If you’re a creative, marketer, or brand strategist, you’ve probably felt the frustration of working on campaigns that lack clear direction. Maybe you’ve been handed a brief and thought, This doesn’t feel right, but you weren’t given the space to challenge it. Or maybe you’ve seen brands struggle to stand out because they’re stuck following trends instead of creating something original.

In this episode, Cole sits down with Matt Trappe—photographer, director, and brand strategist in the running world—to help you understand how creatives can play a bigger role in shaping brand strategy, rather than just executing it. Matt and Cole break down why integrating creative thinking into brand strategy leads to stronger, more authentic storytelling—and ultimately, better results.

Key Topics: 

• The tension between marketing and creativity—why brands need both but often default to marketing-led approaches.

• How brands can empower creatives to contribute beyond execution and influence strategy.

• The importance of knowing your audience deeply rather than relying solely on data-driven decisions.

• Why originality and authenticity matter more than ever in an era of mass content production.

• The viral success of the Strava x Chipotle challenge and how great storytelling drives engagement.

This podcast is produced by Port Side. We're a creative studio that blends the best of a creative agency with the executional power of a production company backed by a methodology crafted from 200 marketing leaders that produces emotional and strategic video content.

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