Podcasts about brands

In this episode of The GaryVee Audio Experience, I sit down on Social Currency for a wide-ranging interview on 20 years of creating content. We get into why social media is dead and interest media is the new reality, why quantity isn't debatable, and the "and not or" doctrine I keep coming back to with AI and IRL. I share how staying in my lane builds confidence on camera, why technology is undefeated and you can't squeeze the tomato through the internet, the 15/85 system that's running my career right now, and why analog businesses are the 1965 play of 2036.You'll learn about:• Why Social Media Is Dead and Interest Media Is Winning• Why Confidence Comes From Staying In Your Lane• Quantity vs. Quality (And Why Quantity Isn't Debatable)• The And-Not-Or Doctrine for AI + IRL• Why Technology Is Undefeated• The 15/85 Operating System• Why Analog Businesses Are the 1965 Play of 2036• Brands as Media Companies First

George Washington is perhaps the most familiar figure in American history. But most people really only know the image of him they see in marble statues and patriotic paintings. Behind those symbols was a real man: ambitious, self-taught, intensely concerned with honor, and constantly wrestling with the immense responsibilities history placed on his shoulders.In celebration of America's 250th birthday, we're taking an extended look at the life of the man more responsible than anyone else for the nation's founding. Here to unpack that life for us is H.W. Brands, a historian and the author of a new biography of Washington, American Patriarch. Brands traces Washington's journey from a young Virginia surveyor to military commander, founding father, and first president. Along the way, we discuss how Washington's upbringing shaped his character, why he became a surprisingly effective military leader despite losing more battles than he won, how he held together a fragile revolutionary army, how he shaped the presidency through the precedents he set, and whether a leader like Washington could still succeed today.Resources Related to the PodcastH.W.'s previous appearances on the AoM podcast:Episode #696: Theodore Roosevelt, The Last RomanticEpisode #908: Would You Have Been a Patriot or a Loyalist?AoM Podcast #223: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and Valiant AmbitionAoM Podcast #366: Teach Yourself Like George WashingtonAoM Podcast #719: The Surprising Pessimism of America's Founding FathersAoM Article: George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and ConversationConnect With H.W. BrandsH.W. on SubstackH.W.'s faculty page 00:00 Introduction01:53 About the book American Patriarch03:03 Washington's childhood & Virginia gentry upbringing06:54 Self-education, surveying, and early ambition11:47 First military mission to the Ohio country17:11 The French and Indian War & Washington's baptism under fire24:44 Washington marries Martha Custis33:57 Washington takes command of the Continental Army40:17 Military strategy: how Washington won by not losing46:41 Holding the army together at Valley Forge55:57 Washington as first president & setting precedents1:09:56 The Farewell Address & legacy1:10:15 What Washington teaches us todaySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every year at Cannes Lions, the advertising world takes stock of itself — what's working, what's not, and what it's pretending not to notice. Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder joins Rapid Response live from the festival to cut through the noise. She breaks down the industry's complicated relationship with AI, weighs in on the hottest and most overrated campaigns of the year including sharp takes on Nike, Adidas, and Starbucks, and explains why the path from CMO to CEO is suddenly the most interesting career move in business. Treseder also gets candid about the brand of Elon Musk post-IPO, what Autodesk's $350 million investment in the next generation of workers actually signals, and what separates a brand collaboration that breaks through from one that just breaks.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The tech crew at Escape Collective have been paying close attention to the progression toward 32in wheels in gravel and mountain bike, and while the conversation has come up a few times, it felt time to dedicate some real time to the topic.This week, Escape tech staffers Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin, and Alex Hunt chat about 32ers in the news, whether the UCI's potential involvement will slow things, and if a new wheel size is of positive net gain for the wider industry. In addition to big wheels, the geeks also talk about some other new products. Meanwhile, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench, the weekly segment where our members' technical questions get answered.Time stamps:  00:02:15 - 32ers in the news  00:03:00 - Thömus gets the first World Cup podium  00:07:00 - Canyon's Lux Era concept  00:10:20 - A few big wheels at Spoken  00:12:30 - The UCI's involvement  00:23:00 - Brands preparing for the next big thing 00:28:30 - Complications in 32er suspension  00:36:00 - It's a high-risk time for more stock  00:39:30 - Cheaper bikes will be worse  00:42:00 - Why didn't it start with gravel bikes?  00:49:00 - Wolf Tooth's lower cost range of products  00:51:50 - Black Inc's new Hyper wheels. So many carbon spokes 00:59:00 - Ask a Wrench with Colin Williams (members only)  01:01:00 - Should you service new suspension and talking bushing clearances  01:14:24 - Fighting stuck tubeless tyres. How to deal with them on the trail?  01:26:00 - A recall-related question 

One brand is preparing for a regulatory shakeup. Another just landed in Target with $24 million in fresh capital. The Taste Radio hosts discuss BRĒZ's bet on a future beyond THC, Stars & Honey's leap from DTC success to a nationwide Target launch, and how brands are reinventing Shirley Temples, protein bars, and Rice Krispie treats for a new generation of consumers. Show notes: 0:20: Fancy Talk. Strategizing For A Ban. E-Comm Insights. Why Buy? Shirley A Hot Trend. Aye, Captain. –  Ray highlights the upcoming Summer Fancy Food Show and Taste Radio's Elevator Talk series before the hosts shift to a conversation about the challenges facing cannabis beverage brand BRĒZ. They discuss looming federal regulations that could severely restrict THC products and the company's efforts to expand with non-infused adaptogen beverages. The conversation then turns to protein bar brand Stars & Honey, which secured a nationwide Target launch and a $24 million investment from VMG Partners after spending years refining its direct-to-consumer business. The hosts discuss the brand's growth strategy, product positioning, and the broader appeal of flavor-forward protein bars. They also sample protein bar brand Samsara, praising its South Asian-inspired flavors, clean ingredient profile, and emphasis on taste over traditional nutrition-focused messaging. The hosts then discuss GT's Synergy Shirley Temple kombucha collaboration with Cheribundi, spotlight Lil' Bucks' buckwheat-based snack bars and note the rise of better-for-you alternatives to classic Rice Krispie treats. The episode wraps with a look at Protein Pints' new Protein Pops and a lighthearted farewell to longtime BevNET team member and "Sample Captain" Colin Segrue as he relocates from Boston to the New York area. Brands in this episode: BRĒZ, Stars & Honey, Neutonic, Cann, Trip, Celsius, Olipop, Samsara, Mezcla, MOSH, GT's Living Foods, Cheribundi, Lil' Bucks, BTR Nation, Protein Pints

Ross McGraw has had one of the more interesting career arcs in the outdoor industry — from Nike's NYC Run program to Vice Media and Viacom, to helping build Hammerhead through its acquisition by SRAM, and now leading commercial efforts at CORE, the company changing how elite athletes think about heat. In this conversation, Ross breaks down the science of heat training in plain language — why 80% of the energy athletes generate is thermal, how heat zones work, and why the world's best cyclists and runners are training in heat suits before major races. He also gets into what it felt like to go from being a cog in a media machine to betting on himself in sports tech, why triathlon taught him more about business than any corporate job, and how to know when you're doing the "social run" version of your career. Show Notes: Popfly for Brands: https://popf.ly/secondnaturebrands Popfly for Athletes/Creators: https://popf.ly/secondnaturecreators Ross McGraw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossmcgraw/ CORE: https://corebodytemp.com/ CORE Heat Suit: https://corebodytemp.com/products/core-suit CORE Heat Zones: https://help.corebodytemp.com/en/articles/10447111-heat-zones Hammerhead: https://shop.sram.com/pages/hammerhead Zwift Bike: https://us.zwift.com/collections/equipment/products/zwift-ride-smart-frame Wahoo Software Update: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/wahoo-elemnt-firmware-update-2026 BPC - Brand, Product, Content: World Cup - Adidas ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJJY53qhJe0 Breathe (Book): https://amzn.to/4eBoX0f Respire Mouth Tape: https://respire.com/ Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

My co-host Ken Suzan and I are welcoming you the episode 176 of the IP Fridays Podcast. Today's interview guest is returning guest Franklin Graves, who is a senior counsel at Linkedin and teaching IP law at Emerson College. With my co-host Ken Suzan he is discussing how the law for creators has dramatically changed in the past years. Franklin Graves is expressing his personal views and not the views of Linkedin or Microsoft. He is talking about the paper “Upload Complete” before he joined Linkedin. Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklingraves/ Paper: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5271442 Website: https://creatoreconomylaw.com/ But before we jump into this interview, I have news for you! Richard Meade, a judge on the UK High Court and one of the most prominent figures in European patent law, was appointed Lord Justice of Appeal at the British Court of Appeal on June 12, 2026. Meade played a key role in numerous landmark British patent decisions, particularly in the area of standard-essential patents (SEPs) and FRAND licenses. In Insulet Corp. v. EOFlow Co., No. 2025-1807, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit completely overturned the original $452 million judgment (which had already been reduced by the District Court to $59.4 million) in favor of Insulet. In its decision of June 2, 2026, in the case of Fujifilm v. Kodak, the UPC Board of Appeal provided comprehensive clarifications regarding so-called “long-arm jurisdiction”—that is, the question of whether the UPC can also rule on national patent claims outside the UPC territory (such as in the United Kingdom). In 14 guiding principles, the judges established specific procedural rules for various categories of cases. There is no automatic UPC jurisdiction over national patent claims outside the UPC territory. The Munich Regional Court has issued an arrest warrant against the managing director of Polytech Health & Aesthetics GmbH because he is alleged to have continued to exploit the Brazilian company Silimed's patent for breast implants despite a preliminary injunction. A number of IT and automotive industry associations—which are among the most frequent users of Inter Partes Reviews (IPR) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office—have filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, urging the Court to grant Google's certiorari petition. An attorney for a Las Vegas performer has asked a California federal judge to temporarily prohibit Taylor Swift from using “The Life of a Showgirl” as a trademark while the trademark lawsuit is pending. Swift's attorney called the lawsuit baseless. And now let's hear Ken discuss creator law with Franklin! AI, Platform Law, and the Creator Economy: What Businesses Need to Know Now Franklin Graves has spent his entire career watching digital content move through systems that most people never see. He started in marketing at a major music label right out of law school, then represented individual creators on YouTube in a pro bono capacity, then moved to the platform side at Eventbrite, and today works as Senior Product Counsel at LinkedIn, where he focuses on AI, data, and the regulatory questions that come with both. His recently published law review article, Upload Complete: An Introduction to Creator Economy Law, is the first academic paper to address the creator economy as a distinct legal field. In a recent episode of the IP Fridays podcast, he spoke with host Kenneth Suzan about responsible AI development, platform regulation, and what it actually means to own your audience in a world where the rules keep changing overnight. From Content Creator to Platform Lawyer The through-line in Graves’ career is a genuine understanding of how content moves from an idea in someone’s head to an audience on a screen. That experience, he argues, is precisely what in-house counsel needs right now. Lawyers working on AI and product development cannot afford to sit at a distance from the technology they are advising on. They need to use the tools, experience them as a creator or end user would, and understand the nuances of how a product actually operates before it reaches the public. Understanding the product first is the precondition for everything else. That philosophy translates directly into how he approaches responsible AI implementation. The landscape of AI standards is crowded: NIST frameworks, the EU AI Act, sector-specific guidance, and a growing body of industry-adopted best practices. The challenge for in-house counsel is not knowing that these standards exist. It is making them actionable for the engineering and product teams they support. Abstract principles need to become concrete controls and workflows. Graves offers one practical shortcut: most companies already have open source software review processes that involve the right stakeholders, the right sign-off levels, and the right security checks. Layering the specifics of generative AI or large language models onto those existing processes is far more efficient than building something new from scratch. A Fragmented Regulatory World The geopolitical dimension of AI regulation is something Graves thinks about constantly in his role at LinkedIn. The EU AI Act, shifting US executive orders, and country-specific approaches to data privacy have created a regulatory environment that can change the rules of the game without warning. His analogy is instructive: creators have long understood what it means to build a community on a platform they do not own. An algorithm change, a policy update, or a government ban can wipe out years of audience-building overnight. Businesses deploying AI tools globally now face a structurally similar problem. The response, for creators and for platforms alike, is to build resilience rather than rely on stability that may not last. TikTok is the clearest recent example. When the platform faced the prospect of being shut down in the United States on national security grounds, it triggered a broader conversation about platform dependence that had been building for years. Creators who had invested their entire business in one platform suddenly confronted the possibility that their audience could simply disappear. The lesson is not that platforms are bad. It is that concentration of any kind, whether it is your audience, your data pipeline, or your regulatory compliance strategy, creates fragility. What Is a Creator, Legally Speaking? One of the central contributions of Graves’ law review article is definitional. The terminology matters more than it might seem. When courts and regulators talk about creators without a shared understanding of what that word means, the resulting legal analysis tends to miss the mark. Graves draws a distinction between users who post content, creators who post with the intent to build an audience and eventually monetize it, and influencers, a subset of creators who are actively running a small business through their content. The difference is intent. A parent posting family photos on Facebook is a user. Someone building a subscription community around their professional expertise is running a business, and the legal framework that applies to them should reflect that. That distinction matters practically when it comes to liability. As more creators build their own platforms, whether through custom membership sites, open source tools like Ghost, or federated social networks, they take on obligations that previously fell to large platforms: content moderation policies, privacy notices, terms of service, and compliance with data regulations across multiple jurisdictions. A creator in Tennessee running a membership platform with subscribers in Germany is operating a global business, whether they think of themselves that way or not. Protecting Children Online: A Question Without a Clean Answer The tension between age verification and privacy is one of the more difficult problems in platform law right now. Australia, several European countries, and a growing number of US states have introduced or passed minimum age requirements for social media accounts. The technical challenge is real: verifying age online requires collecting identifying information, and collecting identifying information creates privacy risk, particularly for the young people the laws are designed to protect. Who should bear the responsibility for that verification is also unresolved. Is it the platform? The app store? The mobile operating system? Graves does not pretend there is a clean answer, but he points to the mobile layer as an underexplored option. The Apple App Store and Google Play Store already have significant leverage over which apps reach users on their devices. Whether that leverage should extend to age verification is a question that deserves more attention than it currently receives. The Right of Publicity in the Age of AI Voice cloning, digital replicas, and AI-generated synthetic media have pushed the right of publicity into territory that traditional IP law was not designed to cover. Trademark law, copyright law, and existing publicity rights each capture part of the problem but none of them covers it completely. The result, as Graves describes it, is a period of experimentation: lawyers filing trademarks on vocal sounds and phrases, states updating their publicity statutes to explicitly mention artificial intelligence, and entertainment unions negotiating over who controls a performance and any AI-generated iterations of it. Tennessee’s Elvis Act is a concrete example of the legislative response: the state updated its right of publicity law to include voice and to reference AI directly. Similar efforts are underway elsewhere. The underlying challenge is calibrating protection so that it gives creators and performers meaningful control over their likeness and voice without foreclosing the development of generative AI systems that depend on broad rights to process and learn from content. Somewhere between those two interests, a workable legal framework needs to emerge. The brand deal context may be where the issue becomes most immediately practical. When a brand partners with an influencer and the campaign involves generative AI in any form, the contract needs to address control explicitly. Who has final approval over how the influencer’s likeness or voice is used in AI-generated deliverables? What happens to those assets after the campaign ends? These are not hypothetical questions. They are contract drafting problems that any brand counsel or creator attorney should be addressing today. What Comes Next Graves is cautious about predictions, but his sense of direction is clear. The regulatory environment will continue to fragment before it converges. The right of publicity will be updated, imperfectly, in more jurisdictions. Creators will continue to move toward owning more of their infrastructure. And the lawyers who do this work best will be the ones who understand the technology well enough to translate it into practical, defensible decisions for the people they advise. Full Transcript: Ken Suzan: Thank you, Rolf. Our returning guest today is Franklin Graves. Franklin is the founder and editor of Creator Economy Law, a website and newsletter that educates creator economy professionals on the intersection of law and policy with the world of creators, brands, and platforms. Franklin also published the first law review article focused on the creator economy, Upload Complete, an introduction to creator economy law. He regularly appears across news and media outlets as a commentator and contributor with a focus on educating creators and raising awareness of all legal aspects of the creator economy. Franklin is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Ken Suzan: Franklin was invited to participate as one of the creators and creator economy professionals in the first ever White House creator economy conference. Franklin works full time as a product counsel at LinkedIn Corporation. As a member of the product and data team, he focuses on emerging issues in AI and data. Franklin previously held roles on the technology law group at HCA Healthcare, the commercial legal team at Eventbrite, and the business and legal affairs team at Naxos Music Group. Welcome back Franklin to the IP Fridays podcast. Franklin Graves: Thank you so much for having me. It is exciting to be back and reflecting over the last decade since I last joined and also the paper that I wrote that dives into this in more detail. So I really appreciate it. And yes, full disclosure, I currently work for LinkedIn, which is a subsidiary of Microsoft. I’m here in my personal capacity to talk about this, the paper I wrote before joining LinkedIn and all of that. So thank you so much for having me back. Ken Suzan: Excellent. So Franklin, since your last appearance on IP Fridays in 2017, your career has evolved significantly. You are now senior product counsel at LinkedIn focusing on AI and data. How has working inside a major tech platform changed your perspective on the legal frameworks governing digital content compared to when you were viewing it purely from the creator side? Franklin Graves: I appreciate that question because when I wrote the article, I did not work for LinkedIn. And I had been coming from a history in my career where I, right out of law school, worked for a record label like we talked about almost 10 years ago. And I was on the content creation side. I’ve represented a major distributor of classical music digitally at the time. And that was my first exposure to understanding how content was taken from the initial inception stage from creators and routed through all the various digital platforms that were at the time still evolving and even arguably still today continue to evolve. The early days of YouTube Music launching and then Apple Music launching, and then going through all the phases of high-res audio and everything that came after that. So that was an interesting perspective to start my career with. And then I went to Eventbrite, which is a ticketing platform, but was also focused on elevating event creators. They kind of took on that moniker of “Hey, we are event creators that we support.” And that was arguably my first exposure to the platform side, the tech platform side of it, because Eventbrite is a platform. And so then I evolved from there in my personal capacity, in a pro bono capacity representing individual creators across the YouTube space. And that’s what we talked about a little bit back when I first came on the podcast. Franklin Graves: Over the last decade, it’s been a chance to grow my own understanding of the creator economy. The terminology “creator economy” came around. And then now on the other side of it, having written the article and all that, and now being fully in-house at LinkedIn, I truly am experiencing a social media platform. LinkedIn is of course arguably way more than just the platform itself. There are so many different avenues to it, but it is a chance for me to understand what it is like working for a company that is operating the platform that people are distributing content on. There’s a user journey to content and all of that. So it’s definitely enhanced and given me a different perspective from a major tech platform side. And part of my role at LinkedIn is really heavily focused on understanding regulation and how that from an AI and data perspective impacts the company. And so I’ve been really leveling up my game over the last year and a half that I’ve been here, understanding mostly EU regulations, but also US regulations that are still in their infancy when it comes to AI. But really when it comes to privacy and data, those are pretty well established across the board. It’s been kind of a combination of what I learned at Eventbrite, because I went to Eventbrite when GDPR was going into effect. And so that was an eyes-wide-open moment of getting in the weeds with negotiating data processing agreements, understanding data transfers and cross-border data transfers and the like. So it’s been kind of an evolution as the laws and regulations have evolved. So has my career, so has my own understanding, so have the platforms’ responses to those laws and regulations. And I’m sure that probably resonates with a lot of your listeners who have also been growing their practice and their understanding as the laws and regulations in this realm have been evolving too. Ken Suzan: Yes, indeed. Now let’s switch gears and talk about AI. You advise on AI and data daily. As platforms integrate generative AI tools into their tech stacks, what are the most critical best practices in-house counsel should be adopting right now to embed responsible AI principles into product development? Franklin Graves: So as an attorney, one of my key roles is to understand the technology. Even representing creators and working for creator platforms, that’s something I’m constantly trying to do: put myself in the shoes of being a creator. And I think I talked about this last time I was on, but I come from a background where I was working for a major label doing marketing, video editing, social media work. And I was creating content. I understood the whole life cycle from the inception point of an idea to execution and then to the final delivery and distribution of that content to an audience within a major music label. And so part of that is the same thing that I think attorneys, especially in-house, should be doing: using the tools that the product and engineering teams are either developing in-house or partnering with third parties to develop, or a combination of the two. Using them, understanding them, using them as a creator would, using them as an end user or a client or customer would. And making sure that if you understand the product and understand the nuances of how it operates, and being a part of the iterations of that internally before it fully ramps, that really gives you a chance to understand: okay, we have a lot of responsible AI principles and standards and protocols that are in existence right now, whether it’s NIST, whether it’s based on the EU AI Act or anything and everything in between. It’s understanding how to apply those and bring those into a product and an engineering environment in a way that is practical and actionable for the people that you’re supporting, the stakeholders you’re supporting. So I think one of the critical best practices is, number one, understand the product or features that you’re supporting. Franklin Graves: And then understand how you as an attorney can use your expertise and understanding of responsible AI practices, whether it’s a regulatory standard or an industry-adopted standard or a hybrid of the two, to leverage those and implement those, break those down and make them into actionable controls and processes and flows that work within your existing infrastructure. That’s a lot of high-level talk, but that’s the general idea. One concrete example we talk about frequently is with open source AI. If you’re working with a product team or an engineering team that is taking an off-the-shelf open source model and bringing that in-house, a lot of times companies have pre-existing open source processes that cover the use of open source software or code. Piggyback on that. That’s the easiest quick win for attorneys: leveraging your existing open source processes to just build on top of that the AI flavor and layering. It’s not very much that you have to do, but the underlying process of the key stakeholders that need to be involved in the review, whether it’s security, whether it’s executive sign-off if it gets to that point, even export control considerations should already be part of your existing open source software process. So layering in on those existing processes the specifics of generative AI or large language models that you’re trying to bring in is a great way to put this into practice. Ken Suzan: Now looking at the geopolitical landscape that we currently have, we have the EU AI Act setting strict standards and shifting US executive orders. How should platforms and brands prepare for this fragmented regulatory environment when deploying AI tools to a global user base? Franklin Graves: It’s a great question. It’s something that is still evolving, I think is fair to say. I would equate it, as I do in the paper that I wrote, to how creators and arguably brands don’t own the platforms that they’re building their communities on. That spawned this concept of de-platforming or going into building your own platform, a decentralized platform of sorts, and owning your community. That gives you that control and takes away the level of instability that can come for creators trying to build a business on a platform they don’t own, they don’t control when certain updates happen, when algorithms change, when tools and functionalities either become available or go away completely. So it’s very similar to what we’ve been experiencing in a regulatory environment where we have geopolitical complexities, for lack of a better term, that can overnight seemingly disrupt the way in which a platform or even a multinational brand is able to connect and reach an audience or continue to leverage the user base that they’ve built. I think TikTok is a great example of that, where it became a national security concern and suddenly it was facing an executive order that required it to be effectively disabled in the US or completely owned and operated by a US entity. All the mechanics and technicalities of whether it’s actually possible and still have a global platform with a global user base is a whole different discussion. But that’s an example of very similar considerations that are now not just a discussion point at the creator level or the individual brand level, but also in a much broader context at a platform level as well. Ken Suzan: Franklin, let’s now shift gears and talk about your article. In your recently published journal article, Upload Complete, which we will have linked in our show notes, you advocate for a shift in terminology from internet creator law, a term used during our first podcast almost a decade ago, to creator economy law. Why is this distinction important and how does it change the way legal practitioners should view the ecosystem of creators, brands, and platforms? Franklin Graves: Oh yes, this is part of the reason why I wanted to write the article: to lay this foundation of understanding. Because at the time I’d written the article, the term creator economy and creator had really not appeared but for maybe once in an actual court decision. And it was kind of focused on influencers and this concept, and it was just not getting it right. And so it was also, as you mentioned, when we first spoke I was even using the term internet creators. And I think that was something that was common at the time. The “internet” portion as a qualifier has since dropped off. And now for purposes of the creator economy, the term creators refers to individuals, it can be small businesses, which is what we’ve seen from a regulatory standpoint, how these small businesses are being impacted by regulations. But essentially creators in the article I pin in the context of intent. What is the intent behind the person or the small business that is posting content, trying to build a community and form a community in a virtual environment? And then that can even spill over into real physical world environments. And so the intent is kind of what I look at. Franklin Graves: And I have a chart in the article that has a diagram showcasing the overlap of what I refer to as “users generating content.” It’s a play on the concept of user-generated content, UGC. Users generating content is that large bucket of anyone posting on a platform of some kind. And within that large bucket, that large circle, are smaller subsets. You have creators, you have brands. Those are really the two buckets you can put people into. Otherwise it’s like your grandmother or your parents posting content on Facebook or Instagram, and those are everyday users of a platform. The distinction to get into that subcategory of being a creator more so has been analyzing the intent behind the posting. Are you posting content to build an audience, to build a community, to eventually have a chance to monetize the following that you’re bringing in or sell services or something like that? Brands are posting for that reason. Creators are maybe posting for that same reason. But even within the creator category, there’s a subcategory of influencers that are trying to sell something, that are trying to build more than just an awareness of who they are, their influence. They are trying to do brand deals, partnership deals, upsells and all that, and start an actual small business aside from just the content itself that they’re creating. So that’s kind of the distinctions that I make in the paper. And that’s why it’s important to understand and lay that foundation, that anyone can post content online, but the intent, the why behind their posting that content, really does ultimately matter, especially when you’re looking at it from a court case or from a regulatory standpoint. Ken Suzan: Now, Franklin, we’re seeing unprecedented geopolitical activity around platform ownership. For example, the US legislation targeting TikTok and Brazil’s recent temporary ban of X. How do these macro-level battles impact the day-to-day livelihood of creators? And how can they legally and operationally protect themselves? Franklin Graves: So the shift that we’re seeing, and I alluded to this earlier in our conversation, is this concept of Web 3. And that term may or may not be really popular anymore, but that’s essentially what we’re looking at: a shift into a federated, decentralized operation of a platform. So instead of one owner, one company, one entity owning and operating the platform, it’s decentralized. Anyone can start up a server, and it’s interoperable, meaning anyone can plug and play and connect to that larger network. And it creates this unified social network experience. Within each operating node of that network, there can be your own decisions around content moderation, your own decisions around the hosting providers you use, where you’re operating out of, the terms and conditions that apply to that. But the flip side is that instead of creators posting and sharing in a closed environment run and controlled by a singular entity, you’re now experiencing a peer-to-peer type operation where your experience can change based on which server, which node, which user you’re engaging with. You might have content that’s acceptable in one area but not acceptable in another, and maybe it just doesn’t even show up in that other area. Franklin Graves: But from a liability standpoint, as creators start to build their own networks and communities, even outside of a concept like the fediverse, it’s even down to creators building their own communities through online courses, subscription membership-based platforms that they run on their own website. There’s open source software out there, even something called Ghost, where you have memberships. And that is a creator or a small business in the creator economy that is now taking on the obligations that would typically fall upon a platform. They need to take into consideration terms and conditions, privacy policies, legal aspects, and regulatory considerations for running a platform, especially in a global world. So it’s a lot of liability that then shifts over to those small businesses and even brands sometimes that are doing the same thing. Whether it is something as simple or complex as content moderation or all the way up to monetizing an audience, this new world where creators can spin up and run a platform all dovetails back to the concept of creators not feeling like they have control in reaching the audience and the community that they’re building on an individual platform. And so this really became more mainstream conversation with TikTok and the issues around it potentially being shut down in the US. That was kind of the mindset shift and eyes opening for many creators, especially within the influencer subset, of realizing: we need to make sure that we have a way to reach the audience we’ve built if the individual platform that we’ve committed to over the last year or three years or so is no longer available. We need a way to continue that relationship outside of that one platform controlling it. Ken Suzan: Franklin, we have a few minutes left and a number of topics. So I’m going to switch gears and talk about a few issues. First, a major emerging topic in your paper is the evolution of protecting kids online. With state-level age-gating laws like the CAADCA and the recent FTC updates to COPPA, how should platforms navigate the significant tension between strict age verification mandates and the privacy and First Amendment rights of their users? Franklin Graves: Man, that is a whole discussion to unravel. It is a consideration that we’re seeing happen again, going back to the geopolitical nature of everything. Countries like Australia and certain countries in Europe and now even individual states in the US are trying to look at ways, and some of them have already put into place minimum age requirements before you can even sign up for an account with a social media platform. One of the things I’d just highlight quickly here is that one of the tensions is around how you verify someone’s age online and still maintain the ability to be at least pseudonymous. How do you still have a level of privacy, autonomy, and protection when it comes to having to provide something like a driver’s license or have parental consent tied and connected to an account managed by a parent in a situation where maybe it’s not appropriate or not beneficial to the child in that manner? But then maybe there are counterbalancing factors that outweigh that. All of that comes down to the technicalities of how it’s actually implemented and maintaining the sense of openness and freedom that we’ve had on the internet to date. And then the other element there is, since a lot of the internet that we think of today is more so through mobile applications, is it something that the mobile operating system providers and app store providers should be thinking about? So whether that’s the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, where does that initial age verification need to fall? Is it at the platform level? Is it the app store or mobile device management level or something else? Yeah, there’s a lot to discuss there. And a lot of the issues we’re seeing with how the internet is changing in terms of being able to browse a website without disclosing personal information that might not have been required before is largely stemming from a focus on protecting children online. Ken Suzan: It sounds like, Franklin, we could have another episode covering lots of issues connected with that one topic alone. Franklin Graves: I would absolutely agree with that. There’s a lot going on there. And again, it’s different across the world. And so I know you all have a global listener base. And so there’s a lot of nuances to that whole discussion too, that are worth exploring. Ken Suzan: Last question for today’s episode is regarding the right of publicity. With the explosion of AI-generated synthetic media, digital replicas, and voice cloning, the right of publicity is taking center stage. What are the biggest legal risks for brands partnering with influencers right now? And how can creators protect their most valuable asset, their likeness? Franklin Graves: That’s a great question. I think we’re seeing kind of a throwing-spaghetti-against-the-wall-to-see-what-sticks approach right now by a lot of different parties, whether it’s trademark attorneys, whether it’s general entertainment attorneys or whoever. For example, we’ve seen Taylor Swift filing trademarks to protect certain sounds of her voice and phrasing that she uses. It’s a difficult area because in the realm of generative AI with deep fakes and virtual avatars, that is where it gets tricky, because traditional IP laws are just not able to fully cover that spectrum. It’s a piecemeal approach, but even then it doesn’t fully cover it. So for example, I’m based in Tennessee and a couple of years ago we had the Elvis Act that updated our right of publicity law to add voice and to explicitly reference artificial intelligence. And so that’s the kind of effort we’re probably going to continue to see: efforts to develop some framework around protecting what is essentially a privacy right, in a manner that doesn’t restrict generative AI systems from continuing to develop and operate the way they’re operating now, while layering in those protections so that in the US at least a First Amendment right doesn’t necessarily get squashed, and those traditional well-recognized efforts to not overregulate a technology in its early stages are respected. Franklin Graves: And so I think a lot of what we’re seeing is just a need to update laws. The SAG-AFTRA debate and the strikes that happened around maintaining control of your performance and any iterations of that, or building upon that by a media company that might come later, it’s all on the table right now and still being discussed, still being worked out. I think in the short run, a lot of times if it’s in a brand deal, the key question is: if you are using generative AI to enhance in some way the final deliverable for the campaign, who has control over that? Who has final say and sign-off on how that likeness or that digital replica or that person’s voice is represented? And even outside of the brand space, we’ve seen actors like James Earl Jones signing over certain aspects like their voice and allowing it to continue to be used in these manners powered by generative AI as Darth Vader. And I think I saw something that Boy George was even starting up an AI company that allows musicians, the original recording artist, to rerecord new versions of their masters so that they don’t miss out on that revenue. It’s powered by generative AI, by taking their voice now, which is significantly different than it was back in the 80s, and using generative AI to make it sound closer to the original, but all based on their current performance. So I think it’s still an evolving area. And what’s interesting too is on the platform side, we’re seeing the early stages of platforms like Google starting to acknowledge and rely on the license grant contained in their terms of service for YouTube, which grants them broad rights to use the content to run their platform. So all that to be said, it’s still early stages. I’m very interested to see where we go from here in the future, especially from a global perspective as well. Ken Suzan: Franklin, I could spend hours talking to you about this. You’re such a knowledgeable person on these topics. Maybe in a few years, will we connect again and talk further on AI and all the things that are yet to be developed? Franklin Graves: Thank you. Yeah, it doesn’t have to be another decade. Maybe we can cut it to half a decade, given the pace at which technology is going now. Ken Suzan: Sounds good, Franklin. Thanks again for being on the IP Fridays podcast.

Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields festival sold out in less than an hour—but the biggest lesson for brands has nothing to do with the lineup. It reveals what modern consumers are looking for from the brands, organizations, and public figures they choose to support—and why representation and brand values have become powerful drivers of brand growth. In this episode, Sonia Thompson uses Olivia Rodrigo's sold-out festival as a brand growth case study to explore two powerful drivers of customer connection: representation and brand values. You'll learn why consumers respond so strongly when they feel seen, why shared values influence buying decisions, and how brands can create deeper, more meaningful relationships with the audiences they want to grow with. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why Olivia Rodrigo's festival resonated beyond the music• How representation in marketing helps customers feel seen and signals who belongs• Why brand values only matter when customers can see them in action• How brands like Netflix and Dove have turned representation and values into long-term brand growth strategies• How customer connection, consumer behavior, and brand values influence modern buying decisions• Questions every marketing leader should ask to evaluate whether their brand is helping customers feel both seen and aligned Whether you're a CMO, marketing leader, founder, or customer experience professional, this episode will help you better understand what modern consumers care about—and how representation, brand values, and customer connection can become sustainable drivers of brand growth, customer loyalty, and long-term competitive advantage. Because today's customers aren't just evaluating what you sell. They're paying attention to who you center and what you stand for. Friction Finder Growth Audit: https://www.frictionlessgrowthlab.com/frictionfinder/ Email Sonia: sonia@soniaethompson.com

Most creators have an audience. Far fewer have influence.In this episode, Aneesh Lal, also known as The Jerry Maguire of LinkedIn, the Founder of The Wishly Group, joins me to unpack what actually drives trust, attention, and buying behavior in the creator economy.From why some creators convert while others don't, to the difference between being relatable versus aspirational, we explore the hidden dynamics behind audience growth, brand partnerships, dark social, and influence itself. We also get into why vanity metrics matter more than most marketers admit, what brands consistently get wrong about creators, and why attention alone isn't enough to change behavior.Highlights:(00:00) Introduction(01:06) Meet Aneesh Lal and why he's the Jerry Maguire of LinkedIn(02:33) Brands are rushing the funnel(04:46) The dream creator campaign(06:12) The deals worth rejecting(07:47) Pay gaps in creator marketing(11:13) Does the label matter?(15:13) Engagement doesn't equal sales(17:13) Why creators need video(18:18) Where creators should expand(19:18) Everyone cares about followers(24:43) The dark social problem(27:57) Why expertise matters(30:03) Losing connection with audiences(32:53)  To the creators who want to start partnering with brands (34:11) Depth over short-form skillsResources:Hear more from me in the Stop the Scroll Newsletter: https://briannadoe.substack.com/Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-doe/ Aneesh''s LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/aneeshlal The Wishly Group  LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/thewishlygroup The Wishly Group Website: https://www.wishlygroup.ca/ 

Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We're breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use. In this episode, Elena and Rob explore whether humor belongs in B2B advertising. They dig into new research that challenges the assumption that business buyers only respond to rational, no-nonsense messaging. Topics covered:[02:44] "To Humor or Not Humor: Buyers Evaluating the Effective Use of Humor in B2B Advertisements"[03:06] How often is humor used in B2B vs. B2C ads?[04:55] What four experiments with 305 B2B buyers revealed[05:45] Three conditions that determine when humor helps or hurts[06:47] Why humor is a door opener, not a deal closerTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast Resources: Swani, K., Gulas, C. S., & Dinsmore, J. (2025). To humor or not humor buyers? Evaluating the effective use of humor in B2B advertisements. Journal of Business Research, 200, 115632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115632 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Kelley Earnhardt Miller welcomes Howard Hitchcock and Richard Barry, the CEO and COO of Lionel Brands Group, to the Business of Motorsports for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on one of NASCAR's most beloved and misunderstood businesses. What most fans see as a toy or a souvenir is actually the product of a 12-to-18-month process involving complex CAD data from OEM tech centers, hand-applied waterslide decals, Chinese factory peak seasons, and approval chains that run through teams, NASCAR, Goodyear, and every single sponsor on the car. Howard and Richard break down why scarcity is not a bug but a feature, how the collapse of single-sponsor deals reshaped the entire product line, and why getting confetti placement right on a Chase Elliott victory car matters more than most people would ever imagine. They also get personal, talking about what drew Richard to invest in a brand with 126 years of history, why Howard collects presidential china, and how a three-year-old kid getting a diecast signed at a fan event captures everything this hobby is actually about. If you have ever wondered how a win on Sunday becomes a collectible in your hands months later, this is the conversation that explains it all. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What do Mamdani's NYC sweep, a $16.5 million Pikachu card, and your dirty hotel shower dispenser have in common? They're all brands on the move — and Donny Deutsch breaks down who's up and who's down this week. On this episode of On Brand with Donny Deutsch, Donny dives into the cultural and business stories shaping the zeitgeist:

When was the last time you heard someone say creatine was for women? Probably not often enough. In this episode of The Art of Living Well Podcast®, Marnie and Stephanie break down one of the most researched supplements available and make the case for why midlife women should be paying attention. Creatine has long been associated with bodybuilders and gym culture, but the science tells a far more interesting story, especially for women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and the hormonal shifts that come with them. This conversation covers the basics of how creatine works, why women naturally have lower stores than men, and what the emerging research says about its benefits for muscle, recovery, energy, and brain health. Marnie and Stephanie also share how they each take it daily, what brands they trust, and how to work through the bloating concern that keeps many women from sticking with it. Supplements are never the whole picture. But this one may be worth a closer look. Key Takeaways What creatine is and how it supports cellular energy production Why women have lower creatine stores than men How declining estrogen affects muscle mass and recovery The strength and lean muscle benefits of creatine in perimenopause and postmenopause Why brain fog and cognitive decline make creatine worth considering The truth about bloating and water retention The form, dose, and timing that Marnie and Stephanie each use What to look for on a label and brands they recommend Who should consult a doctor before starting Episode Breakdown with Timestamps 00:00 Why creatine matters for women 01:30 What creatine is and how ATP works 03:30 Why women have lower creatine stores 05:00 Strength, muscle mass, and recovery 07:00 Addressing the bloating concern 08:30 Perimenopause and postmenopause research 10:00 Brain health and cognitive function 11:30 Benefits across all life stages 12:00 Myths and contraindications 13:30 Creatine monohydrate: dosing and timing 15:00 Brands and what to look for 18:00 Final takeaways Resources and Links Kion Creatine: Code: ARTOFLIVINGWELL  Brick House Nutrition Creatone Code: livingwell Equi.Life Cell Force Website: https://www.theartoflivingwell.us  Sponsors This episode is brought to you by Good Health Saunas, offering commercial grade infrared saunas designed to support detoxification, muscle recovery, relaxation, and better sleep. Visit https://goodhealthsaunas.com or stop by their Mall of America, Appleton, or Waukesha locations. Be sure to mention The Art of Living Well Podcast® for exclusive pricing. Summer is the perfect time to press reset. Our 7-day Vitality Reboot gives you a clear, guided path to reducing inflammation and reclaiming your energy, with Marnie and Stephanie in your corner the whole way. You do the work, we provide the roadmap and the support. Join us at https://p.bttr.to/39XDmpQ Join Us This Summer — Mahjong Night! If you are local to the Twin Cities, come spend a summer evening with us. We are hosting a fun night of mahjong, connection, and community on Wednesday, July 22nd from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Expect good company, giveaways, and plenty of laughs around the table. Tickets are $20 to play. Location will be in Edina or Minnetonka depending on the weather, and the address will be shared upon registration. Please note this event is for experienced players only and space is limited. Grab your spot before it sells out at https://l.bttr.to/t9qKg Follow and Connect Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartofliving_well Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartoflivingwellpodcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-art-of-living-well-podcast/?viewAsMember=true Connect with Your Hosts Marnie Dachis Marmet: https://www.instagram.com/zenfullifecoaching Stephanie May Potter: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniemaypotter/  

Phillip and Brian run the docket: why "proof of work" is the new luxury signal, what the AI export-control fight shares with a brand guarding its trade secrets, and how AI is flooding the patent office while quietly favoring incumbents.  But perhaps the most profound part of the conversation lies in two trends taking internet culture by storm. "Tasteslop" and Korea's "dopamine sites" appear as distinct ideas, but they're actually two faces of the same impulse: consumption stripped down to pure signal. Key takeaways: AI slop makes "proof of work" the new status signal. Brands win by showing the process and the discards, not hiding them. Software isn't the moat… chips, power, and craft are. AI patent tools favor incumbents, widening the gap with upstarts. "Tasteslop" and "dopamine sites": consumption as pure signal, minus the object. Key quotes: [~06:45] "When people aren't making up the machine, we start to question everything now." — Brian [~10:00] "It's the entire PR campaign around it that shows you all of the discarded drawings that weren't used." — Phillip [~36:00] "AI does not make this more of a level playing field. If anything… they can box the small guys out even more effectively." — Phillip [~39:29] "You can't trademark taste." — Brian In-Show Mentions: "The Process Is the Product" – Insiders piece by Sophia Epstein James Bridle – Ways of Being: Beyond Human Intelligence and New Dark Age AI & Agentic Commerce hub Emily Segal on "Tasteslop"  STRATA: 10 Aesthetics Shaping Culture and Commerce Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it truly take to lead five powerhouse brands… and keep every single customer and franchisee loyal? In this candid conversation, Ankin Laysha, COO of Wellbiz Brands, reveals what most COOs miss about operational scale, brand integrity, and building elite franchise teams that actually deliver.If you think brand consistency is just a checklist and that operations is paperwork, think again. From the brutal realities of breaking into the executive suite as a female leader to the battle of standardization versus brand magic, Ankin cuts through the noise on what works now.Tune in or miss the proven moves that keep 700+ franchises competitive. If you want to avoid getting left behind and hear the realities other execs won't share, this episode is your advanced playbook. Listen today and don't settle for surface-level leadership.Timestamped Highlights00:58 – Why female leadership is finally taking over the executive suite03:01 – The unexpected advantage of running five brands at once06:23 – The overlooked tools behind flawless brand consistency09:53 – Brutal truth: franchisee complaints vs. customer reality13:59 – The hard lesson on platform thinking and brand magic17:00 – The moment in-the-field leadership unlocked real innovation20:36 – What working front desk taught her about operational blind spots30:10 – How surprise and delight moments quietly crush the competition40:08 – The fast-track strategy for building trust with frontline teams53:04 – AI's real role in service businesses (and where human connection wins)About the GuestAnkin Laysha is the Chief Operating Officer of Wellbiz Brands, overseeing 700+ franchise locations across Drybar, Elements Massage, Amazing Lash Studio, Radiant Waxing, and Fitness Together. With a track record in multi-unit retail, franchise scale, and innovation, Ankin is recognized for operational rigor, brand growth, and building high-performance executive teams.

Most businesses don't fail because they lack ideas.They fail because they struggle to execute, communicate their value clearly, and connect with the right customers.In this episode of Liftoff, Keith Newman sits down with Stephen Cozzolongo, Partner & CMO at Digital Position, to discuss growth marketing, customer acquisition, AI, business scaling, leadership, and the mindset required to build successful companies.Stephen shares why trying to market to everyone is one of the biggest mistakes businesses make, how AI is transforming marketing workflows, why great marketers aren't being replaced by AI, and how discipline and consistency influence every aspect of business and life.Whether you're a founder, marketer, entrepreneur, or business leader, this conversation is packed with practical insights on growth, execution, and long-term success.Topics discussed: Why most brands stop growingThe importance of customer segmentation and ICPsHow AI is changing marketing and advertisingThe future of content creationPaid media, SEO and growth strategies Leadership and company cultureThe mindset behind consistent executionWhy "How you do one thing is how you do everything"Connect with Stephen Cozzolongo: Website: https://www.digitalposition.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephencozzolongo Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses' growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith #Marketing #GrowthMarketing #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #DigitalMarketing #AI #Leadership #SEO #PaidMedia #BusinessPodcast #LiftoffPodcast

In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Margot Hauer-King, SVP Creative Strategy at United Talent Agency and Founder and Owner of People's, joins Matt Britton live from the POSSIBLE conference in South Beach. Margot shares how UTA's deep roots in talent and entertainment give brands a unique advantage in building authentic cultural relevance. The conversation covers the tension between monoculture and micro-community, how brands can earn the right to participate in fast-moving trends, and why the best marketing often looks more like hosting a great dinner party than running a campaign. Margot also opens up about her parallel life as a bar owner in New York, the power of persuasive storytelling, and why leaving people happier than you found them is the career advice that has guided her most.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Margot Hauer-King on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at suzy@suzy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most jam brands are built on sugar. Good Good built a business by taking it out. In this episode, Good Good founder and CEO Gardar Stefansson discusses how the Icelandic brand evolved from a struggling stevia startup into a rapidly growing platform of no-added-sugar spreads now sold in approximately 10,000 U.S. stores and 30 countries worldwide.  He shares lessons from scaling across major retailers, navigating pricing and promotions, developing products consumers love, and building a premium brand in an increasingly competitive category. Gardar also explains why packaging is a company's most powerful marketing asset and why getting consumers to try your product remains the key to driving repeat purchases and long-term growth. Show notes: 0:20: Gardar Stefansson, Co-Founder & CEO, Good Good – Gardar discusses the origins of Good Good, which launched in 2016 as a stevia sweetener company before pivoting to a no-added-sugar jam recipe that ultimately became the foundation of the business. He explains how "No Added Sugar" evolved into the brand's core message and describes Good Good's growth strategy as it expanded across retail channels including Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart, and Amazon. Gardar emphasizes the importance of leveraging syndicated retail data, in-store merchandising, promotions, and digital marketing to build awareness and drive trial. He argues that packaging and messaging are a brand's most effective marketing tools, noting that shelf presence is its most valuable real estate. He also discusses Good Good's disciplined approach to innovation, explaining how the company balances consumer demand, retailer expectations, and product quality when developing new products, including peanut butter and chocolate spreads. Throughout the conversation, Gardar highlights a relentless focus on getting consumers to try the product – through sampling, events, and grassroots marketing initiatives – as a key driver of the brand's success. Brands in this episode: Good Good

What makes people buy? Most businesses assume it's visibility. In reality, trust often matters far more than reach. In this episode, Rachel sits down with Chelsea Clark, founder and CEO of Momfluence, a leading influencer marketing agency that helps brands create authentic connections with consumers through trusted creator partnerships.  Chelsea shares her entrepreneurial journey from scaling a restaurant franchise business to building a specialized marketing agency and developing software designed to streamline influencer campaigns. She breaks down how trust-driven marketing creates stronger business outcomes, why niche positioning can be a competitive advantage, and how founders can build businesses that align with the life they actually want. Trust Beats Reach Every Time Many brands focus on finding the biggest audience possible. Chelsea believes that's often the wrong approach. The most successful campaigns are built around credibility and connection. Smaller creators with highly engaged communities can often drive stronger results than influencers with massive followings because trust has already been established. Chelsea also explains why influencer marketing works best when it becomes part of a broader strategy. The most effective brands don't stop at a single campaign. They build familiarity over time through repeated exposure, retargeting, and long-term partnerships. Building a Business That Fits Your Life Chelsea's entrepreneurial journey began in the restaurant industry, where she spent over a decade growing a business to 13 locations through company-owned stores and franchising. That experience taught her valuable lessons about customer service, leadership, systems, and the realities of scaling. It also helped her recognize that growth isn't always about getting bigger. Sometimes it's about creating a business model that offers more freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment. Today, Chelsea is focused not only on growing Momfluence but also on building software that supports the influencer marketing industry, allowing her to solve bigger problems while creating a more scalable future. Enjoy this episode with Chelsea Clark… Soundbytes 27:58–28:18 "The person in charge of our content said that something like 90 percent of content on LinkedIn is AI-written. Of course, we use AI as foundation research, but then she writes it. It's almost like all content's going to become obsolete if you assume AI is writing it. Why are you going to read it?" 31:28–31:47 "Use the same creators multiple times. Most brands still use one creator one time and then get upset when she doesn't sell them out. Then it's like it seems inauthentic if a creator is always just using something once. So, having the same creator, even if it's months apart, you show that they're actually a fan of your brand and use it." Quotes "Growing things is just satisfying. I would get really bored if I didn't have problems to solve." "Customer service gives you tough skin. It teaches you how to handle people and solve problems." "Most successful marketing comes down to trust and consistency." "It's better to work with the right audience than the biggest audience." "Influencer marketing works best when it's part of a larger brand-building strategy." "Growth isn't always about getting bigger. It's about building the business you actually want." Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://www.momfluence.co Email: chelsea@momfluence.co Connect with Chelsa Clark on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-clark-momfluence/ Follow Chelsea Clark on Instagram: https://instagram.com/momfluence.co Connect with brandiD Find out how top leaders are increasing their authority, impact, and income online. Listen to our private podcast, The Professional Presence Podcast: https://thebrandid.com/professional-presence-podcast Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Is your brand's promise falling flat? In this episode, we reveal how today's buyers demand proof, not just words. Learn the secrets to closing the trust gap, building lasting credibility, and turning every touchpoint into a reason customers keep coming back!And don't forget! You can crush your marketing strategy with just a few minutes a week by signing up for the StrategyCast Newsletter. You'll receive weekly bursts of marketing tips, clips, resources, and a whole lot more. Visit https://strategycast.com/ for more details.==Let's Break It Down==06:04 Discussing the trust recession10:28 Trust beyond marketing's control15:25 Developing the trust architecture18:57 Introducing Big O Tires19:52 Building trust in the tire industry25:33 Building Trust through Consistency==Where You Can Find Us==Website: https://strategycast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategy_cast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategycast==Leave a Review==Hey there, StrategyCast fans!If you've found our tips and tricks on marketing strategies helpful in growing your business, we'd be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover how they can elevate their business game!

Welcome back to another episode of Brands and Barbed Wire.  We have a fun episode for you today as we learn about 6th generation Kansas cattleman Kevin Shultz.  Kevin farms and ranches on the same ground that his ancestors homesteaded in Kansas and today is one of the most successful Hereford breeders in the country.  We discuss Kevins success, his convictions and several other topics I hope you enjoy as much as I did.  Kevin Shultz welcome and thanks for joining me on Brands and Barbed Wire.  Learn more about Kevin and Sandhill Farms at www.sandhillfarms.com. Thanks to our sponsors Allied Genetic Resources www.alliedgeneticresources.com, The Grant Company at www.grantcompany.net, B.R. Cutrer Ranch www.brcutrer.com, Jorgensen Land and Cattle www.jorgensenfarms.com

This episode explores the hidden challenges brands face turning high-pressure moments into commercial opportunity, while also building the operational discipline needed to scale.Our guest is Chris Sheard, Director or Ecommerce at sports brand Fanatics. Chris has an interesting background, having previously been Ecommerce Director for Castore and Head of Ecommerce at CurrentBody during its rapid growth from £5 million online revenue to £50 million plus.We cover three key growth topics:Key learnings from managing hype cycles around major sporting events like World CupsFrom £5m to £100m: what breaks when ecommerce scales & how do you handle this effectively?The ecommerce team nobody sees: how to build an operating rhythm that actually drives revenue.And of course, AI is mentioned

380: Think you're eating chocolate? Maybe not. In this episode, I'm breaking down what's really hiding behind some of the most recognizable chocolate brands on grocery store shelves. After digging through FDA regulations, ingredient labels, lawsuits, recalls, and independent lab testing, I found that many products marketed as "chocolate" don't actually meet the standards most people assume they do. We'll talk about the difference between real cacao and chocolate-flavored candy, why ingredients like palm oil and PGPR matter, what recent testing found in certain chocolate products, and how to identify truly high-quality chocolate if you're looking for the health benefits often associated with cacao. Plus, I share my favorite 100% cacao brands, why I eat chocolate every day, and what the research actually says about chocolate's impact on heart health, antioxidants, gut health, and more. If you're a chocolate lover, this episode may completely change the way you shop for chocolate. Topics Discussed: → What legally qualifies as real chocolate? → How to spot fake chocolate on ingredient labels → Why some popular chocolate brands use vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter → The difference between U.S. and European chocolate standards → Artificial dyes, additives, and controversial chocolate ingredients → Heavy metals found in certain chocolate products → Why real cacao has earned its health reputation → The benefits of cacao flavanols and polyphenols → How to choose high-quality dark chocolate → The best 100% cacao chocolate brands As always, if you have any questions for the show please email us at digestthispod@gmail.com. And if you like this show, please share it, rate it, review it and subscribe to it on your favorite podcast app.  Sponsored By:  → Our Place | Go to https://fromourplace.com/ and use code DIGEST for 10% Timestamps: → 00:03:31 - Most Chocolate Isn't Actually Chocolate → 00:04:25 - RM Palmer's "Chocolatey" Products Explained → 00:05:37 - Why Cocoa Butter Matters → 00:07:14 - Compound Chocolate vs. Real Chocolate → 00:08:03 - Dutch Processing + Lost Health Benefits → 00:09:33 - Mars: M&M's + Snickers Under the Microscope → 00:11:04 - The Problem with Artificial Food Dyes → 00:13:31 - Mars' Broken Dye-Free Promise → 00:16:07 - Nestlé vs. U.S. KitKat → 00:18:24 - Why American KitKats Taste Different → 00:20:59 - Hershey's Chocolate Controversies → 00:22:35 - Why Hershey's Tastes Different Than Other Chocolate → 00:24:17 - When Hershey's Changed Its Recipes → 00:26:51 - The Fight Over the Definition of Chocolate → 00:28:47 - Heavy Metals + Recent Hershey's Investigations → 00:30:34 - What Makes Chocolate Healthy? → 00:32:00 - Flavonoids, Antioxidants + Heart Health → 00:33:28 - Why Most Chocolate Studies Don't Apply to Candy Bars → 00:34:14 - The Best 100% Cacao Chocolate Brands → 00:35:07 - Brands to Buy + Brands to Avoid → 00:36:45 - Aura Ceremonial Cacao → 00:38:02 - Crayolo Cacao + Candida Research → 00:40:20 - Santa Barbara Chocolate Recommendations → 00:40:56 - The Best, Better + Worst Chocolate Options → 00:41:17 - Outro  Further Listening: → 7 Coconut Water Brands Caught Misleading Consumers + 5 Brands Actually Worth Buying | BOK Check Out Bethany: → Bethany's Instagram: @lilsipper → YouTube → Bethany's Website → Discounts & My Favorite Products → My Digestive Support Protein Powder → Gut Reset Book  → Get my Newsletters (Friday Finds) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of HAYVN Hubcast, Nancy Sheed talks with Jacqueline Lieberman, founder of BrandCrudo and creator of the Velocity Dinners methodology. Jacqueline shares her perspective on modern brand strategy, explaining why the fundamentals haven't changed despite advances in technology and AI. At the heart of her work is a commitment to uncovering the truth that already exists within organizations rather than inventing new narratives. Jacqueline describes her role as a "truth excavator," helping companies identify the unique qualities that make them different in their marketplace. Through interviews, workshops, and strategic conversations, she helps organizations uncover the often-overlooked differentiators that are deeply embedded in their culture, values, and everyday behaviors. Key points from the conversation include: Brand strategy isn't about creating something new. It's about uncovering what's already true and building a position around a company's authentic strengths. Company culture plays a critical role in brand success. When departments operate with different agendas and perspectives, messaging and momentum suffer. Alignment across the organization is essential. Many companies overlook their most powerful differentiators because they view them as standard operating procedures. An outside perspective often helps reveal what truly sets them apart. Jacqueline's DNA Method focuses on understanding why a company exists, what it stands for, what it won't compromise on, and the behaviors that shape its reputation and growth. AI can be a valuable strategic tool when used as a thought partner rather than a replacement for critical thinking. Jacqueline explains how challenging AI to identify weaknesses in an idea can strengthen positioning and strategy. Through her Velocity Dinners, Jacqueline creates environments where customers and prospects share candid insights that traditional surveys and focus groups often miss. These conversations reveal what truly drives buying decisions and business relationships. Throughout the discussion, Jacqueline emphasizes the importance of human connection, curiosity, and objectivity in uncovering meaningful business insights. Whether working with leadership teams in workshops or facilitating intimate dinner conversations, her approach centers on finding enduring truths that can guide long-term growth. This conversation highlights the power of authenticity in branding and business strategy. Jacqueline demonstrates that the strongest positioning doesn't come from clever marketing campaigns, but from uncovering and embracing the truths already present within an organization. By combining deep human insight, strategic rigor, and thoughtful use of emerging technologies, companies can build brands that are both distinctive and sustainable.  Connect with Nancy LinkedIn  Instagram Website Connect with Jacqueline LinkedIn Instagram Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two brands doing $46 billion in revenue combined spent millions of marketing dollars insulting the exact people responsible for the majority of that revenue. Five other brands made their buyers feel so seen that their comment sections looked nothing like comment sections for products — they looked like communities. In this episode of Running With Wolves, Savannah breaks down the Q2 marketing campaigns that got it right and the ones that got it catastrophically wrong — and what every founder needs to take from both. Here's what this episode covers: • The difference between marketing to a demographic and marketing to a lived experience — and why one prints money while the other gets ignored • The alienation tax — what happens when you focus on one segment of your audience and accidentally insult the other 90% • Why Nike's Boston Marathon campaign was a marketing disaster hiding behind good engagement numbers • Why selling the mission, the outcome and the conversation creates cult-like brand obsession — and selling the product only creates a one-time purchase Apply to work with Savannah HERE: http://bit.ly/applywlfpodcast or DM her on Instagram @itssavannahjordan ( / itssavannahjordan ) with your takeaway. Q2 marketing campaigns, marketing strategy 2026, Nike marketing fail, Wall Street Journal Emma Grede, brand marketing, alienation tax, Figs campaign, female founder

LEARN TO BUILD A BUSINESS, BRAND, AND A LIFE THAT YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM WILL THANK YOU FOR Helping Ordinary Women Build Extraordinary Businesses, Brands, and Lives They Love While Unpacking Their Inner SHEEO with Episodes Enriching Your Mindset, Wealth, and Faith Factor VISIT: RachelMedina.com or SHEEOX.com FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA: @RachelMedina101 PLUS: Listen to founders and experts share their entrepreneurial journey on bonus episodes featuring awe inspiring guests Rachel Medina is an Entrepreneur, TEDx Speaker, Christianpreneur, Mommypreneur and an ordinary woman who ditched the C-suite for the SHE-suite by tapping into the new and exciting laptop lifestyle in the SHEconemy, and who built multiple businesses from home, after divorce, as a single mother over 40! The Rachel Unpacked Podcast is here to help you avoid common mistakes by learning the lessons she learned along the way! Whether you're a corporate baddie wanting to ditch the grind or a single momma ready to learn a new money making skillset from home, the Rachel Unpacked podcast is for you. Access resources mentioned on this show here ⁠www.rachelmedina.com or at SHEEOX.com As seen on: TEDx , Wharton School of Business, The Christian Channel, LATV's Get It Girl, Rompiendo El Silencio, David Meltzer's Playbook IG-LIVE, StartEmpire Wire Podcast, Jackie Hernandez Live, Canvas Rebel Magazine, SDvoyager Magazine, Keynote Women's Leadership Conference, to name a few RACHEL UNPACKED, RACHEL MEDINA, SHEEO, SHEEOx, SHE,EOO,OOO

This new crop of ultra luxury cruise lines is fascinating, not just because many of them are associated with well known hotel brands, but because they’re appealing to a newer, younger demographic; one that might not have cruised -- or thought about cruising. What’s the appeal for them? In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin and cruise editor Teri West talk with Christina Schlegel, the owner of Bluetail Travel, and Paul Tumposky, the chief revenue officer of Fora Travel, a about the appeal of lines like Four Seasons Yachts, Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection and Explora Journeys and the new pathways they’re opening up in cruising. This episode was recorded May 29 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Brendan Vacations https://www.brendanvacations.com/traveladvisors Stay on at the end of the luxury-cruise discussion for a sponsored interview with Brendan Vacations' North America sales manager Kevin Loftus and Mary Pat Sullivan, the executive vice president of marketing and brand partnerships for Northstar Travel Group. Related links: New luxury lines are connecting with a new generation of cruisers https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/New-luxury-lines-connecting-new-generation-of-cruisers Orient Express’ first ship evokes the glamour of a bygone era https://www.travelweekly.com/Luxury-Travel/Orient-Express-Corinthian-preview Aman at Sea opens for charter and group bookings https://www.travelweekly.com/Luxury-Travel/Amangati-opens-for-charter-event-sales On the Record: Four Seasons Yachts’ CEO Ben Trodd https://www.travelweekly.com/On-The-Record/Ben-Trodd-Four-Seasons-Yachts Ritz-Carlton luxury with ‘less is more’ touches on its first ship https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Ritz-Carlton-luxury-with-less-is-more-touches-on-Evrima Bluetail Travel: https://www.bluetailtravel.com Fora Travel: https://www.foratravel.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Make sure customer touchpoints are cohesive and the data is clean. The average brand has 20+ apps and there's a lot of noise in that data. Removing that noise avoids wasted ad spend and drives more revenue."Episode summary:The major networks including Google & Meta are investing heavily in AI to automate campaign creative and targeting. As the capabilities accelerate, brands need to understand the role AI plays in marketing strategy.In this panel discussion, the CEO of Shopify datalayer specialist Littledata and marketing leaders from the brands using it, discuss the pre-requisites for using AI in marketing.The conversation covers:How to improve the quality of signal you're feeding the algorithms.What data matters most when enabling AI in marketing.Focusing on keeping data clean, reducing the noise from the apps and 3rd parties generating data points.Sensible adoption of AI in marketing, retaining a careful control on quality of execution.The panelists:Edward Upton, CEO at Littledata.Teddy Robinson, Chief of Staff at Grind Coffee.Dan Eales, Head of Growth at Omni.

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Yum! Brands' sale of Pizza Hut, Jersey Mike's overtaking of Chick-fil-A in a major consumer sentiment study, and KFC's announcement that it was entering a new chapter for growth. First up is Pizza Hut, which was officially sold by Yum! Brands in two transactions totaling $2.7 billion. Sam and Alicia discuss the potential future of the brand, and particularly its U.S. business, which was acquired by relatively new private equity firm LongRange Capital. Can Pizza Hut reclaim the loyalty of fans who are nostalgic for its Classic model? Next up they talk about the most recent American Consumer Satisfaction Index, in which Jersey Mike's came out on top — after 11 years of Chick-fil-A taking the crown. Should Chick-fil-A be worried? Sam and Alicia break down the study and why the data matters (to a point). They then transition to KFC, which announced a new “chapter” in which the company would focus on menu innovation, refreshed branding, and modernized stores. Alicia breaks down all the components of this new chapter, and she and Sam talk about how KFC is well positioned to learn from its global stores here in the U.S. They shift their attention to the increase in store closures — On the Border, for example, is now down to only 6 units — before closing with a Quick Fire round in which they cover Panera Bread's new bowls and McDonald's (brief) reintroduction of its beloved Apple Pie. For more on these stories: Pizza Hut to be sold to LongRange CapitalJersey Mike's steals customer satisfaction crown from Chick-fil-AKFC unveils its 'next chapter'

This is the last week we'll have this podcast on this feed, please search 'Sunday Service with The Brands' wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to the show there. Thank you Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-service-with-the-brands/id1896803462 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/033m4Z79z2EuyRTjcbgmDx?si=bCJhLU8cTWm3bY2Q7d7D-A   In this Sunday Service The Brands contemplate and discuss The Righteous Gemstones, Romans 6-8 and our participation in God's Creation as family. We marvel at how Helen Keller saw the moonlit sky from a canoe and Russell's experience of insecurity in Brixton Prison and how a graceful deer shows us how to see from our heart.

Ever feel like your marketing plan is the rope in a tug-of-war match? The sales team is pulling one way. The owner is pulling another. Someone's daughter took a marketing class in college and has opinions. And the person who's actually responsible for the campaign is standing in the middle, trying not to get dragged through the mud. That's why my conversation with Beth Trejo really struck a chord with me.  Beth is the CEO and co-founder of Chatterkick, and she works with franchise organizations, multi-location businesses, and other companies where marketing decisions rarely come from just one person. While her examples came from large organizations, I couldn't help thinking about all the small businesses I've worked with over the years. Sometimes a "multi-layer brand" is just a family business with three generations around the conference table. A few things stood out from our conversation: Marketing isn't just about customers. Sometimes you need to market your ideas internally. Beth pointed out that marketers spend a lot of time building buy-in inside the organization. If stakeholders don't feel included, they'll grab the rope and start pulling in their own direction. Not everyone has to participate the same way. Some people love being front and center. Others would rather hide behind the camera. Beth's advice was simple: meet people where they are and help them contribute in ways that feel natural. Stop arguing and start testing. This might have been my favorite part of the conversation because it brought back memories of my corporate days. When someone insisted my idea would never work, I'd ask for a small test. Data has a wonderful way of settling arguments without bruising anyone's ego. Local voices make brands stronger and easier to find. For franchise and multi-location businesses, there needs to be consistency. But there also needs to be room for local personality. That's good for customer relationships and good for SEO. Search engines, just like customers, want signals that you're connected to the community you serve. Remember that you are not the customer. This sounds obvious, but it's amazing how often we forget it. The things we like, dislike, click on, or ignore may have nothing to do with what our customers want. The strongest marketing teams stay curious and let customer behavior guide the decisions. Ultimately, it isn't about winningt the game of tug-of-war, it is about .getting everyone to pull in the same direction, the customer's direction! 

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Are you trying to sell a service so specialized that closing new clients feels like it can only come from you? What do you think about how AI is reshaping your industry and where that leaves the human at the center of it? Today's featured guest came up through luxury automotive, spent years learning how cultural nuance can derail a campaign that looks perfect on paper, and built a niche precise enough that she can spot from two miles away when someone writing about influencer marketing has never actually run a campaign. In this episode, she'll discuss what makes international influencer work fundamentally different from domestic campaigns and what AI-generated influencers mean for an industry built on human authenticity. Jeanette Okwu is the founder and CEO of Beyond Influence, an influencer marketing agency based in Berlin. Her background spans social media strategy, brand research, and influencer marketing across luxury automotive brands including Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz. That global scope became the foundation for her agency's core differentiation: running influencer campaigns that actually account for cultural nuance in each market rather than pushing a headquarters strategy downward and hoping it lands. In this episode, we'll discuss: Building international campaigns understanding regional nuances How to overcome the expert-owner bottleneck problem Can AI influencers replace real ones? Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources This episode is brought to you by Wix Studio: If you're leveling up your team and your client experience, your site builder should keep up too. That's why successful agencies use Wix Studio — built to adapt the way your agency does: AI-powered site mapping, responsive design, flexible workflows, and scalable CMS tools so you spend less on plugins and more on growth. Ready to design faster and smarter? Go to wix.com/studio to get started. Why International Campaigns Break When You Treat Every Market the Same Early in her career, Jeanette managed 24 markets at Jaguar Land Rover, which helped her understand that what works in one country does not translate by default. A TV spot that runs cleanly in Europe cannot air in the Middle East if it shows upper arms or alcohol. A campaign strategy built at headquarters and handed down to regional teams will get implemented, but it will not perform, because every market has cultural specifics that only someone operating inside that market will catch. The agency she built is the direct expression of that knowledge. Beyond Influence does not run German campaigns and call it international work. It builds campaigns from the ground up with an understanding of how audiences in each target market actually consume content and what they expect from the creators they follow. That distinction is hard to replicate without the years of field experience behind it, and it is exactly the kind of institutional knowledge that becomes a real moat when the rest of the market is running generic global strategies. The Sales Bottleneck That Comes With Deep Expertise Jeanette is candid about where she is stuck: sales still runs through her. This is something she has tried to change, but influencer marketing is still a new enough discipline that clients want to hear from someone who demonstrably knows what they are talking about. She frames it as expertise selling and she is probably right that some of it is structural to the space. But she also hears herself in the answer, acknowledging a degree of control that she knows is not fully serving the agency's ability to grow. The necessary shift in cases like this doesn't point toward finding a salesperson who already knows influencer marketing. The real solution will come from finding someone with the right consultative instincts and then giving them the success stories and methodology that let them carry the conversation. Such is the case of Darby, our agency scale specialist, who did not know what an agency was before joining the team. What he had was the ability to listen, qualify, and translate client pain into a path forward. That skill can be trained on the specifics. The instinct behind it cannot. What AI Influencers Actually Mean for the Industry Jeanette knows the question that is currently on every client's mind: will AI-generated influencers replace the real ones? Her answer is more nuanced than the headlines. AI avatars already perform comparably to human creators on certain content types. Brands are building owned avatars that show up on time, never gain weight, never create a scandal, and can post from six locations simultaneously without a travel budget. That part of the market is real and growing. What AI cannot replicate is the reason people follow a creator in the first place. The parasocial relationship that makes influencer marketing work is built on the sense that the person on screen is real and reachable. When a follower knows they will never be able to meet the creator, the connection breaks. That is the line Jeanette draws: AI content can perform well for product exposure, but for the kind of community trust that turns followers into buyers over time, the human at the center still matters. The agencies that understand where that line sits will be the ones helping brands draw it correctly rather than chasing the cost savings of going fully artificial before the audience has stopped caring about the difference. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries worldwide with 125+ episodes. Honest conversations about how the industry actually works, from the bar and what it means for the boardroom.This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.This episode is a working session on how to build a non-alcoholic brand that does not announce its own absence. Steven Grasse, the brand-builder behind Hendrick's, Sailor Jerry, and Quaker City Mercantile, breaks down Pathfinder: a hemp-and-root-distilled, amaro-style non-alcoholic spirit that entered every Total Wine and Whole Foods without a trial.The conversation covers why non-alcoholic brands must not be “stupid,” the comparison trap of positioning as a replacement, brand mysticism as a method that transcends category, the four pillars of brand creation, launching on-premise first, designing a liquid versatile enough to be a “bartender's ketchup,” the discipline of owning a home turf before the hot cities, and the regulatory freedom that lets a non-alcoholic brand be weirder than any spirit.It is a masterclass in building a great brand that just happens to not have alcohol.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to the Pathfinder00:49 The Origin Story of Pathfinder02:14 Crafting the Unique Flavor Profile04:38 Marketing Strategy and Brand Positioning11:26 Launching Pathfinder in Seattle15:43 The Mystical and Historical Elements18:40 Pathfinder's Market Success and Future25:11 Final Thoughts and Conclusion Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.For €100 a year you get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast) and get this analysis and access to the full archive of 125 episodes, each one translated from industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Summary Artificial Intelligence is transforming marketing faster than almost any technology before it. Brands can now create professional-quality advertisements in hours rather than months and at a fraction of the cost. But as AI-generated creative becomes more common, an important question is emerging: Are brands becoming more efficient while losing some of the humanity that customers value? In this episode, Ben Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton explore the growing use of AI in advertising and marketing. They discuss why customers may care less about how cheaply content is produced and more about whether it feels authentic, trustworthy, and emotionally engaging. They also examine why AI may unintentionally create a flood of mediocre content, why consumers often value effort and craftsmanship, and how marketers can use AI without sacrificing what makes their brands distinctive. The discussion reveals that while AI is a powerful tool, it is not a substitute for customer understanding, emotional insight, or great strategy. Best Quote from the Episode: "The companies that win won't be the ones using the most AI. They'll be the ones using AI without losing their humanity."  Ben Shaw Key Takeaways: Customers don't buy efficiency—they buy value, trust, and emotional connection. AI-generated advertising may lower production costs, but it can also reduce perceived authenticity. Consumers often use effort and craftsmanship as signals of quality and credibility. As AI-generated content becomes widespread, "realness" may become an increasingly valuable differentiator. Unlimited AI revisions can lead to creative dilution and "death by a thousand prompts." AI won't fix poor marketing strategy; it simply allows marketers to produce more content faster. Great marketing still comes from human insight, emotion, creativity, and understanding customer needs. The most successful brands will use AI as a tool, not as a replacement for strategic thinking. Why You Should Listen: If you're a marketer, business leader, customer experience professional, or simply curious about how AI is changing the relationship between brands and customers, this episode offers a balanced and practical perspective. You'll learn where AI genuinely creates value, where it creates risks, and why authenticity may become one of the most important competitive advantages in the years ahead. Resources Mentioned Ben Shaw - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benshawuk/ Professor Ryan Hamilton - http://linkedin.com/in/ryan-hamilton-49b3321 About the Hosts: Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World's Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called "The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things" Harvard Business Press. Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Ben Shaw is Group Head of Strategy at Smarts, a global PR and Creative agency. Ben also led strategy at BBH and worked client-side with fast-growth start-ups Wheely and Unmind. He's passionate about how brands can challenge culture convention and create ideas people want to spend time with, working on brands like Audi, Google and Burger King.  Beyond advertising, Ben champions mental health awareness and rare disease research, drawing on both personal experience and professional curiosity.

Historian H.W. Brands joins Rep. Crenshaw to discuss how many of the challenges facing America today are rooted in debates that began at the Founding. They explore the origins of partisan politics, the limits of executive power, the meaning of the Constitution, and the enduring challenge of preserving self-government. What did the Founding Fathers get right? What would they think of America today? And what lessons can we learn from them to endure for another 250 years?   Professor H.W. Brands is the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of more than 30 books, including "The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin", "Reagan: The Life", and "American Patriarch: The Life of George Washington."

What if the next billion-dollar brand is hiding in a powder stick, a functional cookie, or a kid's lunchbox? In this episode, the Taste Radio crew breaks down the meteoric rise of hydration brand DryWater, which has expanded from startup to 41,000 retail locations in just over two years. They also spotlight Fields Good, the modern cookie brand launched by Ashley Fields, daughter of the founder of Mrs. Fields, and examine the growing opportunity – and unique challenges – of marketing beverages to kids and families. Show notes: 0:20: Do It Live. Of Myce & Mike. Oxymagic. Oatmeal Raisin, But No Sleep. Opps & Opportunities. – The hosts reflect on the energy and connections that defined BevNET Live NYC 2026, highlighting how face-to-face conversations with founders, suppliers, investors, and industry partners continue to create meaningful opportunities across the beverage industry. They also discuss the emergence of kanna-based beverage brands and preview upcoming events, including the Summer Fancy Food Show and several Taste Radio meetups. The conversation then turns to DryWater, whose grassroots consumer following has helped fuel a remarkable rise from startup to national retail presence. Later, the hosts examine functional cookie startup Fields Good and debate whether consumers will embrace cookies formulated for focus, sleep, and protein. They also explore the challenges and opportunities of developing products that resonate with both parents and kids, from protein-packed oat milk to better-for-you sodas. Brands in this episode: Myce, Innerbloom, Amerytnth, Goldie, Anjali's Cup, DryWater, Fields Good, Cape Cod Chips, Late July Snacks, Nixie Beverage Co., Willa's, Sprite

Mattie Sims has built brands at Lululemon, Electronic Arts, Reef, and Rally Pickleball — and along the way developed a framework for brand building that most founders skip entirely. Now she's applying everything she's learned to two ventures at once: Courier, a performance sock brand built around the idea of the "Renaissance athlete," and Mate the Agency, a brand strategy firm working with founders across industries. In this conversation, Mattie walks through the muse framework she learned at Lululemon and has refined across every role since — why the most important question isn't "who buys this product" but "what is this person worried about when their head hits the pillow at night." She also gets into why looking branded is not the same as having a brand, what happened when Rally discovered their customers weren't there for pickleball, and why having her son was the thing that finally convinced her she could be an entrepreneur. Plus: why niching down is the thing every founder is most afraid of, how Courier is building a cultural movement around versatile excellence, and the Red Bull receptionist whose casual suggestion became a billion-dollar product strategy. Popfly For Creators: https://popf.ly/secondnaturecreators Popfly for Brands: https://popf.ly/secondnaturebrands Show Notes: Mattie Sims: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-sims-83385823/ Courier Socks: http://couriersocks.com/ Mate The Agency: https://www.matetheagency.com/ Rally Pickleball: https://www.rallypickleball.com/ Mate IG Carousel Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYW4_SVEU8b/ Carrie Rheaume (Mate agency co-founder): https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-rheaume-6376521a8/ Matt Sims: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sims-9b716450/ Gartner Hype Cycle: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwerner/2024/07/18/the-trough-of-disillusionment-and-four-outliers-on-the-gartner-hype-cycle/ Morgan Tuohy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-tuohy/ Dera: https://rundera.com/ Ryan Thrower: https://www.instagram.com/ryanthrower/ BPC - Brand, Product, Content: Seniq: https://seniqbrand.com/ Summer Edition - Red Bull: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/energydrink/products/red-bull-summer-edition Billy Oppenheimer's newsletter: https://billyoppenheimer.com/ Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

This week, Jim welcomes Grace Kao, Chief Marketing Officer of Snap Inc. Founded in 2011 by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, Snap has grown from a simple idea about visual communication into a global platform reaching more than 940 million monthly active users and generating nearly $6 billion in annual revenue.Grace joined Snap in late 2024 and was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer just months later. Before Snap, she held senior marketing leadership roles at Spotify and Instagram, helping some of the world's most influential platforms connect with creators, businesses, and consumers.Tune in as Grace shares what marketers still misunderstand about Gen Z, why creativity remains the defining skill of the next generation, and how brands can earn relevance by becoming part of the group chat rather than interrupting it. Whether you're leading a global brand, building a startup, or simply trying to understand where culture is headed next, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the future of marketing, creativity, and human connection.---We'll be at Cannes Lions from June 22nd to the 26th, hopping up along the Croisette all week. Let us know if you'll be attending too!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The New York Knicks are NBA Champions — and Donny Deutsch breaks down why Jalen Brunson is the ultimate brand-up story in sports, and why Victor Wembanyama's behavior may have cost him millions in endorsements. Plus, the week's biggest brand moments: Nike's viral Knicks championship ad, Ariana Grande vs. the White House over unauthorized music use, the FDA's first new sunscreen approval in 25 years, and why Patrick Mahomes' $500M NFL contract is historic. Also: cannabis doesn't help you sleep (science says it worsens insomnia), donuts are more dehydrating than coffee, protein prices are surging thanks to the GLP-1 boom, Steven Spielberg is back with a blockbuster, and "rustout" is the new burnout hitting remote workers. Rate, review & subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode three of the "The Big Four" presented by the Tackle Talk Podcast. This four-part series take a behind-the-scenes look at the four largest parent companies in fishing tackle, who collectively own and control over 80 of the biggest brands in baits, rods, reels, line, and accessories.  Today's guest is the Vice President of Brand Management at PRADCO Outdoor Brands, Mr. Chad Warner. To learn more about PRADCO Outdoor Brands, visit https://www.pradcooutdoorbrands.com/fishing-brands/      Tackle Talk is presented by:  The Rod Locker | https://rodlocker.com/ | Promo Code: TACKLETALKJUNE   Additional support provided by: Amped Outdoors | https://ampedoutdoors.com/ Humminbird | https://humminbird.com/ Minn Kota | https://minnkotamotors.com/

H.W. Brands explains how, in May 1941, Roosevelt declared an "unlimited national emergency," putting American industry and the public mind on a wartime footing. This move escalated the "moral war" against Germany and effectively criminalized dissent, as Roosevelt began labeling his critics "copperheads" and "fifth columnists"—terms implying disloyalty or treason. Lindbergh felt this was a dangerous overreach, noting that his father had been hounded by the Justice Department for similar dissent during World War I. The administration intensified its pressure, with the FBItapping America First Committee phones and British agents attempting to sabotage their gatherings. Roosevelt even misrepresented the Greer incident, claiming a German submarine had fired unprovoked on an American ship, when in fact the Greer was actively hunting the submarine. On September 11, 1941, during a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, a desperate Lindbergh made a fatal rhetorical error. He identified three groups pushing for war: the British, the Rooseveltadministration, and Jewish Americans. Although he stated their sympathies were understandable, his mention of "American Jews" allowed his enemies to brand him an anti-Semite and a "Nazi stooge." Even supporters like Herbert Hoover told him that while his words might be true, he was "wrong to say it" because he had moved himself politically out of bounds. (7)1940

H.W. Brands describes how in April 1939, Charles Lindbergh returned to the United States as a world-famous celebrity, greeted by "a football team of flashbulbs popping" as he disembarked a transatlantic steamer. Lindbergh had remained in the global spotlight since his historic 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic, a feat of technical proficiency and bravery comparable to the moon landing. His return was prompted by the imminent threat of war in Europe, a situation he had observed firsthand while living in England to escape the "paparazzi" following the tragic kidnapping and murder of his infant son. While Lindbergh admired German culture and technical organization, he was puzzled and dismayed by the rise of the Nazi party. He viewed the British as complacent, believing they were clinging to a 19th-century empire while imposing unrealistic peace terms on Germany that they refused to enforce. Lindbergh predicted that if war broke out, Britain would inevitably look to the United States for a "bailout," just as they had during World War I. Upon his arrival in Washington, he was beckoned to meet President Franklin Roosevelt, who sought to co-opt the celebrated aviator into the administration. Roosevelt recognized Lindbergh's deep knowledge of global military aircraft and his massive public following, fearing he would become a powerful voice for neutrality. However, Lindbergh, jealous of his independence and skeptical of Roosevelt's charm, declined the offer, refusing to be "inside the tent" where he could be controlled. (1)1930

H.W. Brands describes how, by the summer of 1939, the destruction of Poland by German and Soviet forces confirmed that war was imminent, prompting Roosevelt to invoke neutrality laws as required by Congress. Despite his desire for privacy, Lindbergh began using his celebrity status to secure national radio airtime, feeling a duty to prevent Americafrom repeating what he viewed as the "mistake" of the First World War. His father, a former congressman, had been driven out of politics for opposing American intervention in 1917, a legacy that instilled in Lindbergh a profound distrust of politics as a "mean business" where truth was rare. Lindbergh argued that Britain and France were launching a war they could not win and would eventually force the United States into a permanent presence in Europe. During this period, he consulted with figures like Herbert Hoover, who suggested forming a committee that would eventually become "America First," and visited the "House of Morgan" through his wife's family connections. British observers, such as Harold Nicolson, were less impressed, dismissing Lindbergh as a "schoolboy" who possessed technical talent but lacked a mature understanding of diplomacy and the complexities of governing a great empire. Lindbergh remained unfazed by British criticism, asserting that he was an American and that his country's interests were distinct from those of the British Empire. (2)1936

H.W. Brands explains how, following the massacre in Poland, Roosevelt sought to modify the Neutrality Acts—laws passed in the mid-1930s specifically to prevent the types of economic and travel entanglements that had drawn the U.S.into World War I. Roosevelt argued that providing weapons to Britain and France would allow them to defend themselves, thereby keeping American troops out of the conflict. Lindbergh and anti-interventionist Senators like Burton Wheeler and Robert Borah remained deeply skeptical, believing Roosevelt was being "transactional" and dishonest about his true intent to lead the U.S. into a new European order. Roosevelt countered by attacking his critics early, using the word "isolation" like a "plague" and characterizing their views as well-meaning but ignorant. While some suggested Lindbergh as a potential 1940 Republican presidential candidate, he refused to enter politics, preferring to challenge the president through the airwaves. Roosevelt carefully shaped public opinion, fearing the type of backlash Woodrow Wilson faced for getting too far ahead of the populace. When France fell in just six weeks to the German Blitzkrieg in 1940, Lindbergh felt vindicated, arguing that American troops would have merely been trapped on the beaches. Meanwhile, Winston Churchill manipulated Roosevelt with warnings that a falling British government might surrender its fleet to Germany, successfully pressuring the president to send American destroyers to Britain. (3)1927

H.W. Brands describes how, during the summer of 1940, as London burned under the Luftwaffe's terror weapons, Roosevelt made the historic decision to seek a third term. He used "Rooseveltian misdirection" to freeze out potential Democratic successors like James Farley and John Nance Garner, eventually engineering a "draft" of himself based on the international emergency. Lindbergh and other skeptics saw this as a move toward a presidency for life, with Lindbergh accurately predicting Roosevelt would run for a fourth term and die in office. To formalize the opposition, the America First Committee was formed under General Robert Wood of Sears Roebuck, with Lindbergh serving as its star speaker. Lindbergh enjoyed massive media support and funding, delivering rallies that drew thousands while Roosevelt campaigned on promises that "your son will not die in a foreign war." The debate became increasingly personal, with Senator Burton Wheeler suggesting that every fourth American son would be "plowed into the ground" if the country intervened. Roosevelt, a master of press conferences, used his "slippery" instincts to treat reporters as adjuncts to his administration, planting ideas to see how they would be received by the public. Despite Lindbergh's constant radio messages that the U.S. was secure behind two oceans and possessed a superior military, Roosevelt began planning the Lend-Lease program as 1941 approached. (4)

H.W. Brands describes how, in early 1941, Roosevelt introduced the Lend-Lease Act (HR 1776), a bill that ironically shared its name with the year of American independence but intended to "marry America's future to Britain's future." Because Britain was running out of cash, Roosevelt argued that the U.S. should lend or lease weaponry to ensure they didn't go down for lack of funds. He was aided by a sentimental shift in American public opinion, driven by Edward R. Murrow's broadcasts which portrayed the "stubborn British" as heroic underdogs fighting for democracy. Simultaneously, a covert information war was being waged by William Stephenson, the director of British propaganda in America, who worked with William "Wild Bill" Donovan to manipulate U.S. opinion with the administration's blessing. While Roosevelt publicly complained about German propaganda, his own administration used unacknowledged stories and rumors to move Americans toward war. Lindbergh called out this hypocrisy, arguing that aiding Churchill—an "unreconstructed" imperialist—was not a defense of democracy but a defense of British rule in places like India. Roosevelt even utilized a forged map, allegedly showing a German plan to reorganize Latin America and replace the Bible with Mein Kampf, to stir fear. Lindbergh's diary reveals his deep intuition that every step away from neutrality was a calculated move toward war, regardless of the president's stated desire for peace. (5)1941

H.W. Brands describes how, in early 1941, Lindbergh took his arguments to Congress, testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate. He presented himself as a political "babe in the woods," taking pride in his "innocence" compared to the "culture of politics" embodied by Roosevelt. While interventionists argued that air power had made the world smaller and America more vulnerable, Lindbergh used his technical expertise to argue the opposite: air power made the United States more defensible. He reasoned that any invader would require an armada of ships that could now be attacked by aircraft 300 miles off the American shore, long before they reached land. Lindbergh rejected the label of "isolationist," proposing instead a robust "hemispheric defense." He argued that America's frontier was not on the Rhine River but 200 miles off its own coasts, encompassing the entire Western Hemisphere including Canada and Latin America. His message resonated with the public; massive rallies at the Manhattan Center and Madison Square Garden saw crowds so large that many were left waiting outside. Lindbergh's diary noted his own popularity with some vanity, viewing the cheering crowds as a sign that the people agreed with his "America first" message. However, the debate in the summer of 1941 was increasingly characterized by mockery from London, where leaders were desperate for America to stop simply selling weapons and start fighting. (6)1936

H.W. Brands describes how the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, fundamentally changed the nature of the conflict, which Lindbergh privately characterized as Roosevelt getting the country "in through the back door." While Roosevelt was surprised by the location of the attack, he had been pressuring Japan through ultimatums regarding their presence in China and Indonesia. Hitler, believing Roosevelt was already "itching for a cause of war," did the president a "favor" by declaring war on the United States 72 hours later, merging two separate conflicts into World War II. Once the U.S. was officially at war, Lindbergh attempted to fulfill his duty as a loyal citizen by volunteering for the Army Air Corps. Roosevelt personally blocked the request, unwilling to let his chief critic become a military hero, while his administration continued to smear Lindbergh as a "Nazi sympathizer" unfit for command. Undeterred, Lindbergh signed on with aircraft manufacturers as a consultant and surreptitiously traveled to the Pacific theater. There, he not only tested planes but also flew combat missions against the Japanese, providing his skills to his country despite being officially barred from service. Lindbergh lived until 1974, eventually dying in Hawaii, leaving behind a legacy as a man whose technical brilliance was overshadowed by a bitter and historic debate over America's role in the world. (8)19441936