Stephen Willard is a graphic designer and former art director who moved into employee benefits communications and now runs his own company EMBLAZE a workplace engagement company that specialises in delivering high energy experiences to employees.  

In this episode, we discuss how IP tends to be regarded as a luxury, rather than as something essential, and how Stephen has picked up his knowledge of the subject during his career. We cover:

• Brand identifiers and the creative process
• The rationale of changing brand identifiers
• What the brand is — how a brand can be recognized
• Stephen's experience in designing a logo — the elements to take into account
• Why use of symbols is rare when it's an effective way of being remembered
• The extent to which law is a constraint on creativity
• Designing for a regulated industry

LinkedIn: Stephen-willard
Twitter: sjwbranding
Instagram: @stephen.j.willard
www.emblaze.today
[email protected] 

Valuable Resources:

Brand Tuned Scorecard
Brand Tuned Accelerator

Stef Hamerlinck is a brand strategist and designer living in Belgium, and host of the podcast, Let's Talk Branding. He runs his own branding studio.

In this episode, we discuss what a brand is and how distinctiveness is fundamentally about making a brand stand out. Stef also shares his views on how many brand codes a business should have and gives examples for smaller and big brands to look at.  We discuss:

• Brand strategy
• What brand and branding mean to  Stef
• Differentiation and distinctiveness
• How the context in which a brand is used impacts the brand codes to create
• The 'vibe' of brands that their visual language evokes
• The reason for rebranding or choosing a new name
• Protecting your distinctive brand assets through intellectual property
• How Stef decides whether to create a symbol in his branding work
• Brands Stef admires: Kellogs and Ritchie Lemonade

LinkedIn: Stef Hamerlinck
Twitter: @stefhamerlinck
Instagram:  @letstalkbranding
Website: www.stefhamerlinck.com

Other links:
Course on brand strategy research: brandstrategyresearch.com
Blog: letstalkbranding.com

Valuable Resources:

Register to attend the Brand Tuned book launch on 28 September 2021
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com

Somi Arian is a tech philosopher, award-winning filmmaker, author, entrepreneur, and a LinkedIn top voice in the UK. She has a background in philosophy of science and technology. She describes her role in society as a transition architect, as humans merge with technology, and society enters a new phase of human evolution. 

In this episode, we talk about Somi’s background growing up in Iran, moving to the UK, her filmmaking career and business, and her latest initiative to raise women's socioeconomic status through the Fempeak platform. 

We discuss:

• Somi's entrepreneurship journey
• The fast growth of the Fempeak platform
• Somi's achievement in being a top voice on LinkedIn in the UK 3 years running.
• The importance of choosing the right social media platform and doubling down on it. 
• Creating quality content by understanding your audience

LinkedIn: Somi Arian
Twitter: @SomiArian
Instagram: @somiarian
Website: www.fempeak.ai
smartcookiemedia.com

Book Somi recommended: Let it Go - Dame Stephanie Shirley

Valuable Resources:

Register to attend the Brand Tuned book launch on 28 September 2021
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com

Ian Paget, also known as Logo Geek, is a UK based graphic designer located in Manchester, who specialises in logo and brand identity design. He is the founder of Logo Geek, a professional logo design service, design blog, podcast and community. 

In this episode, I asked Ian about his design process and how he goes about creating logos and other visual assets. He shares his insights on how to ensure a logo can represent a brand.  

Among other things the episode covers:

• How to approach the design of symbols
• Meeting clients expectations around what visual creations can do for them.
• Ian’s approach in a naming project for a client.
• The common reasons why clients decide to improve their logos, and visual identity
• How a visual such as a logo represents what someone wants to be about
• Protecting assets such as logos through securing  intellectual property 

LinkedIn:  Ian Paget
Twitter: @ianpaget
Website: logogeek.uk

Valuable Resources:

Register for the Brand Tuned book launch and view video interviews anytime on or after 28 Sep
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com 

Thomas Kolster is the founder of the  Goodvertising Agency, one of the pioneers in shaping brands. 

In this episode, we discuss his book The Hero Trap, and how companies should be clear about their role when carving a niche in the marketplace and understanding how they can be better than anybody else. He shares his insights on mass marketing, how it affects today’s generation of young people and the key issues brands need to do to claim a role in people’s lives. 

In brief this episode covers:

• What are transformative brands?
• What a brand is today and what it is going forward
• The connection of social purpose with brands
• The meaningful role of brands in people’s lives
• Communicating a brand's purpose 
• The approach to differentiating your business and communicating who you are
• Understanding how brands can turn people into the heroes of their own lives
• Moving a brand from a very transactional relationship to a more transformational relationship

LinkedIn: Thomas Kolster
Twitter: @thomaskolster
Website: thomaskolster.com
Books: Goodvertising: Creative Advertising That Cares and The Hero Trap

Mentioned brands on this episode: Kind Snacks and District Vision, Red Bull and Who Gives a Crap.

Valuable Resources:

Register to attend the Brand Tuned book launch on 28 September 2021
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com 

In this episode, Shireen interviews a series of business owners to produce a Vox Pop about what they did when they first started out to create their brands. How did they deal with the IP side of things? 

In brief this episode covers:

• Brand Naming
• Brand journey
• What does brand mean?
• Insights on choosing the right help when turning ideas into a brand
• Protecting the brand name through intellectual property
• How to attract the right clients and decide the type of clients to target
• Accessing the right help in turning ideas into a business and brand
• How does intellectual property interplay with the branding work they’re doing for their clients

Vox pop guests:

• David Horne 
  • The owner of Add Then Multiply a consulting business that advises entrepreneurs on how to scale up using their face methodology
• Paul Griffiths 
  • An energetic, forward-thinking business leader who is focused on helping people develop and achieve their potential. The owner of Aspire Active Education Group Ltd. 
• Gareth Bain 
  • Founder of Got Legs Digital a growth marketing agency helping small & medium-sized businesses in the UK to acquire engaged customers and grow. 
• Pam Tironi  
  • The managing director and CEO of The Pizza Room and The Coffee Room. 
• Gerri McMahon 
  • The founder of The Academy of Light & Soul Discovery Coaching, Gerri is a world class coach who has worked with thousands of people worldwide. 
• Jan Mikulin  
  • The founder of INSIDEout, a training and development company, focussed on fostering collaborative cultures in the creative and professional services industries.

Valuable Resources:

Register to attend the Brand Tuned book launch on 28 September 2021
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com 

We’re celebrating a new milestone as we reach our 100th episode.  Now that we’re at the 100th episode rather than looking back on past episodes as is often done on podcasts, we instead want to look forward to the future. That’s why we are releasing several podcasts today:

• A vox pop episode about intellectual property
• An episode with Somi Arian of Fempeak whose purpose is to raise the socio-economic status of women. 
• Thomas Kostler on creating a meaningful brand 
• Ian Paget of the logogeek podcast on a conversation around logo design process

This episode covers:

• The story behind the Brand Tuned podcast
• Insights on the Oatly v Glebe Farm Foods case
• Why considering the IP dimension is important when creating a brand
• How to plug the gap in the IP training of marketers and designers

View the podcast transcript here

Valuable Resources:

Register to attend the Brand Tuned book launch on 28 September 2021
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com 

Joe Gregory is the co-founder of Rethink Press, a partner publishing company that helps business authors to write and publish their books. He has a background in advertising as a graphic designer and sales copywriter.

In this episode, we discuss the many ways intellectual property is relevant for entrepreneurs, designers and marketers. We also talk about how IP should be a fundamental aspect of any designer or marketer's training so they know what they don't know and can point their clients in the right direction to secure rights in their property assets. 

In brief this episode covers:

• The definition of property rights
• What is spin selling methodology?
• The process of choosing a name for a book
• The problems with intellectual property as being inherently complex
• The problems of entrepreneurs when it comes to intellectual property
• Copyright as being universally relevant for every business especially for publishing
• How IP should be a fundamental aspect of any designer or marketer in training
• The most important thing that business owners need to focus on — the name

LinkedIn:  Joe Gregory
Facebook:  Joe Gregory
Website: rethinkpress.com
book-builder.com

Valuable Resources:

Register to attend the Brand Tuned book launch on 28 September 2021
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com 

In this episode, I talk about distinctiveness and differentiation, which is the subject of some debate in the branding industry. I also cover the important connection between brand value and IP.

The role of identifiers is to uniquely identify your brand. This is the essential purpose of branding and distinctiveness is all about being recognized as the source or origin of your products and services. The way to create a distinctive brand that stands out in an enduring way is to focus on distinctiveness.

In brief the episode covers:

• Distinctiveness v Differentiation
• How to make your brand stand out in an enduring way
• Brand codes
• Brand identifiers
• Choosing identifiers with legal protection
• What are the different types of brand identifiers apart from the brand name?
• The connection between brand value and IP
• A basic understanding of what is intellectual property
• Most valuable brand identifiers to protect
• Trademarks — how the law protects names, slogans, symbols, taglines, sounds, and other brand elements
• Illustration on how IP impacts brand value
• The fundamental role of intellectual property in branding

Valuable Resources:

Register to attend the Brand Tuned book launch on 28 September 2021
Brand Tuned Accelerator
www.brandtuned.com 

Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster are the founders of Root + River an intrinsic strategic branding practice, who share their perspective on branding, and how the brand starts from within the founder. That is the starting point for communicating the brand story.

They discuss their approach to understanding customers and the ideal audience. In the episode we cover:  

• Building customer relationship
• Understanding your customers — how to know your ideal audience
• How to communicate your brand story
• A brand’s association in people’s minds
• Measuring brand awareness — is it important?
• The story behind their brand Root + River

LinkedIn - Emily Soccorsy & Justin Foster
Twitter - @emilyatlarge & @fosterthinking
Instagram - @rootandriver & @fosterthinking
Book -  Rooting Up: Essays on Modern Branding

Access the 7 Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Branding or Rebranding eBook when you subscribe to TUNED NEWS.

Brand Tuned's Newsletter