Focus On Brand

Everyone's fighting for attention with more content. Josh Ritchie says the winners are doing the opposite — going narrower, not louder.

In this episode of In Conversation, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Josh Ritchie, co-founder of Column Five, to unpack how B2B brands can win attention and buyer trust in a market flooded with AI-generated content.

Column Five has spent 16 years in B2B content, long enough to watch buyer behavior shift from Google searches to AI chat, and to see exactly which old habits still work.

Tune in to hear:

✅ Why the same moment Google changed its search algorithm and AI models rolled out was the biggest shift in B2B marketing in a decade

✅ Why niching down is one of the scariest — and most effective — moves a growing brand can make

✅ How to choose quality over quantity without losing search and AI visibility

✅ The mindset shift that happens when you stop trying to be the smartest person in the room and start trusting your team

✅ Column Five's internal AI code of ethics, and their "minimum viable engagement" approach to founders they believe in

If you're a founder or B2B marketing leader trying to earn attention in a market drowning in AI content, this one's for you.

Episode Resources:

👉 Check out Column Five: https://www.columnfivemedia.com/

👉 Column Five's AI Code of Ethics: https://www.columnfivemedia.com/ai-code-of-ethics-for-content/

B2B doesn't get a lot of mascot love. Sett went all in on one anyway — and grew ARR by 20X without spending a dollar on ads.

Before their rebrand, Sett was still finding its voice: a placeholder logo, one landing page, and little to differentiate them in a market where every brand looks the same. A meerkat changed that.

In this episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Jonathan Fishman, Head of Marketing at Sett, and Daniela Szwarc, Brand & Content Lead at Sett, to unpack how a bold rebrand became their biggest growth lever.

Tune in to hear:

✅ Why Jonathan ran an internal brand sprint to get alignment before ever contacting an agency

✅ How a Duolingo-inspired mascot became Sett's most effective (and most maintainable) differentiator

✅ Why founders should stop polling opinions

✅ How Sett measured brand ROI in real numbers — not vibes

If you're a B2B marketing leader trying to prove brand's ROI — or wondering whether a little personality could be your best differentiator — this one's for you.

Episode Resources:

👉 Focus Lab Sett Case Study

👉 Check out Sett

👉 Exit Five (the community Jonathan used to find Focus Lab)

Brand isn't meant to start the fire — it's the accelerant. And you can't accelerate something that isn't already moving.

By the time Giga came to Focus Lab, the fire was already burning. They had traction, product-market fit, and a proven model. What they didn't have was a way to package, position, and communicate what they'd built.

In this episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Sam Burns, Head of Marketing at Giga Energy, to relive the rebrand that helped a fast-moving manufacturing company build trust, attract top-tier talent, and scale into new markets — all without losing who they are.

Tune in to hear:

• Why founder buy-in means more than just signing off on a logo
• The case for slowing down, and why it's the hardest sell at a fast-moving company
• The downstream business impact of getting your brand right
• How to build a brand system that scales across your organization

If you're a founder or B2B marketing leader trying to figure out when (and how) to invest in brand, this one's for you.

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Episode Resources:

• Check out Giga Energy
• Giga Energy x Focus Lab Case Study

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Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.

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This rebrand started with a new CMO and a 20-year-old company ready for change. It ended with real diamonds given away in a crowd. Here's everything in between.

In our latest episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Rhiannon Staples, CMO of ClearCo, to walk through the rebrand that brought their brand identity in line with who they'd actually become. From building a structured agency selection process to rallying an entire organization around a new vision, Rhiannon shares what it really takes to lead a rebrand from the inside.

Tune in to hear:

• How to take the guesswork out of choosing a branding agency
• Why a rebrand is the foundation, not the finish line
• How a structured agency process keeps busy senior stakeholders aligned and on track
• What a brand-led activation looks like when the concept is truly dialed in

If you're a B2B marketing leader ready to build a brand foundation that lasts, this one's for you.

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Episode Resources:

• Check Out ClearCo in Action
• Learn more about 301 Walsh (Events)
• Learn more about Craft&Crew (Web Dev)

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Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.

STAY IN TOUCH:

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• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Follow us on Instagram

When your product outpaces your brand, it's a signal — not a crisis. After a decade of building, Seamless recognized that gap and decided to do something about it.

In this episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Jonathan Pogact (VP of Marketing) and Philip LaChance (Principal Designer) at Seamless, to relive their 8+ month rebrand journey — from building the internal case to launching a brand that finally matched the company they'd become.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How to recognize when it's time to rebrand
• Why choosing the right agency is about vibe as much as craft
• What it takes to champion a long, multi-stakeholder rebrand from start to finish
• What the internal ROI of a rebrand feels like on the other side of launch

If you're a B2B marketing or design leader watching your competitive edge become table stakes, you'll be taking notes on this one!

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Episode Resources:

• Check out Seamless in action
• Read Conquer Your Rebrand by Bill Kenney

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Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.

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STAY IN TOUCH:

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Brand decisions don't have to be personal. The best rebrand leaders know how to take the emotion out and replace it with clear criteria. ✅

In this episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Beth Forester — now CEO of Animoto, and VP of Marketing during their rebrand — to explore how intentional process and clear decision-making can be the difference between a brand project that stalls and one that actually succeeds.

Animoto was shifting its market position from consumer to SMB, carrying four iterations of their old brand across their product experience, and accumulating brand debt fast. What followed was one of the most structured, stakeholder-savvy approaches to a rebrand we've seen.

In this episode, Bill and Beth cover:

• Building internal alignment before agency engagement ever begins
• Using the RACI framework to manage input and keep decisions moving
• Navigating the logo phase before opinions start to outweigh criteria
• Defining success metrics early to keep brand decisions objective

If you're a B2B marketing or brand leader heading into a rebrand — or trying to figure out how to get your organization aligned before one — this episode offers a practical, grounded look at how to lead the process with clarity and confidence.

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Episode Resources

• Learn More about Animoto
• The RACI Matrix

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Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.

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STAY IN TOUCH:

• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
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Looking for a brand agency? We would love to hear from you. Email us: [email protected]

What happens when a brand still holds value — but no longer reflects who you’ve become?

In this episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Nick Donovan, VP of Marketing and Communications at the Technology Association of Iowa (TAI), to explore how his team evolved an almost decade-old brand into a scalable system that better reflects who they are today.

With a background in graphic design and agency life, Nick brings sharp perspective on aligning purpose, messaging, and identity and what it really takes to bring a modern B2B brand to life.

You’ll hear:

✅ Why slowing down is essential to making smarter, more strategic brand decisions

✅ Why a deeper look at brand equity led to a more confident, focused refresh

✅ How to design a scalable system that unifies multiple sub-brands and programs

✅ How clear messaging enables more confident, consistent brand activation

Whether you’re planning a brand evolution or leading an identity rollout, this episode offers practical insight into what lasting, modern B2B branding really requires.

Editor's Note: You’ll notice some of our video dips into lo-fi territory throughout this episode. We had some rendering issues, but thankfully the insights came through in HD.

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Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.

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Stay in Touch:

• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Connect with us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram

Brand naming in 2026 is more complex, and more critical, than ever.

David Placek, founder of Lexicon Branding (the team behind names like Swiffer, BlackBerry, Sonos, and Dasani), joins Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney to explore the new frontiers of naming: from AI-driven processes and trademark saturation to global naming challenges and evolving consumer expectations.

What you'll learn:

• How AI is reshaping naming workflows and client expectations
• When a rename makes strategic sense (and when it doesn’t)
• Why global names must be distinct, ownable, and emotionally resonant
• What’s changed — and what still holds true — in naming today

Whether you're a CMO, founder, or brand strategist, this episode unpacks how to make smarter, more future-proof naming decisions.

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Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.

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Stay in Touch:

• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Follow us on Instagram

When’s the right time to let go of a brand that’s no longer serving your business—even if it’s been working for 10+ years?

In our latest episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney talks with the GigSalad team: CEO Mark Steiner, CTO Locke Bircher, and Product Designer Nichole Baiel. Together, they discuss the bold, intentional rebrand that helped them level up and better align with their future audience and goals.

They unpack the creative decisions, moments of friction, and meaningful conversations that shaped the transformation from the brief to the big reveal.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ Why holding onto a legacy brand can quietly limit future growth

✅ How “playing it safe” in B2B branding makes it harder to stand out

✅ Why designing for your audience—not yourself—drives better results

✅ The often-overlooked value of soft skills when choosing a branding partner

🎧 Whether you’re evolving your identity or evaluating your agency partner, this episode offers candid insights into what bold B2B branding really takes.

Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.---STAY IN TOUCH:► Subscribe to our Newsletter► LinkedIn► YouTube► InstagramLooking for a brand agency? We would love to hear from you. Email us: [email protected]

Let's be honest, we don’t need more AI hype. We need real examples of how teams are using it to work smarter. In this episode, Henrique Cruz of Rows shares how AI is becoming a true creative collaborator — streamlining workflows, accelerating iteration, and unlocking bandwidth for higher-value thinking.

After partnering with Focus Lab on a full rebrand, the Rows team didn’t shelf the guidelines — they activated them. Henrique shares how they now use AI to generate on-brand creative drafts faster, using the original system as a foundation. The result? More assets, more agility, and more space for designers to focus on what matters most: pushing the work further.

What this episode covers:

🔺 Real examples of AI-driven creative workflows inside a lean B2B team

🔺 How brand guidelines + AI = speed without sacrifice

🔺 The tactical impact of AI on creative ops and content velocity

🔺 How to keep humans at the center while working smarter

Whether you’re leading a brand, scaling a creative team, or exploring AI for marketing execution, this conversation delivers practical insights — not just predictions.

Show Notes:

• Follow Henrique Cruz on LinkedIn
• The LinkedIn post that inspired this episode
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.

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STAY IN TOUCH:

• ⁠Focus Lab Newsletter⁠
• ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• ⁠YouTube Channel⁠
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Looking for a brand agency? We would love to hear from you. Email us: [email protected]