On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“This is the moment that people will remember for a much longer time—the brands and how they react and how they help to create a mutually beneficial relationship is something that people will remember for the long term.” As a strategist, Margaret Rogers spends a lot of her time focusing on consumer behavior. That’s gotten even more challenging in the face of both COVID-19 and social unrest. But, as Margaret notes, people will remember what you as a brand do right now. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s show.About Margaret RogersMargaret Rogers is a Vice President and Customer Experience Strategist at consulting firm Pariveda Solutions. She has over 20 years of experience in digital consulting services and a passion for coaching organizations through their digital transformation. Margaret appreciates the natural tension between business wants and customer needs. Using business, technical, and user-centered design methods, Margaret creates forward-thinking solutions to evolve and stretch current digital capabilities. Her experience spans across industries including non-profit, retail, media/telecomm, automotive, gaming, and manufacturing. Episode HighlightsHow has relating with customers changed in light of COVID-19? “Customers are scared. They’re thinking about survival. And when brands talk about only their survival (as businesses) it creates a shadow over their relationship.” Margaret outlined two key strategies for how brands can better connect with today’s customers during the first half of the podcast.The power of brand vulnerability. We spent a lot of our time together talking about the impact of brand vulnerability. “It helps you as a consumer relate to a brand. It humanizes your brand.”We’re at an inflection point for brands. “This is the moment that people will remember for a much longer time—the brands and how they react and how they help to create a mutually beneficial relationship is something that people will remember for the long term.”Abundance and opportunity. In spite of today’s challenges, there’s still hope. “I know the world feels scarce. But there are opportunities. There’s abundance” for brands that do the work and lean into that vulnerability to connect with consumers.What brand has made Margaret smile recently? Margaret pointed us to Athleta. “Their whole world is about promoting strong women.”To learn more, go to the Pariveda Solutions website and connect with Margaret 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

“Until you have decent consumer intelligence and some competitive market information from the cash register, you don’t have the basis for what I would call a tight strategic plan.” With extensive experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, James Richardson brings his background as a cultural anthropologist to understanding the social science and symbology that goes into brand building. He’s also the author of the new book Ramping Your Brand. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About James RichardsonDr. Richardson is the founder of Premium Growth Solutions, a strategic planning consultancy for early-stage consumer-packaged-goods brands. As a professionally trained cultural anthropologist turned business strategist, he has helped more than 75 CPG brands with their strategic planning, including brands owned by Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands, The Hershey Company, General Mills, Kraft Foods, ConAgra Brands, and Frito-Lay as well as emerging brands such as Once Upon a Farm, Mother Kombucha, Bobby Sue’s Nuts, Rebel Creamery, zaca recovery, and others. He also hosts his own podcast—Startup Confidential. His thoughts appear regularly in industry publications such as Foodnavigator. And he’s the author of the new book Ramping Your Brand.Episode HighlightsWhat does a cultural anthropologist bring to brand building? With a background as a trained anthropologist, James brings a unique set of skills to his work as a strategist and brand builder. “It means I know the difference between what people say they care about and what they actually care about.” This is key to understanding your brand’s audience.About Aunt Jemima … As a brand strategist with extensive experience working with CPG brands, I had to ask James about the future of the Aunt Jemima brand. “What you’ve uncovered here (with Aunt Jemima) is a zombie brand. It had become a zombie brand—a zombie brand dressed in racism.” With nothing remarkable about the “dollar-store” product they sell, the brand is in trouble for a lot of reasons.Think of your brand launch as a beta. Taking a page from the software industry, James encourages businesses to be flexible in the early days of a brand launch.The key ingredients of a successful strategic plan. “Until you have decent consumer intelligence and cash register and sales data, then you don’t have the basis of a strategic plan.”What should you do in the next five minutes? As Tom Peters said on this podcast, excellence is the best short-term strategy. I asked James what you should do in the five minutes after this show … “What is the outcome you’re selling and what symbols are you putting out that point to that?”What brand has made James smile recently? “That’s easy—Progressive Insurance with their Zoom ad creative.” This has come up a lot recently on the On Brand podcast!To learn more, go to the website for James’s book Ramping Your Brand. There you can find several resources including his Founder's Quiz. The Quiz tests founders' self-awareness of what needs to be in place to grow exponentially. Ramping Your Brand can be purchased on Amazon in all formats.Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The old world of branding is falling away and it’s being replaced by intrinsic branding—this idea that if you get your inner world right, then how you show up in the outer world will be sincere, authentic, and interesting.” Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster have an “iron-sharpens-iron” relationship that they bring to bear, sharpening brands as co-founders of Root + River. We discussed their work together and the unique challenges brands face today this week on the On Brand podcast.Enjoy This Episode Now Download Episode Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify About Emily Soccorsy and Justin FosterLike chicken and waffles, branding strategists and Root + River co-founders Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster are a speaking duo who have the it-just-works factor. The two each have their own acoustic sound as presenters, but together, they make music they couldn’t alone. Their speeches play out like a compelling dialogue unfolding in real-time. With more than 50 speaking engagements and podcast interviews under their belts, they are able to create a collaboration-in-action experience to capture the minds and hearts of those who are listening. Together, they’re also the co-authors of the book Rooting Up: Essays on Modern Branding.Episode HighlightsBranding and marketing in the midst of COVID-19. For branding, the times they are a-changin.’ Especially in 2020. “What the world needs now is who you really are. Old world branding is interrupting someone else’s story. The new world is about inviting someone into your story.”More on intrinsic branding. “The old world of branding is falling away and it’s being replaced by intrinsic branding—this idea that if you get your inner world right—your mission, your beliefs, your culture—then how you show up in the outer world will be sincere, authentic, and interesting.”The trouble with mission statements … Listeners of the show know that I’m not a big fan of most mission statements. That’s because these often become obtuse constructions instead of statements designed to provide focus and direction. Justin shared the Root + River mission formula: “The thing that you’re here to do that only can do.”What brand has made Emily and Justin smile recently? “I’m gonna have to go with TikTok,” says Emily. As a parent, it’s helped her connect with her kids during COVID-19. Justin shared a brand that has stood out as a result of their pandemic marketing—Progressive Insurance. Specifically, their Zoom call commercials with the group editing together virtually.To learn more, visit the Root + River website, follow Justin and Emily on Twitter, and check out their book Rooting Up: Essays on Modern Branding.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 new technology comes out, we use it in the old ways that we know. With the internet, it was free publication. So we made websites. We didn’t see this as a way of connecting better.” Better connections—meeting someone at their moment of need—is what context is all about. That’s the focus of Mathew Sweezey’s new book, The Context Marketing Revolution. We discussed this along with his work at Salesforce this week on the On Brand podcast.About Mathew SweezeyMathew Sweezey is Director of Market Strategy for Salesforce. A researcher, thinker, award-winning marketer, and writer, he is the author of Marketing Automation for Dummies and the new book The Context Marketing Revolution. When not behind a podium at conferences around the world or sifting through data, he routinely works with the world’s largest and most well-respected brands, including UPS, Home Depot, AT&T, and Dell.Episode HighlightsWhat are the key traits in high-performing marketing organizations? In studying the future of marketing at Salesforce, Mathew has spent a lot of time on this very question. The answer? “High-performing marketing organizations have full executive buy-in on a new idea.” What are the new ideas? “That marketing is no longer about the most creative messaging.” Buy in on that alone would create a very different marketing organization.What’s the difference between content marketing and context marketing? While content marketing is all about publishing, “Context marketing is all about helping someone achieve the goal of the moment.”What does context consist of? In his book, Mathew shares the five elements of context and why it’s critical for businesses to focus on them to be successful. Available—helping people achieve the value they seek in the moment Permissioned—giving individuals what they’ve asked for, on their terms Personal—going beyond how personal the experience is, to how personally it can be delivered Authentic—combining voice, empathy, and channel congruence simultaneously Purposeful—creating a deeper connection to the brand beyond the product “Context can be applied anywhere throughout the customer journey.” Mathew shared how the Trailhead community at Salesforce is an important example of context marketing as it’s about advancing better business outcomes and educating users on the platform.What brand has made Mathew smile recently? Mathew went with his local climbing gym, Coastal Climbing, for the precautions they’re taking as a result of COVID-19.To learn more, connect with Mathew on LinkedIn and Twitter and check out his new book The Context Marketing Revolution.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 most important part of any brand is the team.” Matt Barnett would know. A serial entrepreneur, Matt’s latest venture is Bonjoro, a B2B asynchronous video platform helping organizations connect with their customers. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Matt BarnettA British designer & Artist, Matt Barnett moved to Australia where Bonjoro was born from a sales hack for his first business. Matt and the team decided to go all-in on the idea, and 3 years later Bonjoro has snowballed into a startup success story with a fully remote team across 6 countries and 5 continents.Matt’s love of building great products is only surpassed by his total commitment to building great business culture, and his goal is to be the next Zappos, to be the most-loved brand in the world.”Episode HighlightsHow to build your startup brand as a team? We talked a lot about the intersection of brand origins and team origins and how often, these two intersect. Matt says that you need to hire the right team first, noting that “brand happens later.”“You have to build super fans internalizing and externally.” Matt focused his advice on two critical groups of people—your employees and your customers. How do you do that …?Let’s talk bears. Look at any of Bonjoro’s touchpoints and you’ll see that their brand personification is an adorable teddy bear. This bear branding makes its way throughout the organization, from the koala bears they sponsor as a company to the bear onesies every employee gets, including the self-proclaimed “Papa Bear” himself.What should you do in the next five minutes? As Tom Peters said on this podcast, excellence is the best short-term strategy. We asked Matt what you should do in the five minutes after this show … “Asynchronous personalized video messages.” Matt noted that he may be biassed on this front (that’s what Bonjoro does!) but he also reinforced this with the impact you can have with clients by recording a simple 30-second video.What brand has made Matt smile recently? Inspired by other engaging brands, Matt pointed to “Hey,” the new email platform built by the folks from Basecamp, for the brand’s combination of fun and simplicity.To learn more, connect with the “Papa Bear” himself on LinkedIn and go to the Bonjoro website to learn more about Matt’s company.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

“Any subscription brand needs to know—what problem am I solving for my customers? What’s our forever promise?” With a career building subscriptions for brands like Netflix and Electronic Arts, Robbie Kellman Baxter knows what it takes to build lasting customer relationships. That’s been the focus of her books including her latest, The Forever Transaction. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Robbie Kellman BaxterRobbie Kellman Baxter is a bestselling author, speaker, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience providing strategic business advice to major organizations including Netflix, the Wall Street Journal, and Electronic Arts. In the past ten years, her company Peninsula Strategies has advised over 100 organizations on subscription and growth strategy. Her first book, The Membership Economy was an international best seller. Her new book, The Forever Transaction, was released in April 2020. It has been described as a true game-changer taking readers through every step of the subscription business process—from initial start-up or testing of a new model to scaling the operation for long-term growth and sustainability to revamping your culture so everyone works together to optimize customer lifetime value.Episode HighlightsWhat defines a subscription brand? “It’s all based on a trusted relationship that justifies a habit.”“Consumers know the difference between a good and a bad subscription.” I had to know more. Robbie pointed to Netflix as an example of a good subscription due to their “subscription hygiene.”What does it take to build ongoing relationships with customers? “You have to make sure you continue to solve their problems on an ongoing basis,” says Robbie. You also have to continue to onboard new subscribers for customer success.What should you do in the next five minutes? As Tom Peters says, excellence is the best short-term strategy. I asked Robbie what you can you do in the next five minutes to help build a forever brand with your customers. Robbie says: “Define your forever promise and your best customer.” That would be five minutes well spent!What brand has made Robbie smile recently? Robbie once again turned to Netflix based on their recent announcement that they canceled accounts that had been dormant for a year or more. “They don’t want revenue zombies.” This too reinforces the idea of building trusted relationships over time.To learn more, go to Robbie’s website and find special resources at robbiekellmanbaxter.com/audience.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

“Duration is the perfect proxy for attention.” Marc Guldimann has spent his career at the intersection of two scientific fields—human decision making and technology. He’s the founder of several startups including his latest, Adelaide, which sells ads based on duration or time spent. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Marc GuldimannMarc Guldimann is the Co-Founder and CEO of Parsec Media, the first marketplace to sell media based on time spent. Parsec Media is the owner and operator of Adelaide, the first performance tool for brand builders. A longtime entrepreneur, Marc is experienced in synthesizing his experience across digital media, computer security, and decision sciences to develop simple yet powerful solutions. Prior to created Sled and Parsec, Marc was the founding CEO of Enliken and Spongecell Inc spending two decades at Internet and technology firms. Before digital media, he worked in the wireless network security industry, where he developed the first wireless virus filter. Mr. Guldimann led technical sales and marketing efforts for both Vernier Networks and Network Chemistry. Marc graduated from Carnegie Mellon with a degree in Social Decision Sciences and currently resides in Brooklyn.Episode HighlightsBranding is the ultimate interdisciplinary job. As a social sciences fan, I had to ask Marc about his degree in Social Decision Sciences. He noted that this program at Carnegie Mellon stressed interdisciplinary studies. This set the tone for our conversation as we veered back and forth from the science of media to the art of creative.The job of media and the job of creative. Marc drew distinct lines around the role of media—getting the brand in front of the right people—and the role of creative—capturing the attention of the right people when the ad is in front of them.Evidence-based marketing. Marc and I spent a lot of time talking about the growing capabilities of evidence-based marketing and the science of attention. Specifically, his work at Adelaide and his focus on selling media based on time spent. “Duration is a perfect proxy for attention.”What brand has made Marc smile recently? Marc mentioned Delta during the show and came back to them for his smile as we wrapped up. His love of the brand comes “not from an ad—but from an experience” where their CEO emailed him back. That’s how you build long-term loyalty.To learn more, go to adelaidelift.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

“It’s about getting people to create less content but also more meaningful content.” Amen. This week’s guests aren’t just content marketing professionals. As leaders at Upland Software and co-authors of Mastering One Voice, Toby Murdock and Zoë Randolph are on a mission to help content marketers create better content with a more cohesive, meaningful brand voice. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Toby Murdock & Zoë RandolphToby Murdock, General Manager, Upland Software — Toby co-founded Kapost in 2009 and served as CEO through its 2019 acquisition by Upland Software. When he’s not sharing his vision for the future of marketing. Toby is biking, hiking, or skiing in Boulder, CO with his wife and three daughters.Zoë Randolph, Content Architect, Upland Kapost — Zoë brings her love of writing and business strategy to her work leading strategic messaging and content creation. When she’s off the clock, Zoë can be found immersed in a book, talking politics, or agonizing over the mediocrity of Cal Bears athletics.Episode HighlightsWhat are the biggest challenges that content marketers today face? “We’ve lost a lot of control.” From distributed teams to distributed content creation, marketers today need better systems, frameworks, and infrastructure as both Toby and Zoë noted during the show.Getting off of the content marketing “hamster wheel.” Toby noted that many are stuck in a cycle of creating more content for the sake of creating content. “We need to get off the hamster wheel.” As Zoë added, “It’s about less content but also more meaningful content.”In the midst of a pandemic with great social unrest, is it harder for marketers to find their authentic brand voice? “It’s not that they don’t know what to say,” says Toby. “It’s that they don’t have the infrastructure to share.” Both Toby and Zoë pointed to Salesforce’s leadership as a successful model. However, both noted that this doesn’t happen overnight. It comes over time through attention from leadership and great effort internally.What brands have made Toby and Zoë smile recently? Like their personalities, both offered divergent brand choices. Zoë pointed to Nike’s strong voice on Black Lives Matter while Toby pointed to the guidance REI provided during his recent purchase experience.To learn more about Toby and Zoë’s work and their book Mastering One Voice, go to contentoperations.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 a shift that’s taking place that’s requiring a response. Now people are saying—action.” Ashley Shuler is a business strategist who helps busy solopreneurs operate their businesses efficiently and effectively. Recently, she replied to one of my ICYMI email newsletters on how brands need to do better on race. We discussed this along with productivity and missed brand touchpoints, this week on the On Brand podcast.About Ashley ShulerAshley Shuler doesn't believe in quick fixes and seeks to create the transformative solutions for busy solopreneurs so they can operate more efficiently in their business. Her superpower is the ability to take big picture ideas and create business systems and recipes so entrepreneurs can generate leads, increase productivity, and enhance their client experience. Ashley is the Chief Strategist of Shuler Strategies Group where she offers two signature services: the client engagement experience and online virtual summit intensive. The Client Engagement Experience intensive is a system that bridges the gap between the discovery call, client onboarding, and client offboarding processes. The Online Virtual Summit intensive provides entrepreneurs an opportunity to build authority in their industry, generate leads, and create brand awareness for their products and services.Originally from Northern Virginia, Ashley holds a BA in Government from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and graduated from George Mason University, School of Public Policy. She is a certified Project Manager and volunteers in her local community.Episode HighlightsIn the face of COVID-19, solopreneurs are busier than they’ve ever been. What do we do now? Ashley advises people to start with a routine and schedule. “Time is one of your most precious assets—we can’t get it back.”Recently, Ashley emailed me … As a brand myself, I made brands needing to do more on race the focus of my email newsletter. Ashley took the time to reply and we began a conversation on this challenging moment and how businesses need to at least start the difficult work of navigating it. “It won’t all look the same,” Ashley noted. “There’s a shift that’s taking place that’s requiring a response. Now people are saying action.”What should you do in the next five minutes? As Tom Peters said on this podast, excellence is the best short-term strategy. I asked Ashley what you should do in the five minutes after this show … “Think big. Taking imperfect action is where the magic happens.” Amen.What brand has made Ashley smile recently? Ashley came prepared with not one but two brands. First, she pointed to Michelle Obama and the unique brand she’s built around “women’s empowerment” that runs through her book, talks, tour, and Netflix documentary. Ashley’s second smile was the “Share the Mic” event where successful white women shared their platforms, giving voice to women of color.To learn more, connect with Ashley 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

“When it comes to HBO it’s really about quality, distinction, and uniqueness. And looking for stories that haven’t been told before.” As Senior Vice President at Warner Media, Jason Mulderig is responsible for everything related to the HBO brand—from advertising to promotion—including the new HBO Max streaming service. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Jason MulderigJason Mulderig is SVP, Brand Marketing for WarnerMedia Entertainment & Direct-to-Consumer, responsible for the branding, positioning, advertising, prosocial, and promotional efforts for the HBO Max brand, as well as the HBO brand and streaming platforms, HBO GO and HBO NOW.Mulderig joined HBO in 1999 as a marketing assistant in the Affiliate Marketing group. In 2011, he added product marketing to his responsibilities with the launch of HBO’s first streaming app, HBO GO, and in 2013, he was promoted to VP, assuming responsibility for the HBO master brand strategy and advertising for all brand communications, including the HBO linear channel and digital products. In 2015, Mulderig oversaw the brand positioning, brand development, and advertising campaigns for HBO NOW. He currently oversees the national college ambassador program and promotion of HBO’s licensed theatrical movies and in 2020, he also took over leadership of HBO’s brand social media profiles and HBO.com.Episode HighlightsThe challenges of positioning streaming services. In the struggle to stand out among the various streaming networks, Jason framed the challenge as it relates to brand positioning: “What is the right amount of content? It’s the boutique vs. superstore question.”Launching a brand in the midst of a pandemic. Additionally, COVID-19 presented another set of challenges in the launch of HBO Max, a campaign that was initially built around the NCAA playoffs. “We looked for how we could get to a critical mass—gathering up the long tail of users anywhere we could with high-impact placements online.”What about Gone with the Wind? Another challenge still was Gone with the Wind. Specifically, how the 1939 film’s romanticized depiction of slavery in the Confederate South is viewed in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Jason talked about how they pulled the movie from HBO Max and “added additional context” to the conversation about the film.What should you do in the next five minutes? As Tom Peters said on this podast, excellence is the best short-term strategy. I asked Jason what you should do in the five minutes after this show: “Continually go back and look at your messaging, what your purpose is, and what you’re putting out. Advertising can be so expensive. Are you hitting your audience?”What brand has made Jason smile recently? “I’d have to say Spotify.” Jason walked us through how Spotify now owns every aspect of his audio listenership. I couldn’t agree more. (Remember, you can subscribe to On Brand on Spotify too.)To learn more, go to HBOMax.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