Why do some brands become genuinely loved while others are simply bought?

In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris Outlaw sits down with Meghan Labot, Managing Director for North America at LOVE, to explore how brands can uncover what makes them distinctive, remain culturally relevant, and build deeper connections with their audiences.

Meghan explains why great brand strategy isn't necessarily about inventing something new. Instead, it starts by uncovering an undeniable brand truth—something authentic to your history, identity, and purpose—and using it as the foundation for everything that follows.

They explore why brands need to think beyond traditional product categories and start competing for moments in people's lives, how cultural shifts create new opportunities, why chasing trends can make brands lose their identity, and how heritage brands can evolve without abandoning the equity that made them successful.

Meghan also shares the thinking behind LOVE's work with Back to Nature and Moët Ice Impérial, including how an unexpectedly simple observation about a champagne bottle helped inspire a distinctive creative idea.

Plus, Meghan reveals why certainty creates confidence—and how finding something your brand can be certain about can give leaders the courage to make braver creative decisions.

If you're a founder, marketer, strategist, or business leader trying to build a brand people don't just recognize but genuinely care about, this episode is for you. 

In this episode:

• Why the strongest brands transcend their products
• How to uncover your brand's undeniable truth
• Why cultural relevance shouldn't mean chasing trends
• How to compete for moments instead of categories
• Why heritage brands should evolve rather than reinvent
• How looking outside your category can reveal cultural opportunities
• Why great creative ideas often feel obvious in hindsight
• How certainty can give brands the confidence to be brave

Meghan Labot — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meghanlabot

LOVE — Website: lovecreative.com

LOVE — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/love-

LOVE — Blog / News & Insights: lovecreative.com/blog

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Athletes are no longer just competing on the pitch — they’re becoming powerful global brands, media platforms and commercial assets in their own right.

In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris is joined by Joe Pattison, VP of Marketing at EMW Global, a global sports marketing agency specialising in talent representation, brand partnerships, activation and content.

Joe breaks down insights from EMW Global and x+y Market Intelligence’s Athlete Brand Economy Report and explores how social media, personal branding and changing fan behaviour are transforming sports marketing and athlete sponsorship.

We discuss why younger fans are increasingly following individual athletes rather than clubs, how major sporting moments can rapidly increase an athlete’s visibility and commercial value, and why authenticity is critical when building successful athlete-brand partnerships.

Joe also explains how athletes are using data to better understand their commercial value, why personal brands are being built earlier in athletes’ careers, and how agencies and brands can turn global attention into long-term commercial opportunities.

In this episode, we cover:

• The rise of the athlete brand economy
• How social media has changed sports marketing
• Athlete personal branding and commercial value
• Why authenticity matters in athlete sponsorships
• How brands choose the right athlete partnerships
• The shift from club loyalty to athlete-led fandom
• How data can measure athlete influence and marketability
• Building athlete brands beyond their playing careers
• Global sports marketing and localisation
• The future of sports sponsorship and brand partnerships

If you're a founder, marketer, brand strategist or sports marketing professional interested in personal branding, sponsorship, social media and the changing economics of sport, this episode offers a fascinating look at where athlete marketing is heading next.

Listen now to discover why the future of sports marketing may increasingly belong to the athletes themselves.

• Joe Pattison — LinkedIn: Joe Pattison on LinkedIn.
• EMW Global: EMW Global official website
• x+y Market Intelligence: x+y Market Intelligence official website.  
• The Athlete Brand Economy Report: Read the Athlete Brand Economy Report online
• Direct PDF: Download the Athlete Brand Economy Report PDF

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Everyone thinks IKEA's success comes down to affordable furniture, flat-pack boxes, and Swedish meatballs.

They're wrong.

Behind every IKEA decision—from the flat-pack design and product names to the store layout and restaurant—is one powerful brand philosophy that has remained remarkably consistent for over 70 years.

In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, we unpack one of the greatest examples of unified branding ever created and reveal why IKEA isn't just selling furniture—it's expressing a belief through every customer touchpoint.

You'll discover:

• Why flat-pack furniture is a brand strategy—not just a logistics solution.
• The hidden purpose behind IKEA's famous Swedish product names.
• How the store layout, restaurant, pricing model, and catalogue all reinforce the same core promise.
• Why the strongest brand signals often come from operational decisions, not marketing campaigns.
• How any business can turn everyday processes into powerful brand differentiators.

If you want to build a brand that's memorable, consistent, and impossible to copy, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes helping founders, marketers, and business leaders build brands smarter, not harder.

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What makes people choose one brand over another when the products are almost identical?

According to Brandy Whalen, Co-Founder of Kickcast, it isn't features or corporate messaging—it's the stories behind the people.

In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Brandy shares why the most powerful brands stop hiding behind company jargon and start leading with authentic human stories. From helping founders uncover the experiences that shaped them, to preparing executives for high-impact podcast interviews, she explains why personal storytelling has become one of the most valuable branding tools available today.

Chris and Brandy also explore how podcasting creates genuine human connection in an increasingly digital world, why imagination and childhood experiences shape our identity, and how founders can become memorable by telling stories people actually remember.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why founders should tell their story—not just their company's
• The biggest storytelling mistakes leaders make on podcasts
• How to uncover your authentic story (even if you think you don't have one)
• Why emotion drives buying decisions more than logic
• How podcast appearances build authority and trust
• Practical tips for becoming a better podcast guest
• Why slowing down at the end of interviews dramatically improves conversions
• The surprising connection between childhood imagination and great storytelling

Whether you're a founder, marketer, consultant or business leader, this conversation will change how you think about branding, authority and the power of your own story.

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Most businesses don't have a branding problem—they have a systems problem.

In this episode, Chris Outlaw introduces the Unified Brand Framework, a practical methodology designed to help founders, CEOs, and marketing leaders eliminate confusion and build brands that scale consistently.

Drawing on real-world experience, Chris explains why so many businesses suffer from a "brand identity crisis," where leadership teams have different interpretations of the brand, resulting in inconsistent marketing, unclear positioning, and diluted growth.

You'll discover the four interconnected layers every successful brand needs:

• Brand Strategy – defining purpose, positioning, values and audience.
• Brand Identity – translating strategy into visual and verbal expression.
• Brand Marketing – communicating your brand consistently across every channel.
• Brand Governance – creating the systems that keep your brand aligned as you grow.

Rather than treating branding as a one-off project, Chris explains how thinking of your brand as an operating system creates stronger marketing, better decision-making, and sustainable growth.

Whether you're scaling your business, repositioning your brand, or simply trying to create more consistency across your organisation, this episode provides a practical framework you can implement immediately.

Listen now to discover how a unified brand becomes one of your biggest competitive advantages.

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Why do customers really buy?

In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris sits down with Will Leach, behavioural scientist, founder of Mindstate Group, and bestselling author of Marketing to Mind States.

Drawing on over 25 years of research, leadership at PepsiCo, and experience helping global brands understand consumer behaviour, Will reveals why most purchasing decisions happen subconsciously—and how brands can build deeper emotional connections by understanding what truly motivates people.

The conversation explores the psychology behind buying decisions, why traditional market research often gets it wrong, how iconic brands create identity rather than simply sell products, and the behavioural science principles any business can apply to improve marketing, branding and customer engagement.

They also discuss:

• Why emotions drive purchasing decisions
• Functional vs emotional vs aspirational branding
• The psychology behind Harley-Davidson, Nike and Disney
• Why customers rarely tell you the real reason they buy
• Behavioural biases that increase conversions
• Packaging psychology and visual persuasion
• The future of AI-powered customer personas
• How behavioural science is transforming marketing

Whether you're a founder, marketer, brand strategist or business owner, this episode offers practical insights into how customers really think—and how your brand can communicate more effectively.

Connect with Will Leach

• Website: Mindstate Group
• LinkedIn: Will Leach on LinkedIn
• Book: Marketing to Mindstates: A Practical Guide to Applying Behavior Design to Research and Marketing
• Learn about Bevi: Meet Bevi

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, we're joined by Laura, strategic storyteller, public speaker, founder of Meshin Movement, and Group Strategy Director at Article Group. Laura unpacks how personal transformation and vulnerability can powerfully shape business storytelling, and how brands can build authentic narratives that resonate on a human level.

We explore:

• The neuroscience behind storytelling and empathy

• How personal stories can drive professional success

• The 4Cs framework to unlock brand stories

• Strategic storytelling in B2B tech and why empathy still matters

• Using purpose-driven storytelling to align brand identity and impact

Whether you're a founder, marketer, or creative leader, this episode will shift how you think about story, brand, and growth.

🔗 Connect with Laura: meshinmovement.com

Learn how to assess your own brand’s power with our free 4-minute Brand Power Scorecard⁠⁠

Perfect for founders, marketers, and brand builders who want to think differently and build brands that last.

🎧 Subscribe and stay unified.

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Do Feel like your brand could use improving but not sure where to start?

Or are you looking to build upon and grow your existing brand to create more impact?

Or are you seeking an impactful, iconic and memorable logo and brand identity system?

Schedule a brand discovery consultation call here - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.elementsbrandmanagement.o.uk/schedule-a-call⁠

Discover the transformative power of rebranding in this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, brought to you by Elements Brand Management.

Learn how rebranding can help your business stand out, attract new customers, and align with your company's growth. Packed with real-world examples from brands like Apple, Old Spice, and Airbnb, this episode dives into the top 10 reasons to rebrand, including market differentiation, enhancing loyalty, and driving long-term growth.

Whether you're considering a rebrand or curious about its impact, this episode will empower you to build a memorable and impactful brand that thrives in today’s competitive market.

PLUS! Take our FREE 4-minute Brand Power Test and receive a scorecard to pinpoint your brand's strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. https://bit.ly/2VksUSjDo Feel like your brand could use improving but not sure where to start?

Or are you looking to build upon and grow your existing brand to create more impact? 

Or are you seeking an impactful, iconic and memorable logo and brand identity system?Schedule a brand discovery consultation call here - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.elementsbrandmanagement.o.uk/schedule-a-call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What makes a brand impossible to copy?

In Episode 249 of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris Outlaw sits down with brand strategist, entrepreneur and Unmtchd. founder Oana Leonte to explore the relationship between brand meaning, intellectual property (IP), and long-term business value.

Drawing on over 20 years of experience working with global brands including Disney and PUMA, Oana explains why the world's most successful brands aren't built on logos, trademarks, or marketing campaigns alone—they're built on meaning.

Together they discuss:

• Why meaning is the true source of brand value
• The difference between legal IP and strategic IP
• How brands lose their identity over time
• The dangers of chasing short-term performance metrics
• Why nostalgia marketing is everywhere right now
• What brands can learn from Disney, LEGO, Nike and GAP
• How founders can build future brand legacy from day one
• Why Gen Z is craving more meaning and connection

If you're a founder, marketer, or brand leader looking to build a business that lasts, this episode offers a fresh perspective on brand strategy and long-term growth.

🎧 Listen now and discover why the strongest brands don't just sell products—they create meaning.

Oana Leonte is a Brand IP Strategist, founder of Unmtchd., and author of The Architecture of Meaning.

• LinkedIn: Oana Leonte
• Website: Unmtchd.
• Instagram: @oanaleonteofficial
• Book Waitlist: The Architecture of Meaning

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What makes a brand truly unforgettable?

In this episode of The Unified Brand Podcast, Chris Outlaw sits down with brand strategist, creative leader, and founder Marc Rust to explore why the world's most successful brands aren't built on logos, colours, or taglines—they're built on clarity, alignment, and what Marc calls "brand magic."

Marc shares his journey from learning French through television commercials in Paris to helping organisations strengthen their positioning, increase enterprise value, and create brands people genuinely remember.

Together, they discuss:

• Why most businesses focus on what they do instead of why they matter
• How internal alignment creates stronger brands and better customer experiences
• The role of creativity in driving growth and innovation
• Why remarkable brands stand out while ordinary brands get ignored
• How private equity firms can use branding to increase company valuation
• The future of brand strategy in an AI-powered world
• Lessons from iconic brands including KitKat, Nike, Goodyear, and Barbie

If you're a founder, marketer, business leader, or anyone responsible for growing a brand, this conversation will challenge how you think about branding and provide practical insights into creating a business people notice, remember, and choose.

Listen now and discover how to bottle brand magic.

Marc's Links

Website: https://marcrust.com
Agency: https://consequentlycreative.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcr/
Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/consequently/

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Whether you’re a founder, marketing director, or business leader managing a growing brand across multiple teams or regions, this episode will help you identify the hidden friction points holding your brand back.

Take the Brand Power Assessment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BrandPowerScorecard.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Brand Discovery Call:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe for more episodes focused on building stronger, smarter, and more unified brands.

Watch podcast clips & deep dives on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elements Brand Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠