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

“Most brands don’t risk enough — there’s too much jargon and too little personality.” As a designer, brand builder, and agency president, Nathan Sinsabaugh has spent his career bringing design thinking and innovation to applications outside of a traditional design context. Along the way, he’s worked to infuse B2B brands with more personality and purpose. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with Nathan on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Nathan Sinsabaugh As President of Studio Science—an Indianapolis based design and innovation consultancy—Nathan leads an amazing team of designers, developers, writers, and strategists that are helping enterprise-focused tech-companies design and build the new generation of digital business products and services. Central to Studio Science’s work are the beliefs that true insights only come from a genuine understanding of people, and that purposefully crafted brands have the power to unite teams, transform cultures, and produce truly meaningful outcomes. As

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 Facebook use. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, most of us are lurking more and posting original content less. While this may not seem like a big deal it could lead to a less engaging social experience which could threaten Facebook’s emerging ad network. 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 Nathan Sinsabaugh. 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 help

“Your brand can’t just be a promise. It must be a promise delivered.” Denise Lee Yohn knows a thing or two about great brands. Specifically, What Great Brands Do — the title of her best-selling book. The follow-up Extraordinary Experiences examines the principles of her first book at work in the restaurant and retail industry. I couldn’t wait to discuss great brands, extraordinary experiences, and more this week with Denise Lee Yohn. About Denise Lee Yohn Blending a fresh perspective, twenty-five years of experience working with world-class brands including Sony and Frito-Lay, and a talent for inspiring audiences, Denise Lee Yohn is a leading authority on building and positioning exceptional brands. Denise is the author of the bestselling book What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles That Separate the Best from the Rest (Jossey-Bass) and the new book Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our li

“Brands are not static anymore. They’re fluid.” As the Director of Transformation for Liquid Agency and the author of several books on branding including The Brand Gap and The Brand Flip, Marty Neumeierhas spent his career studying, speaking, and writing about the shifts in brand building, design thinking, and business strategy. I couldn’t wait to chat with Neumeier about all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Marty Neumeier Marty Neumeier is an author, designer, and business adviser whose mission is to bring the principles and processes of creativity to industry. His series of “whiteboard” books includes The Brand Gap, widely considered the foundation of modern brand-building; Zag, named one of the “top hundred business books of all time” for its insights into brand strategy; and The Designful Company, a guide to building a culture of nonstop innovation. His latest book, The Brand Flip, lays out a new process for building brands in an age of social media and customer dominance. In

“You have to start the conversation by understanding who you’re having the conversation with.” As a professor and Dean at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, David D. Perlmutter spends a lot of his time studying, speaking, teaching, and writing about the inflection point we face in building brands and developing audience. Specifically, the relationship between the two. I couldn’t wait to talk with David about all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About David D. Perlmutter David D. Perlmutter is a professor at and Dean of the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University. He received his BA (’85) and MA (’91) from the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication and his Ph.D. (’96) from the University of Minnesota. Perlmutter is the author or editor of nine books on political communication, war, and persuasion. He has also written several dozen research articles for academic journals as well as more than 250 essays for U.S. and i

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some big changes in store on Twitter. Specifically their new CEO, stagnating use numbers, and possibly losing their 140-character limit. We also discussed the upcoming Social Brand Forum. 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 David Perlmutter of Texas Tech University. 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? 

“Your employees can be the biggest advocates your brand has.” However, you have to engage and enable their advocacy. That’s what Greg Tiricospends his time working with brands on. As the Senior Manager of Advocacy Solutions and Services at Sprout Social, Greg is leading the development of the social engagement platform’s first stand-alone brand extension, Bambu. We discussed the power and potential of employee advocacy on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Greg Tirico Greg Tirico is Senior Manager of Advocacy Solutions and Services at Sprout Social. He has spent the majority of his career leading digital marketing initiatives in Fortune 500 organizations. From brand building to paid search activities, social media to communications programs, Greg brings 20 years of experience to his role at Sprout Social. When not espousing the benefits of employee advocacy, he can be found searching for the perfect Pinot Noir. As We Wrap … Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our listeners … 

“So many marketers have never walked a mile in their user’s shoes.” While we joked about playing “buzzword BINGO,” Litmus’ Justine Jordanand I spent a lot of time talking about mapping the customer journey and designing intentional experiences. Before she joins us in Iowa next month at the Social Brand Forum, I wanted to take a few moments and chat with Justine about email, lists, landing pages, and everything in between. About Justine Jordan Justine Jordan is an email critic and popular industry speaker. After mastering table-based HTML in college, she fell in love with the unruly art of email design, helping some of the world’s biggest brands build and manage their email campaigns. A designer masquerading as a marketer, Justine currently directs all things marketing at Litmus, educating and inspiring fellow marketers to create better email. The recipient of the 2015 eec Email Marketing Thought Leader of the Year award, you can find her organizing The Email Design Conference, editing Litmus’ latest blog post

“Your brand is what people say about you when you aren’t in the room.” This very personal, very human definition is what Kary Delaria uses to guide her brand building online and off. As the Social Media Manager at Allianz, she spends her time navigating the engaging yet challenging waters of digital marketing in a regulated industry. This week, she took some time to talk to us about brand ambassadors, compliance, and more on the On Brand podcast. About Kary Delaria Kary is the Social Media Manager at Allianz, overseeing and managing all aspects of the Fortune 100 brand’s corporate social media channels – from strategy to content to community engagement. This work has been the recipient of both the Allianz Project Team of the Year and Sabre awards. With 15 years of experience in public relations, media relations and marketing communication, Kary has helped clients from a wide range of industries develop and manage their brand’s online presence and reputation through a combination of social media analysis, moni

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some big news on Facebook. This past Tuesday Mark Zuckerberg announced that they were adding a new button. While many have called this a Facebook dislike button, the truth is that it’s likely to be much more complicated than that. 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 Kary Delaria of Allianz. 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 ra

“This is a cultural shift. Not an operational shift. You have to understand people first.” As the SVP of Marketing for Sysomos and co-author of The Now Revolution, Amber Naslund understands the impact people — both internally and externally — now have on brands. Before Amber joins us in Iowa next month at the Social Brand Forum, I wanted to take a few moments and chat with her about the role that company culture and social intelligence plays on building brands today. About Amber Naslund Amber is the SVP Marketing for Sysomos, a global leader in social intelligence. She’s a dynamic communications strategist with deep experience with and passion for the emergence of social business. Her professional expertise spans nonprofit management, corporate communications, marketing, professional services, and social business strategy. She’s successfully run multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns, built and led executive communication and professional services teams, and launched and grown international brands. As an e

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed several new Facebook page features that should make admin’s lives a lot easier. Soon pages will start appearing in new shopping and services tabs for easy discovery. Facebook also announced new commenting features including saved replies and reply privately. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite Facebook is turning Pages into an online mall (Mashable) Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Social Brand Forum! Learn more and register now. 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 Amber Naslund of Sysomos. 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

“It’s not what we sell. It’s what we stand for.” This simple statement provides a concise summary of the key differences between traditional brand advertising and modern content marketing. At the forefront of this movement is Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, author of the new book Content Inc., and lover of the color orange. In the midst of hosting Content Marketing World, where he’s launching a new book and a documentary, Joe took a few moments to be “On Brand.” About Joe Pulizzi Joe Pulizzi is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcaster, father and lover of all things orange. He’s the founder of multiple startups, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), the leading content marketing educational resource for enterprise brands, recognized as the fastest growing business media company by Inc. magazine in 2014. CMI is responsible for producing Content Marketing World, the largest content marketing event in the world (held every September in Cleveland, Ohio), as well as the leadi

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new feature on Instagram. Or, more accurately, an existing feature with a big change. Instagram has been defined by their fun filters and square photos. But that’s about to change. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite Instagram breaks out of the square (CNN Money). New, stretched-out Instagram means more (and possibly lazier) ads (Mashable). Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Social Brand Forum! Learn more and register now. 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 Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute. 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

“There’s no one size fits all in marketing today. It’s like football, though. Everyone is trying to move the ball down the field.” In a career that has taken him from commercial publishing to financial services B2B and now educational technology, Rob Yoegel has navigated many different customer profiles across many industries. This week on the On Brand podcast, Gaggle’s VP of Marketing shares why we should all think of ourselves as brand editors. About Rob Yoegel Rob Yoegel is a marketing leader, Internet pro, content strategist, corporate storyteller, and brand editor. He’s Vice President of Marketing at Gaggle, where he leads all marketing initiatives for the K-12-focused learning management system and its subsidiary, Authority, promoting a consistent brand message, engagement, sales, customer retention and positive customer behavior. A creative visionary, content strategist, skilled writer, digital publishing professional, effective communicator, and marketer who embraces and enjoys new technology, Rob dev

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some new insights from a Pew Research Center study. Specifically the fact that Instagram and Pinterest usage has doubled since they started tracking while Twitter and LinkedIn use is flat year on year. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite Growth at LinkedIn and Twitter has slammed to a halt in the US (Business Insider). Here’s the full study from Pew Research Center (Pew). We also announced the full agenda for this fall’s Social Brand Forum. Learn more and register now. 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 Rob Yoegel of Gaggle. 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 li

“Today brands need to surgically remove and filter insights.” How can we make sense of it all? This week on the On Brand podcast I was joined by two old friends, Tim Hayden and DJ Waldow. These two innovative marketers have joined forces as part of the team at Zignal Labs, a realtime digital story-tracking platform. I couldn’t wait to learn about the realtime branding possibilities, politics, and everything in between from Tim and DJ. About Tim Hayden and DJ Waldow With more than 20 years of marketing and business leadership experience, Tim Hayden has been a founder of new ventures such as NION Interactive, GamePlan, and 44Doors and a catalyst for innovative change within some of the world’s largest brands. Along with past guest Tom Webster, he’s the co-author of The Mobile Commerce Revolution. DJ Waldow is an alumnus of the University of Michigan, a knowledge craver, a sponge, and a lover of beer, coffee and people. He’s also a seasoned digital marketing pro with a career that’s taken him from Bronto to Blue

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed something of a throwback campaign. Hearkening back to the Navy’s World War II propaganda poster “loose lips sink ships,” the Air Force has repurposed this message for the social age, warning service men and women that “loose tweets destroy fleets.” Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite Air Force ‘Loose Tweets’ slogan warns of social media dangers (Stars and Stripes). And here’s a bit of history and background on the original propaganda campaign “Loose lips sink ships”(Wikipedia). 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 Tim Hayden and DJ Waldow of Zignal Labs. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and r

“It’s not about the name. It’s about the product you deliver and the service around it.” Service and customer experience are at the very heart of the Suitsupply brand. This vertically integrated men’s fashion retailer is gaining a lot of attention and confounding many traditional industry expectations. I was fortunate to be joined this week by Nish de Gruiter, the self described Market Maker of Suitsupply. About Nish de Gruiter Formally employed with Brunello Cucinelli, Suitsupply’s Vice President and Market Maker, 30-year-old Nish de Gruiter, was instrumental in bringing Suitsupply to the US, with the opening of its flagship store in New York City’s Soho neighborhood in June 2011. Just four years later, Suitsupply has increased to 16 stores across the country. Suitsupply is a market-defining men’s fashion brand founded in 2000 in Amsterdam that’s showing strong international growth. In addition to their stores in the U.S., the company also has stores in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Be

Was Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories the original brand manager? That’s the theory Scott Monty posed at the top of the show. Scott is the executive editor and co-host of the Sherlock Holmes website and podcast I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He’s also a leading digital marketing strategist and consultant at Scott Monty Strategies. On top of all of this, Scott is a speaker at this fall’s Social Brand Forum. I couldn’t wait to chat with him on this week’s episode of the On Brand Podcast. About Scott Monty Scott Monty is an internationally recognized leader in digital communications, digital transformation, social media and marketing. As principal of Scott Monty Strategies, he counsels brands and agencies on strategy, executive communications, influencer management, the customer experience, and digital initiatives. Scott spent six years at Ford Motor Company, as a strategic advisor on crisis communications, influencer relations, digital customer customer service, innovative product launches and more. H