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

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed new features for brands on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook page managers can answer back in private and Instagram users can now seamlessly switch between accounts. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you’re looking at risks, you’re going to want to quantify those risks.” Whether its upset customers, out-of-control advocates, or failed campaigns, marketers have their hands full when it comes to managing online brand reputation in the digital age. In his new book — Managing Online Reputation — Communications Advisor Charlie Pownall does just that. I couldn’t wait to learn more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Charlie Pownall Charlie Pownall is a communications adviser who draws on twenty years’ experience in public relations, government communications, advocacy and digital and social media marketing to advise companies, public sector bodies and individuals how to protect, manage and defend their reputations. Previously Charlie was Regional Managing Director (Asia-Pacific) at public relations consultancy Burson-Marsteller, Global Communications Manager at advertising and marketing network WPP plc and Group Communications Director at European digital agency SYZYGY AG. He started his c

“If you don’t embrace the new rules online you’ll be left behind if you aren’t already.” David Meerman Scott knows a thing or two about new rules. Over a decade ago his landmark book The New Rules of Marketing and PR was first published. Now in its 5th edition and used in classrooms throughout the world, this best-seller continues to set the stage for how we build brands in the digital age. I couldn’t wait to discuss this, his new Newsjacking course, and the role all of this plays in the upcoming presidential primaries on this week’s On Brand podcast. About David Meerman Scott David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed strategist whose books and blog are must-reads for professionals seeking to generate attention in ways that grow their business. Scott’s advice and insights help people, products and organizations stand out, get noticed and capture hearts and minds. He is author or co-author of ten books – three are international bestsellers. The New Rules of Marketing & PR, now in its 5th edition, has

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a fun story: a Twitter feud between Wendy’s and Burger King, which provided a good reminder on why it’s important to be human online. We also discussed the difference between what men and women search for on Pinterest. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. This week we’ll be talking to marketing strategist and author David Meerman Scott. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. O

Today brands of all shapes and sizes are creating content. However, there are also brands known exclusively for the content they create. Such is the case of the Harvard Business Review, the separate publication arm of the Harvard Business School. How does a brand that’s over 90 years old and an extension of another brand that’s centuries old continue to innovate and evolve? I asked that very question and a few more to HBR Senior Editor Sarah Green Carmichael. About Sarah Green Carmichael Sarah Green Carmichael is a Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review. She also hosts their podcast, the HBR IdeaCast, which has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards under her tenure. Connect with her on Twitter: @skgreen. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community … Recently past guest and HBR contributor Heidi Grant Halvorson gave me a shout on Twitter about my upcoming book Get Scrappy. Thanks Heidi! Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a q

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new report just released from software provider Domo and CEO.com stating that 61% of Fortune 500 CEOs aren’t active on social media. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. This week we’ll be talking to Sarah Green Carmichael of Harvard Business Review. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/rev

“It’s too possible to be personable.” Live streaming video via platforms such as Periscope and Snapchat have presented marketers with an amazing opportunity to deepen the relationships they have with their customers. However, many brands are apprehensive about this very public, immediate form of content. How will we tell our story? How will we engage with our audience? This week video expert Amy Schmittauer joined us with the answers to all of these questions.  About Amy Schmittauer Amy Schmittauer is the Founder & Face of Savvy Sexy Social, an online show helping rising stars and think-big brands embrace their amazing personality and share it with the world. Amy writes, hosts and produces the show, which airs weekly and has an archive of more than 500 episodes. Impacting businesses in almost every country in the World, these advocates have helped Savvy Sexy Social amass more than 2 million YouTube views, giving her a portfolio of work on the platform totaling over 10 million views. Amy’s strategies have led

“The expression of your brand strategy should excite the customer.” For Mark Di Somma, brand strategy is as much a creative process as a logical one. It’s about making decisions that enable a brand to change how it’s valued by the people who buy its products and by those who work so hard from the inside to bring the brand to life. It’s about being interesting and staying interesting in a world where attention quickly flags. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Mark Di Somma Mark Di Somma works alongside brand owners and communicators to define, articulate, and elevate the competitive value of their brands at critical moments of change. For Mark, brand is a lens – a very powerful lens – through which to look at how competitive a business is, how well a brand culture works and why people will choose to pay above the market rate for your products. Di Somma started working in advertising, direct marketing, and the design industry as a writer and creative consultant. Today

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a topic we’ve been hearing a lot about over the past few months. Is Twitter really going to drop their signature 140-character limit in favor of longer tweets with a 10,000-character limit?! If so, what does this mean? Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc

“I love storytelling. It builds trust faster than anything else.” Brian Fanzohelps brands of all shapes and sizes — from IBM to Applebee’s — tell their stories and build trust with their customers. As an early adopter of live-streaming social video like Meerkat and Periscope, Brian has fearlessly jumped in and quickly become a leading expert in this new and exciting media. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with Brian on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Brian Fanzo Brian Fanzo is a leading voice of the millennial generation in digital media. He has 10+ years experience managing, deploying and training enterprises and small businesses on cyber security, community management, collaboration, digital marketing, video conferencing, and social business. As a technology and social media strategist, Brian’s presented at numerous technology conferences, as well as quarterly presentations for the Federal Government Joint Chiefs of Staff and on-site in Iraq and Afghanistan for the United States Arm

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I got the new year started with a discussion of the 2016 digital marketing trends to watch. Specifically, creating more meaningful content, social video, and amplification through paid advertising. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. This week we’ll be talking to social video expert Brian Fanzo. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick

“A brand is a divining rod. It’s a filter to make big decisions.” Drew McLellan spends his time tackling brand from a few different angles. First, as the owner of McLellan Marketing Group, he helps B2B clients build better brands. As part of his work with the Agency Management Institute, he also helps agencies focus their brands as well. I couldn’t wait to talk to my fellow Iowan and agency owner Drew McLellan on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Drew McLellan Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for 25+ years and started his own agency, McLellan Marketing Group in 1995 after a five-year stint at Y&R. MMG will celebrate its 20th anniversary in the fall of 2015. The agency specializes in the B2B financial services industry. He also owns and runs Agency Management Institute (AMI), which offers agency management training, consulting, and facilitates agency owner peer networks for small- to mid-sized agencies (advertising, digital, marketing, media and PR) so they can increase their AGI by at

“Our brand means many things to many people.” As we cheer from the sidelines and the comfort of our couch on game day, it can be easy to loose sight of the fact that great American sports teams like the Minnesota Vikings are some of our most prominent brands. One thing these mega-brands can’t loose sight of is their fans. “Fans first and foremost,” said Vikings CMO Steve LaCroix during our recent chat. If you’re a Vikings fan, a brand builder, or both, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode. Ready? BREAK! About Steve LaCroix Now in his 15th season with the Minnesota Vikings, Steve LaCroix serves as the team’s Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer. LaCroix oversees all aspects of Vikings-generated revenues. He also leads the team’s radio and television programming, websites, digital and social media initiatives, merchandise and e-commerce operations, community and special events, marketing partnerships, advertising, branding, promotions, graphic design, fan relations and game day activities. H

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some new data on social media sharing that Twitter will want to take note of. After discontinuing support for tweet counts on their share button last month, Shareaholic reports that sharing via Twitter is down 11%. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

“Figure out what you’re doing right and do more of it.” This deceptively simple advice should come as a cautionary tale to brands of all shapes and sizes. As a best-selling author and leader of one of the Southwest’s top agencies, Steve McKee spends all of this time help stalled, stuck, and stale brands. I couldn’t wait to chat with him about all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Steve McKee Steve McKee is the president of McKee Wallwork + Company, Advertising Age’s 2015 Southwest Small Agency of the Year. He is the author of When Growth Stalls: How it Happens, Why You’re Stuck and What To Do About It, an award-winning business book now published in four languages, and Power Branding: Leveraging the Success of the World’s Best Brands. MWC specializes in revitalizing stalled, stuck and stale brands across the U.S. A marketing strategist for nearly thirty years, Steve has held executive positions at notable international agencies including NW Ayer, Della Femina, and a division of McC

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new feature that’s finally on it’s way to Instagram. A constant struggle for community managers keeping their brand’s Instagram presence up to date is the current inability to easily toggle in and out of accounts. Sounds like this feature is on the way at last. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. This week we’ll be talking to Steve McKee, author of Power Branding. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This hel

“If a picture paints a thousand words, then a video packs an even bigger punch. Being able to show versus telling is powerful.” As people consume more and more content online, video is one of the most useful tools for brands. When does video make sense and how can you use it to build a better brand online? As Director of Business Development at Wistia, Kristen Craft spends a lot of her time talking about branding with video. This week, she did so as my guest on the On Brand podcast. About Kristen Craft Kristen is a big fan of technology, education, and business. As the Director of Business Development at Wistia, she enjoys helping people use video more effectively. She loves working with Wistia’s partner community, building connections with other companies that care about video marketing. Kristen holds advanced degrees in business and education from MIT and Harvard. In her spare time, she brews and drinks different varieties of beer. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our commu

“Every order sold is a story waiting to be told. Everyone has a story to tell.” You won’t meet a bigger advocate for story and its ability to move people than Bobby Lehew. As Chief Branding Officer at ROBYN, he employs story every day in redefining this growing business. While story is an exciting topic for marketers, it’s also misunderstood. I couldn’t wait to unpack story — why it matters and how we can use it more — with Bobby on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.  About Bobby Lehew Bobby Lehew is the Chief Branding Officer at ROBYN, a branded products fulfillment company that creates and distributes promotional products, corporate apparel, and printed materials through e-commerce company stores. Robyn’s achievements include being recognized three years in a row by Inc. magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the US, numerous industry awards, an Addy, and being featured twice in the $20 billion promotional industry as one of the top fifty “Best Places to Work.” Bobby is

“Nothing is ever, ever going to challenge a good, solid, legible, readable, scalable, beautiful, crafted mark. It’s got the right DNA.” As one of the leading designers working today, Aaron Draplin has a thing or two to say about brands. This past week, Draplin was in Iowa City on his fall tour “Tall Tales from a Large Man,” which he presented at the University of Iowa. I was fortunate enough to be able to chat with him after his workshop and before his evening lecture about identity and the new dynamics at play today.  About Aaron Draplin Hailing from the mighty Pacific Northwest (but a Midwesterner at heart), Aaron Draplin is one of the most unique and outspoken designers working today. The Draplin Design Co. proudly rolls up its sleeves on print, identity, web development (or not web — if you listen to the first thing out of his mouth during the interview), illustration and Gocco muscle projects. They make stuff for Field Notes, Esquire, Nike, Wired, Timberline, Ford Motor Company, Woolrich and even the Oba

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some some new data on how we use social networks. In their most recent quarterly summary of the latest trends in social networking, GlobalWebIndex notes that we’re spending more time on social media — on average 1.77 hours per day! Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. This week we’ll be talking to Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. H