Brand Strategy Unwankified

Andy Starr told me in this podcast he's not a master. He lied. Or at least I disagree. 

In this expedition through what's wrong, right, problematic, and possible in the disciplines surrounding branding, Andy shows he is a master challenger, disruptor, and divergent thinker.

Prepare for discussion on:

• The value and purpose of simplifying strategy

• Reasons to embrace messiness and chaos

• How brand strategy has been devalued and where to from here

• What happens when questions don't work

• Creating advantage through difference

...and so much more.

About Any Starr:

Andy is an award-winning brand architect and strategic sparring partner for business leaders.

A musician and recovering law student, he teaches MBA candidates in the EU, is a co-founder of an LA-based public safety tech brand, and splits his time between the US and Austria.

No business-changing whiteboard books. Yet. But he did do a Top-1% TEDx talk, so that has to count for something...

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Connect with Bec Hughes:

Check out The Brand Method

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Maybe there isn't one RIGHT way to do brand strategy. But there is a WRONG way.

In this episode I share 7 things I would never do when creating a brand strategy for a client based on my 25+ years of experience.

Don't take it as criticism. Take it as an opportunity to:

• Deliver more impactful results

• Build stronger client relationships

• Increase your value as a strategic thinker 

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People don't pay for what they can't see.

So why do so many designers hide the most valuable thing they do?

If you have a feeling you're giving your thinking work away for free, but you're not sure how to go about charging for it, this episode is for you.

I get into:

• How to turn intuitive thinking into a deliverable that gets noticed

You don't need a full blown brand strategy process to start charging for the thinking you're already doing.

You just need to make it visible.

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We'd be lying if we said AI isn't making the design industry twitchy, right? 

Jacob Cass joins me again to talk about what it takes to become a brand builder AI can't replace, including:

• Which designers should be the most worried about AI

About Jacob Cass:

Jacob Cass is a brand designer, strategist, educator, and business coach, as well as the founder of JUST Creative, a renowned branding and design consultancy that also serves as an industry-leading blog and vibrant community. He is also the brains behind the Brand Builders Summit.

Connect with Jacob on Instagram

Connect with Bec Hughes:

Check out The Brand Method

Find me on Instagram

3 packages on your services page might feel logical and flexible.

It might also be the reason your best prospects always pick the option with no brand strategy, and you're convinced clients don't want strategy.

If you've ever built tiered service packages to feel more affordable, flexible or available, this is for you.

In this episode:

• Why "affordable" packages train clients to shop on price instead of value

Build an offer you fully believe in, and price it like you mean it.

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Learn Brand Strategy - The Brand Method program

Every designer is feeling the pressure to be faster and cheaper, especially with AI in the mix. But competing on speed and price isn't a strategy, it's a trap.

If you've ever wondered whether brand in a week offers, selling templates, or rock bottom logo packages are just the new reality, this one's for you.

I tackle why the race to the bottom is hurting us as individual designers and as an industry, including:

Position on value, not speed or price, and you'll find yourself in a very different race altogether.

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"Mission, Vision and Values" is everywhere in brand strategy. But what if it's not brand strategy at all?

If you've ever completed an MVV exercise with a client and then wondered how to actually turn it into branding, this one is for you.

I tackle why Mission, Vision and Values belongs in a different strategic discipline and what brand strategy actually needs to do instead, including:

• Why MVV produces 'brand narcissism' and leaves the customer out of the conversation

• Replaying a founder's values back to them is the easy gap, not the important one

• The most common brand values are HR documents in disguise

• What a customer-focused brand strategy actually needs to answer

Knowing the difference between founder strategy and brand strategy is the upgrade your clients actually need from you.

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Learn Brand Strategy - The Brand Method program 

Find me on Instagram

The villain strategy is having a moment. But trendy brand strategy concepts are only useful if you know how to use them.

If you've heard about brands defining their "enemy" and thought it sounded good but weren't sure how to apply it for a client, this one's for you.

I tackle the "brenemy" concept and give it the framework it's been missing, including:

A good villain strategy is more than a clever concept to impress your client with. In this episode you'll learn how to make it a proper brand strategy tool.

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Learn Brand Strategy - The Brand Method program 

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In this episode I'm joined by Liz Mosley, and she has a challenge for you... 100 challenges actually.

We talk about Liz, her business and creativity, and her hot takes on the design industry.

We cover:

• How Liz unintentionally built a personal brand and why that was the best way

• Advice she has ignored

• Being vulnerable, building in public, and setting healthy boundaries

• Her thoughts on where the design industry needs to do better

• How being rejected by Chris Do has created an avalanche of opportunities

And so much more!

About Liz Mosley

Liz is a branding designer, podcast host, public speaker, and content creator. Her work is grounded in the belief that creativity isn’t about perfection. It’s in the showing up, trying new things, and learning as you go. As a vocal advocate for reframing rejection and failure, Liz encourages other creatives to see them not as things to avoid, but as essential parts of both the creative process and the human experience.

Connect with Liz on Instagram

Listen to the Building Your Brand Podcast

Connect with Bec Hughes:

Check out The Brand Method

Find me on Instagram

No one wants a leaky brand strategy. Could you be devaluing what you create for your clients without you even knowing it?

If you've ever handed over a 50-point questionnaire, wrestled with AI for hours, or sent a Loom instead of presenting your work live, this episode is for you.

I tackle the most common brand strategy leaks and how to plug them, including:

Find your leaks, plug them, and deliver work you can actually stand behind.

Connect with me

Learn Brand Strategy - The Brand Method program 

Find me on Instagram