In Clear Focus

In Clear Focus: David Courtier-Dutton, the CEO of SoundOut, joins us to discuss the art and science that lies behind some of the most effective sonic logos in the US today. David explains how consistently using brand music creates a Pavlovian trigger: when people hear it, even in isolation, a flood of emotions that they associate with the brand is immediately triggered in the brain. We also learn how marketers can ensure that a sonic logo maps precisely to a brand’s archetypes and values.

In Clear Focus: In 2020, Black Americans' buying power totaled $1.6 trillion or 9 percent of the nation's total - despite being 13 percent of the population. These consumers are willing to shift around 30 percent of their current spending to companies that better address their needs. Inclusive marketing expert Sonia Thompson returns to the podcast for a lively conversation about Black History Month and offers practical advice for brands seeking to develop authentic, truly inclusive marketing.

In Clear Focus: An innovative new film-making certification that's designed to equip storytellers with the skills they need to meet the growing demand for branded media. The program is the brainchild of our two guests this week: Rick Parkhill of Brand Storytelling and Dr. Stephen Marshall of East Tennessee State University. Learn how course students are briefed directly by industry partners including Discovery, Univision, Southwest Airlines, and Intel, plus hear feedback from the first cohort.

In Clear Focus: Elevating brand storytelling with sound as we examine the evolution of audio branding. Dallas Taylor of podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz reveals the story behind the iconic Netflix sonic identity, Jon Rhuff and Yeosh Bendayan of Push Button Productions explain how jingles are composed, and author Laurence Minsky discusses his book, Audio Branding: Using Sound to Build Your Brand. IN CLEAR FOCUS listeners can save 20 percent on Audio Branding with code BIGEYE20 at KoganPage.com.

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Our guest this week is Miri Rodriguez, the author of Brand Storytelling, this month's Bigeye Book Club selection. Miri discusses how brands can use stories to connect with consumers on a deeper level. Miri also shares how she prototypes stories based on design thinking principles and reveals some storytelling magic tricks. IN CLEAR FOCUS listeners can claim a 20 percent discount on Brand Storytelling by going to KoganPage.com and using the promo code BIGEYE20 at checkout.

In Clear Focus: The fourth in a series of podcast episodes accompanying Bigeye’s study, Retail Disrupted: What Shoppers Want From Brands Today. Based on a national survey of over 1,500 US shoppers, it's clear that consumers are demanding more from retail experiences - in-store and online - than ever before. In this podcast, we discuss how retail is evolving in 2022, explore key data points from the report, and consider what the findings mean for retail, brand, and direct-to-consumer marketers.

In Clear Focus: Our podcast guest is Simon Bailey, co-author of Myths of Branding, this month's Bigeye Book Club selection. Simon discusses some of the false myths that abound in branding. From the titular belief that a brand is just a logo, to the perception that it's a 'soft' area of marketing that doesn't go beyond visual identity - hear why these couldn't be further from the truth. For a 20 percent discount on Myths of Branding, go to KoganPage.com and use promo code BIGEYE20 at checkout.

In Clear Focus: The creator economy is disrupting advertising, and provides many creators with a viable alternative to traditional employment. Guest Nick Wolny is a prolific writer and the founder of Camp Wordsmith, a business and writing incubator for entrepreneurs. Nick offers advice for anyone considering becoming an independent creator, and explains why creative content side hustles have been embraced among Gen Z. Nick also shares his views on artificial intelligence-based writing tools.

In Clear Focus: Bigeye's senior strategist Dana Cassell joins us to kickstart the new year and our ninth season of the podcast. Dana discusses the importance of auditing all a brand's assets and explains Bigeye's five-step process. Learn why brand audits start with internal branding, move to external branding, and need to incorporate customer experience. Dana offers advice on determining which KPIs managers need to monitor to track a brand's health. Link to free audit guide in the show notes.

A preview of season 9 of IN CLEAR FOCUS including contributions from experts on strategy, sonic branding, and the creator economy. This season will also see the launch of the Bigeye Book Club. Join us for lively conversations and fresh perspectives on the business of advertising IN CLEAR FOCUS every Tuesday from January 11, 2022.