On Strategy Showcase

The basics apparel brand shares how it is elevating its "comfort" equity from functional benefit to cultural relevance. We're joined by CSO, Elizabeth Paul and Associate CD, Rushil Nadkarni, both of The Martin Agency.

Ep#1 of our "Outside-In Thinking" series features Steven Lacey of The Outsiders, a cultural consultancy in London. He shares how our industry can break out of fishbowl thinking in order to deliver real value. This series sponsored by The Planning Department.

Most categories have them, the big, obvious taboos no one talks about, but everyone knows could be awesome. For Partners Life Insurance, it was death! And they did it in an amazingly unique way. Rory Gallery, CSO and Lisa Fedyszyn, ECD of Special Group in Auckland, talk us through the award winning Last Performance.

Ep#4 in our travel series features actors Rose Burn and Will Arnett in "Come Say G'day." It's a lesson in how to freshen brand codes without changing them.  We're joined by CMO Susan Coghill and Executive Strategy Lead, Rob Dougan.  Thanks to Kantar for sponsoring this series.

First it was Droga5's Global CSO, Jonny Bauer, quickly followed by five CSOs from major creative agencies.  So what's going on inside the ivory tower of investment banking in Midtown Manhattan? We talk with Tom Callard, former CSO at BBH and now Brand Transformation Lead at Blackstone.

Martin Weigel, incoming CS0 at AMV BBDO, Paula Bloodworth, Head of International Strategy at Uncommon, and Rob Campbell, CS0 at Colenso BBDO called and wanted to chat. This is what happened.

Ep#3 in our Travel Series, United Airlines aligns with the stated beliefs of younger travelers through an ESG campaign that showcases its intentions and people. Thanks to Kantar for sponsoring this series.

Ep# 2 in our “Best of Travel” series is Expedia's "Made to Travel" and its shift away from marketing destinations and deals to marketing the moments and feelings that great travel makes possible. Thanks to Kantar for sponsoring this series.

Ep#1 in our Travel Series. Leverage distinctive features in distinctive, humorous ways. Having to experience our world in virtual ways led to a craving for reality. And Iceland offers stunning, natural reality in spades, without silly headsets. We talk with SS+K, NY and Visit Iceland. Thanks to Kantar for supporting this series. 

Byron is the author of How Brands Grow and Director of The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Sciences. Some refer to him as the dark lord of effectiveness. He’s blunt and unapologetic. And I like that about him.  He lives in a black and white world, so no apologies to those who live in the gray.