Author Archives: Nick Westergaard

“Until you have decent consumer intelligence and some competitive market information from the cash register, you don’t have the basis for what I would call a tight strategic plan.” With extensive experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, James Richardson brings his background as a cultural anthropologist to understanding the social science and symbology that goes into brand building. He’s also the author of the new book Ramping Your Brand. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Read More →

“The old world of branding is falling away and it’s being replaced by intrinsic branding—this idea that if you get your inner world right, then how you show up in the outer world will be sincere, authentic, and interesting.” Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster have an “iron-sharpens-iron” relationship that they bring to bear, sharpening brands as co-founders of Root + River. We discussed their work together and the unique challenges brands face today this week on the On Brand podcast. Read More →

“When new technology comes out, we use it in the old ways that we know. With the internet, it was free publication. So we made websites. We didn’t see this as a way of connecting better.” Better connections—meeting someone at their moment of need—is what context is all about. That’s the focus of Mathew Sweezey’s new book, The Context Marketing Revolution. We discussed this along with his work at Salesforce this week on the On Brand podcast. Read More →

“The most important part of any brand is the team.” Matt Barnett would know. A serial entrepreneur, Matt’s latest venture is Bonjoro, a B2B asynchronous video platform helping organizations connect with their customers. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Read More →

Consumer behavior has been turned upside down by COVID-19. As personal and work routines continue to be disrupted, businesses are scrambling to find the best place to reach customers during these crazy times. Many are turning to podcasts.

“Any subscription brand needs to know—what problem am I solving for my customers? What’s our forever promise?” With a career building subscriptions for brands like Netflix and Electronic Arts, Robbie Kellman Baxter knows what it takes to build lasting customer relationships. That’s been the focus of her books including her latest, The Forever Transaction. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Read More →

“Duration is the perfect proxy for attention.” Marc Guldimann has spent his career at the intersection of two scientific fields—human decision making and technology. He’s the founder of several startups including his latest, Adelaide, which sells ads based on duration or time spent. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Read More →

“It’s about getting people to create less content but also more meaningful content.” Amen. This week’s guests aren’t just content marketing professionals. As leaders at Upland Software and co-authors of Mastering One Voice, Toby Murdock and Zoë Randolph are on a mission to help content marketers create better content with a more cohesive, meaningful brand voice. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Read More →

“There’s a shift that’s taking place that’s requiring a response. Now people are saying—action.” Ashley Shuler is a business strategist who helps busy solopreneurs operate their businesses efficiently and effectively. Recently, she replied to one of my ICYMI email newsletters on how brands need to do better on race. We discussed this along with productivity and missed brand touchpoints, this week on the On Brand podcast. Read More →

I’m consistently amazed at how often I encounter people who are skeptical of personal branding. Apple, Nike, and Starbucks need to focus on branding. But Jennifer in sales? No way. And yet, your personal brand helps you accomplish one of … Read More →