Brand New

Back in 2009, famed author Michael Lewis wrote a profile of basketball player Shane Battier in which he dubbed him “the no stats all star.” What would make someone a no stats all star? An individual whose game play puts the team above himself (how rare is that)? It just took some deeper analytics to realize that how the TEAM performed (Sven even how the competition underperformed) came down to this one unassumingly shrewd variable. In this conversation with Marisa and Steven, Shane shares how those instincts from the court have translated into really meaningful lessons in leadership for all of us. Wondering if the only route to big leadership is big ego? This episode is for you.

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Businesses that learn forward know that - after a big campaign, whether a big success or big failure - it’s wise to conduct a post-mortem to understand what happened and their implications. In that spirit, and just a few days after a resounding presidential win for Donald Trump, Marisa and Steven offer their view of 5 major learnings for all marketers and brands that we can draw from this election outcome. No (well, almost no) political pontificating - just a smart, objective take that should incite everyone to think a little differently.

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Marisa and Steven continue their recurring series on building understanding between the Marketers and the Money, when they sit down with private equity leader and former CEO Joshua Schultz to tackle this burning question: do finance leaders truly understand the value of marketing?  Together they get real about the tension between short-term financial performance and long-term brand building, and volley on marketing as an essential investment vs. just another cost to be managed. It’s the kind of conversation that needs to happen more in boardrooms around the country - and one you won’t want to miss.

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In the course of just one week, Marisa and Steven each announced major career news. For Marisa, it was the return to serving as the brand and marketing chief for a big American retailer (but doing it her way, which she wrote about on LinkedIn in a piece called “Try it On”). For Steven, it is also   about doing it his own way by launching a new company (Alpha & Co) to help brands, boards, and business leaders navigate the complexities of growth in the AI era. With true candor, insight and humor these two executives share what was behind these decisions, and what everyone might consider from them in their own career choices.

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One of the recurring questions on “Brand New” has been to what extent should everyone think of themselves as a “brand.“ When it comes to celebrities, it’s not a question; they know they are brands. On this episode, Marisa and Steven talk with renowned interior designer, lifestyle expert and star of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” about his journey of creating a brand first as an entrepreneur, and then experiencing its transformation through the fame of a hit TV show.Bobby’s life story is interesting in and of itself (how many people do you know who started out in he Amish Bible Belt, lived out of their car as a teenager and managed to work their way up the ranks of home decor retail). But this conversation will go beyond to give you a rare, thoughtful view of how to think about helming a brand, when that brand is… you.

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As summer winds down and everyone gets back to business, Steven and Marisa are talking the business of marketing and the media in a multi-part series tackling the divide that exists (but shouldn't!) between those who control the purse strings ,and those who control the brand and audience string. Joining them on this episode is one of the most prominent analysts in media and technology: Rich Greenfield. Covering everything happening across the worlds of media, tech and entertainment, from whether we will still be buying the same bundles to the drama around Paramount, pass the popcorn and join in a conversation, made as always for experts and casual observers alike.

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With Steven recording from Spain, the co-hosts take this moment in the heat of August to talk about the importance of taking breaks, comparing American culture with regards to work and vacations versus Europe and many other parts of the world. (Spoiler: the U.S. ranks LAST). Both Marisa and Steven riff on the brands of both of the political parties in the wake of the DNC and RNC… and cover some recent business / CEO change headlines. This episode ends with a great listener question on knowing when and how far to rebrand.

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It’s back to school time with Steven and Marisa, as they bring on fellow podcasters Sarah Hofstetter and Rachel Tipograph, co-hosts of Brave Commerce, and each well-known CEOs in the world of digital commerce. When these four industry leaders who have known each other for years get into it with each other, you know the discussion is dynamic on where commerce is going. From debating whether “personalization” is all it was hyped to be, to how AI is changing shopping, there’s a lot to learn on this episode (including what’s it’s really been like for two women CEOs in the world of tech). 

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The Olympic Games are more than the ultimate in sports; they are the ultimate execution of an event involving billions of dollars in stakes (invested and potentially made) for brands, countries, athletes and more. In this episode, Steven and Marisa invite sports legend Kathy Carter, most recently CEO of the LA2028 Games, to share a unique insider’s perspective on the business of the Olympics. What does it take, really? Which brand sponsors should we be watching “compete” this time? What’s ahead for when the summer games return to the U.S.? And… were those Opening Ceremonies in Paris brilliant… or bananas? 

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At this historic moment in American electoral politics, Marisa and Steven put a brand new lens on the two major political parties, and U.S. politicians. In this very timely conversation, they are joined by Congressman Jeff Jackson (NC), who shot to national prominence in the most unexpected of ways: after entering office last year and finding the actual experience of serving in the House so different than what he imagined, he wanted to simply share that. The result? His videos - which he makes himself - have made him the most popular Congressperson on TikTok. 

Is it possible that a political “brand” built on authenticity vs. outrage can actually prevail in the U.S. today? And what does a sitting U.S. Congressman actually think about AI for campaign speeches, political advertising, and the Supreme Court? Amidst all the noise, this is a perspective guaranteed to be refreshing.

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