JUST Branding

Hosts Matt & Jacob sit down with Steve Nilson, the 'Vice of President of Cult Indoctrination' at Liquid Death, to explore the innovative thinking behind one of the most successful up-and-coming consumer brands. They discuss the brand's clear purpose and positioning, as well as their risk assessment approach to creativity and global expansion. The conversation also covers building genuine friendships with influencers, challenging critics to taste tests, user-generated content, unique packaging, and the company's goals for global expansion while maintaining their edgy brand.

Warning. This episode might blow your mind. In this episode, Matt and Jacob speak with Kate Pincott - Head of Design at Matteruem. Mattereuem are at the cutting edge of technology which enables brands to create NFT digital passports of real-world assets which are certified by third parties and which may enable the spiral economy. If none of that makes any sense to you then definitely listen to this episode to cut through the jargon and get an insight into the future of brand building in the digital world. We tuck into how NFTs can be used in a practical way to build consumer trust. We delve into what NFTs are and why when pairing them with real products customers can obtain huge amounts of value. Ultimately, if you want your brand to be relevant in the future, you will need to know about the next frontier for brands. You heard it here first.

Do you run strategic brand-building workshops with your clients or team? Or wish to? Then this episode is for you! We go deep into workshops with expert workshop designer Brittni Bowering (ex AJ&Smart). In a jam-packed episode, we discuss why workshops are so powerful, when and when not to use workshops, and tips on how to create and run a powerful workshop. We also go into the pros and cons of physical and virtual workshops and also explore the future of workshopping.

In this episode, Jacob Cass & Matt Davies delve into the subject of community building for both brands & creatives. We jump straight into understanding your audience, where we cover defining your target audience, understanding their needs and behaviors, and researching to gain insights. We then move on to defining your community's purpose, highlighting the importance of identifying core values and the overall mission, setting goals and objectives, and aligning with your audience's goals. Building and growing your community is next on the agenda, where we discuss strategies for attracting members, engaging them, managing conflicts, and measuring success. We also touch on monetizing your community, finding the right strategy, and ensuring that it benefits both your community and its members. Finally, we share best practices and tips for success, including common mistakes to avoid, recommendations for successful community building, and tips for management and growth.

In this episode, we dive into the world of brand consulting, what it is, and how it differs from other roles in the branding industry. We discuss the key qualities that make a successful brand consultant, including confidence, communication and listening skills, a growth mindset, and strong facilitation abilities. Next, we will each share our own background and experiences in the branding industry, including how we got started and how we have developed our skills and knowledge. We also share our unique perspectives on the process of working with clients and how we stay current on industry trends and developments. Join us as we explore the ever-expanding field of brand consulting and gain insights for your own journey!

What a year! In this episode, we share some of our favorite insights from our esteemed guests. Episodes featured (in order):  E19: Supercharging Innovation & Creativity with Hussain Almossawi E9: Agile Swarming with Dennis Hahn E20: Brands VS Blands with Ariadna Navarro E11: Debunking Branding Bull with Austin Franke E13: Million Dollar Consulting with Alan Weiss E18: Brand Positioning with Ulli Appelbaum E4: The Future of Brands with Anneli Hansson E3: Global Brand Strategy with Jan-Benedict Steenkamp E16: Archetypes & Stories with Carol Pearson E17: Disruptive Innovation + Purpose-Driven Branding with David Aaker E10: Corporate Branding from The Inside Out with Meg Kypena E1: Designing Company Culture with Josh Levine E7: Web3, NFTs & The Metaverse with Konstantinos Kolias

As brand builders, we used to build brands that would last. Campaigns would extend for years, and visual identity systems—once created—wouldn’t become obsolete for decades. Today, the speed of change is so aggressive, brand builders must consider that what they build now could be irrelevant in a few months. Brands face a choice. First, they can commit to brand positioning and stay true to their visual appearance and social stances regardless of where the wind blows. Or, they can create a flexible, and ever—A/B testing brand that can evolve as the world does. This second option has contributed to the rise of the blands—brands from the past five years that look, sound, and show up as simultaneously trendy and generic. In this podcast episode with Ariadna Navarro, the Chief Strategy Officer at VSA partners, a hybrid strategy & design consultancy, we discuss the differences between blands and brands, how we got here and where we need to go next

Discover how to harness your fire, flex your courage and supercharge your ideas to create remarkable products, services & experiences, with the knowledge shared by the creative powerhouse, Hussain Almossawi. Hussain has just released a book titled “The Innovator’s Handbook: A Short Guide to Unleashing Your Creative Mindset” which is full of insights, ideas, stories & practical exercises that will take your creative thinking to the next level. We discuss the first principles of innovation, how to generate new ideas with practical methods, as well as the common traps to avoid when trying to achieve impactful innovation. We tap into the mindset, “failure” and inspiration all in the pursuit of unlocking greater innovation for brands & creatives alike. If you want to supercharge your creativity & get more innovative, this episode is for you!

How can brands position themselves for success in today’s marketplace? That is the question. And we have the answer! In this episode, we discuss proven brand positioning methodologies that actually work, complete with examples and practical steps you can use to develop your own brand positioning that are truly differentiating, distinctive, and highly relevant. To guide us, we have Ulli Appelbaum, the author of the new book The Brand Positioning Workbook: A simple how-to guide to more compelling brand positioning, faster. Ulli is an award-winning marketing and brand strategy consultant with more than 20 years of experience creating brand strategies and building brands, holding senior strategy roles at some of the largest advertising agencies in the world including BBDO, Leo Burnett, and SapientNitro. If you want to be able to create attractive brands that succeed in today’s marketplace, this is the episode for you!

David Aaker is the author of over 100 articles and 18 books on branding, business strategy, and marketing that have sold well over one million copies. Hailed the “Father of Modern Branding”, David is a true authority on branding and we’re incredibly humbled to have him here on JUST Branding. In this episode, we focus on two of his recent books… The first is “Owning Game-Changing Subcategories” which focuses on disruptive innovation & growth in the digital age. And the second is his latest book, The Future of Purpose-Driven Branding: Signature Programs that Impact & Inspire Both Business and Society. Tune in to understand how brands can break through with disruptive innovation and the “must-haves” for growth in the digital age. Plus, how brands can maintain relevance & connect with future consumers through purpose-driven branding while avoiding green-washing.