Brandy

Founders can learn from this $5 store and why it is now a top-performing retailer.

Brand News: Eggnog is back at Starbucks!

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Five Below is one of the most surprising winners of 2025. While many retailers are shrinking, Five Below is scaling and its stock is crushing the market(up 67% YTD).

In this episode, brand experts Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders break down how a brand built on $1–$5 products became a retail juggernaut and what founders can learn from its explosive rise.

You’ll learn:

• The origin story behind Five Below’s unique brand DNA

• How it turned value shopping into an emotional experience

• Why it thrives during economic uncertainty

• The psychological engine behind small-ticket luxuries (the modern “Lipstick Effect”)

• Strategic lessons founders can apply to their own brands in 2026

Whether your business is growing, plateauing, or ready for reinvention, this episode shows how a brand with constraints turned those constraints into category dominance. This is brand strategy in action; clear, bold, and wildly effective.

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

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Founders often obsess over what they sell, but consumers are driven by why it matters.

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Every toddler discovers the same magic word. A word that Einstein, The Beatles, and Steve Jobs also relied on:
“Why?”

In this Brandy episode, Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders explore why the question why is more than a phase kids go through. It’s a fundamental part of human nature, consumer psychology, and brand-building.

Founders spend enormous energy perfecting the what and the how, but the real value — and the real decision-making power —lives in the why. Why choose this brand? Why is this product better? Why does this matter to me?

Along with behavioral science and classic brand strategy, this conversation uncovers how “Why” creates:
• Meaning

• Story

• Perceived value

• Emotional connection

• Differentiation in crowded markets

• Why every consumer (consciously or not) is driven by “Why?”

• How toddlers reveal a universal psychological truth about buying behavior

• Why “why” is the fastest way to add perceived value to your brand

• What founders get wrong when they focus only on features and benefits

• How brands like Apple, Dyson, Tony's Chocolonely, and Space X embed their “Why” into every touchpoint

Because the most successful companies don’t just answer what people buy.... they answer why they should care.

What You’ll Learn:

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

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You won't believe what 42% of Lays Chips consumers think about the product...

⁠⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us

Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders offer a meaningful thought to chew on this Thanksgiving: inaction isn’t free.

We’re biologically wired to play it safe, to preserve the status quo, and to assume that doing nothing carries no cost. But in business, in branding, and in life, inaction is a decision; one that often carries more risk than the action we’re avoiding.

In this reflective episode, the conversation explores:

• Why founders instinctively overweight the perceived cost of action

• The fallacy that the status quo is “safe” or “neutral”

• How inaction quietly drains opportunity, momentum, and relevance

• Why Nvidia's success is built on risks 20+ years ago.

• Why the greatest rewards (in business and in life) require stepping into the unknown
• How this mindset shapes marketing, risk, innovation, and strategic decision-making

Drawing from psychology and business strategy, Reilly and Scott challenge founders to rethink the role of fear, risk, and exploration to see both action and inaction as choices that shape the future of their company.

A timely reminder that the biggest danger may not be trying something new… but holding onto something old.

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

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Netflix is turning hit shows into real-world experiences, but is it right?

⁠⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us

Netflix just opened Netflix House, a multi-level immersive experience where fans can step into real-world versions of their favorite shows like Squid Games, Stranger Things, and more. It’s bold. It’s ambitious. It’s a big bet on the experience economy.

But… Reilly isn’t sold.

In this debate-style episode of Brandy, Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders unpack the strategy behind Netflix House and they don’t see it the same way. Scott sees potential. Reilly sees misalignment. Together, they explore what Netflix is trying to achieve, what makes an experience truly meaningful, and why some IP translates beautifully to the real world… while other IP falls flat.

They also zoom out to discuss what this shift means for small businesses, especially those who think immersive experiences are only for massive brands with massive budgets. (Spoiler: they aren’t.)

Why Netflix is expanding into the experience economy—and whether it’s smart

• The difference between immersive and gimmicky brand experiences

• The psychology of “living inside a story” and how it shapes customer loyalty

• Reilly and Scott’s opposing viewpoints and what founders should take from both

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

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Costco and Nike Collaboration?

⁠⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us

This Brandy episode focuses on how memorable brand experiences depend on customer service. Brands like Target and Starbucks have recognized this in the wake of their recent troubles and put policies in place to ensure a better customer experience.

Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders share their thoughts on this approach from a brand experience perspective and offer insights on how your company can deliver a better brand experience.

Reilly describes the importance of customer service in an ever-increasing AI world as well as the core principle of "excellence" that drives a memorable brand experience. Scott dives into the generational shift among younger employees and the challenges employers and managers may face. More importantly, what does all of this mean for your brand and how your business can take advantage of these challenges in the

Have a brand marketing question?

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The return of a more caffeinated Mr. Pibb and is AI a bubble?

⁠⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us

This Brandy episode is a cocktail shaken with nostalgia, stirred with AI, and served with a twist of psychology.

A cocktail of culture, code, and consumer psychology where Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders mix nostalgia, AI, and the new economy to explore how human behavior(and the stories we tell ourselves) shape what we buy, trust, and resist. From Mr. Pibb's nostalgic return to machine learning, it’s all about how products make us feel.

What You’ll Learn:• Why nostalgia-driven marketing (like Mr. Pibb’s revival) taps into human emotion.• How consumer resistance to AI is rooted in being human

• Reilly's prediction of the new economy emerging and if AI is a bubble.• The psychology behind “how does this make me feel?” in modern purchasing.• What car dealerships reveal about trust, tone, and human nuance.• Why understanding internal narratives is key to building brand loyalty in the new economy.

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

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LISTEN IF YOU DARE! 💀

⁠⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us

In this special Halloween edition of Brandy, hosts Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders dive into the dark side of branding where billion-dollar ideas turn into terrifying PR nightmares.

From tone-deaf campaigns to design backfires and social-media slip-ups, they count down the Top 10 Brand & Marketing Horror Stories that still haunt boardrooms and marketing teams today.

Don't be scared! Grab a pumpkin spice latte or something stronger... this one’s equal parts terrifying and enlightening.

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

⁠⁠⁠>> Ask Here: https://forms.gle/S237AyoG1vj9Wfzj6

When Amazon Web Services (AWS) went down, half the internet went with it.

⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us⁠⁠

When AWS went down, half the internet went silent. But for founders paying attention, it wasn’t just a tech glitch—it was a business lesson.

In this episode of Brandy, Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders explore the brand implications of overreliance on platforms, algorithms, or single marketing channels.

They reveal how many companies unknowingly operate with a single point of failure and what founders can do to diversify attention and build long-term brand resilience. This applies to brands, influencers, small businesses, and more!

What You’ll Learn:

• Why the AWS outage is a metaphor for fragile marketing strategies.

• How overdependence on one channel limits your growth and stability.

• The difference between rented reach and owned audience.

• How to future-proof your brand against digital disruption.

• The framework for building brand resilience in an unpredictable world.

Because if one outage (or algorithm change) can take your business down, it’s not a strategy. It’s a risk.

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

⁠⁠>> Ask Here: https://forms.gle/S237AyoG1vj9Wfzj6⁠⁠

Most brands chase content. Great brands create moments.

⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us⁠⁠

In a digital world obsessed with “content,” few brands realize that what people truly remember are moments.

In this episode of Brandy, hosts Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders explore why the future of marketing lies in designing experiences that spark connection, conversation, and community.

They revisit themes from Season 1’s Grassroots Marketing episode to show how creating brand moments builds trust, fuels word-of-mouth, and inspires your audience to create content for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why “content creation” is less powerful than “moment creation.”

• How to build experiences people can’t help but talk about.

• The psychology behind memory, emotion, and brand loyalty.

• How grassroots marketing thrives on meaningful moments.

• Why every brand should measure moments of impact, not posts.

Because the future of marketing isn’t about more noise... it’s about making moments that matter.

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

⁠⁠>> Ask Here: https://forms.gle/S237AyoG1vj9Wfzj6⁠⁠

The first Brandy Q&A episode!

⁠⁠>> Get the Award-Winning Book (Brandy): BrandyBook.us⁠⁠

Reilly Newman and Scott Saunders tackle a question from listener Megan W. (USA) who asked about renaming during a rebrand.

Reilly and Scott unpack the decision from both a strategic and psychological angle, exploring how a name anchors perception, signals change, and impacts brand equity. They share real-world examples of when a rename unlocks growth and when it creates confusion.

What You'll Learn:

• How to know if your name no longer fits your brand’s future.
• When renaming makes sense
• Where renaming should happen in a rebranding process

• Why clarity beats cleverness in renaming.

• How to evaluate brand equity and decide what’s worth keeping.

Have a brand marketing question?

Reilly & Scott will answer it on the next episode!

⁠⁠>> Ask Here: https://forms.gle/S237AyoG1vj9Wfzj6⁠⁠

Related Top Episodes:

• ⁠⁠>> Wine Gone Wrong⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠>> How Founders Fail Brands⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠>> Transactions Kill Relationships⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠>> Rebranding Rebrand: Jaguar Rebrand and More⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠>> Theater of Brand: Story, Script, Performance⁠⁠

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⁠⁠About Motif Brands: MotifBrands.com⁠⁠

Motif Brands specializes in impactful brand transformations that drive results. Real rebrands that shift perceptions, elevate positioning, and create undeniable clarity in the market.

Who is Reilly Newman?

Reilly Newman is a strategist, speaker, writer, and trusted source for Inc, Forbes, Fortune, AP, MarketWatch, Quartz, The Drum, and more, offering insights on brand strategy, marketing, human behavior, and buyer psychology.

Reilly's obsession with human behavior led him into the world of brand strategy, where he explores why people make buying decisions and how brands effectively sell themselves. Reilly founded Motif Brands, leveraging his expertise to guide business growth.

Who is Scott Saunders?

Award-winning graphic designer and creative director with over 30+ years of experience who loves the craft of storytelling, vintage typography, and branding. Scott writes and designs in collaboration with Motif Brands.