Host: Joseph Lewin

Guest: Devin Paxton

⸻

Episode originally aired live on Jul 1, 2025 on LinkedIn

Produced by Sell Through Social

📌 Episode Snapshot

Joseph and Devin break down what brand really means in 2025 and why it matters even more now that AI is everywhere. They unpack why relying solely on ChatGPT makes you blend in, how to build a brand that actually resonates with humans, and the steps for developing a clear, authentic brand foundation.

⸻

🎯 Why This Matters

• AI is making content cheap, fast, and impossible to distinguish.
• As noise rises, brand becomes the differentiator—not volume, not speed.
• People buy based on trust, emotion, and familiarity…things AI cannot replicate.
• Companies skipping brand fundamentals end up with generic messaging and higher acquisition costs.

⸻

🧠 Key Ideas & TakeawaysBrand = A Feeling (Not Your Logo)

• A brand is the emotional impression people have of you.
• Colors, fonts, and logos amplify the feeling—they aren’t the brand.
• Brand answers:
• “How do you make people feel?”
• “What do they trust you for?”
• “Why do they choose you over similar options?”

Why Brand Still Wins in the Age of AI

• AI can generate content, but it can’t generate meaning.
• ChatGPT gives you what’s “average” in the dataset—meaning your brand becomes generic if you rely on it exclusively.
• The differentiator becomes:
• Human voice
• Human story
• Human authenticity

Listen Before You Create

• Most creators and founders start by posting content.
• But effective branding starts with listening:
• What does your audience not understand?
• What frustrates them?
• What do they wish existed?
• Use Google “People Also Ask,” forums, comments, and conversations to collect real questions.

Evergreen > Trends

• Trend-based content is short-lived.
• Evergreen content builds authority and trust over time.
• The goal is not virality—it’s memorability.

Customer Research Is the Real Cheat Code

• Talk to your actual customers.
• Visit the communities where they hang out.
• Ask what’s keeping them stuck and what breakthrough they’re hoping for.
• The problems people think but don’t say publicly are where great brand messaging comes from.

Case Study: Indie Film Campaign

Devin shares a multi-channel campaign for the film Love Reconsidered, using:

• Organic social
• Paid ads (Meta, Google, YouTube)
• Influencer tie-ins
• Press partnerships
• Cast-led storytelling

Results:

• ~174,000 impressions
• Coverage on The Today Show, Bravo, and major entertainment outlets
• The campaign worked because the story and emotional core remained consistent across every channel.

Brand Lowers Your Acquisition Costs

Joseph explains why companies with strong brands:

• Close deals faster
• Get more cold outreach replies
• Maintain lower CAC over time
• Build familiarity long before the sales call

Brand makes every other marketing activity more efficient.

⸻

🧩 Practical Steps to Build a Real Brand1. Define Your Brand DNA

Ask:

• What are our core values?
• What is the emotional tone we want to project?
• If our brand walked into a room, how would it make people feel?

2. Know Your Audience Deeply

• Identify their problems, desires, and hidden frustrations.
• Validate with real conversations.
• Build content around their reality—not your assumptions.

3. Build Evergreen Foundations

• Establish content pillars.
• Create a consistent cadence.
• Repeat the message until people can repeat it for you.

4. Don’t Let AI Replace Originality

• Use AI for brainstorming—not for your final voice.
• Lead with human story and lived experience.

5. Be Consistent With Your Identity Everywhere

• Messaging
• Visuals
• Story
• Customer experience

Consistency creates recognition. Recognition creates trust.

⸻

🗣️ Memorable Lines

• “Brand is a feeling—not a logo or a color palette.”
• “AI can generate content, but it can’t generate connection.”
• “Evergreen content builds authority; trends build views.”
• “If your brand walked into a room, how would it make people feel?”
• “Customer research is the cheat code most marketers avoid.”