The CMO Podcast The Brand Builder's Playbook // Getting Brand Buy In & Activating the Playbook // With David Aaker and Marcus Collins
Dec 5, 2025
David Aaker, known as the 'Father of Modern Branding', teams up with cultural expert Marcus Collins for a masterclass in brand-led leadership. They explore the transformative power of Aaker's five B's framework and warn against the pitfalls of short-term thinking. Collins emphasizes the importance of cultural relevance and ideology in branding, highlighting Nike's impact. The duo advocates for integrating brand strategy with business, urging leaders to prioritize brand values for sustained growth. Great brands, they assert, do more than sell—they lead.
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Sprite Sparked Personal Brand Awareness
- Marcus Collins recounts how Sprite's 'Obey Your Thirst' made him feel personally seen as a teenager.
- That campaign sparked his first conscious brand connection and influenced his career thinking.
Brand Is A Strategic Long-Term Asset
- Brand is a long-term asset that goes beyond awareness and image.
- David Aaker's five B's (relevance, image, loyalty, portfolio, equity) show branding's full strategic scope.
Short-Termism Has Eroded Brand Thinking
- Overreliance on short-term performance marketing has driven a regression in brand thinking.
- Marcus Collins warns that available short-term metrics tempt marketers to abandon long-term brand building.
