Miri Rodriguez literally wrote the book on brand storytelling. An award-winning, globally recognized storyteller and Senior Storyteller for Future of Work at Microsoft, Miri is a creative journalist, content strategist, renowned keynote speaker, and international thought leader helping brands tell their stories. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Miri Rodriguez

Miri Rodriguez, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, is an award-winning, globally recognized storyteller and Senior Storyteller for Future of Work at Microsoft. She is a creative journalist, content strategist, renowned keynote speaker, and international thought leader in brand storytelling, personal branding, and youth entrepreneurship. She has earned several awards in digital marketing and customer experience and is ranked as a top in-demand speaker at leading industry conferences globally. Her previous clients include Adobe, Discover, Walmart, and McKesson.

Links from the Show

Here’s the updated, second edition of Miri's book Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story.

A memorable quote from Miri: “Your first storytellers are your employees.” That's why we need to give them tools like Microsoft's done with their brand central station.

Miri also shared how important Satya Nadella's book Hit Refresh has been in sharing the brand story. Fun fact: Nadella created a special edition for employees.

What brand has made Miri smile recently? Disney! Miri shared — you guessed it — a story on how Disney once again delivered on the magical experiences that they promise.

Connect with Miri on her website and on LinkedIn.

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Ben Guttmann is the author of the new book Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them. Ben is on a mission to get leaders to more effectively connect through clear and concise messages. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Ben Guttmann

Ben Guttmann is a marketing and communications expert and author of Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them. He’s an experienced marketing executive and educator on a mission to get leaders to more effectively connect by simplifying their message. Ben is former co-founder and managing partner at Digital Natives Group, an award-winning agency that worked with the NFL, I Love NY, Comcast NBCUniversal, Hachette Book Group, The Nature Conservancy, and other major clients. Currently, Ben teaches digital marketing at Baruch College in New York City and consults with a range of thought leaders, venture-backed startups, and other brands.

Links from the Show

Here’s Ben’s new book Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them.

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn and check out his website BenGuttmann.com.

What brand has made Jamie smile recently? Ben doesn’t drink coffee so he pointed us to Bellocq luxury tea. Treat yourself!

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Allen Adamson is the author of the new book Seeing the How: Achieving Market Advantage by Transforming the Stuff We Do, Not the Stuff We Buy. He’s the author of several other books on all things branding and the co-founder and managing partner of Metaforce. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Allen Adamson

Allen Adamson is a noted industry expert in all disciplines of branding. He has worked with a broad spectrum of consumer and corporate businesses in industries ranging from packaged goods and technology to health care and financial services, to hospitality and entertainment.

Allen’s newest book is Seeing the How: Achieving Market Advantage by Transforming the Stuff We Do, Not the Stuff We Buy. His previous books, BrandSimple, BrandDigital, The Edge, and Shift Ahead, are used as textbooks in higher education business programs across the country. Allen is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Metaforce, an elite marketing collective of the industry's top talent.

Links from the Show

Allen’s newest book is Seeing the How: Achieving Market Advantage by Transforming the Stuff We Do, Not the Stuff We Buy.

Connect with Allen on the Metaforce website or AllenAdamson.com.

Want to listen to more of Allen On Brand? Check out his first appearance on the show back in 2019.

What brand has made Allen smile recently? Allen gave us a good reminder of IKEA — and very on-brand given our conversation!

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Lydia Michael is an entrepreneur, speaker, brand strategist, and author of “Brand Love." As I said during our conversation, Lydia spends a lot of time defining the undefinable — from brand love to multicultural marketing to personal branding.  We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Lydia Michael

Lydia Michael is an entrepreneur, speaker, brand strategist, and author of “Brand Love." She works with companies and organizations to develop brands and marketing strategies. Lydia is the founder and owner of Blended Collective, a multicultural marketing and brand consultancy. Her experience includes working with brands like Deloitte and L’Oréal in Germany. Lydia’s work has been recognized with several diversity and marketing-centered awards. She leads workshops and webinars, and speaks to audiences about topics such as multicultural marketing, brand love, and personal branding.

Links from the Show

What brand has made Lydia smile recently? Lydia shared Huda Beauty, a brand she referenced in her book Brand Love. “Huda does a great job of humanizing the brand.”

Connect with Lydia on LinkedIn and visit lydiamichael.com and blendedcollective.com.

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This week we have a special holiday episode of the On Brand podcast with the “Naughty and Nice Brands of 2023.” This seasonally appropriate snapshot of brand behavior was developed by the smart folks at Brand Federation. The consultancy’s Chief Growth Officer Matt Williams joined me to discuss which brands have been naughty and nice this year.

Enjoy This Episode Now

About Matt Williams

Matt Williams is chief growth officer for Brand Federation, a brand strategy consultancy in Richmond, Va. Prior to joining Brand Federation in 2019, Williams was CEO of the Martin Agency, one of the world’s most recognized advertising agencies, where he managed strategy development for world-class brands like GEICO, OREO, UPS, Discover Financial, Walmart, and more. Williams also is Clinical Professor in the marketing department at the Mason School of Business at William & Mary. He teaches in the MBA program and is the developer and Faculty Director of the school’s Online Masters in Marketing.

Naughty List for Brands 2023

Nice List for Brands 2023

Brands that Santa is Watching in 2024

Want more naughty and nice? Check out Brand Federation’s YouTube video on the Naughty and Nice Brands of 2023. 

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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Amanda Proscia, co-founder of Lightspeed Public Relations and Marketing, is the author of PR Confidential, available now. Lightspeed is a New York City-based agency focused on promoting innovation in areas like healthcare, financial services, and consumer electronics. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Amanda Proscia

Amanda Proscia is a master corporate storyteller with experience in-house at American Express. Amanda is the co-founder of Lightspeed Public Relations and Marketing, a New York City-based agency focused on promoting innovation in areas like healthcare, financial services, and consumer electronics. She's also the author of the bestselling new book, PR Confidential. 

Links from the Show

On Brand Soundbite. "In addition to the millions of dollars wasted on ads that are not digitally optimized, brands are missing other marketing opportunities for their holiday promotions,"  says Amanda Proscia. "Each holiday season, ads are repeated from previous years without any updating to their message or target audience. Not only does this result in ads that under-perform, but it also misses out on gaining the value of refreshed storytelling."

What brand has made Amanda smile recently? “Oreo — and not just because I love their cookies.” Amanda shared that her smile came from their recent cookie ad featuring a diverse Santa Claus.

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn and the Lightspeed PR website.

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Sandy Skees is EVP, Global Purpose and Impact Lead at Porter Novelli and author of the book Purposeful Brands. While it seems like purposeful branding and marketing is everywhere these days, that doesn't diminish the importance and responsibility of this work. And it doesn't make the work any easier. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Sandy Skees

Sandy Skees is EVP, Global Purpose and Impact Lead at Porter Novelli, a leading communications consultancy, part of the Omnicom Group. With over three decades of expertise in management consulting and strategic communications, Sandy has worked with clients including Visa, Abercrombie & Fitch, eBay, and Panasonic, among many others. Recognized as PRWeek's Woman of Distinction 2023 and Most Purposeful Agency Pro 2021, Sandy holds a Board Director position at Sustainable Brands and is an advisor to The Diversity Center. Author of Purposeful Brands, she is an experienced speaker on branding, messaging, and sustainability topics. She lives with her wife in Santa Cruz, California.

Links from the Show

Check out Sandy's book, Purposeful Brands — all about helping brands discover, develop, and implement their purpose and impact.

Connect with Sandy on her website and LinkedIn.

What brand has made Sandy smile recently? “Easy — Spotify, for their Year in Review,” Sandy shared that she loves learning about herself and others from this one-of-a-kind brand touch point. Be sure to check out my interview with Spotify’s Jay Norman where we discussed the Year in Review.

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Jay Mandel is the author of the book Brand Strategy in Three Steps, as well as an entrepreneur, professor, consultant, and coach. In all of his work, he leads with his core values of candor, curiosity, and collaboration. We discussed all this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Jay Mandel

Jay Mandel, a multi-faceted entrepreneur, professor, consultant, and coach, is not only the author of the book Brand Strategy in Three Steps, but also an embodiment of core values such as candor, curiosity, and collaboration. His transformative journey from corporate America to coaching reflects his commitment to infusing meaning and authenticity into the business world.

With two decades of corporate experience, including a notable role as the former social media and content lead for Mastercard's global team, Jay's brand methodology is honed through a diverse range of corporate, entrepreneurial, and academic experiences. Armed with a Masters's in strategic communications from Columbia University, Jay is dedicated to guiding individuals in their pursuit of clarity, strategy, and finding their unique market niche. Embrace growth, explore with purpose, and embark on a transformative journey with Jay Mandel today.

Links from the Show

Jay’s new book, Brand Strategy in Three Steps, focuses on the three aspects of brand strategy he broke down at the top of the show: Identity, Intent, and Implementation. More on Jay’s book.

What brand has made Jay smile recently? “I struggle with Dr. Squatch,” Jay shared. The brand delivered great humanity in their customer service, however, he’s not been super impressed with the product.

Connect with Jay on his website and via LinkedIn.

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Karen McFarlane is the founder and CMO of Kaye Media, a fractional marketing firm for startups to enterprises. With over 25 years of experience, Karen is renowned for her transformative purpose-driven brand strategies and has been recognized for her leadership and deep commitment to equity and belonging. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Karen McFarlane

Karen McFarlane, the founder of Kaye Media, is a seasoned marketing executive with over 25 years of experience. Her expertise in shaping compelling brand narratives and strategies has guided businesses toward transformative growth and market clarity. Karen's role extends beyond her company, as evidenced by her impactful tenure as President of the New York chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), where she earned eight Chapter Excellence Awards and now champions equity as the Chair of DEI Innovation.

Additionally, Karen serves on the Board of the Hudson Valley Credit Union, New York's fifth-largest credit union. Her influence is also felt nationally as the President-Elect and DEI Co-Chair for the AMA’s Professional Chapters Council and through her work with Momentum and Value for People of Color, where she champions equitable opportunities for young people of color. Recognized as a thought leader, Karen frequently speaks on inclusive marketing and conflict resolution, and her contributions to the field have earned her recognition as one of the most notable figures in marketing and PR by Crain’s Business.

Karen's commitment to advancing racial and gender equity in Corporate America is evident through her passion project, Colossal Work, underscoring her dedication to driving meaningful and sustainable change.

Links from the Show

What brand has made Karen smile recently? Karen was our first fractional CMO guest and she was also the first guest to smile over her own brand. “I didn't want it to be about me. I wanted it to reflect me,” Karen shared of the new work done for her new brand Colossal Work coming in January.

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn.

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Robert Felder is the founder of Bearbottom Clothing, a one-for-one clothing manufacturer. Felder is an expert in DTC, growth, social entrepreneurship, and, of course, brand building. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Robert Felder

Robert Felder founded Bearbottom Clothing in 2012, launching it in 2014, after visiting Bangladesh as a high school student. Felder saw firsthand the need for quality jobs and basic necessities like clothing within the community. Felder returned home with the mission to make an impact on the people of Bangladesh, and Bearbottom Clothing was born. As one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the world, Felder could provide jobs while donating back to the community through the one-for-one business model. Since then, Bearbottom has expanded not only its clothing line but also its impact on the people and communities they work with.

Felder is an expert in DTC/E-commerce supply chain, product development, fulfillment/warehousing, social entrepreneurship, bootstrapped business growth, international partnerships, and team-building. Bearbottom has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and Reader's Digest.

Links from the Show

What brand has made Robert smile recently? “We're gonna be making some graphic tees in 2024 so I've been shopping a lot of brands,” Robert shared. “One I love is a company called Takeout Order.”

Connect with Robert on LinkedIn and learn more on the Bearbottom Clothing website.

As We Wrap …

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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