a branded world: Branding made easy. A podcast where we explore great brands and learn how to build a powerful brand. podcast

05.26.2021

15 lessons from over 30 years of value creation – with Todd Kelly

Growing your business is hard and this is especially true if you’re a small organization. Wouldn’t it be great to learn from a seasoned marketer with a track record of growing revenue and profits while strengthening teams and building brands?...

05.13.2021

93 - Inside the fastest growing social media teams - with Miruna Dragomir

In 2020, many brands pulled back their advertising and marketing. To ensure they could continue to connect and be helpful to their audiences, many significantly increased their social media efforts. In today’s episode, I’m talking with Miruna Dragomir, Head of...

04.29.2021

92 – How to build a personal brand

If you’re starting your career, your consultancy, or small business, and want to position and differentiate yourself in the marketplace, elevate your credibility, and grow your influence, your personal brand is key. In this episode, we go through the steps...

04.15.2021

91 - The business case for sustainability - with Chad Park

There are increasing expectations from consumers and investors alike for brands to demonstrate their genuine commitment towards a more sustainable future. But what does it mean to be a sustainable business and how can brands become more sustainable while ensuring...

03.18.2021

90 - How gamification can improve lives and bottom lines - with Oliver Šimko - Part 2

This episode is the second part of my interview with Oliver Šimko. Gamification can be highly effective in a variety of areas, from attracting customers, increasing sales, building loyalty, creating healthier habits, increasing productivity, achieving better learning outcomes, etc. Given...

03.04.2021

89 - How gamification can improve lives and bottom lines - with Oliver Šimko - Part 1

Gamification has become a bit of a buzzword in the last few years, but it’s not just a gimmick. Gamification uses game design principles, behavioural science, and design thinking to create better products, services, and companies. When done right, it...

02.18.2021

88 - Becoming the story

We like to think we’re rational beings and we mistakenly believe that we can persuade or create the action we want by creating awareness of an issue or presenting facts and rational arguments alone. But as our own experience shows us...

02.04.2021

87 - How small brands become powerful

Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profits have very limited time and resources. How should they use the little time and resources they have to compete with wealthier and more established brands?

01.14.2021

86 - Brand and Culture

When you’re a small team culture is easier to manage but as you grow and hire more people, it becomes harder to preserve. It can easily grow and morph into something else. How do you create the right culture and...

12.20.2020

85 - Beyond 2020

2020 was quite the year and as much as we’re all looking forward to putting it behind us, what are some learnings and insights we can take away from this crazy year that could be helpful in the future? 2020...

11.26.2020

84 - How to influence and win clients with copywriting - with Rob Marsh

Chances are that your audience will first hear or read about you before you ever have a chance to engage with them in person. The language you use, your tone of voice and what you choose to say are...

11.12.2020

83 - How values impact engagement - with Cian Murphy

In this episode, we talk to Cian Murphy, Co-Managing Director of nfpSynergy, a research firm based in London, UK. Cian is an expert in quantitative research design and analysis. Cian shares with us a research model used to better...

10.29.2020

82 - Hipnostalgia: The A&W story - with Sarah Mueller

In this episode, I talk with Sarah Mueller, SVP of Marketing and Development for A&W; Restaurants Inc. Sarah tells us the story of the over 100-year-old brand. From its humble beginnings, to how it became the means for so many...

06.29.2020

81 - Challenge Accepted - with Jason Horowitz

By all measures, Hot Wheels is a brand success story. It’s sold in over 150 countries, has universal brand awareness and it's the best selling toy in the world. But the question is, how can the brand continue to be...

06.12.2020

80 - The future of brands

With everything that is happening in the world right now, we’ve seen brands struggle on how to best react. Global market trends and the significant importance of younger generations have intensified the need and urgency for brands to do much...

05.17.2020

79 - How to protect your brand - with Etienne Sanz De Acedo

Protecting your brand starts with registering your trademark but it needs to go well beyond that. As the CEO of the International Trademark Association, Etienne Sanz De Acedo, my guest on the podcast, has a good handle on what it...

04.30.2020

78 - How to build a resilient culture - with Lorne Rubis

An organization’s culture is not just about having a positive work environment, it’s about having the right team, that acts the right way and makes the right decisions. This is particularly true during critical times, such as the coronavirus crisis...

04.19.2020

77 - Necessity is the mother of invention

So, we’re still in the midst of the pandemic, and brands are trying to figure out what to do. By now most organizations have cut costs and are actively looking for financial support. But now it’s important for brands to...

04.10.2020

72 - How to go from “one of many” to “one of a kind” - with David Lemley

In this episode, I speak with David Lemley, president and chief strategist of Retail Vodoo, about the main external challenges brands face in their pursuit to stand out in overcrowded markets and how to overcome these challenges. Learning to navigate...

04.08.2020

76 - Marketing during COVID-19 – 6 guiding principles

The two questions that I’ve been getting the most this past week from organizations are, “Should we continue to market? and "Do we need to engage or talk about the crisis?”. Like me, you’ve probably received emails from every organization...

03.20.2020

75 - Crisis communications - with Scott Crockatt

I don’t think anyone was quite prepared for the COVID-19 crisis we’re all facing right now. Unfortunately, this crisis will likely severely affect many organizations, for profit and non-profit. Today's episode is an encore episode first launched in March 2018. Although...

03.08.2020

74 - The Harlem Globetrotters: How this legacy brand made a come back

In this episode, I speak to Brent Baldwin, head of brand marketing for the Harlem Globetrotters. Brent shares the history of the globetrotters, the evolution of the brand and how focusing on their purpose is helping the organization create clarity...

02.23.2020

73 - The need for brand alignment to deliver the right experiences - with Chris Wallace

Many brands leave to chance that front facing staff will know how to interpret the brand and create the right interactions with external audiences. This is at best a missed opportunity to strengthen your brand and at worst a risk...

11.14.2019

71 - How McDonald’s manages to be one of the world’s most valuable brands? Part 2 - with Usman Tahir Jutt

In this episode, Usman shares with us in detail what the selection and training process is like for a potential MacDonald’s owner and operator. This is a grueling process by which McDonald’s is able to select the right people to...

11.02.2019

70 - How McDonald’s continues to be one of the world’s most valuable brands? Part 1 - with Usman Tahir Jutt

According to a 2019 study by Statista, McDonald’s brand value is estimated at over $130 billion dollars. Almost three times more than number two, Starbucks, on the “fast food” category. How does a brand who regularly receives harsh criticism have...

10.17.2019

69 - How the YMCA after 175 years, stays relevant to each community they serve and as a global brand - with Ken Lima-Coelho

Part of the YMCA success is their ability to change, but how does a massive global organization master the art of understanding audience needs, have the willingness to change and adapt while staying true to its brand essence? ken Lima-Coelho,...

10.03.2019

68 - Part 3 of 3: Airbnb's powerful culture and how you can do it too - with Douglas Atkin

This is the third and final episode of a three-part series where we go deeper on how to define and operationalize your purpose and core values and how to create and nourish the right culture.

09.19.2019

67 - Part 2 of 3: How Airbnb defined and operationalized their core values and how you can do it too - with Douglas Atkin

Almost every organization has a set of values, but most don’t know how to live by them. Operationalizing your values, translating them into actions and experiences is very hard to do. In this episode we pull the curtain to show...

09.06.2019

66 - Part 1 of 3: How Airbnb found and implemented their purpose and how you can do it too - with Douglas Atkin

There is a lot of information about defining your purpose but there is not a lot on how to find your purpose and even less on how to implement it. This three-part series, will walk you through how to find...

07.12.2019

65 - Using events to reinforce your brand and internal culture - with Eryne Sarabin

Events can be a great way to fully immerse your audience in your brand. Good food and a good venue are important but to achieve a memorable brand experience and meaningful connection with your audience you need to go beyond the...

07.02.2019

64 - How to express your brand in a physical space - with Nicole Matos and Chris Goodrow

Injecting your brand in your spaces enhances the connection with your brand values reinforces your culture, nourishes staff and customer engagement and creates the right brand experiences.

05.16.2019

63 - How to really know your audience

Every brand should have a good handle on who their ideal customer is, not just based on age or gender but rather on their needs and desires. In this episode we explore some ways to uncover the information you need...

05.02.2019

62 - How Netflix brought down a giant and became a market leader by remaining true to their brand purpose

In this episode I’m talking to Barry Enderwick, who helped shape the Netflix brand in its early days. We discuss how Netflix has been able to continuously change and adapt, staying on top of its game and how you can...

04.18.2019

61 - How to use sound to make your brand stand out and help tell your story

Most brands dedicate resources to carefully select the right images and although sound can make an image much more powerful very few brands spend time selecting the right sounds.

04.05.2019

60 - How Airbnb built a cult like brand - with Douglas Atkin

Douglas Atkin, former Head of Community at Airbnb walks us through how to identify your purpose, how to evaluate it to ensure it’s a good one and how to bring that purpose to life which is the hardest part of...

03.21.2019

59 - Creating “Accidental Activists” one bottle at a time – with Kendra Peavy from Swell Bottles

Swell Bottle was not the first to come up with a multi-use water bottle but how did they get the attention of people like Oprah, publications like Vogue and retailers like Starbucks? What is the magic behind Swell? What is...

03.07.2019

58 - How Lush Cosmetics grew a cult like following by being unapologetically true to their values – with Brandi Halls

Lush Cosmetics is not afraid to stand for what they believe in and what they are against. In this episode Brandi Halls, Brand Director North America, shares with us how Lush lives by their values, how they have grown a...

02.21.2019

57 - The behind the scenes of a social enterprise - with Dave Cree

Social enterprise may likely be the new business model. In this episode I’m talking to Dave Cree, co-founder of Common Good Linens. Get a behind the scenes on a successful social enterprise that is helping those facing homelessness and poverty.

02.06.2019

056 Why brands to be relevant need to take a stand with Professor Henry Navarro

In this highly polarized world, brands are asked to take a stand on political and social issues. Appealing to everyone is no longer a viable option. In this episode, we explore how brands can take a stand and attract the...

01.24.2019

55 - How Instagram can help you grow your business - with Tyler J. McCall

With 1 billion users spending an average of 53 minutes a day on the app, 50% actively following brands and 72% purchasing from them, Instagram is a platform you should be at. But how can you use Instagram for your...

01.10.2019

54 - What are the characteristics of a remarkable brand - with Chris Kneeland

What makes a remarkable brand, well…remarkable? What are their characteristics? What decisions their leaders make? What goals they pursue? Do they share similar attributes? More importantly, what can we learn from them and apply to our own experience?

12.20.2018

53 - The 2018 pick of the year - An interview with Terry O’Reilly

This is the last episode of 2018, I wanted to pick the one episode from all year that is a definite "do not miss". If you only have time to listen to one episode this is it. If you've already...

12.06.2018

52 - Overcoming the fear of selling - with Hamish Knox

Like it or not we all have to “sell” our products or services or cause. In this episode, Hamish walks us through the best way to approach selling, the proven seven step process to convert and the psychology behind successfully...

11.22.2018

51 - Owning your brand - with Brian Hickling

Brian knows a thing or two about building remarkable brands. He is not limited to traditional and digital creative marketing campaigns but rather the entire process of building a brand from within, creating strong cultures that live and embrace the...

11.08.2018

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