The strongest brands don’t shout—they earn trust over time. That’s how Nikki Little approaches her work. She’s the CMO and co-owner at Franco, a women-owned, Detroit-based integrated communications agency with more than 60 years of history. After a full-circle career that took her from early agency life to leading social and communications teams, Nikki now helps shape Franco’s future with a purpose-driven, human-first approach to brand building, storytelling, and leadership.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why modern brand builders must accept that total control is a myth and focus on reputation monitoring instead
- The difference between consistent storytelling and repetitive messaging across integrated channels
- How to apply Brené Brown’s Strong Ground principles to build a solid brand foundation
- Why employee alignment is the first step in closing the authenticity gap with your customers
- How to treat AI as an overzealous intern rather than a replacement for strategic relationships
Episode Chapters
- (00:00) Intro
- (01:34) Authenticity in the Age of Unpolished Content
- (03:37) Understanding Your Audience and the Brand Core
- (05:22) The Myth of Total Brand Control
- (07:25) Navigating Critics and the Crisis Plan
- (10:10) Storytelling as a Tool for Trust Building
- (12:45) Internal Culture and the Authenticity Gap
- (15:12) Leadership Examples: Brené Brown and Liz Plosser
- (19:51) Rumbling with AI in a Human Business
- (25:30) Brands That Make Us Smile
- (28:33) Where to Find Nikki Little
About Nikki Little
Nikki Little is the CMO and co-owner at Franco, a Detroit-based, women-owned integrated communications agency with a 60-year legacy. With a career spanning early agency life to leading complex social and communications teams, Nikki specializes in a purpose-driven, human-first approach to brand building and leadership. She is a recognized expert in navigating the intersection of PR, digital strategy, and authentic storytelling, helping brands find their “core” to build lasting trust in a critical and fast-moving digital environment.
What Brand Has Made Nikki Smile Recently?
Nikki shared two brands that recently stood out: Chevy, for their deeply authentic “Memory Lane” holiday commercial that mastered the art of non-cheesy storytelling, and Mabel’s Labels, for their proactive customer service that turned a lost shipment into a “customer for life” experience.
Resources & Links
- Check out the Franco website.
- Connect with Nikki Little on LinkedIn.
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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!
