Brand Reinvention During a Pandemic with Joseph Jaffe

“There’s the story and there’s the story behind the story …” And Joseph Jaffe certainly has both to share as he has managed to rebrand himself during a global pandemic through his innovative web series CoronaTV. And he’s quick to add that, “You can too!” We discussed branding in the midst of a pandemic, streaming, and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Joseph Jaffe

Joseph Jaffe is an author, entrepreneur, and as of March 2020, the host of CoronaTV, a daily streaming interview-based show about hope, positivity, and optimism…and if there’s time left over…a little bit of marketing! To date, he has done just under 200 interviews, including Seth Godin, James Rollins, Jamal Mashburn, Philip Kotler…but by far, the highlight was Nick Westergaard. (NOTE: Here at the On Brand podcast, we run with the bios our guests provide and this is what was provided.)

As a speaker, Joseph delivers a brilliant, high impact message with innovative and practical advice for movement towards growth. Jaffe has written 5 books including Life After The 30-Second Spot, Join the Conversation, Flip the Funnel, and Z.E.R.O. His latest book is Built to Suck: The Inevitable Demise of the Corporation…and How to Save It? Visit builttosuck.com to find out how you can suck less.

As a thought leader in the marketing and innovation space, he has worked with countless Fortune 500 companies, as well as startups. Joseph currently serves as Admiral at the HMS Beagle, a strategic consultancy that helps its clients navigate the journey to survival…because let’s face it; we’re all in the survival business nowadays! HMSB is Jaffe’s third startup venture, after Evol8tion and crayon.

In 2019, he joined West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media as an instructor in the Integrated Marketing Communications online graduate program.

Episode Highlights

How did Corona TV start? “I was one of the first marketing bloggers. I’m a proud marketer.” And then, in the blink of an eye, it all vanished due to COVID-19, which impact Jaffe’s speaking and consulting revenue.

“Sometimes strategy is best when it’s retrofitted.” Joseph decided to create a show embracing all of the smart marketers he knew designed to spark hope, positivity, and optimism at a time when we need it most. And CoronaTV was born. What’s the show look like? Check out my recent appearance back in November 2020:

“WWCD—What would Carson do?” Jaffe shared how his show has been inspired by the variety and talk show formats of Bill Maher and Johnny Carson.

What brand has made Joseph smile recently? “We need to smile. We need to laugh.” This is an opportunity for brands. Joseph shared recent brand-prompted smiles from Budweiser opting out of the Super Bowl in order to promote vaccine-awareness and Patagonia selling used clothes on their website. “Brands should have been doing this from day one.”

To learn more, check out CoronaTV.com and everything he’s up to at Joseph’s LinkTree.

As We Wrap …

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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