Let's talk branding

In this episode, we explore the power of the ‘creator mindset’ with creative director turned creator Alex Antolino. It’s a deep dive into the creator economy and what brands can learn from people like Mr. Beast.

Find Alex on Instagram, LinkedIn or Youtube.

The brand audit template

As a brand strategist, I’ve often noticed that a brand audit is one of the most overlooked and valuable services for a brand. Check out my fresh brand audit template on Holabrief and explore many more creative/strategic exercises.

Learn brand st...

Show notes:

* Nick’s substack and the article on Purpose Nihilism

* Nick on Twitter

The brand audit template

As a brand strategist, I’ve often noticed that a brand audit is one of the most overlooked and valuable services for a brand. Check out my fresh brand audit template on Holabrief and explore many more creative/strategic exercises.

Show notes:

* The article that sparked the conversation

* Science Magic, where Max works

* Max on LinkedIn and Twitter

The brand audit template

As a brand strategist, I’ve often noticed that a brand audit is one of the most overlooked and valuable services for a brand. Check out my fresh brand audit template on Holabrief and explore many more creative/strategic exercises.

In this show, I chat with the amazing Tom Roach. A marketing strategist with loads of experience at some of the world's best advertising agencies.

- The wrong and short of it article

- Tom's blog (check out the other amazing articles too)

- The original book by Binet & Field, the long and short of it

- Tom's currently working at Jellyfish

If you want to stay up to date, please subscribe on Substack.

In this episode, I chat with Twitter buddy RJ Youngling, he calls himself an ‘entrepreneurial scientist. We take a deep-dive into the world of maths, Ehrenberg-bass insitute, bro-science and a lot more.

You can find RJ on twitter here and check out his paid stuff here.

If you want to stay tuned for more Let’s talk branding news, episodes and videos, subscribe below!

In this episode, I chat with the legendary Byron Sharp. We discuss the under-highlighted topic of subscription markets vs repertoire markets.

* What defines such a market?

* What can we learn from them?

* What are the implications for marketers?

* What does it mean for small brands?

* Do we see any other distinctions between brands that have implications for brand growth? We discuss small vs big - luxury vs commodity - B2B vs B2C

Important links

* You can find the paper we discuss here

In this episode, I talk with Humor expert Paddy Gilmore. We talk about the power of humor for brands.

Topics

* What types of humor are there?

* And what brands can leverage it?

* How can you make sure you don’t end up on the dark side of humor?

* And what is the science behind all of it?

Explore the serious business of being funny with me in this latest episode.

Important links

* Paddy’s studio: Studio Gilmore

Want to stay up to d...

In this latest episode, I chat with Faisal for the second time. We discuss positioning and what the power is for challenger brands. It’s an interesting deep dive into brand marketing, performance marketing, and the role of positioning for brands on a budget.

Important links:

* The whitepaper Faisal and his team created

* Faisal on Twitter

* Creative business company

* Our first episode: Building a brand on a budget

* The brand new BS show on Youtube

* Austins branding b******t newsletter

In this episode, I talk with the legendary Peter Weinberg, head of development at The B2B institute from LinkedIn. We talk about the common misperceptions in B2B marketing, how to build a B2B brand on a budget, and the differences/similarities between B2B and B2C marketing. It's a really great episode full of knowledge bombs so I'll bet you'll enjoy it! 

Important links:

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% d...

In this episode, I talk with Ian Humphris, the founder of Nokamo consulting. Ian has a wide knowledge of marketing and branding. We get deep into the weeds of what 'brand-building' really means for the balance sheet. We also chat about what we can learn from industry legends like Byron Sharp, Rosser Reeves, Mark Ritson, and much more about segmentation, differentiation, and a lot more. 

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

In this episode, I talk with content marketing specialist Jake Sanders. We explore the area of content marketing and talk about some of the nuances of where content marketing really works and where it doesn't. Jake has a lovely perspective on marketing and he has a way with words that is quite unique. We also explore sonic branding and how it links up with content marketing. 

Big shoutout t...

In this episode, I talk with John Lyons, currently Senior Loyalty Proposition Manager at a certain Danish toy manufacturer. We talk about the building blocks (pun intended) of loyalty and how to look at loyalty without going all 'love brand' on everyone. It's a very interesting deep dive into a highly contested area. 

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

In this episode, I talk with Shann Biglione. Former Chief strategy officer at media agency Publicis. He recently started his own company called 'Kelp', they help you track 'corporate reputation'. We talk about the role of corporate reputation, brand-building, media, category entry points, and a lot more. Shann has a lot of depth when it comes to media but also a broad understanding of the broader marketing canon.

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

Alan, the company I'm working for. 

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

In this episode, I talk with Zoe Scaman, founder at Bodacious, a strategy studio. We have a deep and interesting conversation about the role of communities in building stronger brands. Zoe has a fresh and nuanced take on things like 'fandom' and the value they can create for brands. 

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

In this episode, I talk with Shireen Smith, author of 'Brand tuned, The new rules of branding, strategy and intellectual property'. Shireen is an IP lawyer that specializes in branding. She has been advocating for deeper relations between the fields of IP and branding and I subscribe to this idea. The role of distinctiveness is both legally and strategically essential in brand-building.

We talk about:

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course...

In this episode, we chat with Andy Nairn, author of 'Go luck yourself' and founder of Lucky Generals, an advertising agency. We talk about the huge role of 'luck' in branding, marketing, and business. Andy has found some great ways to leverage luck and challenge traditional thinking. I highly recommend reading the book. 

Some links:

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

In this episode, I talk with Naeiri Zargarian, a strategy director at Interbrand. We take a deep dive into the 'Best global brands report for 2021' and what we can learn from it. We talk about some specific brands but also overall trends and the future. 

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

In this episode, I chat with Faisal Siddiqui, founder of Creative business company and former strategy director at Prophet. Faisal and his colleagues recently released a fascinating white paper in which he lays down some of the fundamentals of how to build a big brand on a small budget. We go deep into the tactics but also talk about the broader picture and market dynamics. It's a very cool ride so buckle up! 

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course h...

In this episode, I talk with marketing director Tiara Puglisi and creative director Laural Stark from the 'the Sims', a brand owned by EA electronics. We talk about their fascinating jobs at this legacy brand, and how to keep on building on it. We talk about the world of gaming and how it converges with marketing. It's a very fun chat so I bet you'll enjoy it! 

You can find Laurel en Tiara on Twitter!

https://twitter.com/tiarapuglisi

https://twitter.com/tiarapuglisi

This episode is sponsored by Latana, the AI-powered b...

In this solo episode I take a deep, therapeutic dive into the fears we have as strategists. I discuss things like the imposter syndrome, niching, T-shaped profiles, and how to cross the valley of despair.  

Here are the 7 fears:

In this episode, I talk with a personal hero, Paul Feldwick. Paul is the author of game-changing books 'The anatomy of Humbug' and 'Why does the pedlar sing?'. His views on advertising and brand-building are truly unique. The power of 'fame' and entertainment is something that is often ignored in a world where we want to do 'serious' stuff. Paul brings us back to the true origins of branding, the circus. 

This episode is sponsored by Latana, the AI-powered brand tracking tool.

If you are interested in the brand strategy research course m...

In this episode, we talk about brand tracking & research with Brandon Shockley, Vice President Market Research at 160over90. We take a deep dive into brand tracking and the metrics that matter. As a little bonus, I also have a mini-interview with Angelay Mullins, CMO at Latana, a brand-tracking tool.

Brandon on LinkedIn or Twitter

If you're interested in learning more about brand strategy research, check out my latest course here. Use PODCASTLTB and get a 20% discount. 

In this episode, I talk with author and market researcher Jon Cohen. We take a deep dive into the world of 'asking'. What can we learn from talking to consumers? What are the dangers? When is a good time to ask and what makes for a good question? Find out in this interview! 

Show notes

If you are interested in the brand strategy research course mentioned in the show, go check out the course here and get a free chapter.  Subscribe to the newsletter here to stay updated on...

In this episode, I talk with Margaret Kerr-Jarrett. Margaret is a writer and strategist. We talk about verbal identity, what it is, how to create it and how to make sure it matches with visual identity. 

Margaret Kerr-Jarrett is a writer and strategist who partners with companies and brand & design studios to craft verbal identity, brand voice, and messaging for global clients.Her commercial and personal work has been featured in Its Nice That!, Communication Arts, Bezalel School of Arts & Design, HEAPS Magazine, Apricity Press, and elsewhere.Connect with Margaret on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/m...

In this episode, I talk about the brand audit. What it is, why it's valuable and how I approach it. 

Show notes

The Twitter thread that started it

Visit letstalkbranding.com to subscribe to the newsletter

Assess the brand both internally and externally, which means:

Internally

In this episode, I talk with Ian Barnard, a marketer from Canada that specializes in SMEs and non-profit organizations. We take a deep dive into measuring awareness and salience. What tools and techniques to use, what to be mindful of, and a lot more. It's a great hands-on episode so I think you'll enjoy it! 

Ian on Twitter

If you're interested in the brand strategy research course, please subscribe here. 

In this episode, I have a chat with Haris Spahic, founder of Constellate strategy, a strategy consultant focused on startups. We have a conversation about differentiation, loyalty, complexity, and how to apply all of that for startups. It's a slightly new type of format, where I and the guest are challenging each other instead of me just 'interviewing' the guest. 

If you're interested in having a conversation like this; shoot me an email at hello@letstalkbranding.be with your specific question and I'll get back to you. Subscribe to...

In this episode, I talk with James Hankins, Consulting Strategist, and Founder @ Vizer Consulting. James has had a busy year, coining (together with Les Binet) concepts like Share of search and the Hankins Hexagon. We get into the weeds of Share of search and how to apply it to your brand. 

Some interesting links:

In this episode, we're talking with Samuel Brealey, a marketing consultant based in the UK. We talk about how to help small businesses make more money with marketing. How to build a brand on a budget and a lot more. Samuel has a very pragmatic and 'real' approach to marketing that I really admire. 

In this episode, I talk with Austin Franke, brand strategist and founder of consultancy firm Woopunch. Austin has quite an unconventional approach to branding, using knowledge from behavioral science and other evidence-based fields. We talk about some ugly truths in branding and how we can move beyond the typical branding cliché's. 

Check out Austin's business and make sure you subscribe to the newsletter. Woopunch

Find the full list here on the blogpost, or watch the video on Youtube (dropping the 17th of march).

Want to learn more about branding  & strategy? Subscribe to the...

In this episode, we talk with Cedric Engels, author of the amazing book 'the power of sound' and co-founder of the sonic agency 'Sonhouse'. We talk about the importance of sound for brands but also how sounds affect the human brain (and soul). Cedric brought with him a bag of epic sounds so it's a fun little ride through sonic land. 

We talk about:

If you like this episode, please give m...

In this episode, I interview Michiel & Jan-Pieter from Antwerp based brand & design studio WeWantMore. We talk about their award-winning branding case for Neuhaus. It won a bronze 'Effie' award, which is an award focussed on the 'effectiveness' of creative campaigns, not just 'creative idea'.  

We talk about:

There is also a video version of this interview, with more visual and supporting material. Feel free to check it...

Interesting links: 

If you're interested in more branding & strategy stuff, visit letstalkbranding.com

In this episode, I talk with my strategy hero, JP Castlin. We talk about the upcoming Castlin manifesto and how its perspectives on strategy will be quite controversial. For decades, 'deliberate' strategy has been the norm in the different strategy disciplines of marketing and branding, but JP offers an alternative view, 'emergent strategy'. 

Interesting links:

A brand is a distinctive experiential promise that represents a business.

In this episode, I talk with launch and brand strategist Julia Braga. Julia is an educator on Instagram and helps businesses grow their personal brand and sell products through social media content. We talk about social media strategy, launching brands, and the funnel. 

Interesting links:

Julia's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/thejuliabraga/

In this solo episode, I talk about competitive analysis, what it is, why and how I approach it, and what are some of the specific phases to go through. I also highlight how I use it as a base for branding and marketing efforts and the difference with business strategy.

Michael Keplinger is a partner at SmashBrand, an agile brand strategy agency for consumer packaged goods that specializes in a complete approach to market research, product design, and testing. We talk about how to 'test your brand design' with real-world customers and how to apply that to brand building.

We talk about:

If you liked this episode, I would really appreciate a rating on Itunes. Make sure to...

We talk about:

Find Faris: