Author Archives: Nick Westergaard

“Many have seen a TED talk about design thinking but they don’t know what’s next — what it looks like.” This week on the On Brand podcast we unpacked design thinking, magical experiences, Nordic design, and how to criticize creative … Read More →

“We all need help. We all need to move people. But we’re reluctant to ask.” While it may not seem related to branding and marketing, the social sciences of motivation and influence underly everything we do. That’s why I couldn’t … Read More →

“Everyone is so stressed out. All of the marketers I talk to. There are so many channels and so many reports to prove our existential existence!” What’s an overwhelmed marketer to do? Allen Gannett is founder and CEO of TrackMaven, … Read More →

“Digital is content, content is stories.” Listeners of the podcast know that I am a big fan of storytelling as a brand building tool. And I’m not alone. David Aaker has had a storied career in branding and marketing, as … Read More →

“Why is our industry slow to adapt? Because the way we’ve done things had always worked …” Until it didn’t. While technology has changed the marketing and PR industry significantly, we’re also at a cultural inflection point. People are demanding … Read More →

“Every animal has a story to tell.” And we didn’t even get to them all! But we tried. This week I chatted with Dean Noble, Director of Marketing of the Santa Barbara Zoo. With a diverse background including the movie … Read More →

“The CMO for a medium-sized brand is responsible for more words than the editor of a newspaper.” Words matter. And, to this very point, there are a lot of them in the crowded, digital world we find ourselves in. How … Read More →

“Does your brand exist legally? The depends on what your brand is.” We only tackle the big questions on this podcast! Our guest this week isn’t a branding author, marketing strategist, or someone working in the trenches, building brands. But … Read More →

“Experience is the residue brands leave with people after the product’s gone.” Justin Wartell of Monigle knows a thing or two about brand experience. In working with brands as diverse as FedEx, Quiznos, Mass General, and the Denver Broncos, this … Read More →

On this week’s Social Sound Bite — recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City — Jerry and I discussed how Starbucks is using a recent in-store crisis as an opportunity to step up their employee-training efforts. Listen for the full … Read More →