On Brand: A Podcast About Branding For Brand Builders, By Brand Builders

Elie Jacobs is a Founding Partner at Purposeful Advisors. With a career that began in President Clinton's post-presidential office, Elie has worked for some of the world's leading public affairs and strategic communications consultancies helping clients navigate the increasingly crisis-fraught media landscape. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Elie Jacobs Elie Jacobs is a Founding Partner at Purposeful Advisors. Elie has more than two decades of experience as a public affairs and strategic communications professional. He began his communications career as a press aide in the post-presidential office of President Bill Clinton, handling Clinton’s briefing materials and working with the news media. He has worked for some of the world’s leading public affairs and strategic communications consultancies, including Brunswick Group, Public Strategies, Sloane & Company, Glover Park Group, and Kivvit. Elie has served as a Senior Advisor to a leading global strategic advisory f

Tommy Means is a Founding Partner & Chief Creative Officer at Mekanism. In his nearly twenty years in the industry, he has created award-winning campaigns for brands including Molson/Coors, Nike, Apple, The North Face, Pepsi, Disney, and 20th Century Fox. Tommy won a Cannes Lion for creating one of the first cannabis commercials. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Tommy Means Tommy Means is a Founding Partner & Chief Creative Officer at Mekanism, a creative advertising agency with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Seattle. Under his creative leadership, Mekanism has been named a Top 10 Most Effective Independent Agency in the US by the Effie Index, and Independent Agency of the Year by The Drum. In his nearly twenty years in the industry, he has created award-winning campaigns for brands including Molson/Coors, Nike, Apple, The North Face, Pepsi, Disney, and 20th Century Fox. Tommy won a Cannes Lion for creating one of the first cannabis commercials with Academy

Joe Wright is Co-Founder, Director, and Chief Creative Officer at Sibling Rivalry, a New York and Los Angeles-based brand studio and production company infusing insight with imagination to drive brand, business, and culture. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Joe Wright Joe Wright is Co-Founder, Director, and Chief Creative Officer at Sibling Rivalry, a New York and Los Angeles based brand studio and production company infusing insight with imagination to drive brand, business, and culture. Joe is a meticulous craftsman, who designs every detail to impact the greater story of his films. As a co-founder and chief creative officer of Sibling Rivalry, Joe’s work brings the audience on a journey of striking imagery and authentic storytelling. He’s collaborated with brands such as Cadillac, Calvin Klein, Samsung, and HPE. He has won numerous industry awards and accolades, directed Super Bowl campaigns, and he has work that is featured in the permanent collection of the Coop

This week we have our annual holiday episode of the On Brand podcast with the “Naughty and Nice Brands of 2024.” The smart folks at Brand Federation developed this seasonally appropriate snapshot of brand behavior looking back on this past year and the year ahead at 2025. The consultancy’s Chief Growth Officer Matt Williams joined me to discuss which brands have been naughty and nice this year. 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. As W

Justin Goldstein is the Founder and Lead Strategist of PR72, an integrated communications agency that helps organizations like Uber, AARP, and General Motors unlock growth and build their brands. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Justin Goldstein Justin Goldstein is an award-winning public relations and marketing expert, and the Founder and Lead Strategist of PR73. This integrated communications agency helps brands build trust and unlock growth opportunities. He has reshaped industry practices through his work with leading organizations like Uber, AARP, Clinton Global Initiative, General Motors, and many more. Justin’s mission? To empower brands to develop trust at every touchpoint. Justin’s journey and personal story testify to the power of resilience and resourcefulness. Born with a cyst on his kidney, Justin learned early on to recognize his limits and adapt strategically—a lesson he now applies to business. Just as he used a kidney protector belt as a child, Justi

Siew Ting Foo is a transformational growth leader who builds businesses and brands with soul. Building Brands with Soul is also the title of her new book. During her 25-year career, she's worked with brands including Unilever, Mars Inc, Diageo, and HP. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Siew Ting Foo Siew Ting  Foo is a transformational growth leader who builds businesses and brands with soul. She has focused most of her 25-year career on this mission by infusing human-centric growth strategies into brands including Unilever, Mars Inc. Diageo, Fonterra, and, most recently, HP Inc. As a female leader who has worked in global business and marketing roles, Siew Ting shares her experiences in her new book: Building Brand with Soul — from creating value for shareholders, humanizing growth strategies for global brands or leading groundbreaking initiatives that set industry benchmarks. Siew Ting has received recognition as a transformational business leader across the region

Katie Cabanas has been called the Bilingual Brand Builder. In a career spanning diverse organizations such as AT&T, Coca-Cola and the University of Miami, Katie specializes in strategic planning and implementation of branding, marketing, and philanthropic campaigns. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Katie Cabanas Katie Cabanas is the founder of Cabanas Consulting and has a rich history of connecting people to brands and causes, creating lasting value. Her journey includes pivotal roles at AT&T, Coca-Cola, the University of Miami, and A-ROD CORP., where she served as Vice President of Operations, overseeing strategic planning and implementation of branding, marketing, and philanthropy. Katie's experience also encompasses major fundraising initiatives, such as launching the University of Miami's $1.6 billion Momentum campaign, and working with global marketing firm Golin, specializing in U.S. Hispanic accounts and crisis management.  Fluent in Spanish and holding an MBA

Cliff Ettridge is Director at The Team, where he leads their employee experience strand. His work for clients such as IBM and the BBC helps bring brand strategies to life internally and externally. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Cliff Ettridge Since joining the agency in 2002, Cliff Ettridge has led their employee experience strand, delivering projects for brands such as IBM, RBS, Three, and the BBC. With over 25 years of experience developing employee engagement strategies, Cliff’s expertise lies in developing ideas that bring basic business concepts to life and attract and retain talent. Today he leads a team delivering work for BP, the Open University, and Centrica. He designs employer brands, creates internal communication plans, and develops campaigns to bring business strategies and messages to life. From the Show What brand has made Cliff smile recently? Cliff shared a recent smile from shoe brand ASICS for their brilliant new ad featuring Succession's Bria

Jane McCarthy is co-author of the new book The Goddess Guide to Branding. Through stories of female entrepreneurs and business leaders (including Argent's Sali Christeson), Jane lays out a brand strategy framework useful to organizations of all shapes and sizes. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Jane McCarthy Jane McCarthy works with companies to define their foundational brand strategy. Collaborating with entrepreneurs and marketing teams, she helps clarify a brand’s essential archetype, core motivation, and intended customer impact. Bringing her 15 years of advertising experience to the table, she inspires strategic brand blueprints that are both authentic to who companies really are as well as ultra-compelling to customers. Along with her sister and business partner Kate McAndrew, Jane is co-author of the new book The Goddess Guide to Branding: Your Blueprint for Building an Abundant & Authentic Feminine Brand. From the Show What brand has made Jane smile recently

Chris Eifert is the agency principal at B2B marketing agency TriComB2B. With an unconventional background as an engineer, he brings a unique and useful skillset to the B2B branding and marketing landscape. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Chris Eifert Chris Eifert has more than 30 years of sales, marketing and management experience in a variety of technical industries. He joined TriComB2B in 2002 and held several management positions before purchasing the company in 2006. Prior to joining TriComB2B, Chris served in product and marketing management roles for SmartWorks, a strategic business unit of Standard Register (now Taylor Communications). Before that, he held a variety of engineering, sales, product development and marketing roles at two industrial manufacturers, Flowserve Corporation and Watlow Electric Company. His experience also includes training and business development support in Europe, Asia and South America. From the Show What brand has made Chris smil

Jim Pietruszynsk is the CEO of Soulsight, a brand design agency with 30+ years of experience in building emotive brands that move. His work with global giants like Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, and Pfizer has earned recognition in the industry and beyond. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Jim Pietruszynsk Jim Pietruszynsk is the CEO of Soulsight, a brand design agency with 30+ years of experience in building emotive brands that move. Jim’s work spans iconic brands and channels, driven by creativity and a deep understanding of human needs. He’s fostered breakthrough innovation through collaboration and honesty. Jim draws inspiration from human truths and an empathetic approach, offering compelling creative thinking. He’s worked with global giants like Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, and Pfizer, earning recognition from prestigious awards. From the Show What brand has made Jim smile recently? Jim shared his love of the Manscaped brand for their creative and engaging copy which moved

Robert Brunner is Lead Designer for Beats by Dre and the Founder and Partner of design firm Ammunition. With over 40 years of experience, his experience includes working with brands like Apple, Lyft, and Square on creating design that connects and communicates. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Robert Brunner An early designer at Apple and Lead Designer of Beats by Dre, Robert is a globally acclaimed product designer with over 40 years of experience. Robert built the pioneering internal corporate design organization, Apple IDg, for Apple and was a partner at the world’s largest design consultancy, Pentagram. Under his leadership, Ammunition has developed iconic products such as Lyft's in-car icons, the Square Stand, and Polaroid's latest digital photography line. Robert has been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” and is the co-author of the book “Do You Matter? How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company.” From the Show What brand

Tamsen Webster was one of my very first guests when this podcast launched in 2015. She's been busy over the past nine years — including writing two books. The latest is Say What They Can't Unhear. We discussed how you can do just that on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast. About Tamsen Webster Part message designer, part English-to-English translator, part magpie, Tamsen Webster helps leaders craft their case for large-scale change. In addition to her work in and for major organizations such as Harvard Medical School, Fidelity Investments, and Klaviyo, she’s a judge and mentor for the Harvard Innovation Labs, a professional advisor at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, and has spent over 10 years as the Idea Strategist for one of only nine legacy-level TEDx events in the world. She was named to the Thinkers50 Radar in 2022 and is the author of two books, Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible and Say What They Can't Unhear: The 9 Principles of Lasting Change. She lives

It's launch day for Tippie Leads, my new podcast from the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business. Each season will focus on a challenge in today's changing world of work. Season one is all about employee engagement with groundbreaking faculty research, student and alumni stories, actionable insights, and more. The first three episodes are out now with new episodes following on Wednesdays. As a special treat for listeners of the On Brand podcast, I thought I'd share the first episode here in it's entirety. It features productivity tips from astronauts and a story of a burnout from Nike. If you like what you hear, head to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, subscribe, rate, and review the show to help others find it. And now, the first episode of the Tippie Leads podcast ... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lida Citroën is a personal branding and reputation management expert and author of the book, The New Rules of Influence. We talked about personal branding, reputation repair, and measuring influence on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast. About Lida Citroën Lida Citroën is a personal branding and reputation management expert. She is a keynote speaker, trainer, LinkedIn learning instructor, TEDx speaker, and executive coach. She helps global influencers, CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, and military veterans amplify their presence, manage the impression they make with target audiences, and increase their authentic and unique voice and value. She is a writer for military.com and she is the author of six previous books. From the Show What brand has made Lida smile recently? Chick-Fil-A for their consistency and delivering happiness to employees and customers alike — even when Lida brought her dogs to the drive through! Connect with Lida on her website and on LinkedIn and check out her book, The New Rul

Introducing my new podcast — Tippie Leads from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, produced by the Tippie Leadership Collaborative. Our goal with Tippie Leads is to share stories that will change the way you work and lead. Each eight-episode season of Tippie Leads will focus on a "grand challenge" in today's changing world of work. This season, we're looking at employee engagement, which is at record-low levels across many different industries but is also one of the most important ingredients to successful careers, teams, and companies. Tippie Leads episodes will start with groundbreaking faculty research on topics like productivity, toxic bosses, side hustles, hassles, and more. From there, we'll hear stories from Tippie students and alumni that bring this research to life in new and exciting ways. We’ll close each episode with a final TIP(pie) just for you — an actionable takeaway to change the way you work and lead. Our first three episodes of Tippie Leads drop on Wednesday, October 2nd

Richard Davies is the co-founder of Alchemy-Rx. With decades with brands like Unilever, he specializes in connecting changing consumer insights to effective brand strategy. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Richard Davies Richard Davies is a seasoned consumer goods industry veteran with a remarkable career spanning nearly three decades, contributing to over 250 brands across more than 50 categories. He has an extensive background in brand strategy and consumer insights, holding various executive roles at Unilever such as Global Head of CMI, SVP of Corporate Strategy, Head of Innovation, and GM of Asia. As Chief Marketing Officer at Newell Brands, Richard led the company’s marketing and development functions, overseeing the creation of over 4,000 new product innovations. Since co-founding Alchemy-Rx in 2018, Richard has specialized in marketing, focusing on founder-led brands, private equity, and public companies. He is an expert in brand strategy, brand building, bran

Maya Guice is the Director of Strategy at BRC Imagination Arts and host of the Masters of Storytelling podcast. Her work with brands like Diageo, Ford, and NASA helps create touchpoints and experiential brand stories. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Maya Guice Maya Guice is the Director of Strategy at BRC Imagination Arts, which partners with brands including Diageo, Ford, and NASA to translate brand and cultural stories into transformative, human experiences. Maya co-develops and oversees the short and long-term marketing, positioning, and business strategy for the firm, including all brand and growth-related activities including content, PR, events, awards, and strategic partnerships. She received an M.B.A. from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University, where she now serves as Vice-Chair on the Advisory Board of Directors. She also produces and hosts ‘Masters of Storytelling,’ BRC’s podcast featuring conversations with storytellers across

Tom Ramsden is CEO of creative agency, Sid Lee US. An Adidas veteran with both brand and creative side experience, Tom is a progressive and strategic innovator with decades of experience driving growth. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Tom Ramsden Tom is a global, creative, and strategic innovator with an extensive track record of transforming businesses and brands and driving growth. A team leader, team player, collaborator, and people developer, he has 20+ years of multi-discipline marketing experience. Tom was previously global brand marketing director at Adidas, joining the brand in 2007. He left Adidas’s football division in good shape after leading the successful “All in or Nothing” World Cup campaign, to take charge of brand communications overseeing all Adidas categories in the North American market. Recognized as an instigator, creator & manager of groundbreaking, award-winning, and commercially successful campaigns, Tom is an experienced brand and category

Shailendra Pratap Jain is a professor of marketing at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business and the co-author of the new book Managing Brand Transgressions. What elevates a simple issue to a transgression and what can brands do to rebuild trust? We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Shailendra Pratap Jain Shailendra Pratap Jain is Bret Wheat Endowed Professor of Marketing and International Business at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle. He has held faculty positions at Indiana University’s Kelley School, University of Rochester’s Simon School, Cornell University’s Johnson School, University of Western Ontario’s Ivey School, Cambridge University’s Judge School, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and BITS School of Management, Mumbai. Well-known for his widely published scholarship in consumer psychology, Dr. Jain has extensive publishing and editorial experience in top marketing journals and has won many executive and gra