Brandjam Podcast

In this episode Scott jams with Sean Marsh, an ethical business designer and strategist, on ethical and purpose-driven brands. They discuss the intimate nature of the relationship people have with these brands, the importance of trust, transparency and authenticity and what happens when that trust gets broken. And they look at values-based brands that are doing this brilliantly. The discussion explores green-washing, corporate mea culpas, sustainability and sustainable fashion and discuss how brands help us achieve our purpose, like superannuation funds and other businesses that invest our money in positive and negative ways. The dancing environmentalists on TikTok get a look-in too.

Scott jams with Nicole Schulz on everything brand reputation, her specialty within strategic comms firm Sefiani Communications. They explore why brands need help with their reputations, the glass box brands live in and how consumer savviness has changed everything. They look at celebrity endorsement, influencers, authenticity and accountability and how certain brands have strategically changed the conversations consumers are having about them. They also explore some cautionary tales and and mistakes to avoid and bask in a heap of really great advice from a specialist in her field.

Scott jams with Darren Wright, Flight Centre Travel Group’s global brand manager and a builder of travel brands from scratch in the Australian and global markets. They discuss Flight Centre’s unique internal brand culture, it’s distinctive external brand, the Captain character, and the various different brands under its global house. They also chat about the world-wide freeze in travel, how the industry is coping and what happens next, exploring how brands and consumers alike are responding, and the importance of having a brand marketer in the C-suite. Darren tells some tales from previous roles with Air Asia and Scoot, launching that brand in various countries as it grew, about customers, differentiation, online shopping, people and culture and travel, travel, travel!

Scott and Brooke jam about the role of purpose in the life of a brand and the ways it impacts trust, authenticity, connection and behaviour. We discuss neuromarketing, cars and sport, brand betrayal and the big decisions we all make in life. They talk about the role brands play in helping or hindering us, including intellectual disability, retirement and plaintiff litigation.

Scott and Ashley jam about the complex relationships customers have with brands, the importance of brand purpose and the new rules for brands. They discuss consumer brands like Heineken, McDonalds (and their relationship with cricket), Netflix and Philips. They also explore new directions in market research, brand tracking, the demise of Australian car brand, Holden, and why on earth you’d want to drink alcohol-free beer.

Scott and Kate jam about the tangible value of brand, discussing vital links between people roles and brand roles in business, and the pivotal role brand plays in business health and success. We explore the worlds of recruitment, psychology and business evolution and we unpack a key rebrand project Kate led, across a range of acquired businesses, doing similar work. Find out about a major American brand that impacted her long before it made it to our shores, why she loves her superannuation fund and the role brand plays for her in her current role at Revelian.

Scott and Michael jam on the way brands live their values and bring their brand stories to life, what brands can do for team pride and what it is to be the brand custodian of a couple of fairly famous meercats. They also explore FMCG at length, including brand awareness and salience, and the mandate for a product or service to deliver on what the brand promises. Add in chats about cycling and identity, as well as a solid wrestle with market research methods and a good dose of behavioural science thrown in.

Debbie shares her experience as Head of Marketing for News UK during the transition of The Times from broadsheet to tabloid. Debbie gives us her perspective on brands that betray and we jam about brands finding special places in our family life and in our hearts. We unpack the old ‘brand is not your logo’ confusion, the role of competitor brand insights and focus on the people who live and breathe your brand every day.

But what’s the big deal about brand? (And no, we don’t mean your logo either—brand is so much more than visual elements—it’s your story and every single way that story plays out.) Brand continues to step up and take its place as a weapon leaders use to bring transformational change to their businesses and organisations. But how did brand sharpen up and become powerful, and what are the ways this takes shape? It all starts with some key questions, like how do brands build trust and connection, capture and express their authenticity and be memorable? How do they change hearts and minds and influence behaviours? And what are the great mistakes people make, and the big misconceptions about brand? Agency head and brand evangelist Scott Oxford jams on all things brand with a variety of guests for whom brand is close to their hearts, and key to their professional practice. Together they explore the strategic (and sometimes accidental) ways brands build meaning for people, how they find a place in our hearts and why leaders must understand and use brand to transform every aspect of their businesses and organisations, inside and out.