On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“People put a lot of value in brands. When you are at home or are limited (because of the pandemic) you tend to go with the first one you think of. But there are brands that have to think differently, especially brands in retail.” Jeff Lotman has an iconic career both as a brand strategist at his firm Global Icons and as a retailer as the owner of Fred Segal. He’s also the author of the book Invisible Marketing. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Jeff LotmanJeff Lotman is the driving force behind Global Icons, the world’s leading brand-focused agency with over $5 billion in retail sales and a client roster that includes Kleenex, Hostess, Lamborghini, NOKIA, and USPS, among others. He is also the owner of Fred Segal, LA's iconic fashion brand, and author of the best selling book, Invisible Marketing: A Hidden Tool For Connecting With Consumers Through Licensing.Episode HighlightsWhy is licensing “invisible marketing” as Jeff’s book of the same name suggests? “Because most don’t think of it!” Jeff noted during the podcast. You’re taking the customer's trust of a brand—which is valuable—and extending it somewhere else. “We’re selling rarified air. It’s intangible.”When should a brand start to think about licensing? “You have to be number one in something first.” Jeff pointed to examples such as White Castle, known both in their region and for their sliders.How do you know where to extend? “You have to ask—and test it out.”Being a brand licensing expert, I had to ask Jeff for his best and worst examples. His favorite? Vicks—known for their Vaporub—successfully extended their brand into the humidifier space with an artfully designed, cough-drop shaped device. And his not-so-good example …? Zippo—known for its iconic lighters—tried to market a perfume. “You can't just throw your logo on it.” There has to be a fit.What brand has made Jeff smile recently? Jeff pointed to another great licensing case study—Taco Bell and Doritos. “It was great! How had they not done this before?"To learn more, check out the Global Icons website and Jeff’s book Invisible Marketing.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 don’t think enough thought goes into how to translate brand style guides into visual videos.” As the founder and CEO of Tectonic Video with a background in brand strategy, Doug Scott helps nonprofit brands worldwide unlock the power of video storytelling. We discussed video, social media, brand style guides, and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Doug ScottDoug Scott is the founder and CEO of Tectonic Video, a leading video agency for nonprofits. His team works with nonprofits across the US and around the world to create award-winning videos that drive results. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, CNN and AdWeek and he is a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford University on the power of storytelling for nonprofit organizations.Episode HighlightsWhy is video so effective and engaging? “Video continues to be ascendant in all brand communication because video is extremely efficient. It can show in seconds what it takes thousands of words to say.”Video by the numbers. Doug shared some compelling stats with us including the fact that Facebook posts with video are viewed five times longer than static content. Furthermore, the preference for video increases as age decreases.A video-centric brand style guide. “I don’t think enough thought goes into how to translate brand style guides into visual videos. There’s often nothing about visual video storytelling. What’s the brand experience for video and how does that look different?”The three types of video every brand needs. First, there’s the brand overview video. “This is a restatement of the values of your brand.” Second, testimonial videos from customers. “How do you want those stories told?” And, finally, a campaign video reinforcing your current key messaging. Doug also shared other “nice-to-have” videos including internal HR and culture videos and social media videos.“Production doesn’t always correlate to success.” Many often feel that they have to make the best, most-polished video to ensure success. “Your iPhone is fine a lot of the time,” Doug shared. Why? “A visual language has been established for (low-production) iPhone videos on social media. They also feel very authentic.”What brand has made Doug smile recently? “I might upset some of your listeners with this one,” Doug warned before sharing that The Lincoln Project—a group of “disaffected Republicans” creating anti-Trump videos—is the brand that has made him smile. Like our conversation during this episode, it came back to the group’s consistent visual voice across their videos. “You know right away it’s one of their videos.”To learn more, go to tectonic.video.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

“The marketplace has changed so much—there are so many brands on the retail shelf—the packaging is all there is. We turn the traditional brand development world upside down.” As a partner and leader of the research team at brand strategy firm SmashBrand, Michael Keplinger has a bold new approach for inventing and reinventing CPG brands. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Michael KeplingerMichael Keplinger is a partner at SmashBrand, an agile brand strategy agency for consumer packaged goods that specializes in a complete approach to market research, product design, and testing. After earning a degree and early career in computer engineering, Michael’s entrepreneurial drive took hold and he soon found himself developing market strategies for his own consumer product business. There, he quickly found a talent for connecting seemingly unrelated dots to discover room for innovation and opportunity. At SmashBrand, Michael makes ample use of his philosophy regarding consumer products, that the key to success is about seeing everything from the eyes of the consumer and anticipating how they will react to a product or message.Episode HighlightsWhat led this computer engineer to branding work? I’m always fascinated at what’s led someone to work in branding. As a computer engineering grad and successful entrepreneur, he first found his way back to business school. Once there, he fell in love with the science of consumer behavior, which would mold his approach at SmashBrand.The packaging recipe for success. “Packaging has to do a lot of things rather quickly.” This requires a scientific mix and balance of words, visuals, spatial elements, and white space. You also have to test different ideas. “Testing is nothing new. Without the ability to test you’re left with subjective opinion.”What do you do with a stagnant CPG brand or category? This represents a lot of Michael’s work. A solid first step is making sure it doesn’t become stagnant in the first place. “What becomes the new norm is incremental change. You have to continue to refresh to maintain your brand positioning.” If you’re constantly changing—even a little bit—change itself becomes less risky over time.What brand has made Michael smile recently? Though they’ve experienced a tumultuous couple of years, Michael shared why Uber is brand that makes him smile. “They play a huge role in transportation in our society. They’re (re)building a brand around why they exist.”To learn more, check out the SmashBrand website and connect with Michael 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

“We have to put aside our personal preference and put in the time to figure out what really works for what the client needs.” This is a challenge for marketers on a variety of topics but is especially critical to the vital task of naming. Luckily, Brad Flowers wrote the book on naming—aptly titled The Naming Book—and he’s joined us this week on the On Brand podcast to discuss just that.About Brad FlowersBrad Flowers co-founded Bullhorn in 2008. Brad’s degree in Literature serves him well in his strategy, language, and naming work. It only helps a little in his operational work, which is primarily informed by 10 years of on-the-job training. Brad is also an avid bicyclist – for commuting and for competition. He co-founded and currently serves on the board of the non-profit community bike shop, Broke Spoke. He’s also the author of The Naming Book from Entrepreneur Press.Episode HighlightsFirst of all, was it hard to name a book about naming? “It was awful,” Brad confessed. But he ultimately came up with a tactical, practical title that gets the job done. “As a namer it feels underwhelming!” However …Brand building and naming is about putting aside your own drive to do something cool and creative. “We have to put aside our personal preference and put in the time to figure out what really works for what the client needs.”Why naming? This has been an ongoing focus of Brad’s work at Bullhorn. However, he also thought of someone else while writing the book—the entrepreneurs who have to come up with a brand name and then move on to the other aspects of their business. “I wrote the book with the non-naming professional in mind.” As such, it’s very process-oriented.Three hard things about naming. “First, you have to have a criteria for what makes a good name (most people skip this). Then you have to generate lots of ideas and types of names. Finally, you have to make a decision.”Brad also shared his favorite brand names and why ... along with some that weren’t so great. But you’ll have to listen to the show to hear more!What brand has made Brad smile recently? A Lexington, Kentucky resident, Brad shared the story of a local startup called App Harvest that helps people get fresh food faster.To learn more, go to the Bullhorn website and check out TheNamingBook.com (getting your URL is one of the many criteria for finding a good brand name).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

“All companies and all brands should be working toward being the best version of themselves that they can be across all lenses of their impact on the world.” Eric Ressler knows a thing or two about brands making at impact. That’s the focus of his work as Founder and Creative Director at Cosmic, an agency helping brands build their awareness by having a strong social impact in the world. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Eric ResslerEric Ressler is the Founder and Creative Director at Cosmic, a Social Impact Creative Agency. Cosmic empowers social impact organizations to catalyze real-world change by helping them nail their impact story, build brand awareness, and inspire action. By and large, the traditional strategies and approaches in the social impact space are still based on what worked well in the pre-digital era. This leaves many organizations under-resourced, siloed, and struggling to reach their full impact potential—because they are not leveraging the power of our current global digital culture. Cosmic helps future-thinking social impact organizations understand this paradigm shift and rethink their model and approach to multiply their impact.Eric got his start in design from a very young age, and after leaving a design program in San Diego early to pursue freelance work, cut his teeth running a freelance business in the digital design space. After organically building a strong roster of clients, he discovered a passion for the social impact and philanthropic space. Through working with numerous organizations across this sector, he found that often their missions and visions are strong, but their efforts are stymied by ineffective communications philosophies and practices. Now, Eric and Cosmic are on a mission to help social impact organizations across the globe navigate a rapidly changing world.Episode HighlightsWhy social impact? While labels like ‘corporate social responsibility’ and the like are nothing new, Eric’s focus at Cosmic is decidedly different. Social impact is all about moving beyond “virtue signaling” to doing the work.Beyond the strategy behind social impact, how do brands do the work? “You have to start by embracing a digital-first mindset.” From here, you can connect your social impact to all of your brand’s key touchpoints.How do you measure this? “We’ve heard a lot about slacktivism but it’s a fair question.” Eric shared his thoughts on measurement. Specifically the value of integrating qualitative and quantitative. “It’s anecdotal but it’s not nothing.”What brand has made Eric smile recently? Eric went with Patagonia. While this is always a strong smile-worthy brand choice, their recent inclusion of the “Vote the A$$holes Out” tag in their clothing drew a more recent and topical smile.To learn more, go to designbycosmic.com and be sure to check out their manifesto 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

“You always have to look inside to really understand. Because all design at the end of the day falls flat if it doesn’t connect with customers—if it doesn’t understand the market that you’re in, if it doesn’t understand the problem that your specific customers are trying to solve.” Daniel Scrivner has led a unique and design-centric career that’s taken him from Apple to Square to the C-suite at Flow. We discussed how this focus has explored his work as a brand builder this week on the On Brand podcast.About Daniel ScrivenerFrom college dropout to Head of Design at Square to CEO of Flow, a simple project management software used by teams like Apple, Shopify, TED and Harvard to manage projects and tasks, collaborate and stay productive, Daniel Scrivner's path to success has been anything but typical. Today he’s considered a leader in his field, with numerous design awards and accolades under his belt and a client roster that includes household names like Nike and Disney.Episode HighlightsThe trouble with design. “Design is a word that’s lost a lot of value. It doesn’t have a good shared meaning,” Daniel noted as we began our show. However, he offered us his definition which is a big improvement: “It’s an approach to problem solving that involves both the quantitative and qualitative.”How does design inform brand experience? “You have to make sure your values are threaded into everything. You have to have a competency in storytelling in order to build your aesthetic toolbox. About 80-90% is the idea. Only 10-20% is the execution.The questions to ask before embarking on a rebrand. While Daniel relayed many of the background questions they asked at Flow in approaching their rebrand, one was especially helpful: “What can we create that no one else can? How can we own what is lacking in the productivity space?”What brand has made Daniel smile recently? Daniel referenced a new probiotic called Seed because of how they’re “different from their competitors.”To learn more, go to getflow.com and check out Daniel’s personal 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

“When you talk about brand you immediately go to marketing. But brand is how something from a company makes you feel. That transcends marketing.” Ryan Hogan would know. As a serial entrepreneur who’s built several brands, he now helps thousands hunt serial killers with his fast-growing Hunt a Killer gaming company. We discussed Ryan’s unique backstory, business, and brand this week on the On Brand podcast.About Ryan HoganRyan Hogan is the Co-founder and CEO of Hunt A Killer, an innovative gaming company that delivers clues, items, and correspondence to your doorstep that creates an interactive and immersive story for its Members. Ryan enlisted in the United States Navy in 2002 and was selected for the Seaman to Admiral commissioning program in 2008. He commissioned and graduated from the University of Maryland with a business degree focused on marketing and management in 2013. Ryan separated from active service in 2017 and entered the US Navy Reserves when he decided to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. He currently serves as a Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy Reserves and as CEO of Hunt A Killer.To date, Hunt A Killer has sold over one-million boxes, surpassed 100,000 subscribers, and has doubled revenue two years in a row without outside investors, with continued growth expected.Episode HighlightsFirst of all, what is Hunt a Killer? “It’s an immersive storytelling company.” Part murder mystery party, part subscription box company, Ryan’s founded a truly unique brand. However, the journey in getting there was just as unique …“Entrepreneurship is about understanding goals.” If you know where you want to go, the path becomes more and more clear. Eventually. Ryan stepped us through his journey founding two unrelated companies—activewear and adventure races—that lead to what would become Hunt a Killer.The importance of brand voice. Building on their “active” name, Hunt a Killer knew they needed a strong brand voice. Initially, it was very direct (“Do you have what it takes to Hunt a Killer?”). However, over time, Ryan realized that by evolving the brand voice, they could “grow the overall addressable market” beyond crime aficionados to those looking for family activities that don’t involve phones and screens.Brand experience is everything. “It’s the easiest thing to identify and the hardest things to execute. That’s because brand is how a company makes you feel.”What brand has made Ryan smile recently? “I’d have to say Tesla—right or wrong.” Specifically, Ryan reminded us of the founding story of this very unique brand.To learn more, go to HuntAKiller.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

“We can shake our fist at it or we can ride the wave. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scenario where someone’s shaken their fist at what’s developing and won. It doesn’t solve anything.” David Bates has built a career doing creative work for dynamic clients and adapting to significant shifts in the industry along the way. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About David BatesDavid Bates is the Managing Director of ATK PLN, a design-driven creative studio. He combines a background in brand strategy, design, and marketing for top brands including FOSSIL, Shinola, and Filson with the artistic vision of Executive Creative Director Jose Gomez to create engaging campaigns for clients such as Frito-Lay, Paramount Pictures, Mercedes, AT&T, Cinemark, and Warner Bros.Episode HighlightsWhat does it mean to be design-driven? “Our business has evolved dramatically. In some cases, our clients became competitors.”How can agencies adapt to challenges like clients taking work in-house and shifts in technology? “We can shake our fist at it or we can ride the wave. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scenario where someone’s shaken their fist at what’s developing and won. It doesn’t solve anything.”How do you market the movie business in the midst of COVID-19? “We work directly with movie studios—we become their hands and feet!” David says of ATK PLN. “There was an audible gasp” at the beginning of COVID. Now, David and his team work on all sorts of dynamic media for studios from social media to lower thirds on TV. He shared several stories during the podcast including a TikTok campaign they did for the movie Scoob.A note of caution. David warned brands not to get caught in the “reactive mode” that social media and even COVID constraints can bring. Know who you are as a brand and work to communicate that as effectively as you can, everywhere that you can.What brand has made David smile recently? David is a big fan of Howler Brothers for the way “they’ve blended their love of the outdoors with style.”To learn more, go to the ATK PLN 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

“You can start with a catchy tagline but you can’t stop there.” Margie Agin helps B2B technology companies discover what makes them unique and find the words to say it. She is the founder and chief strategist of Centerboard Marketing, a DC-based marketing agency, and author of Brand Breakthrough: How to Go Beyond a Catchy Tagline to Build an Authentic, Influential and Sustainable Brand Personality. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s On Brand podcast.About Margie AgainAward-winning marketer Margie Agin helps B2B technology companies discover what makes them unique and find the words to say it. She is the founder and chief strategist of Centerboard Marketing, a marketing agency based in the Washington, DC area, and author of Brand Breakthrough: How to Go Beyond a Catchy Tagline to Build an Authentic, Influential and Sustainable Brand Personality.As both an external strategist and an in-house marketing leader, Margie has helped companies in the cybersecurity, communications, EdTech, and software industries distill complex topics into content and campaigns that drive action. She has built and led teams through times of rapid change, launched and relaunched brands, and created sustainable marketing programs that prioritize the customer experience.Before founding Centerboard Marketing, Margie led demand generation efforts for the education technology company Blackboard and digital marketing for video conferencing leaders Tandberg and Cisco. She also taught content marketing and web writing at Johns Hopkins University. Margie completed her undergraduate work at Tufts University and earned a Master’s degree from American University.Episode Highlights“You can start with a catchy tagline but you can’t stop there.” Just as we tend to fixate on logos, branding often gets boiled down to “coming up with a catchy tagline.” Which, as Margie notes, is fine. Provided you build onto it with authenticity and sustainable systems.“I’ve seen a brand delivered to an organization from above,” says Margie. “This often created a gap between the umbrella statement from on high to the boots-on-the-ground people who are actually building the brand.”How do you fill that gap? “It’s getting everyone on the same page. You have to get people involved early—including sales, customer service.” You also need to provide these key individuals with tools.What’s the secret to useful brand messaging and editorial guides? “Show examples,” Margie says. A document can say a brand should have a “friendly, open tone” but that can be interpreted lots of different ways. “That way people don’t have to start from scratch or guess.”What brand has made Margie smile recently? Being a tech marketer, Margie pointed us to Thycotic, a software company that celebrates System Administrator’s Day in a very unique way.To learn more, go to the Centerboard Marketing website, check out Margie’s book Brand Breakthrough, and get a free action guide. 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

“The key is not to create unique content for all of these different places. The key is to create one really good, deep piece of content that’s going to work for your brand.” Brad Smith is the founder and CEO of Codeless, a content production company for the best SaaS sites on the planet. Their articles have been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, TheNextWeb, and more. At Codeless, content is not simply created, it is produced, and that makes all the difference. We discussed what this means on this week's show.About Brad SmithBrad Smith is the founder and CEO of Codeless, a content production company who’s content has been highlighted by The New York Times, Business Insider, The Next Web, and thousands more. He is also the co- founder of uSERP, a digital PR company that helps connect its clients with leading SaaS, eCommerce, SEO, tech, business, and marketing sites to boost brand authority.Brad has been an in-the-trenches marketer for over a decade, rolling his sleeves up and doing all the dirty work from copywriting to SEO to marketing automation to site redesigns and more. All while working in-house, freelancing, consulting, and providing agency services to almost every industry that crosses your mind. Companies don’t need more content today. They need better content that actually performs. His companies fix that by producing & ranking SERP-topping content in the most competitive spaces -- tech, cybersecurity, finance, etc. — on the Internet.Episode HighlightsContent curation vs. content production. “There’s a subtle difference that needs to be called out.” Simply put, there’s too much content today. It’s not just about creating the most content, it’s about producing the very best content.What form of content are Brad and the team at Codeless producing the most of these days? “It’s a lot of the meat and potatoes—articles—as a lot is driven by SEO.” However, he went on to note how several are missing key SEO steps in their video and podcast production, such as transcripts.When to outsource your content production. Brad began by impressing that this is not a binary choice—either outsourcing content or not. Rather, it depends on the project. Some pieces may be better handled internally.How to outsource content production. “The problem in starting is that many don’t have it written down,” says Brad.What’s needed for a good content handoff? Brand guidelines usually have info on the logo and font type but there are no guidelines for writing.” Brad encouraged brands to consider things like how formal or informal the writing should be, the use of contractions, and references to humor and pop culture. Including examples is also helpful. He also shared a simple tip: Voice Memos. Using this app on your phone to talk as the brand can be useful background info for your outsourced team.What brand has made Brad smile recently? Brad shared the story of Stone Brewing out of San Diego, known for their signature beer Arrogant Bastard (a favorite of mine when I’m in that neck of the woods). Brad talked about how the brand is bold in both taste and vernacular.To learn more, go to GetCodeless.com and connect with Brad on LinkedIn. You can also access a free article audit as mentioned during the show here.Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices