The Good Brand Podcast

B2B tech is booming. But most of the branding? Dull, confused, and disconnected from what actually drives growth. In this episode, Stewart, Chris, and Julie dig into Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape - our new report that finally puts it all in one place.We call out the common traps tech brands fall into, from undervaluing brand to putting creativity in a box. We explain why branding isn't just about logos and how poor positioning undermines even the best products. Whether you're trying to launch something new or make sense of stagnation, this one's for you.Download the report. But start here.

Join the Good Brand Consultants team as they tackle the challenging intersection of AI and brand positioning. The episode dives into why companies rush to label their products as "AI-powered" and examines more effective ways to communicate technological innovation to customers.Through practical examples and industry insights, we explore how brands can move beyond superficial tech trends to deliver real customer value. They share experiences from their consulting work, discuss the evolution from Web 2.0 to AI, and highlight successful approaches like Notion's "talk to your notes" that effectively communicate complex technology's benefits.Part of the Good Brand Podcast series, this episode offers essential insights for marketers, brand strategists, and business leaders navigating the AI landscape. Featuring Julie Murdoch and Chris Lumsden alongside Stewart Steel.Take a look at our original AI article.

In this episode, we're tackling a common challenge faced by B2B companies: why sales prospects often miss the full value of what's being offered. We break down how to move beyond feature lists to communicate real business value, sharing practical insights into brand positioning and sales effectiveness. Whether you're in tech, services, or manufacturing, this discussion will help you sharpen your value proposition and connect with decision-makers more effectively. No problem.

Chris, Julie and Stewart dive into one of the most common challenges businesses face: how to communicate their brand consistently across different channels, regions, and markets. If you're struggling with presenting a cohesive brand image across various platforms and regions, this episode offers pragmatic advice on navigating these challenges without losing sight of your brand's core identity. We cover: 1. Inconsistencies in Branding: How inconsistency in messaging and visuals can confuse customers and dilute brand trust. 2. Challenges with Guidelines: Exploring why brand guidelines often get overlooked and how businesses can maintain discipline to stay consistent. 3. The Impact of Growing Business Complexity: Discussing how brands can adapt to changing landscapes while still maintaining a unified image, especially as they expand into different markets and channels. 4. Centralised vs. Regional Control: How the degree of autonomy given to regional teams impacts brand consistency. 5. Practical Solutions: Tips on investing in high-quality assets, setting up effective guidelines, and revisiting them regularly to reflect current realities.Have a read at our original article on Good's Website.

In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, hosts, Chris Lumsden, and Julie Murdoch and Stewart Steel dive into the challenges of managing complex product portfolios in B2B businesses. They running through:The unintentional growth of product ranges and how it leads to confusionKey statistics on B2B buying journeys and decision-making processesThe impact of complicated portfolios on sales and customer experienceStrategies for simplifying product offerings without alienating existing customersThe role of brand architecture in organizing and presenting product linesBalancing the needs of different stakeholders when streamlining product rangesThe importance of focusing on core products and communicating value effectivelyWe share insights on how businesses can bring their expanding product ranges under control, improve customer navigation, and optimise their offerings for better sales outcomes. This episode is part of a series discussing common branding challenges, with a focus on B2B tech companies and product-led organisations. You can read the original article at on the Good website. 

Going through a brand refresh is fraught with challenges. We talk about what you should and shouldn't do. This is based on an article that is on our website that talks about some of the enquiries that we get in to the business. You can read more at:https://www.wearegood.com/articles/digging-business-trends

The theory around brand architecture is well documented. What's missing in those discussions is what happens in practice. When you decide that it's time to restructure your product portfolio, how can you avoid the big mistakes and bring your colleagues with you on the brand architecture journey?

We chat with Mike Hunter, our associate design director here at Good, about the dos and don'ts when it comes to what many businesses see as the end of the brand process, the brand guidelines. Mike wrote an article on brand guidelines that you can read through at your leisure on the Good website. 

Stewart's in the US! Chris is at home! Julie is at home! Using the power of cables and satellites, the team got together to talk about product positioning, the value that it brings to businesses and how brand helps bring it together. A blog post for you that goes into more detail on positioning: Perfect Your Product Positioning

We're not playing around, we're diving deep into the trenches of practical brand strategy. Forget leads and ops; we're talking about the meaty stuff that keeps CMOs up at night. From the pitfalls of short-term gains to the seismic shifts in business models, we explore why some companies are winning battles but losing the war. And we've got a guest to share these war stories. Ryan Schultz, a seasoned marketer and friend of Good, shares tales of brand triumphs and tragedies and why it takes a special kind of leadership to truly make an impact and lead in today's crazy brand landscape. If you're tired of marketing automation and yearn for brand strategy with substance, come on in.

Yes, we've changed the name of the podcast. We're being more descriptive. We'll talk about it a wee bit on the next podcast. But in this barnstormer, Chris researched the brand values on B2B websites. He was underwhelmed. So, what's the point of having them? And can we make them better? We chat it through. It gets deep. Here's the article that Chris wrote with all the facts and figures:The Value of Brand Values.

In this episode, we tackle the issue of 'brand confusion' and its impact on sales. We discuss how an overly complex product portfolio can create hurdles for both customers and sales teams. We delve into the importance of simplifying your product architecture to enhance customer understanding and expedite the sales process. All in 28 minutes. Boom!Here's a link to the original article:  What to do when your sales team stop selling

We work with private equity businesses that understand the value of a clearly articulated brand. And then we see the vast majority just ignoring it. We don't know why. So we decided to talk about it.Chris's article on LinkedIn: Why do Private Equity firms ignore the role of brand in creating value?

We've been looking into the world of business to business tech firms, and we've noticed some patterns in how they deal with brand that could be losing value in their business. We discuss. Here's a link to the story about the Magic Porridge Pot.And here's a link to the story that inspired this episode: Brand mistakes made by B2B Tech firms.

Your competition is another company; it's the status quo. We explain more on this month's podcast. You can read the original article on our website. 

Take a look at the article we wrote about running a brand workshop. 

We hope you enjoyed this podcast about brand mission, have a look at the article that kicked this discussion off.  Setting out your Brand Mission

Here's a link to the original article on the Good website. Why Brands need a Serious Brand Strategy. 

Here's the article that Chris wrote: Creating the vision for your brand.

Here's the article that inspired our podcast.Do you need a brand purpose?

The Brand Strategy is Business Strategy article on the Good website. All our other articles on the Good website are for your reading pleasure.  

Here's the article that Chris wrote: Sustainability Disclosure Requirements: What it means for brands.

A link to our brand definition example.The best article on the Internet: BRAND ONIONS!Our podcast where we talk about brand values. 

Here are some links to some articles mentioned in our cheeky podcast.Why content is more important than brandContent Strategy and Why You Need One

Article against brand love : Can't Buy Me Brand LoveArticle for brand love: How to make People Love Your Brand

Have a look at the article that inspired our podcast. 

A couple of reference articles that we talk through...Article on the Good Site. Apple's Spring Forward event

HI EVERYONE! Here are the links that we mention in the podcast.An introduction to the Clarity Reports.The Clarity Report section on our website.What do you think? What are we missing? What do you want to know more about? We're really interested in your thoughts. Let us know by emailing us at clarity@wearegood.com. Really, have a look and let us know. 

Here's a link to the article that Chris wrote:https://www.wearegood.com/articles/branding-algorithmGood, no?

No notes this week. Not really any chapters either. Do you use them? We'd love to know. Anyway, here's an article Chris wrote about luxury branding...Luxury Branding Should Just be Branding.Take care.

Here are the articles on the Good site that goes along with the podcast.Avoiding the Brand BollocksWhy Brand Onions Don't WorkEnjoy, take care, and enjoy 2021. 

Recorded around the beginning of November 2020 hence the not overly topical US election chat.  We don't seem to have any show notes this time. But we've written a lot of digital and brand on the Good website.Take care of each other.   

The Good New Client Engagement PolicyBlair EnnsLet us know what you think about this podcast. Drop us a line at goodroundup@wearegood.com

We've got articles on the Good site for all sort of brand-related topics, here's one on content strategy. We also have a newsletter we send out once a month, much more professional than this carry on. We'd love you to sign up.  The nights are fair drawing in. Take care of each other. Baby, baby, baby, I'm your man.

Good Strategy/Bad StrategyGoogle's Messy Middle ReportStop The Digital Doing on the Good Website

Articles on the Good website:How many products does a brand need?Time to Review Your Brand ArchitectureBrand Architecture - Don't forget the due diligenceDefining your brand architecture - more information on Devro

Why brand onions don't work https://www.wearegood.com/articles/why-brand-onions-don-t-workThe Choice Factoryhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Choice-Factory-behavioural-biases-influence/dp/085719609X/ref=sr_1_1Planning Dirty Academyhttps://www.planningdirty.com

You can read a quick article on the 5 points of brand leadership on our site.More on the Long and Short

Here are the links for this podcast, you're most welcome. Brand Building Basics74% of sales go to the business that was most usefulThe Good Newsletter SignupKerning the Gap

Kerning the Gap: https://www.kerningthegap.comOn Twitter: https://twitter.com/kerningthegapOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerningthegapOn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerningthegapOn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8356469/

We know Stewart said he'd put something in the show notes but he couldn't find it again. He promises he did see it but he just can't find it. He is a clown.

We have no show notes. That's ok. 

No show notes. You're welcome. 

Really interesting insight: David Baker WebinarDavid Baker DBA Webinar RegistrationWe're not saying that we have any great insights to share on what's going on, we're all going through this together in real time but if you want to reach out for a chat we're happy to talk.Chris's LinkedInJulie's LinkedInStewart on TwitterTake care.  

Good, a brand consultancy.Direct Line understands the power of characters in unlocking branded recallThat's it really. If you want to point out any nonsense or get any clarity, email us at hello@wearegood.com

Reporting:  https://wearegood.com/articles/getting-started-reportingBrand Architecture: https://wearegood.com/articles/brand-architecture-don-t-forget-due-diligenceGetting the best from your agency: https://wearegood.com/articles/getting-best-your-agencyDigiDay: The Planning Process has gone out the window : https://digiday.com/marketing/planning-process-gone-window-confessions-agency-exec-lack-client-accountability/AMV BT Pitch: https://davedye.com/2019/04/11/pitch-david-abbott-bt/BT “It's Good to Talk” Ads:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnHQp2ukDD4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtyn1jJajjI