On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“We are profoundly visual creatures. We respond to what we see more than anything else.” Dan Roam has spent his career helping people master the art of visual communication and storytelling. His books from Back of the Napkin to his latest, The Pop-Up Pitch, help organizations and individuals put this system into action. I couldn't wait to discuss all of this with him this week on the On Brand podcast.About Dan RoamDan Roam is the author of five international bestselling books on business-visualization and communication clarity. The Back of the Napkin was named by Fast Company, The London Times, and BusinessWeek as the 'Creativity Book of the Year.' Dan's book, Draw to Win, debuted as the #1 new book on amazon.com in the categories of Business Communications and Sales & Marketing.Dan is a creative director, author, painter, and model-builder. His purpose in life is to make complex things clear by drawing them and to help others do the same. Dan has helped leaders at Google, Microsoft, Boeing, Gap, IBM, the US Navy, and NASA solve complex problems with simple pictures. Dan and his whiteboard have appeared on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NPR.His latest book—The Pop-Up Pitch—is available for pre-order now.Episode Highlights & TakeawaysCheck out Dan's new book The Pop-Up Pitch: The Two-Hour Creative Sprint to the Most Persuasive Presentation of Your Life. As the book promises, you'll learn to spend two hours creating ten pages that will transform your audience in seven minutes, no matter what story you need to tell.“The best way to teach someone is to tell them a story. Everyone needs to be a storyteller.” – Dan Roam, #OnBrandPodcastI also can't say enough good things about Dan's other books including Back of the Napkin, Show & Tell, and Draw to Win.What brand has made Dan smile recently? Allbirds isn't just a client of Dan's—he's also their number one fan. “I'm wearing the most comfortable shoes in the world!” I couldn't agree more.To learn more, check out Dan's website DanRoam.com. He's also got several useful Pop-Up Pitch templates there as well.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. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts 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? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“In the old days, branding was a very broad thing. Today it's picking your spot.” Jonathan Byrnes knows a thing or two about building a profitable brand for the long haul. He's a Senior Lecturer at MIT, founding partner of Profit Isle, and the author of two books and numerous HBR articles. He's also my guest this week on the On Brand podcast. Enjoy!About Jonathan ByrnesJonathan Byrnes is founding partner and chairman of Profit Isle, a highly successful MIT spin-off SaaS software company that helps organizations increase profits by 10–30 percent using its profitability analytics and management process. A widely followed thought leader on profitable growth and innovative customer-supplier relationships, Byrnes is a frequent speaker and writer who has advised over 100 companies and institutions. He earned a doctorate from Harvard and has been a Senior Lecturer at MIT for 30 years. In addition to his popular HBS column, “The Bottom Line,” he is the author of Islands of Profit in a Sea of Red Ink, an Inc. Best Book for Business Owners and Choose Your Customer: How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive.Episode HighlightsBranding today ... “All you had to do was maximize revenue and minimize cost. In the old days, branding was a very broad thing. Today it's picking your spot.”First things first. Throughout our conversation, Jonathan stressed the importance of choosing your spot. “Look where you're actually making money,” he notes. Unless, of course, your competition is Amazon. “If you're in a space with Amazon you're doomed.”According to Jonathan, one of the best things you can do is ... “Add your CFO into the branding mix.” This can provide a critical and profitable perspective.What brand has made Jonathan smile recently? Irony alert! “This is going to sound funny but Amazon. They perfectly meet my needs.”To learn more about Jonathan, check out his new book Choose Your Customer on his website or (where else?) on Amazon!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. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts 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? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“A lot of the assumptions we make are bad assumptions.” When it comes to making assumptions, sometimes we marketers can't help ourselves. To avoid this, we need to ensure that we have a good mix of both quantitive and qualitative research. Dr. Duane Varan is a leader in the field of qualitative research and was my guest this week on the On Brand podcast.About Duane VaranDr. Duane Varan is CEO of both MediaScience and HarkConnect. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Australian Prime Minister’s Award for University Teacher of the Year, and is a global pioneer in developing new methodologies for the study of audience behavior. MediaScience is a leader in lab-based audience research counting almost every major US television network, social media platform and many global brands as clients. HarkConnect is the world’s most advanced qualitative research platform. Although Dr. Varan is now based in industry, he continues to contribute to academic journals. In fact, in four of the past six years, his work was voted as Best Paper of the year or runner up for Best Paper by the Journal of Advertising Research.Episode Highlights“Qualitative gives us space to explore.” I kicked off our conversation by asking Duane what makes qualitative research different. He also cautioned against the stigma that it's not as serious as quantitative. “That's a mistake.”How is HarkConnect different when it comes to qualitative research? “We have a direct measure of emotion vs. what people are telling us,” Duane said, as he shared how the technology works.A balanced diet of metrics. I couldn't resist being a little punny ... Duane stressed that there are actually three data sets that should be in your diet—qualitative research, quantitative research, and your performance metrics.What brand has made Duane smile recently? M&Ms! “I smile every time I see the characters.”To learn more about Duane, check out the websites for HarkConnect and Media Science.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. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts 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? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you can design triggers into the thing someone’s already doing, you make advertising even more impactful.” Expanding the definition of advertising to include more human-centric and respectful ideas has been at the heart of Dan Greenberg’s work as CEO and founder of Sharethrough and as a leader in the native advertising movement. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Dan GreenbergDan Greenberg is the CEO and Founder of Sharethrough, the largest independent native advertising platform that powers in-feed native ads for publishers like Forbes, Time, and CBS and enables marketers like Coca-Cola and P&G to programmatically distribute branded content at scale. He dropped out of the Stanford Masters program to start Sharethrough and went on to popularize the term “native advertising” in 2008 and now serves as Chair of the IAB Native Ad Committee. He has been named to Ad Age’s 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, Inc.’s 35 Under 35 Founders List, and honored as an Ad Age Media Maven.Episode Highlights“I have money and can steal time” is an advertising approach that’s fading. Dan notes that native advertising is more human as it demands mutual respect between the consumer and the brand.When building a business becomes a movement. “This seed of an academic idea (respectful, human advertising) turned into a business and that turned into a movement,” says Dan. The rest is native advertising history.How to create a movement. Dan was quick to stress that this doesn’t happen on its own. “It starts with conviction. It starts with community.” He then went on to reverse engineer the process behind how this happened in the native advertising movement: Live in the future Find conviction Name it and frame it Help other people find it Speaking of the future, we also did a lot of talking about Web 3. Do yourself a favor and listen to the whole episode but Dan notes that Web 3 will be “owned by users, not the platforms.”What brand has made Dan smile recently? In keeping with our Web 3 theme, Dan pointed to Gary Vaynerchuk and the engaging, human content he creates as a brand that’s made him smile.To learn more about Dan, follow him on Twitter and check out the Sharethrough website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The pandemic has forced brands to change the way they communicate and the way they operate.” As a research professor, author, and VP at Ipsos, Emmanuel Probst spends a lot of time studying, teaching, and writing about consumer behavior. His latest update to Brand Hacks provides brand builders with a useful compass for navigating the increasingly challenging world we find ourselves in. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Emmanuel ProbstDr. Emmanuel Probst’s background combines over 15 years of market research and marketing experience with strong academic achievements. As Senior Vice President at Ipsos, Emmanuel supports his clients by providing them with a full understanding of their customer’s journey. His experience spans a wide range of industries, including consumer packaged goods, retail, financial services, advertising agencies, and media outlets. He is the author of the upcoming book Brand Hacks: How to Build Brands by Fulfilling the Consumer Quest for Meaning (September 2021).Dr. Probst teaches Consumer Market Research at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Emmanuel holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Hull, United Kingdom and a Doctorate in Consumer Psychology from Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom.Episode HighlightsWhat does the ongoing global pandemic mean for brands? “Everything has changed and nothing has changed.” Brands are still focused on the quest for meaning.What has changed specifically? “What has changed is how we deliver our brands to our customers. The world now is hybrid—or else.”Brands need to demonstrate their purpose. “You need to demonstrate purpose instead of just talking about it,” says Emmanuel. “Brands like Patagonia and National Geographic are built around purpose.” But, he notes, tech brands like Google and Apple are starting to retool around purpose.What brand has made Emmanuel smile recently? In keeping with our theme of brand meaning and purpose, Emmanuel pointed to the (long overdue) rebranding campaign of Ben's Original, formerly Uncle Ben's. This is another example of a brand walking its talk.To learn more about Emmanuel, check out his book Brand Hacks on Amazon, the useful resources on the Ipsos website, as well as Emmanuel's own site.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. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts 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? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Storytelling is in the air for business but why is that? Why is it so important?” These questions and more were at the very heart of my interview with Norman Bell, author of The Story Powered Speaker, this week on the On Brand podcast!About Norman BellNorman Bell is a storytelling and presentation coach, award-winning speaker, theater and film actor, and author of the book, The Story Powered Speaker: How to Own the Stage, Enchant your Audience, and Grow Your Business Using the Magical Power of Storytelling. Norman is passionate about helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs and organizations communicate their stories and messages more effectively so that they connect with their audiences on an emotional level, which leads to more clients, more donations, and more impact.Episode HighlightsWhere do you start with storytelling? Norman often asks his workshop attendees to start with their why—their origin story. “I focus on telling stories on stage but it applies to all channels.”The trouble with business stories. Norman notes that we get business stories wrong a lot of the time. “Are your business success stories really stories? They have the word story in them but we spend most of our time on the solution—on our features, benefits.” Norman went on to tell us about the power of conflict in the stories that we love.If Star Wars was a business story ... as further proof that business focuses too much on the solution, Norman sketched out the business-story version of Star Wars (1977), which would be 80% medal ceremony rather than the final five minutes of the movie that it actually is.What brand has made Norman smile recently? He gave us two. First up, Tom's of Maine. Norman likes the daily reminder on his toothpaste to “Do a little good today.” Plus, as Norman noted, Tom's walks the talk. He also talked about Simone Biles's courage for taking a stand for her own mental health at the Olympics. Brave stories all the way around.To learn more about Norman, check out his website, StoryPoweredSpeaker.com. He also provided his email at the end of the interview for getting a free PDF of his book!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. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts 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? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Consumers seek authenticity and they’re getting better at weeding out the greenwashing the brands that don’t have the people, story, and heritage behind them.” As the Vice President of Innovation at green cleaning brand ECOS, Jenna Arkin’s work sits at the intersection between science and creativity. This week on the On Brand podcast, she joined us for a discussion on this innovative brand’s story, differentiation, communicating science, and more.About Jenna ArkinJenna Arkin, Vice President of Innovation at ECOS, uses her unique background in both chemistry and design to innovate safer, more effective formulations and compelling packaging designs for the ECOS product lines. She also leads the ECOS partnership with the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice program, a third-party certification that helps consumers choose products made with safer chemical ingredients without sacrificing quality or performance. As the Vice President of Innovation, Jenna brings a novel combination of passionate scientist and creative professional to solve modern green chemistry problems and move the cleaning industry toward a more sustainable future.Episode HighlightsWhat led Jenna to the intersection of science and creativity? “Curiosity! And staying curious. It’s never one thing,” Jenna shared.A new digital home. In the midst of the pandemic, while ECOS remained open, they reimagined their digital home at ECOS.com. “Ecos actually means home in Greek.”How does ECOS communicate science in a simple, effective way? “It’s one of my greatest passions. You have to give consumers enough information to make informed decisions,” Jenna noted. “I like to say, it’s not rocket science—it’s soap science.”What brand has made Jenna smile recently? Jenna pointed us to Ritual vitamins, particularly because of the experience she had once she got the product. “I think a lot about the first physical interaction.”To learn more about Jenna, check out the ECOS website—especially Jenna’s clean chemistry section! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Influencers take the power out of the hands of those who used to tell us what we should like and not like. You've divested power to those bold enough to go online and share their stories.” From the College of Influence to his Normalize Equality initiative, teaching and managing the power of digital influence is at the heart of Kyle Hjelmeseth's work at G&B digital management. We discussed all of this and more on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast.About Kyle HjelmesethKyle Hjelmeseth is the Founder and CEO of top-tier talent management agency G&B, which houses both the College of Influence and the Normalize Equality initiative. A self-made minority business owner, Hjelmeseth brings the full extent of his experience living as a half black, half white male to his work building media momentum around messages of diversity and inclusivity with his trademark solutions-driven attitude. Under his leadership, G&B has successfully re-invented the talent management world with integrity while creating a refreshingly diverse company culture, serving more than 60 exclusive clients with a powerfully inclusive ethos that transforms influencers into influential people.Episode HighlightsBeing an influencer vs. being an influential person. There's a big difference, which Kyle unpacked for us at the top of the show. “It's about building a business that lasts over time. Not just the next 100 followers.”Enter the College of Influence ... We're big fans of strong brand names here on the On Brand podcast. As such, I couldn't wait to ask Kyle about the College of Influence at G&B. “I have a strong connection to education and wanted to reinforce that with our name.”Diversity and inclusivity: Keeping the momentum going. Building on his lived experience as a self-made minority business owner, Kyle leads G&B's Normalize Equality initiative. Following last year's summer of social justice, we've seen a lot of box-checking, however, Kyle is quick to note the need for ongoing momentum. That's why he cited Netflix's ongoing work giving voice to diverse stories.What brand has made Kyle smile recently? “I actually call it a spice lifestyle brand ...” And with that, Kyle introduced us to Fly by Jing spices—who not only made Kyle smile, it made him wear the brand as well!To learn more about Kyle, check out the G&B website and contact him through the form. 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. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts 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? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I’ve been completely obsessed with this—not only how do we prove the ROI of these specific experiential programs but how do we do it at scale.” Jonathan Yaffe was one of the first marketing hires at Red Bull following the brand’s entry into the U.S. market. His first task? Quantifying their experiential marketing efforts. Today he does this for numerous brands through his company AnyRoad. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Jonathan YaffeJonathan Yaffe is the CEO and Co-Founder of AnyRoad (hailed one of Marc Benioff’s best investments), a data and analytics platform that powers the data behind many of the Fortune 2000’s offline experiences, including Absolut, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Michaels Arts & Crafts, Honda, Diageo, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, and the Golden State Warriors. Jonathan began his career in experiential marketing at Red Bull, and holds a degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California Berkeley.Episode Highlights“Experiential marketing is all about the brand—about causing emotions in customers,” Jonathan shared, adding: “And nothing is able to create these emotions at the level that experiences are.”Measuring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. While I haven’t traveled as much of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail as I’d like to (yet!), I do have a passport. As this brand experience is an AnyRoad client, Jonathan shared how and why measuring this experience is critical. “You visit a distillery and all of a sudden it becomes their favorite brand based on that experience.”“The world of experiential marketing has been data-less,” explains Jonathan noting that many brands like cola companies are still doing taste tests and counting smiles! Jonathan’s company AnyRoad—an Experience Relationship Management or ERM company—certainly sounds like a better road. “We measure anything that changes behavior.” Speaking of smiles …What brand has made Jonathan smile recently? “I smile all the time,” Jonathan began. However, he found himself smiling ear to ear recently due to Lego’s exceptional work developing new products and experiences around their adult customers or AFOLs (Adult Fans of Lego). He also shared that Red Bull called their core customers PINOEs (People In Need of Energy). Naming your core customers can help you get even more specific with your branding efforts.To learn more about Jonathan, check out the AnyRoad website and follow him on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There was a big group of people who were able to fare very well during this time and it was those who took action.” As CEO of Consulting Success, Michael Zipursky has worked with hundreds of clients across industries on overcoming the chaos and uncertainty this past year has presented. We discussed how brands can plan, pivot, and take action this week on the On Brand podcast.About Michael ZipurskyMichael Zipursky is the CEO of Consulting Success® and Coach to Consultants. He has advised organizations like Financial Times, Dow Jones, RBC, and helped Panasonic launch new products into global markets, but more importantly, he’s helped over 500 consultants from around the world in over 75 industries add 6 and 7 figures to their annual revenues. Over 35,000 consultants read his weekly consulting newsletter. Michael is also the author of the Amazon Best Sellers ACT NOW: How successful consultants thrive during chaos and uncertainty, The Elite Consulting Mind and Consulting Success®, the book.Episode HighlightsHow do you prepare for chaos and uncertainty? Michael pointed out that, while we've all had to do this over the past year, this is often the case regardless of whether or not we're grappling with a global pandemic. Most are always dealing with chaos and uncertainty, whether from economic or geopolitical challenges.Who thrives in uncertain times? “We did a 2,800-consultant survey,” Michael shared, to get at this very question. First, they found that those who had an accurate assessment of their strengths and weaknesses thrived. “Those who were prepared—those who had a plan.”It all comes down to knowing your people, your community—building a list. But what if your list sucks? How can you fix it? “Start,” says Michael. You can't be afraid of the vanity metrics you see and the size of other lists out there. How do you start? Ask yourself: “What do they (your customers/community) most want?” Then spend your resources driving people to this lead magnet or opt-in. “It's not just about attracting the most people. It's about attracting the right people.”What brand has made Michael smile recently? Amazon! While this mega-brand can be challenging to some, Michael cited how responsive their customer service has been—even over the phone!To learn more about Michael and access free resources, go to consultingsuccess.com. 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. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts 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? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices