Brand Shorthand

Explore all the fun and excitement of cult brands like Disney, Apple, and Coke—no blood oaths required! Follow along as Mark and Lorraine discuss the golden rules of Cult Branding (as laid out by marketing consultant Bolivar Bueno), the highs of sticking to your core audience… and the lows of companies who drank the Kool-Aid.

Spend 30ish minutes with Mark and Lorraine as they talk all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

While tech companies like Best Buy, Verizon, and BitCoin’s Verse are refreshing their logos, women’s accessory companies like Zales and Vera Bradley are introducing entire brand refreshes. Join Mark and Lorraine as they talk the differences between a brand refresh and a brand new logo. The positioning duo tackles the latest marketing overhauls, the origins of Singer Corporation, and some successful past brand refreshes.

Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they talk all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

Taco Bell vacation clubs, motorcycle gangs, off-key musical numbers, and... Carrie Underwood? Join Mark and Lorraine - and brand new producer and editor Denver Wittmer - as they discuss the latest blunders of big-name brands. From boycotts on classic American brands like John Deere and Harley Davidson to misfired marketing attempts from Target, Mark and Lorraine cover a wide range of companies that owe their customers a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they talk all things marketing, advertising, and of course ... positioning!

Etsy versus the rest of the field, such as GoImagine. Nike versus everyone. Hear what Mark and Lorraine think about Etsy's new campaign focused on human makers, GoImagine's up-and-coming challenge to Etsy, and Nike's apparent fall from grace. Is it too late for Nike to Just Do It!?! And can Etsy stay on top with challengers such as GoImagine?

Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they talk all things marketing, advertising, and of course ... positioning!

Before the positioning duo dives into the rise of Dr. Pepper, Mark and Lorraine tackle the tough topic of politics -- without talking politics! Learn their perspective on the recent Republican National Convention and the re-positioning that has been done to do the hard job of changing perceptions. Then learn why Dr. Pepper is now #2 in the soft drink category... from the iconic Be a Pepper campaign to the more recent Fansville commercials.

Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they talk all things marketing, advertising, and of course ... positioning!

Pirate Ship? GymShark? Who are these brands and what do they have in common? They both have identified a tight niche and taken a unique approach to a tired category. Call them the Uber of shipping or the Stanley of the gym rat. Unique. Exciting. And fun for our special guest, Cheryl Henderson -- creative director at Innis Maggiore -- to wax phil-arrrrr-sophical. Join the positioning gurus, including Cheryl, as we discover a few new brands who have become overnight sensations.

Spend 30+ ish with Mark, Lorraine, and Cheryl as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, public relations, and of course ... positioning!

If you haven't heard the news about Dr. Pepper overtaking Pepsi as the #2 soft drink, you might have been living under a rock. Mark and Lorraine dive into the reasons that might have caused Pepsi's decline. The positioning duo has a long discussion on the "Pepsi generation's" position and why moving away from it is the most likely culprit in its fall from #2. Then they finish surmising how Pepsi can reverse the decline.

Spend 30+ ish with Mark and Lorraine as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, public relations, and of course ... positioning!

Today, our positioning duo is joined by Mike DeVilling, President and CEO of WestShore Public Relations. Mike brings his wealth of knowledge and experience to the podcast to share valuable insights on how brands can leverage public relations. The discussion also uncovers all the new tactics, channels, and platforms available to public relations professionals, and how media relations has changed over the past couple decades. A big thanks to Mike for joining the positioning gurus!

Spend 40ish with the positioning duo as they discuss everything marketing, advertising, PUBLIC RELATIONS, and positioning!

In the final part of Positioning for Professionals, Lorraine and Mark knock down the last five positioning myths: 11) All clients are good; 12) full-service exists; 13) focus is limiting; 14) more means more; and 15) the middle is safe. Find out why these myths are simply not true, and what you can do about it. Mark also laments the "expiration" of so many great brands who have lost their positioning way. 

Spend 30ish with the positioning duo as they discuss everything marketing, advertising, and positioning!

What is Papa John's doing? Or is that Papa Johns without an apostrophe?!? Mark and Lorraine dive in on this topic before they get to Positioning for Professionals, a book by Tim Williams that discusses how positioning works for professional service firms. The positioning duo walks through the next six myths about positioning that many service firms claim keep them from differentiating themselves. This episode covers the next six myths: 5) Bigger is better;  6) Brand is only about advertising; 7) There are general markets; 8) Branding costs money; 9) All growth is good growth; and 10) Efficiency is king. The positioning gurus explode these myths with a few brand examples, a tad bit of wit, and some critical maxims to keep with you as you operate your organization. 

Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they talk all things marketing, advertising, and positioning.