Season 2, Episode 4: How to build a brand (with Joy Howard)
Dec 5, 2023
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Joy Howard, CEO of Early Majority and a remarkably accomplished marketer, discusses brand marketing, including what constitutes a brand, how to build a brand, measuring brand value, and the difference between brand development and advertising. They also explore the power of a Super Bowl ad, the impact of brand actions and policy moves, the decline of hyper casual games, and the viability of the DTC model.
Building a well-constructed brand requires a deep understanding of the business and category context, shaping internal culture and policies.
Successful brands anticipate cultural changes and disrupt orthodoxies established by competitors to resonate with targeted audiences.
A distinct and purposeful brand is crucial across all verticals, providing sensibility, differentiation, customer trust, and loyalty.
Deep dives
Importance of Building a Brand
Building a strong brand is crucial regardless of the vertical. Brands shape the perceived value of a product and play a critical role in differentiation, customer relationships, and growth. A well-constructed brand requires a deep understanding of the business and category context, which is analyzed through a cultural lens. Brand strategy should be developed with input from the entire organization and should shape internal culture and policies. Successful brands like Sonos prioritize brand strategy, shaping product features that align with their brand ideology.
Brand's Role in Cultural Disruption
Brands play a vital role in moments of cultural disruption, resolving identity conflicts and helping individuals with their identity projects. Cultural shifts, such as economic recessions or technological advancements, shape consumer behavior and demand new brand narratives. Successful brands like Nike disrupt orthodoxies established by competitors and champion new ideologies that resonate with targeted audiences. Brands are always in dialogue with society and must anticipate cultural changes to build a strong presence.
Brand Necessity Across Verticals
A distinct and deliberately constructed brand is necessary across all verticals unless the goal is to sell a commodity product. Brands provide sensibility, differentiation, and create customer trust and loyalty. Examples of successful brands across various verticals include Patagonia, which focuses on environmental sustainability and has built its brand through policies and actions, not advertising; and Supercell, which used a Super Bowl ad to establish trust and appeal for their mobile gaming products. Regardless of the vertical, the power of creativity and purposeful brand actions are key to building a successful brand.
The importance of easy-to-use products for Airbnb hosts
The podcast episode discusses the significance of having user-friendly products in Airbnb properties. The speaker highlights two specific examples: Roku and Sonos. Roku is mentioned as a must-have device for TVs, providing easy access to streaming services like Netflix. Sonos, on the other hand, is praised for its simple functionality, allowing users to easily adjust volume and play music without the need for complex setups. The speaker emphasizes that these products are not designed exclusively for audio enthusiasts but are built to meet the needs of a diverse range of users, including Airbnb guests with varying levels of technical competency.
The relationship between commercial success and a strong brand
The podcast delves into the connection between commercial success and building a strong brand. The speaker argues that commercial success is a crucial aspect of brand development, as a strong brand without commercial success is fleeting. However, the speaker also acknowledges that achieving commercial success alone is not enough to sustain a strong brand in the long run. The speaker highlights examples of brands that have faced challenges due to a lack of commercial success despite having a strong brand identity. Ultimately, the podcast emphasizes the need for a strategic approach to brand development and an alignment between commercial success and brand strength.
My guest on Episode 4 of Season 2 of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast is Joy Howard. Joy is the CEO of Early Majority and is a remarkably accomplished marketer, having held CMO and other executive-level marketing positions at some of the world's most recognized brands, including Sonos, Patagonia, and the Coca-Cola Company, among others. I invited Joy onto the podcast to discuss all things Brand Marketing, including:
What constitutes a brand;
How a company builds a brand;
The difference between brand development and brand advertising;
How a company measures the value of its brand;
Also: some of my tweets.
About Joy:
Joy Howard has scaled disruptive technologies and led two unicorns through the transformation required to thrive in the public markets. She's been recognized by Forbes and Fast Company as one of the most influential and creative global business leaders and was profiled by Bloomberg for her unconventional journey to the C-suite. In 2021, Joy founded Early Majority, a community that makes gear for getting outside, where she serves as CEO.
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