On Brand with Nick Westergaard

Chris Kocek is the founder and CEO of Gallant Branding and the author of the new book Any Insights Yet? His work helps brands looking to make a difference in the world make sense of all of the data and insights at their fingertips. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Chris KocekChris Kocek is the founder and CEO of Gallant Branding, a creative branding firm in Austin, Texas focused on building brands for a better world. Over the past 10 years, Gallant has helped dozens of companies with brand overhauls, new product launches, and data-driven campaigns, resulting in triple-digit growth and national recognition.In his new book, Any Insights Yet? Connect the Dots. Create New Categories. Transform Your Business, Chris Kocek demystifies the insight-building process in a way that can help any business leader or marketing practitioner get to higher ground. Packed with real-world examples from leading brands and award-winning campaigns, Any Insights Yet? provides a dynamic step-by-step process for connecting the dots between data, observations, and human truths, resulting in powerful insights that can breathe new life into your brand and give your business a long-term competitive advantage.Links from the Show Here's a link to Chris's new book Any Insights Yet? Connect the Dots. Create New Categories. Transform Your Business. Chris's creative branding firm Gallant Branding. Chris talked about his team's work for the brand Snap Kitchen. What brand has made Chris smile recently? Chris pointed us to Slutty Vegan out of Atlanta as a brand with personality — something too many brands today lack.Connect with Chris on his website and connect with him on LinkedIn.As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. 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 a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Miller is co-author of the book Legacy in the Making, founder of The Legacy Lab, and Chief Strategy Officer at Team One, a leading luxury agency. As all of this would suggest, Mark is an expert in both legacy building for brands and luxury branding. We discussed both this week on the On Brand podcast.About Mark MillerMark Miller is the co-author of Legacy in the Making: Building a Long-Term Brand to Stand Out in a Short-Term World (McGraw-Hill Education). He is the founder of The Legacy Lab, a thought leadership and consulting practice that explores how brands can build modern legacies. He is also the Chief Strategy Officer at Team One, Publicis Groupe’s global luxury and premium brand agency. Mark is a sought-after presenter, keynote speaker, and panelist on global luxury and premium brands, leadership and culture, legacy-making, and his recent book.Links from the Show Mark’s big and small legacy brand examples — Wimbledon and their retractable roof) and Me & the Bees Lemonade. Is Patagonia actually a luxury brand? We discussed this on the show but here's an interesting piece from The Cut exploring this question further. Fun Fact: I chatted with Mark's Legacy in the Making co-author Lucas Conley a few years back. Listen to his interview for more on building your brand legacy. What brand has made Mark smile recently? Being a music fan, Mark shared the story of a brand he loved — Nashville's Bluebird Cafe.Connect with Mark on X and LinkedIn. You can also check out his Fast Company-produced docuseries.As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. 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 a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Abrahams, leading expert in communication, joins the podcast to discuss managing anxiety in communication, the importance of effective communication in business, strategies for impromptu speaking, the power of communication through interesting guests, applying improv techniques to communication, and a discussion on a clothing brand inspired by Instagram and a podcast recommendation.

Jamie Turner, internationally recognized author, professor, consultant, and TV news contributor, discusses how being pushy can hinder persuasion, the impact of social media on marketing and society, and the connection between marketing and leadership. They also explore narrowing marketing efforts for better results and creative strategies employed by brands like Bumble.

Ana Andjelic, Chief Brand Officer of ESPIRIT Holdings Limited, discusses the process of brand revival and the challenges of restarting a neglected European brand in North America. Topics also include the rise and fall of ESPIRIT, the importance of brand heritage and aesthetic confidence, and the connection between sociology and brand building.

Paulo Ribeiro is the founder of Two Things, a transformative agency for active lifestyle brands. With clients like The North Face, Timberland, and more, Paulo's expertise in brand advertising and global brand strategy has shaped industry leaders like Nike and Electronic Arts. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Paulo RibieroPaulo Ribeiro is the founder of Two Things, a brand transformation agency that focuses on the active lifestyle category. Two Things serves clients such as The North Face, Timberland, Visit Sun Valley, Mad Hippie, Converse, and Arc'teryx.Paulo began his career in brand advertising first in NYC and then in SF at Hal Riney+Partners, the first creatively led agency, during the dot com boom. At Wieden + Kennedy, he was head of global brand strategy for Nike and Electronic Arts through the era of digital transformation. He led the evolution of innovation agency Redscout to better serve Silicon Valley, working with Reid Hoffman on LinkedIn's positioning and expanding Gatorade's portfolio from beverages to food and digital products.Paulo was the Managing Director of one of the first Venture Studios-West SF, which was founded by Jack Dorsey to accelerate the growth of many of the world's most disruptive startups. His portfolio included Venmo, Jawbone, Twitter, Braintree, Square, Tumblr, and many others. More recently he led the creation of the Wieden + Kennedy Lodge the innovation agency, within the W+K Network, working with Nike's secretive Innovation Kitchen, Samsung, and Verizon as clients. The fruits of that labor contributed significantly to W+K earning Global Agency of the Year two years in a row.Paulo’s work has been discussed in the New York Times, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, Adweek, Techcrunch, Monocle, The Guardian, Communication Arts, LA Times, Business Insider, and many other publications.Episode HighlightsWhat is a lifestyle brand? Paulo and his team define it as, “any brand that encourages an active lifestyle” including both athletics and travel.What are the Two Things? The name of Paulo's agency comes from “the art of combining two unrelated things in an interesting way” to stand out in the crowded, distracted world we find ourselves in.The role of tension. Paulo and I spent a lot of our conversation talking about tension. Tension between the advertising industry and the Silicon Valley innovation mindset. Tension between scale and experimentation. This tension can play an important role in standing out today.What brand has made Paulo smile recently? First, Paulo threw it back to the EA and Nike collaboration, Dot Swoosh, that he referenced earlier. He then shared the amazing activation the Barbie team did with Ken and the Dream House. “Actions speak louder than words.”To learn more, check out the agency's website at TwoThings.co.As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. 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 a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Butler is a “can-do” digital marketing and brand growth expert. That motto of the military unit he led in Iraq and he brings that mindset to his work helping businesses address the obstacles they face in building and growing their brands. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Anthony ButlerAnthony Butler is the founder of the digital marketing agency Can-Do Ideas and the author of Primal Storytelling, Marketing for Humans. He is a highly regarded expert in brand storytelling and digital marketing. Anthony served as both enlisted and as an officer in the US Army. He also graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and the US Army Ranger School. He is a combat veteran and commanded an infantry company in Iraq during the invasion of Baghdad. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt and currently resides in Montana with his wife and two sons.Episode HighlightsFrom the military to marketing. Anthony shared his compelling life story — from his background in the armed forces to the can-do mindset he developed there and now uses in his work to help businesses grow. “It taught me to be regimented with my time.”What brand has made Anthony smile recently? On a recent trip to South Dakota to visit family, Anthony was struck by the power of the Harley Davidson brand over time. “Any time someone will tattoo a brand on their body is big.”To learn more, connect with Anthony on LinkedIn and check out the Primal Storytelling website.As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. 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 a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thaler Pekar is a pioneer in the field of organizational storytelling. Her work helps leaders, employees, and customers connect around shared stories. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Thaler PekarThaler Pekar is a communication pioneer, lauded as one of the world’s leading experts on institutional storytelling. For 18 years, she and her team at Thaler Pekar & Partners have advised visionary leaders worldwide on gaining confidence, insight, and influence.Episode HighlightsHow institutional storytelling works. “It helps to have an equitable leader,” Thaler began, describing how the stories leaders share can connect all levels in an organization.Small stories can exemplify the brand. Thaler shared a story from her work with retail giant Kiehl's. “They're really committed to the idea of hospitality,” she notes. “Finding stories is about learning more about what customers want.”“People don't listen because they themselves don't feel heard.” I had to pause the interview and write this one down! Thaler notes that people are complex and can miss this critical first step — listening.What brand has made Thaler smile recently? “Barbenheimer!” Thaler and I discussed how this marketing phenomenon was a true story of a “high tide raising all ships.”To learn more, check out the Thaler Pekar & Partners website.As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. 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 a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay Norman is the Global Head of Music Marketing at Spotify. His work at Spotify and his background as co-founder of the content shop Verse + Hook has focused on helping brands create and connect through culturally impactful work. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Jay NormanJay Norman is a creative leader, marketer, and co-founder with a 15-year + commitment to designing campaigns merging culture and human emotional experiences. Currently serving as the Global Head of Music Marketing at Spotify, Justin has worked with several international brands, organizations, and artists, creating genre-bending, culturally impactful work. Within his agency career, he has led campaigns and content for brands such as Johnson and Johnson (Listerine, Tylenol, Zyrtec), Stellantis (Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati), Unilever (Country Crock, Bertolli, Popsicle, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) JBL, Harman Kardon, McDonald's, and more.The award-winning content shop he co-founded, Verse + Hook, has crafted work on brands like Pepsi and Kingsford and had an integral role in the composition of campaigns and media featuring artists and musicians in advertising for brands like Jeep, Bacardi, Paypal, NFL, and ESPN.Episode HighlightsArtists and brands can be strange bedfellows. “Usually it takes the form of an endorsement.” However, as Jay notes, it can often be something much bigger.The problem? “Brands usually come in asking an artist to be in this thing all about me. In reality, it all comes down to story — what about you makes you interesting?”“Our algorithm is one of the best pieces of machine learning,” says Jay. He went on to share the powerful brand touchpoint of Spotify's year-end Wrapped project.What brand has made Darren smile recently? “Barbie,” Jay noted with enthusiasm. “I'm loving that, usually, a brand over-saturating the market backfires. But Barbie reminds us that nostalgia is a powerful tool.”To learn more, connect with Jay on LinkedIn.As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. 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 a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacey Zimmerman serves as Managing Director at Big Spaceship, where she focuses on deepening client relationships, growing the agency at large, and leading the Account Management discipline. Her passion lies in helping client partners work collaboratively with their agency partners, underscoring how collaboration leads to the most impactful work. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.About Stacey ZimmermanStacey Zimmerman serves as Managing Director at Big Spaceship, where she focuses on deepening client relationships, growing the agency at large, and leading the Account Management discipline. Her passion lies in helping client partners work collaboratively with their agency partners, underscoring how collaboration leads to the most impactful work. Nurturing diverse teams, Stacey helps provide education and opportunities to aspiring talent by teaching advertising at both East and West Coast universities for the past decade, serving as executive sponsor for one of Big Spaceship’s employee resource groups (ERGs), and serving as a MAIP mentor.In her five years at Big Spaceship, Stacey has grown the agency’s relationship with Starbucks from a project to AOR, expanding into the loyalty and partnerships space while also helping mount a multi-chaptered brand campaign. Recently, she helped launch Fast Twitch, a new energy drink from PepsiCo, with a holistic campaign and on-the-ground Super Bowl activation. Her experience also includes digital product work; for example, Stacey helped SiriusXM develop a brand new website that made for an entirely revamped experience both for customers and internal marketing teams. Current and past clients include Google, Hasbro, MasterClass, and NFL, among other brands.Prior to Big Spaceship, Stacey worked at a variety of agencies within the Publicis Groupe network on integrated campaigns for brands including P&G, J&J, Veuve Clicquot, Sally Hansen, Visa, and Google. Stacey has also developed an expertise in the tech space, developing sites, apps, and digital campaigns for clients such as Mercedes-Benz and COTY.Episode HighlightsBuilding successful partnerships with clients. “It's a constant conversation,” Stacey notes. “You also have to set up imperfection — that we might change our mind along the way and that's okay.”“I sometimes forget that you don't work here,” Stacey loves hearing this from clients. Again, this is indicative of the close partnerships she believes in building rather than account management.We need a better label ... Stacey notes that though she's a big believer in the account management discipline, it's a limiting label. She promises to keep us posted on what she and the team comes up with!What brand has made Stacey smile recently? Stacey began with a big shoutout to all of the amazing Barbie work before sharing the story of Orange and an AI-generated women's soccer ad.To learn more, check out the Big Spaceship website and connect with her on LinkedIn.As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. 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 a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices