OnBrand

“I think if you can inject that personality — if you can inject that authenticity and your genuine love and enthusiasm for what you’re working on — I say do it.” – Jann Jones, Manager of Brand Development & Publishing Operations for Legendary Comics  It’s a bird, no wait, it’s a plane — it’s … OnBrand!  In this power-packed episode, host Sarah Grace McCandless speaks with Jann Jones, the manager of Brand Development and Publishing Operations at Legendary Comics. With Jann, we’re talking all things brand advocacy, the shift toward digital, and what’s likely ahead for brands looking to expand their reach in 2021. Let your geek flag fly!  Every customer has an origin story. They start with a problem, they seek out help, and in the end, they feel empowered to handle whatever else the world is ready to throw at them. But the beginning of that origin story is outreach — how you bring consumers to the table. Your brand’s customers value authenticity, honesty, and passion. Is your brand outreach strategy turning customers into fans?  “I don’t want this to just be 10 social posts a day of just like, ‘buy! buy!’ buy!’ I want to engage with people, I want to make them think, I want to make them occasionally look at my cat — those cat posts get a lot of engagement,” Jann explains, laughing. “It really is about developing that voice — that friendly voice that is a little irreverent and a little bit playful and sarcastic but also you trust. It’s been really fun.” Prior to her work with Legendary, Jann worked with a variety of major companies, including Disney, DC Comics, Target, and 3M. Now, she works to usher in the next stage of graphic novels by highlighting and supporting previously marginalized voices and stories in comics. Join us and learn how you can supercharge your outreach efforts in this episode of OnBrand!  Episode ResourcesSYKES Jobs.SYKES.com  SYKES Quarterly Legendary Comics Website Legendary Comics Twitter

Welcome to a special #GivingTuesday edition of OnBrand! Tied to the spirit behind this movement, host Sarah Grace McCandless speaks with Viviana Pagán-Muñiz, senior advisor at AARP, on how the organization creates meaningful, connected experiences. Viviana shares how the AARP consumer commitment of “wise friend and fierce defender” is at the heart of everything they do. This includes informing her strategic approach and leadership behind the launch of a revolutionary new digital help center, a resource that has also helped to dispel some myths about the organization — yes, the 50+ community and members are online!

The holiday shopping season is here, but what that means in 2020 is certainly a different story. In this episode of OnBrand, host Sarah Grace McCandless discusses the current retail landscape leading into the holiday season with Sean Ryan, an award-winning brand strategist whose expertise leading social and digital teams includes Fortune 500 retailers Target and JCPenney.

With the massive surge toward e-commerce further fueled by the pandemic, retail is under pressure to reinvent rapidly. Learn more about how this is affecting the criteria for delivering superior customer experience (CX), why listening to customer brand perceptions is now more critical than ever, and how a holistic digital approach can benefit retailers of all sizes during COVID and beyond.

Welcome to the premiere of OnBrand! In this episode, host Sarah Grace McCandless speaks with Laura Smith, executive vice president of Global Marketing and Customer Experience at Hertz. Learn more about how the brand continues to innovate and connect, including how they’ve responded during the pandemic, why it’s important to consider the wants and needs of your customers now more than ever, and much more.

OnBRAND features a closer look at brands through the lens of the consumer, focusing on their desire for true connection with companies across all stages of the journey. Join host Sarah Grace McCandless for interviews and insights on which brands are getting it right and how other organizations can learn from these examples to strengthen, grow, and rise with authenticity.