On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“When you used to think about branding, you’d be thinking about advertising. Now it’s about building trust.” This week on the On Brand podcast, I welcomed back Aimee Irwin from Experian Marketing Services. Since we last spoke way back in 2019, the world has been dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. As a result, consumer behavior has changed in ways marketers need to know about. Aimee breaks it down this week on the show. Enjoy!About Aimee IrwinAimee Irwin serves as VP of Strategy and Partnerships at Experian Marketing Services. Aimee is a skilled strategy and corporate development executive with deep experience in digital marketing and advertising and track record of success in developing and building profitable new digital and mobile businesses at both early-stage and public companies. Aimee led strategic partnerships and strategic initiatives for Nielsen’s Marketing Cloud where she negotiated and managed strategic data and identity management partnerships supporting Nielsen’s data targeting and marketing effectiveness businesses.Aimee also served as SVP of Strategy and Partnerships at Verve Mobile, a leading location-based mobile advertising platform. At Verve, Aimee developed and led Verve’s mobile application business and inventory partnerships with hundreds of media companies. Prior to Verve, Aimee was VP of Strategy and Corporate Development at AOL, where she was responsible for strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic partnerships for AOL’s advertising businesses. Previously, Aimee held executive positions at several successful internet and mobile companies including Lightningcast, an Internet video advertising company now part of AOL, Leap Wireless, a large U.S. wireless carrier and Backwire, an internet and mobile marketing company acquired by Leap. Aimee started her career in consulting with KPMG and Bain and Company. Aimee has a BS from Georgetown University and an MBA from Kellogg.Episode HighlightsHow can brands build trust for consumers impacted by COVID-19? “The consumer has to be at the heart of your strategy. There has to be an appropriate value exchange that happens there in terms of the data collected and consumer control.”What are some examples of brands using smart data? Aimee joked that Amazon is a great example but isn’t a great case study as they “collect lots of data from their customers through several interactions.” She then went on to highlight some innovative things Nordstrom and DSW are doing.What’s one thing marketers can do right now to move the needle? Once again, Aimee reminded us all to develop customer-focused strategies.What brand has made Aimee smile recently? She shared a story about how something as simple as a gift card in the mail from American Express made her day. The little things matter.To learn more, go to Audiences @ Experian Marketing Services.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

“Agile marketing is all about speed, transparency, and iteration.” In the face of a global pandemic, brand builders and marketers have relied increasingly on eCommerce partners like Amazon. This can make it challenging to build seamless experiences and brand trust. That's where Scrum50 comes in. I talked to Director of Product Strategy Brian Gioia about all of this and more on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast.About Brian GioiaBrian Gioia is the Director of Product Strategy on the E-Business team at Scrum50, the first born-agile agency. Brian’s career has been focused on connecting dots for his clients and helping them solve their greatest digital marketing and eCommerce challenges. Prior to joining Scrum50, Brian worked for Accenture in its Digital Marketing practice, where he helped his clients transform themselves in order to communicate and transact with consumers through new, digital channels. So, when the opportunity arose to join Scrum50’s e-business practice in 2019, he jumped on it. Brian found a natural home at Scrum50 with its creative and strategic polymaths. In his current role, Brian helps brands come to life on eCommerce channels and does his best to continue learning as fast as the world of eCommerce changes.Episode HighlightsSo, what is a polymath anyway? “A polymath is a jack of all trades,” Brian noted, adding that marketers with more general skills can be useful in today's rapidly changing digital marketing ecosystem.What is agile marketing all about? Brian summed it up with three key traits/benefits on what this means at Scrum50: Speed Transparency Iteration What are some of the biggest shifts marketers are seeing today? Brian pointed to the emergence of Amazon as a brand breaking up the advertising duopoly of Google and Facebook. Where should marketers begin? Brian notes that paid search is still best.What brand has made Brian smile recently? Like many during the pandemic, Brian has been looking to entertain his family. He and his four-year-old have consistently turned to Lego to do that. Talk about a brand that delivers on its promise!To learn more, connect with Brian on LinkedIn and check out the Scrum50 website.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

“As branders, the word soup is absolutely unbelievable.” Words matter. And if you like words as much as Katie Burkhart and I both do, you’ll love this week’s episode. We discuss defining, refining, and developing your brand’s purpose, mission, vision, and more. What do all of these labels mean and how can they help you and your brand? Listen to Katie and learn.Enjoy This Episode Now Download Episode Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify About Katie BurkhartKatie Burkhart is on a mission to move purpose from aspirational messaging to tangible business practice by making the purpose-driven model more accessible and actionable.She started by founding Matter 7, which has built purpose-driven brands for almost a decade. More recently, she launched MatterPulse, which helps organizations run and grow against the double bottom line. Her latest project, MatterLogic, outlines what it means to be purpose-driven and how to operationalize your purpose, solidly moving purpose from brand to business strategy.Episode HighlightsWhat does it mean for a brand to have a purpose? Katie walked us through her five-part system. Purpose-driven brands must have: Purpose Mission Vision Values Story or strategic narrative How do you find these pieces of your brand? “It’s all about refine, define, and develop,” Katie shared as she built on this further.Is purpose-driven branding easier for nonprofits? This was a question I’d recently gotten from one of Katie’s client’s—the smart folks at Kids’ Chance where I served as keynote speaker at their national conference. “That depends,” cautioned Katie. “How semantic do you want to get. A lot of nonprofits have a mission but not a purpose.”What brand has made Katie smile recently? Katie told about a very purposeful smile she’d had in response to a recent takeout order from American Joe’s Bar and Grill. The power of the hand-written note prevails!To learn more, check out Katie’s website (and her newsletter there) and connect with her on LinkedIn.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

“Every day we spend with our fellow human beings, we can contribute to making their life a little bit better—making them a little bit smarter, a little bit more thoughtful, and so on—or not.” It’s rare that a single guest has appeared three times on the On Brand podcast. However, when Tom Peters calls and wants to talk about empathy and extreme humanism in the middle of one of the most challenging times in work and life, you answer the call. I’m thrilled to share my most recent conversation with Tom Peters on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Tom PetersCalled “the Red Bull of management consultants,” Tom Peters is a leading business management guru and founder of the Tom Peters Company. He continues to be in constant demand for lectures and seminars. In 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Thinkers50 and the Jack Covert Award for Contribution to the Business Book Industry from 800-CEO-READ. Peters is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including In Search of Excellence (with Robert H. Waterman, Jr.), which is often cited as among the best business books ever written.These tumultuous times demand deep engagement, human connection, and, yes, Excellence. In response, Tom has launched his Excellence Now campaign, which includes a trio of tools designed to help you and your team take action.Episode Highlights“We (management gurus) are carrying a sin around on our shoulders. We behave as if the Fortune 500 is the economy.” In fact, this over-indexed group is only a microcosm of the jobs in the modern world of work. Furthermore, when it comes to impact, Tom stressed the importance of what local small businesses can do.TTDN–Things To Do Now. This feature pops up in Tom’s new Excellence Now course but, as I reminded him, it was a big part of the Tom Peters Seminar cassette tapes I listened to on my way to my first post-college job. (“How old are you?!?” Tom jokingly asked me.) So what’s one thing listeners should do now? “Know your people. Really know them.”Resume values vs. eulogy values. One topic we kept coming back to was David Brooks’ philosophy on resume values vs. eulogy values.“Hard is soft and soft is hard.” We came back to this oldie/goodie once again as well. Why is Tom still talking about all of this? This simple quote provides an answer.What brand has made Tom smile recently? Tom shared a remarkable experience he had during a visit to the town hall in his hometown of Dartmouth, Massachusetts. “They were decent—they were the human face of the town.”To learn more, go to tompeters.com and excellencenow.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

“There’s been a big change in how businesses went to market.” Through a storied career that has taken her from Netscape to Salesforce to Oracle, Bonnie Crater gave use some important context in how brand building for B2B tech brands has evolved in the valley and beyond. She also stressed the ongoing importance of experimentation and optimization. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Bonnie CraterPrior to joining Full Circle Insights, Bonnie Crater was a five-time vice president of marketing and executive at many software companies in Silicon Valley. Bonnie held vice president and senior vice president roles at Genesys, Netscape, Network Computer Inc., salesforce.com, Stratify, Realization, and VoiceObjects (now Voxeo). A ten-year veteran of Oracle Corporation and its various subsidiaries, Bonnie was vice president, Compaq Products Division, and Vice President, Workgroup Products Division.In 2013, Bonnie was named one of the “100 Most Influential Women” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, in 2015 the Sales Lead Management Association named her one of the “20 Women to Watch” and in 2016 Diversity Journal honored her as one of the “Women Worth Watching.” Bonnie holds a B.A. in biology from Princeton University.Episode Highlights“If you’re not experimenting, your marketing is probably going to get worse.” While most marketers and brand builders agree that experimentation is a good thing, few put this into practice in a consistent way. That’s why Bonnie advises, “20% of your marketing should be experimentation.”Agile + brand management? Bonnie’s work at Full Circle Insights sits at this intersection. “Our software is designed to help marketers optimize their mix.”“Most companies don’t measure enough.” Bonnie shared her thoughts on how measuring what matters supports ongoing optimization efforts. While there are countless metrics marketers can follow, Bonnie points to “measuring processes and budget effectiveness” as those most useful in optimization.What brand has made Bonnie smile recently? Our closing podcast question actually made the conversation for Bonnie’s family dinner the night before. While Bonnie pointed to Grisini as a brand that made her smile, the whole family loves the brand of Dog Whisperer Caesar Milan.To learn more, go to the Full Circle Insights website.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’m constantly coaching my team on how we market the marketing.” As CMO of FreshBooks, Paul Cowan has a lot on his plate—even marketing the marketing! However, this is important as it helps everyone internally find the brand’s “true north.” We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Paul CowanPaul Cowan is the CMO at FreshBooks, leading its global marketing team. Over the past 20 years, Paul has marketed phones, food, alcohol, toys, and SaaS products at big companies and start-ups, with an expertise in driving sustainable customer growth and retention strategies. He’s built brands through the appropriate application of data and insights and is always focused on driving results. He’s even won some awards that sit on a shelf somewhere and has written things for various publications that his mom is extremely proud of. Episode HighlightsWhat drew Paul to FreshBooks? After a storied career on the agency side of things, Paul was drawn to the iconic global SaaS brand by their growth mandate. He was also eager to decode this and figure out the best way to manage that growth.It pays to know your people. FreshBooks has worked to define who their customer is—the small business owner vs. the corporate accountant who may be drawn to their competitors. “We wanted to understand the owner. To solve their pain.”Consider forming a Brand Council. At FreshBooks, a cross-functional team called the Brand Council oversees branding. This group has been critical in maintaining the voice of the customer and on new initiatives like branding. This group recently helped launch a “Roll Up Your Sleeves” program aimed at helping small businesses impacted by COVID-19.What brand has made Paul smile recently? Paul pointed to Nike for their powerful, emotion-invoking advertising around International Women’s Day.To learn more, check out FreshBooks and connect with Paul on LinkedIn and Twitter.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 always considered public relations to be influencer marketing—you're trying to find a third party to borrow some trust from." When it comes to trust, there's no one I trust more on the subject of digital marketing strategy than Jason Falls. As an agency marketer, podcast host, and author of three books including his latest—Winfluence—I couldn't wait to talk with him on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast.About Jason FallsJason Falls solves problems. Most of the time they have to do with digital marketing for Cornett, a full-service advertising agency based in Lexington, Ky., where he leads digital strategy and hosts two marketing podcasts (Digging Deeper and Winfluence). His work has touched a number of major brands and has been recognized with several national and many regional awards including a 2020 Shorty Award for his influencer marketing work. He has worked with a number of the world’s most iconic brands including Buffalo Trace, Weller, 1792, Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbons, GE Appliances, AT&T, Valvoline, Humana, Rawlings, Tempur-Pedic, Fireball Whisky, General Motors, and more. His third book, Winfluence: Reframing Influencer Marketing to Ignite Your Brand, was published in February 2021 from Entrepreneur Press. He loves the kick-ass state of Kentucky, sports, and bourbon.Episode HighlightsBourbon content that fit the moment perfectly. As we began our conversation, I pointed to one of Jason's clients—1792 bourbon. Specifically, I mentioned their content strategy around the high-end drinking experience and style. To execute something like this, “You have to ask—what are our content pillars? What are the lifestyle touchpoints that go with this brand?” Developing an effective content strategy. Jason walked us through a fictional process using Oreo as an example with 'fun' and 'delight' as content pillars.Influencer marketing vs. influence marketing. As the title of his new book Winfluence suggests, Jason encourages us to drop the R off of 'influencer' marketing. When you do this, you broaden the approach.How do you measure influence marketing? “It all starts with the goal,” Falls stressed for both beginning and measuring an influence marketing campaign. He also shared ideas for setting up helpful 'data traps' for providing regular insight.  What brand has made Jason smile recently? Jason looked no further than his Blue Yeti podcasting microphone, which we both use. Specifically, Jason pointed to their sound quality and that it makes him think of his radio days.To learn more, go to jasonfalls.com and check out his Winfluence book 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

“I think you could have gotten away with mediocre branding before platforms like Amazon and Facebook came along.” However, today, the bar is set incredibly high. The modern consumer is savvy and expects exceptional branding from any company entering the market. That’s why we need to apply the latest in brain science and consumer behavior to our branding and marketing. Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman, co-authors of Blindsight, are here to help us do just that.About Matt Johnson & Prince GhumanPrince Ghuman is the co-author of the definitive neuromarketing book, Blindsight, CEO & founder of the Neuromarketing Certification at PopNeuro.com, and professor at Hult Intl. Business School. Previously, he held dual roles as the U.S. Director of Consumer Marketing and the Global Director of B2B Marketing for OFX, a publicly-traded FinTech company handling over $100B in international payments. A contributor to major news outlets including Forbes, Refinery29, Entrepreneur, & The Washington Post, he was named one of the ‘Movers and Shakers’ by the San Francisco Chronicle.Matt Johnson is the co-author of Blindsight, a professor and researcher at Hult Intl. Business School. He received his BA in Psychology from UC San Diego, and his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University, where his dissertation focused on the neural basis of language and communication. His research focus now is ultimately about bridging the gap between neuroscience and marketing, and to this end, works across several fields including experiential marketing, behavioral economics, and marketing ethics.Episode HighlightsHow did this dynamic duo first join forces? “I found my complete inverse in Prince Ghuman,” shared traditional academic Matt Johnson. “It was a peanut butter and jelly moment,” agreed Ghuman.Good branding is ‘table stakes’ today. “I think you could have gotten away with mediocre branding before platforms like Amazon and Facebook came along. The bar is set so high now. Consumers expect Lululemon-level branding,” said Prince. “You couldn’t launch an airline today.”Your brain on brands. In their book Blindsight, Johnson and Ghuman explore different aspects of neuroscience in each chapter. “Brands exist in the temporal lobe,” began Johnson.“The brands we like are like the people we like.” It all comes down to competence and warmth, a model developed by Susan Fiske at Princeton. That’s why we respond when brands like Zappos showcase their humanity by going out and serving the community.What brands have made Matt and Prince smile recently? Matt went with Starbucks (“they continue to bring people together”) while Prince went with Redwing Shoes (“they awaken my inner patriot” with their handmade shoes and authenticity). Talk about competence and warmth!To learn more, go to PopNeuro.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

“When we stumbled into this, we didn’t know anything about branding. We just knew it was important.” ‘Stumbled into it’ is putting it mildly. As the CEO of StoreBound and creator of the Dash brand of kitchen tools, Evan Dash has built a big brand with a lot of heart. Literally. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On BrandAbout Evan DashEvan Dash is the Founder and CEO of StoreBound and creator of the Dash brand of kitchen electrics. He previously was the SVP & General Merchandise Manager for the Home business at Macy's and served two terms on the board of directors of the International Housewares Association. He has two teenage sons and lives in New York City with his wife, Rachel.Episode HighlightsThe story behind the Dash brand name. I had to ask Evan about the company’s brand name—which is also his last name. He was reluctant to put his name on his at first as many entrepreneurs are. However, his team brought him and his wife around by sharing everything they could do with this powerful brand asset.Selling with story. “We’ve always tried to build an authentic brand voice.” As such, the focus of the brand story is key. Evan is quick to point out that this isn’t just about how cool their products and packaging are. It’s about customer stories and what they’re struggling with.Building a mission-based brand. “We have a simple mission of winning hearts,” Evan shared. How do they communicate this throughout the company? “We’re constantly saying to people, ‘Stop and ask yourself—how is this connected to winning hearts?’”What brand has made Evan smile recently? Evan had a great story, however, as it spoils a gift he’s giving, you’ll have to listen to the show so we can keep it off the Internet. He also has a “supporting smile” saved for his brand’s Instagram fans because of their heartfelt comments.To learn more, connect with Evan on LinkedIn, check out ByDash.com and follow them on Instagram.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

“First, amplify what you’re doing really well and consider new channels. Second, if things aren’t going well you’ll need new channels!” This was Steve Pockross’s answer to my question about how marketers can know when new channels make sense to add. As CEO at Verblio, helping marketers focus their content marketing is the focus of his work. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Steve PockrossSteve Pockross brings more than 20 years of startup, Fortune 500, and nonprofit experience to his role at Verblio. As CEO, he applies leading marketplace and SaaS principles to provide a high-quality, fast and flexible content creation platform. Steve was part of the early management team at gig economy pioneer LiveOps, growing the company into the largest crowdsourced contact center in the world. At LiveOps, Pockross served as vice president of business development and strategy, and also spearheaded the creation of the award-winning LiveOps Foundation. He also served in marketing, strategy, and operational leadership roles at Tendril, Western Union, Marketing Technologies Group, and HSBC.Episode HighlightsHow are content marketers juggling everything today? “I don’t know how.” But Steve knows how to help. “Be good at one thing and expand from there.” He credits Rand Fishkin’s T-shaped model in helping him do this.Where can you focus your content marketing? “First, look at your audience and where they are. Then ask what they like. Finally, consider what you like talking about.”On rebranding. Over the past few years, Steve worked through an extensive rebranding of Verblio. In working through the yearlong process, the branding consultant they worked with noted, “What I’m giving you—Verblio—is an empty vessel. You will infuse it with meaning.” Steve shared how they work to do this with a story bridging the gap (?) between Hubspot and Burning Man!What brand has made Steve smile recently? “I’m going to go with Wistia again,” Steve came back to a favorite brand he’d discussed earlier in the show (we’ve had Chris Savage and Kristen Craft as guests on On Brand). Why the smiles? “Their clever customer service emails.”To learn more, go to Verblio.com and check out their podcast.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