Level Up Your Brand

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This is the episode that explains why this podcast changed its name. Branding has a genuinely uncomfortable past – from branding irons used on enslaved people, to the co-opting of ancient symbols by Nazi Germany, to the way modern branding has been used to colonise our imagination for designing alternatives. Martin Sully sat with this for 10 months before recording it. It's worth the listen.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/brandings-dark-history-ep-13

Blog post -- Branding's Dark History: https://www.snapper.studio/blog/history-of-branding

How I Think About Branding: https://www.snapper.studio/how-i-think

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 15-minute Vision Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure -- just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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It's been 10 months. The podcast is back with a new name, a new identity, and a story about a topless man with muscles in places Martin didn't know you could have muscles. We're talking scent branding -- one of the most powerful and most overlooked brand tools available. Humans recall scents with 65% accuracy after a year. Visual recall sits at 50%. Your nose wins every time.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/scent-branding-ep-12

Blog post -- Scent Branding: https://www.snapper.studio/blog/scent-marketing

Free Sentiment Tracker: https://www.snapper.studio/brand-sentiment-tracker

Want to know what your brand is really communicating? Try the free Snapper Studio Sentiment Tracker at https://www.snapper.studio/brand-sentiment-tracker

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Every December the design world publishes 'trends to watch' roundups. Most of them are pointing you in exactly the wrong direction. Martin Sully looks back at 2022's predictions, reflects honestly on what actually happened, and shares six design trends to actively avoid in 2023 – starting with the one that has to stop immediately: off-the-shelf Canva logos.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/design-trends-2023-ep-11

Episode 5 – When the World Zigs Zag: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/brand-differentiation-zig-zag-ep-5

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 15-minute Vision Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure -- just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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Do you cringe when someone asks for your website? Do you find yourself apologising for your logo? Is your branding a patchwork of styles from three different designers across five years? These are just three of the 20 signs Martin Sully shares in this episode. He also tells the story of how Martin Sully Design became Snapper Studio -- and why spelling out the problem was the only way to find the solution.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/when-to-rebrand-ep-10

Blog post – When to Rebrand: https://www.snapper.studio/blog/when-to-rebrand

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 30-minute Disovery Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure -- just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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Every year Pantone announces a colour of the year. Every year thousands of brands start using it. Every year those brands look exactly like every other brand that followed the trend. Choosing brand colours without a strategy is one of the most common and expensive mistakes small businesses make. Martin Sully -- brand strategist and designer with 20 years of experience -- walks you through the process of getting it right.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/how-to-choose-brand-colours-ep-9

Blog post – How to Choose Brand Colours: https://www.snapper.studio/blog/choosing-brand-colours

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 30-minute Discovery Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure -- just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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What's the difference between copy that sounds like it was written by a committee and copy that makes someone stop scrolling and think 'these people get me'? Personality. In this episode Martin Sully shares three practical tricks for finding your brand's tone of voice – including the This Not That game, and two Australian craft breweries with serious swagger.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/finding-brand-personality-ep-8

Blog post – Brand Personality: https://www.snapper.studio/blog/brand-personality

Episode 4 – Customer Personas: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/attracting-customers-customer-personas-ep-4

CALL TO ACTION

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 30-minute Discovery Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure – just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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Rollie shoes once sent Martin an invoice that folded into a paper airplane. It was completely useless. He still talks about it years later. That is the point. In this episode Martin Sully shares two practical methods for mapping your customer journey and turning every touchpoint – including the ones you've never thought to brand – into something worth talking about.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/crafting-customer-experience-ep-7

Episode 6 – Brand Promise and Culture: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/brand-promise-customer-experience-ep-6

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 30-minute Vision Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure -- just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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Blockbuster had every advantage. Loyal customers, physical locations everywhere, a recognised brand. And then they stopped delivering on the experience people expected. Your brand is worth nothing if you can't uphold a promise through every single customer interaction. Martin Sully shares four practical ways to build the culture that makes your brand promise real -- even if you're a solo operator with no team yet.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/brand-promise-customer-experience-ep-6

Blog post – What is a Brand Promise: https://snapper.studio/blog/brand-promise

Episode 7 – Crafting Your Customer Experience: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/crafting-customer-experience-ep-7

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 30-minute Vision Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure -- just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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In 1982 an ad agency filled a field with a hundred white sheep all facing one direction – and one black sheep going the other way. That campaign for Levi's black jeans became one of the most iconic in advertising history. The tagline: when the world zigs, zag. Martin Sully explains why most brands are still zigging, and exactly how to find your zag.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/brand-differentiation-zig-zag-ep-5

How I Think About Branding: https://www.snapper.studio/how-i-think

Try Mini Martin – free AI brand strategy tool: https://www.snapper.studio/emotional-branding-ai

Book a free Vision Call: https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 30-minute Vision Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure – just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery

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Meet Brian the Explorer. He's 28, he spends 30 minutes in the bottle shop reading every can label, he puts empties on a shelf like a badge of honour, and he's your dream customer -- if you sell craft beer. In this episode Martin Sully shows you how to build a customer persona so specific and vivid that your marketing practically writes itself.

LINKS

Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/attracting-customers-customer-personas-ep-4

Part 1 -- Repelling Customers: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/the-art-of-repelling-customers

Try Mini Martin -- free AI brand strategy tool: https://www.snapper.studio/emotional-branding-ai

Enjoyed this episode? The best next step is a free 15-minute Vision Call with Martin. No pitch, no pressure -- just a straight conversation about where your brand is and what it needs. Book at snapper.studio/discovery