On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“It’s a time to double down on your value—your why.” During Bill Cates's storied career as an entrepreneur and relationship marketing expert, he’s helped countless businesses achieve exponential growth. Now he’s back with a new book on Radical Relevance and why we need it today more than ever. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Bill CatesBill Cates has been an entrepreneur for almost 40 years. He has started, built, and sold two successful book publishing companies. After the sale of his second publishing company, Bill devoted the last 25 years to the art and science of relationship marketing. He has three books on the topic of referrals: Get More Referrals Now, Don’t Keep Me a Secret,andBeyond Referrals.Bill is widely recognized as an international expert in helping businesses create exponential growth through strategic networking, referrals, and personal introductions. Bill has now turned his attention to helping businesses and professionals develop and communicate more relevant and compelling value propositions to win more ideal clients or customers. His newest book is Radical Relevance – Sharpen Your Marketing Message, Cut Through the Noise, Win More Ideal Clients.Episode HighlightsWhat is Radical Relevance all about? “Well, it’s the right message, to the right person, at the right time—that’s relevance.” Bill went on to explain the radical part. Tools like Google, Amazon, and even digitally powered billboards have created more urgent expectations from modern consumers.What does Radical Relevance mean in the face of COVID-19? “Some are saying that helping is the new selling. But it’s a bit over-saturated. It’s almost too late. It’s a time to double-down on your unique value and what it means to your clients. You have to accentuate your why.”How can we build a relationship marketing system? Bill walked through why relationship marketing is more than just social proof like testimonials (FYI – “Written are okay, written with a photo and even video are better”) to a complete system. “You have to create engaged clients.” He then shared each and every step including how you “onboard the client into your world” and create word of mouth.What brand has made Bill smile recently? “You’re gonna laugh at this but it’s Corona beer.” Bill shared why he’s a loyal fan and how he’s going to have a big post-lockdown gathering serving Corona to celebrate.To learn more about Bill, get his free guide on exponential growth at ExponentialGrowthGuide.com, check out his Referral Coach website, and, of course, his latest book Radical Relevance.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, Stitcher, Google Play, 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 is absolutely a time to help more and to serve more but it is not a time to sell or market any less.” David Newman is all about getting things done. Whether it’s marketing or speaking, his approach helps people organize their work to positively impact their lives. While COVID-19 could make this harder, Newman argues that clarity is more important now than ever before. We discussed what to do now on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About David NewmanDavid Newman is a Certified Speaking Professional and member of the National Speakers Association Million Dollar Speaker Group. David is the author of the business bestseller Do It! Marketing and Do It! Speaking: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Market, Monetize, and Maximize Your Expertise (HarperCollins, 2020.) He’s the host of The Speaking Show, an iTunes Top 50 marketing podcast, and the #1 highest-rated podcast on the business of speaking.David helps executives and entrepreneurs master speaking as the ultimate marketing tool, personal brand builder, and 1-to-many sales platform. As a speaker himself, David has delivered over 600 paid programs since 1992 and counts 44 of the Fortune 500 among his clients and audiences. David is also the creator of the Speaker Profit Formula mentoring program, which has over 800 successful graduates, ranging from brand new speakers to members of the National Speakers Association “Speaker Hall of Fame.”Episode HighlightsWhat’s the Do It! ethos? As a reader of both of David’s books, I had to ask what the Do It! mindset is all about. He actually shared that there’s an acronym behind this phrase. While it’s not actively used, it spells out everything you need to know about David’s approach to entrepreneurial marketing and professional speaking. You have to … Decide Organize Implement Track How do marketers Do It in the midst of COVID-19? “I’m gonna sound harsh but there were people — even before this — that were reluctant to market clearly. You have to do that now. You also have to give away your top notch-content for free.”One more thing … “I think our messaging needs to change. If you don’t address this you’re gonna sound tone-deaf and irrelevant.” But David’s not just talking about the “hand sanitizer banner” at the top of your website or in your emails.What brand has made David smile recently? “We are huge fans of Trader Joes. To control crowding they’re only letting 40 families in the store at a time. But they don’t just have people standing in a line outside.” David shared how they have laminated signs with some fun dad jokes to bring even more smiles to their customers.To learn more, go to doitmarketing.com where you can find Do It Speaking extras and webinar freebies.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, Stitcher, Google Play, 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 a different time for marketers and brand builders across the board. But what about B2B marketers? What’s different for them in the face of COVID-19? I couldn’t wait to ask our guest this week just that. Ana Raynes is the CEO and founder of Simplified Impact, a B2B growth marketing agency. We discussed what B2B marketers can do during these strange times and the various stages of business that will follow.About Ana RaynesAna Maria Raynes is an entrepreneur, digital marketing expert, and CEO and Founder of Simplified Impact, a growth marketing agency for B2B niche companies. She was a co-founder of the Internet fashion startup Smart Is Cool, where she was responsible for social media and information technology. While working at Smart Is Cool, she was featured in Glamour Magazine and had multiple appearances on FOX Strategy Room. Following her position with Smart Is Cool, she pursued a career that focused on digital marketing.Ana Maria worked for agencies in the New York and Boston areas where She has led digital marketing campaigns for clients such as HSN, Wendy Williams, Football Legend Carl Banks, iHip for Snooki, Eastbay, Aer Lingus, SkyMall, and more.Before the launch of her own business, she was Vice President, Content Marketing at Didit, a digital marketing agency for enterprise eCommerce clients. As a thought leader in her field, she has been invited to speak at conferences such as PPC Hero, NY Small Business Expo, NYXPO, Philanthropy Day, CORE and Vistage.Episode HighlightsWhat’s different for B2B brands as we deal with COVID-19? As a B2B marketer, I couldn’t wait to ask Ana this. And, as a smart guest, she noted, “It depends on your industry.” For example, she works with a lot of medical product and tech companies who are experiencing an uptick. But it’s not the usual cause for celebration given the circumstances …Do brands celebrate growth in the face of a pandemic? “It’s somber growth. It’s very different than it usually is.” This growth also brings a new level of busyness as well. Speaking of routines …Question all of your usual B2B assumptions. B2B marketing has a set of rules that are usually strictly followed. However, many of those best practices deserve a second look in these strange times. For example, B2B buyers typically follow a more traditional workday, which means B2B marketers are timing campaigns to the 9 to 5, Monday through Friday window. Now, with everyone working from home and getting things done at odd hours, a weekend email might not be out of the question.What brand has made Ana smile recently? “There’s a brand called Love Powered Co. that does IM affirmations that are bringing light to so much of what’s going on lately. They always make me smile.” She also pointed to Working Mom Kind for smiles as well.To learn more, go to the Simplified Impact website and follow her 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, Stitcher, Google Play, 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

“People are going to have a favorable impression of your brand or a negative impression of your brand. Then, when you add social media reach on top of that, it can get really great or really crazy.” That’s why you have to brand—with clutter-cutting messaging and compassion—from the inside out, starting with your employees. Especially in the midst of the pandemic we find ourselves battling both personally and professionally. Brand strategy expert Amber Hurdle discussed all of this and more, this week on the On Brand podcast.About Amber HurdleAmber Hurdle is the CEO of Amber Hurdle Consulting, a multi-award- winning talent optimization firm that pioneers using both science and marketing principles to strengthen customers’ brands from the inside out. Hurdle helps overcome costly business problems like ineffective recruiting, turnover, underperformance, declining morale and leadership gaps by clearly connecting her clients’ people strategy to their business strategy for measurable bottom-line results.She personally understands what it takes to accelerate success as a former teen mom who evolved into a powerhouse businesswoman, having worked with international celebrities, executives and Fortune 100 companies alike.When Amber is not helping individuals and employers share their unique value, she is “momming so hard,” embracing her inner gym rat in the weight room, and entertaining her family and friends. While she is known for being a super extra dog mom and hot wing snob, Amber Hurdle is most known for connecting personal, employer and business brands via her proprietary Velvet Machete® Brand Strategy.Episode HighlightsWhy you have to brand from the inside out. People matter. “I refuse to take on work where we can’t start from the inside out.” Brand peripherals like the logo are just the tip of the iceberg compared to employee engagement.What’s Amber’s Velvet Machete brand strategy all about? “It’s cutting to the chase with a direct message that’s wrapped in a way that’s well-received.” This is especially critical amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic.Is there a Velvet Machete message to cut through the clutter and confusion around COVID-19? Both Amber and I discussed how concerned we were that messages of safety aren’t getting through. “Our country doesn’t get it. We’ve wasted time being wishy-washy… comparing it to the flu.” Instead, Amber notes that we need to be saying, “It’s bad but we’ll figure it out ‘coz we’re the United States of Freaking America. That’s what we do. It’s gonna be hard if we rip the band-aid off. It’s gonna be hard if we slow bleed. One way is worse than the other. Choose your hard.”What brand has made Amber smile recently? “I love luxury brands. That’s why I love to travel with Southwest.” Amber went on to talk about the airline’s exemplary inside out branding and the loyalty they’re building right now with their no-fee cancellations.To learn more, check out amberhurdle.com and, to get a free ebook on the intersection of science and branding, text ‘scienceandbranding’ (all one word) to 44-222.Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Aaker, Vice-Chairman of Prophet, discusses his latest book on game-changing subcategories and the disconnect between branding and strategy. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining brand identity during crises and explores the value of social benefits and brand communities. The speaker also highlights the significance of building connections and introduces humor in business as a topic of discussion.

This week’s podcast interview was originally scheduled to take place live on stage at SXSW. Unfortunately, a nasty pandemic got in the way of this. However, I still wanted to talk with VR expert Ashley Crowder about her work as CEO and Co-Founder of VNTANA, a company that helps brands build out new online realities (which may be more relevant now than ever before!). We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Ashley CrowderAshley Crowder is the co-founder and CEO of VNTANA, the industry-leading platform that automates the conversion of physical products into 3D Web, AR, VR & hologram e-commerce experiences. She has worked in the mixed-reality space for over 7 years, creating unique hologram activations for Fortune 1000 brands including Adidas, Lexus, Intel and more. Prior to co-founding VNTANA, she gained valuable engineering experience at Gulfstream, Northrop Grumman and BP, now leveraging her engineering background to guide VNTANA’s overall direction and technology development to shape the future of e-commerce. Under her leadership, VNTANA has released the fastest and easiest way to create, manage, and distribute 3D assets for the web, AR, and VR in an end-to-end CMS, making it easy to create a 3D version of every product in the world.Ashley has given talks on the future of mixed reality and how to incorporate it in enterprises today at prestigious venues including SXSW, Digital Summit, Internet Summit, Augmented World Expo, TEDx Venice, the World Economic Forum’s Global Growth Companies & Technology Pioneers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, The Montgomery Summit, Siemer Summit, Digital LA, and others. Ashley was featured as one of USC’s leading engineering CEOs of 2016 and is a part of the Microsoft Early Developer Program. She earned her BS in Industrial Systems Engineering and MS in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California.Episode HighlightsWhy is VNTANA such a good brand name? As a brand builder, I had to start with this great brand name, which comes from the Spanish word for window, ventana. “We’re giving people this view into another world,” explains Crowder of her company and its brand name.“Every brand needs to create their online twin for the VR, 3D spatial computing web.” We’ve come along way from those “brochure websites” we laughed about during the podcast. Perhaps taking the metaphor too far, I asked Ashley if it was an identical twin we should be striving to create online? She said responded, “It’s getting close …”“Results are everything.” Crowder shared stories about IKEA and Shopify using VR and AR to achieve significant results. IKEA created a 3D virtual catalog and saw a 35% increase that they could attribute to this. Shopify found customers were twice as likely to purchase after using their AR support feature.What brand has made Ashley smile recently? “Chipotle!” She shared a story about Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics pranking rookie, Romeo Langford, along with some help from their local Chipotle. This one will literally make you smile!To learn more about Ashley Crowder and VNTANA, check out VNTANA’s website.Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Attention is the defining business challenge of our time.” This prolific idea was noted by not one but two guests this week. Jamie Mustard is a strategic multimedia consultant who helps create brands, ideas, and messages that stand out. His new book The Iconist features bold examples from the world of business, art, and music including the story of Mindhunter actor Holt McCallany. We’re lucky to be joined by both Jamie and Holt this week on the On Brand podcast.About Jamie Mustard and Holt McCallanyJamie Mustard is a strategic multimedia consultant and Iconist. His passion is to teach the science and “art of obviousness,” helping professionals, change agents, artists, and businesses confidently and at-will make their messages, brands, and ideas stand out to their desired audiences. A graduate of the London School of Economics, Jamie’s work is an explanation of the “economics of attention,” based on the primal laws of human perception called Blocks. He has spoken, educated, and inspired others with his work prolifically, including TED at the creative giant, Wieden and Kennedy. Jamie’s Iconist work has spanned some of the world’s leading companies, artists, and the globe. Growing up in severe poverty in inner-city Los Angeles, Jamie overcame obstacles to eventually codify a system of primal laws that can now help us all.In a film career spanning over 30 years, Holt McCallany has appeared in well over 100 films and television shows, working with some of the world’s most storied directors. Throughout his varied and versatile career, Holt has worked for David Fincher, David O’Russell, William Friedkin, Lawrence Kasdan, Walter Hill, Clint Eastwood, Brian De Palma, and Michael Mann among many others. He has appeared in notable and pivotal supporting roles in movies like Fight Club, Three Kings, Black Hat, Alien III, Justice League, and Sully. Holt currently stars in the Netflix series Mindhunter for director David Fincher where he plays Bill Tench, a complex, real-life FBI agent researching serial killers in the late 1970s.Episode HighlightsThe Jamie Mustard-Holt McCallany connection. So how does a famous actor like Holt McCallany know a branding guy like Jamie Mustard? Jamie met Holt years ago when he produced a documentary about Holt’s mother, a famous cabaret singer from the 1950s.“Holt’s story helped me illustrate a point about The Dilution Effect.” One of the central ideas in Jamie’s book The Iconist deals with the economics of attention. Specifically, the fact that there’s so much information, so much content that it’s harder than ever to stand out. Holt starred in a critically acclaimed FX series called Lights Out that was canceled after one season. As the President of FX said at the time, “There were so many shows no one could find it.” Both noted that everyone in every field experiences this to some extent today.“People feel invisible,” said Holt of the endless sources of online media and continuous assaults by advertising, echoing some of the themes from Mindhunter. Jamie’s concept of ‘blocks’ gives creators tools to stand out. Simply put, blocks are “large big road signs someone can understand in their lizard brain.”What brands have made Jamie and Holt and smile recently? Both were decidedly on brand with examples illustrating attention-getting ideas. Holt pointed us to Extinction Rebellion for their work calling attention to climate change and other causes through bold demonstrations. Jamie shared the story of Burger King’s “moldy Whopper” ad, which demonstrates the fast-food favorite’s lack of preservatives in gross detail.To learn more about Holt McCallany, check out HoltMcCallany.com and follow him on Twitter.To learn more about Jamie Mustard, check out TheIconist.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Vision and strategy require a lot of thinking about brand.” Mona Bijoor would know. She spends a lot of her time thinking about and helping early-stage founders startup, scale, and grow their businesses, which, as she notes, involves more thinking about brand than most realize. She’s also the author of the new book, Startups and Downs, The Secrets of Resilient Entrepreneurs. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Mona BijoorMona Bijoor is a partner at King Circle Capital LLC, an investment and advisory firm, where she has holdings in real estate, franchises, start-ups, and online businesses. Mona is also the founder of JOOR, the premier online global B2B marketplace for wholesale buying that directly connects brands and retailers.A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, Mona lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters. She is the Amazon best selling author of Startups and Downs, The Secrets of Resilient Entrepreneurs and a frequent contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global.Episode Highlights“As a founder, you need to work backward,” Mona notes. “This is a common challenge from mom and pops on up. Your brand isn’t just your mark. It’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”Mona’s startup story on brand. Early in the podcast, Mona shared a story about branding her first SAAS startup. “We over-indexed on customer service because we were so paranoid about what people were saying about our service when we weren’t in the room.”Why all startup brands should create a brand book. Mona advises all startups she advises—regardless of industry—to make a brand book. This should include information on why your brand exists and the pain points in the market you address. It should also feature your mission, objectives, and a profile of your target market. In the end, the book serves as a kind of “North Star” for anyone at the company to use in their day-to-day work living the brand.To learn more, check out Mona’s new book Startups and Downs, The Secrets of Resilient Entrepreneurs 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, Stitcher, Google Play, 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

“Marketers today have to be data junkies.” Kristin Luck would know. She’s founded two marketing analytics companies that were so successful both ended up being acquired. Today she helps founders and executive teams scale and monetize their businesses. What role does branding play in all of this? We discussed that very topic and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.About Kristin LuckKristin Luck serves as an advisor and growth strategist to a number of cutting-edge marketing and analytics technology and services firms through her consultancy, ScaleHouse. She is the founder of two marketing analytics companies that she led to successful exits. Kristin co-founded OTX, an online research business that was named the fastest-growing research firm in the world in 2002 and 2003 and was subsequently acquired by Zelnick Media & Pilot Group and again by Ipsos in 2007. She then founded Forefront Consulting Group, a research technology firm that was acquired by Decipher. Decipher was acquired by FocusVision in 2014 after seven consecutive years of double and triple-digit growth.Kristin is a licensed investment banker with Oberon Securities and a founder focused on helping fellow founders and executive teams scale and monetize their businesses. Her deal expertise on both sides of transactions comes from participating in both acquisitions and exits from $30 million to $175 million. She is also passionate about supporting founders in international markets execute their entry into the U.S.Episode HighlightsWhat does branding have to do with mergers and acquisitions? “Brand is huge in terms of attracting buyers. You have to have brand equity.” We also discussed that brand is hard to quantify yet companies lacking brand equity are usually lacking other performance metrics like annual recurring revenue—and vice versa.Analytics is everything. “Marketers today have to be data junkies.” However, you have to avoid the “phenomenon on analysis paralysis.” Kristin went on to cite a new report from Gartner noting that CMOs will spend more than CIOs for the first time ever. Speaking of the C suite …“It all comes down to the CEO.” We discussed how “investing in brand” can sound like a dubious proposition, especially as execs typically don’t like investing in marketing much less something “squishy” things like branding. Kristin says the CEO sets the tone. “They can be your biggest asset and advocate. Look at the T-Mobile CEO.”What brand has made Kristin smile recently? Want a smile? How about checking out “The Naked Truth About Laundry” from the CEO of Dropps, a sustainable laundry company that got Kristin’s attention and mine and made us both smile. Check it out!To learn more, go to scalehouse.consulting for Kristin’s company website and be sure to check out their blog.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, Stitcher, Google Play, 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 biggest disservice we've done with content marketing is giving such high expectations without the tools to fulfill them.” When it comes to upping your content marketing game, most struggle with obstacles related to time, talent, and treasure. Luckily, StoryFuel founder Melanie Deziel's new book The Content Fuel Framework can help you with all of this. We discussed all of this and more this week when Melanie returned to the On Brand podcast.About Melanie DezielMelanie Deziel is a keynote speaker, author, award-winning branded content creator, and lifelong storyteller, on a mission to share the power of compelling and credible content with others. Melanie is the author of “The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas,” and the founder of StoryFuel, which teaches marketers, publishers, creators and companies of all sizes how to tell better brand stories.Prior to founding StoryFuel, Melanie was the first editor of branded content at The New York Times, a founding member of HuffPost’s brand storytelling team, and served as Director of Creative Strategy for Time Inc.Episode HighlightsWhere do we go from here with content marketing? Melanie likened content creation over time as similar to being in a relationship. You've been to every restaurant in your neighborhood. You've tried everything. What now? Melanie shared a series of hacks and idea starters to help content marketers get unstuck.Three common content marketing obstacles. As a veteran of organizations like The New York Times and Time and an advisor to countless clients, Melanie often finds organizations struggling with three common content marketing obstacles: (1) time, (2) lack of resources, and (3) confidence. She shared strategies for addressing each of these during the show.Why you should check out Melanie's new book The Content Fuel Framework. “The promise I make to you is that you'll have a shared language for content marketing and an approachable process for idea generation.” You can download a Content Fuel Framework cheat sheet combo now at this link using the code ONBRAND.What brand has made Melanie smile recently? Google made Melanie both smile and cry—in a short window of time—with their recent Super Bowl ad. Talk about a compelling brand story!To learn more, go to IWantMelaniesBook.com (it goes to Amazon but I wanted to share that awesome URL) or storyfuel.co.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, Stitcher, Google Play, 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