Author Archives: Nick Westergaard
Building a Social-First Brand with David Brickley
November 1, 2021
“People want to interact with people—not brands.” David Brickley has been helping brands interact with their people through his agency STN Digital and his two podcasts Business of Social and Entrepreneur Wrap. This week he joined me as a guest on my podcast to talk about how to build a social-first brand. Read More
Delivering a Speech with Energy (Again and Again)
October 25, 2021
“That was a good question,” I said, nodding. That was a good question. I love those words. I’m also frequently stumped in the moments that follow those words because, to me, a good question is one that makes me both … Read More
The Art of Visual Storytelling with Dan Roam
October 25, 2021
“We are profoundly visual creatures. We respond to what we see more than anything else.” Dan Roam has spent his career helping people master the art of visual communication and storytelling. His books from Back of the Napkin to his latest, The Pop-Up Pitch, help organizations and individuals put this system into action. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with him this week on the On Brand podcast. Read More
Choosing Your Customer with Jonathan Byrnes
October 4, 2021
“In the old days, branding was a very broad thing. Today it’s picking your spot.” Jonathan Byrnes knows a thing or two about building a profitable brand for the long haul. He’s a Senior Lecturer at MIT, founding partner of Profit Isle, and the author of two books and numerous HBR articles. He’s also my guest this week on the On Brand podcast. Enjoy! Read More
Qualitative Research in Branding with Duane Varan
September 6, 2021
“A lot of the assumptions we make are bad assumptions.” When it comes to making assumptions, sometimes we marketers can’t help ourselves. To avoid this, we need to ensure that we have a good mix of both quantitive and qualitative … Read More
How Native Ads Build Better Brands with Dan Greenberg
August 30, 2021
“If you can design triggers into the thing someone’s already doing, you make advertising even more impactful.” Expanding the definition of advertising to include more human-centric and respectful ideas has been at the heart of Dan Greenberg’s work as CEO and founder of Sharethrough and as a leader in the native advertising movement. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. Read More
What the Pandemic Means for Brands with Emmanuel Probst
August 23, 2021
“The pandemic has forced brands to change the way they communicate and the way they operate.” As a research professor, author, and VP at Ipsos, Emmanuel Probst spends a lot of time studying, teaching, and writing about consumer behavior. His latest update to Brand Hacks provides brand builders with a useful compass for navigating the increasingly challenging world we find ourselves in. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. Read More
Why Conflict Is Critical in Storytelling with Norman Bell
August 2, 2021
“Storytelling is in the air for business but why is that? Why is it so important?” These questions and more were at the very heart of my interview with Norman Bell, author of The Story Powered Speaker, this week on the On Brand podcast! Read More
Branding Through Science and Story with Jenna Arkin
July 12, 2021
“Consumers seek authenticity and they’re getting better at weeding out the greenwashing the brands that don’t have the people, story, and heritage behind them.” As the Vice President of Innovation at green cleaning brand ECOS, Jenna Arkin’s work sits at the intersection between science and creativity. This week on the On Brand podcast, she joined us for a discussion on this innovative brand’s story, differentiation, communicating science, and more. Read More
Your Brand Shouldn’t Be the Star of Your Story
July 6, 2021
As I’ve written recently, story can be a powerful tool for marketers looking to cut through the clutter in the distracted, digital world we find ourselves in. When you hear a story, your brain lights up with cortex activity in … Read More