm? I went on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae to talk about the Stampede's brand, and what elements of a brand need to evolve in order to keep it vibrant, current and prosperous. Enjoy!  If you enjoy this show, please share it with the social buttons on this page - and please subscribe to my podcast on iTunes. 

My journey through the world of marketing has had its fair share of ups, downs, goods, bads and uglies. So when University of Adversity podcast host Lance Essihos dialled me up to relate my stories to his audience, I happily obliged. Our little chat covered a lot of ground. From getting my start as a writer in a country where English wasn't the primary language, to the ad factories of New York, to learning how not to run my own agency, to my current role as brand consultant, we went through it all - and we didn't pull any punches. I hope some of these stories help marketers and entrepreneurs. And if you're neither, there are some pretty fun misadventures to smile at. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it on social media. And sign up for my newsletter to get my insights straight to your inbox. 

On Friday June 21st, the UK enacts a regulation barring gender stereotyping from advertising. It's a noble initiative but, I believe, a futile one. Advertising, to paraphrase Malcolm McLaren, is all about sex. Sex sells. And with sex come stereotypes of gender that are hard, if not difficult to shake without dire implications for the bottom line.  Yes, I believe things will improve. They've already dramatically improved. But legislation will not eliminate stereotypes.  In this interview with CFAX's Mark Brennae, we explore the journey of gender stereotypes in advertising - from the abysmal 60's to today - and try to find the path forward into the future. It's an entertaining conversation. Enjoy! If you liked this podcast, please share it on social media. And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my insights straight to your inbox. 

There's never a shortage of great marketing and brand-related stories. But we really hit the jackpot the last little while. So I went on the air with Mark Brennae of CFAX to talk about it. First, what's up with Drake? Is he the new Toronto Raptors mascot, or a genius marketer? If you haven't been paying attention, the rapper is front and centre at Raptors games, and his visibility has gone through the roof during the playoffs. How much exposure is too much? Which brand benefits, and which brand pays? It's all in the first half of my show with Mark.  Second, the EU election happened yesterday, and the results were certainly not what populists were expecting. But had anyone really paid attention to the complex worldviews of euro-constituents, the rise of the Greens may have made perfect sense. Worldview thinking is something we marketers do as a matter of course. I talk about it during the second half of my show with Mark.  Did you enjoy this show? Do me a huge favour and spread the love with the social media buttons onscreen. Truly appreciate it. Oh, and if you'd like more brand and marketing content from me, subscribe to my newsletter!

The other day, I was strolling through Costco, and saw McDonald's coffee pods on sale. I was amazed - not so long ago, I was working on the McDonald's account as a creative director and writer, and the coffee was our Achilles' Heel.  How did they do it? I mean, people were now not only ordering java at McCafes, they were buying the stuff to take home.  To answer this question (and gaze into the McDonald's crystal ball) I sat down for a chat with my friend - and former McDonald's marketer - Brad Gamble. Brad and I have known one another for 20 years...which made the conversation casual, and fun to listen to.  Enjoy! If you like this podcast, drop me a line (marc@marcstoiber.com) and let me know. As well, don't forget to share this episode on social media. And hey, if you never want to miss out, subscribe to my newsletter. 

Today was a big one. First, Tiger Woods made sporting history with one of the greatest comebacks of all time. What implications were there for Nike, the brand that has stuck by Tiger through thick and thin - and what does this say about the role of brands in teaching us integrity?  By the way, it's estimated Nike made $22,540,000 with Tiger's win. Meditate on that a moment.  In a VERY unrelated story, Donald Trump tweeted advice to Boeing, makers of the beleaguered 737 Max aircraft. According to Trump's tweet, making good on the terrible deaths of hundreds of crash victims would be as simple as fixing up the problems with the aircraft, putting in some great new features, and rebranding it. Soooooo, what should Boeing do with that advice?  Those are the stories I went on the air with today, chatting with CFAX's Mark Brennae. The conversation was lively, to put it mildly. Enjoy! If you enjoy this interview, please share. Hey, sharing is caring. Also, make sure to sign up for my newsletter. And would it hurt to write? You never write. The neighbours are wondering how you're doing. 

A few days ago, the hallowed halls of elite colleges like Yale, Stanford and USC were blown apart with news that wealthy parents had paid college entry 'consultant' Rick Singer upwards of $25 million to short circuit the admissions process for their children.  Buying entry into great schools is nothing new: the most famous example is Jarred Kushner, whose parents paid millions to have their scion attend the school.  What's new here is that Singer told the parents they could do the scam for far less money, and he could guarantee the results.  To me, this is a classic status brand story - people doing anything and everything to attain ethereal status, and brands stepping in to fill their void. So I went on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae to dissect the story, and provide a checklist of how to create a status brand. Enjoy! If you enjoy this podcast, make sure to share it on social media, and subscribe to my newsletter!

This past week, hockey commentator and icon Don Cherry took the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes to task, calling them a 'bunch of jerks' for celebrating their wins post-game with silly pantomimes. The Hurricanes, far from being cowed by Cherry's curmudgeonly comment, printed 'Bunch of Jerks' shirts and embraced the moniker as part of their brand.  This is classic pirate brand (or outlaw brand) behaviour: taking the status quo and turning it on its head.  Often, the pirate brand isn't intentional. Harley Davidson wasn't always the brand of outlaws and rebels. But the art of listening to your constituents, then giving their sentiments a creative twist, can lead to powerful results. Another brand that might find itself in pirate territory? Canada. As a Canuck, I've often bemoaned our stereotypical 'nice guy' image - until the age of Trump. This comes to light in a recent Family Guy episode, where Peter Griffin and Donald Trump beat each other to a pulp - only to be saved from themselves by dapper Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Turns out, being conciliatory and collaborative might be a more powerful brand than we thought! For more on this, check out this podcast - an interview I did on CFAX with Mark Brennae. Enjoy!   If you enjoy this interview, please pass it along on social media. And subscribe for more!

A short time ago, Gillette waded into the social commentary sphere, releasing a long format ad counselling men to 'Be Better' and stand up to issues like bullying.  The ad prompted an outcry, with negative comments outweighing good. It has since been dissected by prominent journals including The Guardian and Forbes, to name just two.  Is it a razor manufacturer's job to tell men how to behave? Should brands stick to selling instead of taking a stand? Where are the guidelines for taking the right path?  To dissect a few of these issues, I went on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae. Enjoy the conversation!  If you enjoy this interview, please pass it along on social media. And subscribe for more!

Tessa McLoughlin has a gift for creating incredible community and creativity in the workspaces she designs. Now, the founder of Club Kwench is taking it to the next level. She's creating the next wave of workspaces, with her Culture Club concept space.  Sitting down with Tessa, I got big insights on the recipe to successful co-working (hint: it's more than open areas, hot desks and a kitchen); why co-working spaces at leading tech companies often fall flat, despite looking brilliant from the outside; how to create cross-pollination critical to the success of small (and large) companies; and what the future holds for workspaces.  Enjoy the interview. And if you're in Victoria in the new year, check out the new Club Kwench in the Phillips Brewery block  - I can guarantee you haven't seen anything like this before.  If you enjoy this interview, please pass it along on social media. And subscribe for more!  

Today was a busy day in the news. ExxonMobil was in hot water again - this time for creative accounting that conned investors; migrants were turned away from the US border with tear gas; Facebook was called to the carpet in the UK as part of the ongoing data selling fiasco; a judge ruled that the lawsuit against the Trump Foundation could proceed; and the Ivanka Trump email scandal ratcheted up a notch, with two Republican Senators demanding an investigation.  Soooooooo, what did all this have to do with brands? Each story, for different reasons, reflected a phenomenon called brand betrayal - a condition far more gut felt than your average disappointment when a burger doesn't taste great, or your soda has lost its fizz.  I went on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae to talk about the brand betrayal, and how to avoid it.  If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.   

Today in the NY Times, Third Love CEO Heidi Zak posted a full page ad bemoaning the regressive thinking of Victoria's Secret CMO Ed Razek.  The ad seemed to encapsulate the plight of so many brands that were having trouble adapting in today's rapidly morphing marketplace.  Long story short - it seemed like a great reason to go on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae and unpack the laundry, so to speak. Enjoy!  If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

I love pulling together tangents that don't obviously belong together. That's why, in honour of Halloween (yesterday) I did a bit of research into the correlation between fear and brand thinking.  Crazy? Actually, I was surprised by how MUCH correlation there was.  If you want the whole story, check out this interview. I spent an hour on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae, going through everything from the Marquis de Sade and the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake to why people reach for a Coke in a slasher movie.  Fascinating stuff! Enjoy... If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

Today, Sears filed for Chapter 11.  It's the end of a powerful story in retail, innovation, and brand building.  It's also a story about the evolution of brands, and how brands lose their way.  To talk about the demise of Sears, creative destruction, and the brand heir to the Sears throne, I went on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae. Enjoy the conversation!  If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

The gap between marketing and sales is toxic and timeless.  Here's the old trope. Marketing folks determine what the message is (too often guided by asinine insights from focus groups), then throw it over the fence to the sales folks. Sales folks grumble that marketing is disconnected from consumers, while marketing grumbles that sales  doesn't 'honour' the brand.  Stop the insanity.  In this episode, I chat with Dominick Cappuccilli, founder of The Clean Sell, about bridging the gap and building brands around sales drivers. Essential listening for anyone who wants to build a compelling brand, and still sell like crazy. 

There are some brand issues that never lose relevance, never go out of fashion, never get 'fixed'. Positioning is at the top of the heap. No matter how shiny your technology, or how brilliant your analytics, lack of proper positioning can still sewer your brand.  In the spirit of public service (and good natured fun) I went on the air with Mark Brennae at CFAX to talk about positioning, and how everyone - butcher, baker, candlestick maker - can build a better business with it.  If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

Last week, Nike launched a monumental ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. With the rallying cry Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything the campaign took a bold political stance and - I would argue -  threw down the gauntlet at the Tweeter in Chief, Donald Trump.  It worked. After an initial dip on the stock market, Nike sales are up 31%.  But this begs the question: should a shoe company court political controversy to sell sneakers?  I went on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae to discuss why this move was 100% true to Nike's brand. As well, we chatted about the sort of brand attributes that align with bold, risky moves, and discussed famous fails in this area.  Enjoy the conversation! If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

Didn't See It Coming usually digs into brands that are breaking new ground. But are there basics that brands really need to stick to?  I brought aboard entrepreneur, futurist and brand consultant Jim Bottomley to chat about brand fundamentals - and much more. Check out this fast-paced free-for-all chat for some invaluable nuggets on what brand basics you need to protect to succeed.  If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

This week, politics took a turn for the surreal as US President Trump kowtowed before Russian President Putin in Helsinki.  What is the allure of Putin? And why are we witnessing the proliferation of authoritarian leaders around the world?  Looking behind the headlines, I saw unmistakable corollations between politicians like Putin, and powerful brands. Drawing this comparison enabled me to explain our irrational attraction to people who exude control and powerful decisiveness, even when we know that these politicians - like the brands of cigarettes, junk food and alcohol - are ultimately going to harm us.  I went on the air at CFAX Radio the day of the Helsinki bombshell, and chatted about the connection between powerful brands and authoritarian strongmen. Enjoy!  

Today, Roseanne Barr had her show cancelled by ABC because of her Twitter tirade (smearing, among others, Valerie Jarrett, Chelsea Clinton, the Muslim Brotherhood and George Soros).  Is ABC simply running away from the disaster? Or is human decency, and its implications for a decent company culture, dictating a new responsibility for corporations that want to succeed?  In this interview with CFAX's Mark Brennae, I dissect what could be a very good shift in the brand of the 'good company'.  If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

The big ad agencies are falling like dinosaurs, replaced by small, hungry gig economy 'mammals'.  But how does a small gig economy worker build a brand when the economy for their services is all about bidding wars and aggregation on curator sites like Upwork and 99 Designs? Nathan Hirsch is the 28 year old CEO and Founder of FreeeUp, a rapidly rising player in the online talent business. And he definitely has an opinion on how the new generation of freelancer can build an authentic brand to stand out more effectively. Hope you enjoy our lively conversation! If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

Infographics are the simplification antidote to the data firehose.But anyone who has tried to construct an infographic quickly learns it isn't the graphics that make the difference. It's the art of reduction, organization, and discipline. So where do you start? With my interview with Venngage's  Midori Nediger. If you like this interview, make sure to get my insights straight to your inbox by subscribing.  And don't forget to download my new, free e-book Stop Busting Your Brand!

One of my all-time favorite shoe designers, John Fluevog, is rumoured to be leaving the company he founded and built over the past 40 years.  When ANY founder leaves, it can be bumpy for the brand. But when that someone is Fluevog, whose design ethos defined the company, the brand can be in for a VERY rough ride in uncharted waters.  So how does a brand survive the departure (or death) of an iconic founder? I thought it would make for a great conversation. So I went on the air and chatted with CFAX radio's Mark Brennae about it.  Hope you enjoy the interview! If you like this podcast, don't forget to subscribe to hear all my latest episodes. And while you're at it, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter to get my Insights straight to your inbox. Finally, please leave a positive comment in iTunes. It means the world to me. 

I've known Heidi Ehlers for many years. She started as an advertising copywriter, became a recruiter for creative talent and (after a few more career iterations) has found an in-demand calling as the career coach for the creative class.  What fascinates me about Heidi (and provides rich material for our regular catch-up calls) is the psychology of creative professionals. They preach bold innovation, but often find it hard to embrace uncertainties and risk. They talk brand brand brand, but have a difficult time building their own brand. The contradictions are legion.  I finally decided to hit 'record' the last time we spoke. I'm sure you'll find the conversation entertaining, and a revealing glimmer into the quirky soul of the creative type.  If you enjoy this podcast, don't forget to subscribe to hear all my latest episodes. And while you're at it, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter to get my Insights straight to your inbox. 

I just finished my second stint consulting for a marijuana company. As luck would have it, this coincided with my regular slot chatting with Mark Brennae of CFAX radio.  So Mark and I had a great conversation on the dilemmas - and opportunities - in store for marijuana companies trying to set themselves apart, and lock in loyal consumers. If you enjoy this podcast, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter to get my Insights straight to your inbox. 

A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to cross paths with ConveYour co-founder Isaac Tolpin. Isaac and his partner had invented a solution to a very big, frustrating pain point for me - how to create a better online course? A course that people actually cared about, and would finish? (Remember, even Ivy League online courses have a drop out rate of about 90%!) Isaac and I did a podcast together. I was so taken by the conversation that I dropped my current online course platform, and started building my new SpeechDIY course on ConveYour. Fast forward to today. I've actually gotten my hands dirty building the SpeechDIY online course. And I definitely have some insights to share with Isaac and my listeners. That's why I convinced Isaac to come aboard for a series of 'check-in' podcasts where we could talk about what I'd done with my course, and more important what I could do better.  Hope you enjoy this first update! As a brand strategy expert, successful entrepreneur, and award-winning author, Marc Stoiber uses simplicity and creativity to help people discover what’s awesome about their business… and then helps them tell the world. For more on creating your company’s value proposition, connect with Marc on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and sign up to his monthly newsletter.  

I have a confession to make. For the better part of a year, I've been struggling to translate my brand knowledge into meaningful online education. I know, I know, I've helped other people create great online learning brands  (my latest project - Family Sparks). I have my courses structured and scripted - BrandDIY, SpeechDIY, PitchDIY and CEOBrandDIY are all ready to roll. But somehow, something's been standing in my way. I suspect it's the dreaded fear of being boring. We've all suffered through enough boring classes to know we don't want to subject our students to that sort of torture. Turns out, boring is a very real problem. Even Ivy League schools report that their online courses have an 80% dropout rate. It seems we simply haven't figured out how to make online learning engaging. So, when I was introduced to Isaac Tolpin - expert in online education psychology and co-founder of ConveyYour.com - I jumped at the chance to interview him. If you listen to the podcast, I think you'll hear I was like a kid in a candy store. Isaac had all the answers I was looking for. He really fired me up. So much so, in fact, that I did something on the spur of the moment that I've never done before: I offered to do an ongoing series of podcasts with Isaac where we share updates on my course creation, and he coaches me on how to make my teaching better. So that's in the works. Stay tuned. In the meantime, however, check out this podcast. I hope you find Isaac as inspiring and enlightening as I did. As a brand strategy expert, successful entrepreneur, and award-winning author, Marc Stoiber uses simplicity and creativity to help people discover what’s awesome about their business… and then helps them tell the world. For more on creating your company’s value proposition, connect with Marc on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and sign up to his monthly newsletter.  

Didn't See It Coming usually explores brands that learn from the past, look to the future, and profit because of it today. But every once in a while, you meet someone who has such a terrific story, you have to bend the rules a bit.  Not that Damion Lupo doesn't have an awesome personal brand. It's just that, well, in his case, defining him as a brand seems to miss the point. Damion has learned from an often tumultuous life how to let definitions like 'brand' fall away as he seeks to help people overcome their addiction to accumulation. Ironically, by doing so, he often empowers them to succeed beyond their expectations.  Check out our conversation on aikido, Bali, skateboarding, doing what you want, real estate, retiring with millions, and how to get past yourself...enjoy! As a brand strategy expert, successful entrepreneur, and award-winning author, Marc Stoiber uses simplicity and creativity to help people discover what’s awesome about their business… and then helps them tell the world. For more on creating your company’s value proposition, connect with Marc on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and sign up to his monthly newsletter.   Want to try building your own powerful brand to create an unfair business advantage? Try out Marc’s Brand DIY Course – available now.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to a group of solopreneurs and small businesspeople on the importance of standing out from the competition. More important, I took them through a simple process for discovering their Unique Selling Proposition, and making that the foundation of their brand.  I had my recorder with me, which means I can share the learnings with you. Enjoy! And please, if you enjoy this show, please sign up for my podcast on iTunes, so you never miss an episode. 

Not long ago, my wife pointed out that the Christmas shopping season was now not only infringing on Thanksgiving - but even Halloween! What next? Would we be doing our Christmas shopping in July?  Is this hypermarketing of Christmas a new phenomenon, or a tradition? I went on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae to chat about some Christmas marketing that has been with us a surprisingly long time. Enjoy!

I recently had the opportunity to deliver a keynote at Social Media Camp. Instead of just talking about social, though, I decided to take it a step further - I partnered with a local company and helped them create a social media campaign, which I then described in the talk.  Make sure to check out the company I partnered with - The Beam Restaurant. You'll be able to see our work firsthand!  And if you're curious about the TEDx talk I reference in the speech - Mark Shapiro's Birthday Experiment - you'll find it here.  Enjoy!  

A short while ago, I had the opportunity to coach a group of CEO's who wanted to craft TED-calibre speeches. Even better, we got to host our two day workshop at a wonderful fishing resort on the rugged coast of BC. Listen in as I describe the full experience, from nervous preparation to proud presentations!

For most marketers, cutting through the noise with their brand message is a big concern. But even if your message gets to its audience, there's no guarantee they'll absorb it.  This speech, delivered September 28th 2017 to a group of financial managers, describes how our 'lizard brain' blocks seemingly valuable messages. More important, it illustrates how to create messaging that is 'lizardproof'.  Hope you enjoy the talk as much as the audience did. 

Recently, two Victoria BC groups tried to garner publicity with stunts - and failed miserably. The first, Fresh Coast Eatery, took to Instagram with a photo that was derided as fat shaming, in order to promote its healthy cuisine. The second, a stunt promoting a local comedy show, subjected white males to ticket prices double those of non-white males and females - allegedly to put the spotlight on white male privilege.  What might they have done differently? I got on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae to discuss the do's and don't's of publicity stunts. 

On August 21st, the world witnessed a stunning solar eclipse. Also on August 21st, I was scheduled to chat marketing on the air with CFAX's Mark Brennae. It only seemed natural to connect the two. But what exactly is the connection between eclipses and marketing? Turns out, there are more than you might imagine.  We humans crave stability and control over our environments. In ancient times, eclipses (along with earthquakes and other natural disasters) robbed us of that control. We turned to our gods to make it all right again. Today, not much has changed. But instead of gods, we worship at the temple of consumption. Not surprisingly, many savvy marketers (our new high priests) have given us tools they say will help us control our increasingly chaotic world.   

I'm a firm believer in the power of USP's, or Unique Selling Propositions. USP's are, simply put, the intersection of what you think your brand does best, and what consumers believe it does best.  But how do you ask consumers what they see in your brand? And more important, how do you ask them if your brand's special sauce appeals to them?  In this episode, I dig into some of the tried and true methods I use to get the great insights.  I also bring aboard Neil Belenkie for additional perspective. Neil's business is helping companies position themselves for sale, or investment. In essence, he helps them discover their USP, and leverage that for great business results. Check out our conversation to get some inspiration for your own USP explorations!