On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“First, amplify what you’re doing really well and consider new channels. Second, if things aren’t going well you’ll need new channels!” This was Steve Pockross’s answer to my question about how marketers can know when new channels make sense to add. As CEO at Verblio, helping marketers focus their content marketing is the focus of his work. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Steve Pockross Steve Pockross brings more than 20 years of...

“I start with the transformation and work backward. What happens when the customer experiences your brand?” Allie Martin has a holistic approach to brand building that she’s refined over the last decade. Through her work, she helps brands find “fame and fortune” and entrepreneurs get a little “selfish” with self-care. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Allie Martin Allie Hembree Martin is a veteran brand and communication strategist...

“Planning is the most important part of everything we do.” And Benjamin Shapiro does a lot of things. He’s producer and host of the top-rated MarTech Podcast as well as the Voices of Search Podcast. Managing two daily shows and running a consulting business takes a lot of planning—especially this year. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Benjamin Shapiro Benjamin Shapiro is a brand development & marketing strategy consultant. He left a...

“The best marketers never lose sight of their customers.” As a brand builder with years of agency leadership experience, Peter Wilken has seen it all. From global brands to bootstrap basics, we discussed it all on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Peter Wilken Allie Hembree Martin is a veteran brand and communication strategist with 10+ years of experience and owns Fame and Fortune. Fame and Fortune helps brands share their messages through a host of public relations and...

“There’s the story and there’s the story behind the story …” And Joseph Jaffe certainly has both to share as he has managed to rebrand himself during a global pandemic through his innovative web series CoronaTV. And he’s quick to add that, “You can too!” We discussed branding in the midst of a pandemic, streaming, and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Joseph Jaffe Joseph Jaffe is an author, entrepreneur, and as of March 2020, the host of CoronaTV, a daily streaming...

After a brief holiday hiatus, the On Brand podcast is back for 2021! And we're kicking things off with an exciting new topic and guest. As we've discussed in various episodes through the years, leadership is critical in the development of standout brands. Already a challenging pursuit, leadership got a whole lot harder this past year. This week on the show, I was joined by David Burkus, author of the new book Leading from Anywhere. About David Burkus One of the world’s leading business...

“What we're finding in nonprofit marketing today is that it's really about helping people see the impact they're having.” As co-owner of Puzzle Pieces Marketing, Angel Mason Broadus has built her career at the intersection of social impact and social good. However, she was quick to note that this takes a lot of work—often accomplished in what she calls “small bites.” We discussed all of this and more on this week's episode of the On Brand podcast. About Angel Mason Broadus Angel Mason...

“The people that can parse out what to do—that can figure out the best media mix are going to win in this game because there’s just too much.” Peter Levitan has spent his career leading advertising, marketing, and PR agencies worldwide. A lifelong believer in the art and science of building brands, he spends his time these days advising agencies on business development. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Peter Levitan Peter Levitan...

Using AI to simplify logo design? How would that even work? Richard Lau is a serial entrepreneur who's launched several helpful businesses that he's eventually exited. His latest venture, Logo.com, answers this very question. We discussed logo design, AI, and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Richard Lau Richard Lau has generated millions of dollars in revenue in the internet industry. NamesCon, his in-person conference focused on domain names, began as an idea in...

“Empathy is something that every human has but our empathy muscle has atrophied.” This week on the On Brand podcast, we talked about a timely, relevant topic—empathy. Now more than ever, people want empathy from brands. Yet, collectively, we’ve never been less empathetic. How do we fix this and how can we use these tools to better connect with our customers? Rob Volpe of insight strategy firm Ignite 360 explains on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Rob Volpe Rob Volpe is...

My guest this week is … me, Nick Westergaard! Specifically, I’m sharing a recent interview I did with Joseph Jaffe for his innovative web series CoronaTV. I’m calling this our Thanksgiving Special because to me this was a very special conversation. We talked about some of my favorite things like branding and Star Trek and the communication secrets of the U.S. presidents. It was a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy it and please be sure to check out Joseph Jaffe’s CoronaTV on your favorite social...

“People put a lot of value in brands. When you are at home or are limited (because of the pandemic) you tend to go with the first one you think of. But there are brands that have to think differently, especially brands in retail.” Jeff Lotman has an iconic career both as a brand strategist at his firm Global Icons and as a retailer as the owner of Fred Segal. He’s also the author of the book Invisible Marketing. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Jeff...

“I don’t think enough thought goes into how to translate brand style guides into visual videos.” As the founder and CEO of Tectonic Video with a background in brand strategy, Doug Scott helps nonprofit brands worldwide unlock the power of video storytelling. We discussed video, social media, brand style guides, and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Doug Scott Doug Scott is the founder and CEO of Tectonic Video, a leading video agency for nonprofits. His team works with...

“The marketplace has changed so much—there are so many brands on the retail shelf—the packaging is all there is. We turn the traditional brand development world upside down.” As a partner and leader of the research team at brand strategy firm SmashBrand, Michael Keplinger has a bold new approach for inventing and reinventing CPG brands. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Michael Keplinger Michael Keplinger is a partner at SmashBrand,...

“We have to put aside our personal preference and put in the time to figure out what really works for what the client needs.” This is a challenge for marketers on a variety of topics but is especially critical to the vital task of naming. Luckily, Brad Flowers wrote the book on naming—aptly titled The Naming Book—and he’s joined us this week on the On Brand podcast to discuss just that. About Brad Flowers Brad Flowers co-founded Bullhorn in 2008. Brad’s degree in Literature serves him well...

“All companies and all brands should be working toward being the best version of themselves that they can be across all lenses of their impact on the world.” Eric Ressler knows a thing or two about brands making at impact. That’s the focus of his work as Founder and Creative Director at Cosmic, an agency helping brands build their awareness by having a strong social impact in the world. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About Eric Ressler Eric Ressler is...

“You always have to look inside to really understand. Because all design at the end of the day falls flat if it doesn’t connect with customers—if it doesn’t understand the market that you’re in, if it doesn’t understand the problem that your specific customers are trying to solve.” Daniel Scrivner has led a unique and design-centric career that’s taken him from Apple to Square to the C-suite at Flow. We discussed how this focus has explored his work as a brand builder this week on the On...

“When you talk about brand you immediately go to marketing. But brand is how something from a company makes you feel. That transcends marketing.” Ryan Hogan would know. As a serial entrepreneur who’s built several brands, he now helps thousands hunt serial killers with his fast-growing Hunt a Hiller gaming company. We discussed Ryan’s unique backstory, business, and brand this week on the On Brand podcast. About Ryan Hogan Ryan Hogan is the Co-founder and CEO of Hunt A Killer, an...

“We can shake our fist at it or we can ride the wave. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scenario where someone’s shaken their fist at what’s developing and won. It doesn’t solve anything.” David Bates has built a career doing creative work for dynamic clients and adapting to significant shifts in the industry along the way. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast. About David Bates David Bates is the Managing Director of ATK PLN, a design-driven creative studio....

“You can start with a catchy tagline but you can’t stop there.” Margie Agin helps B2B technology companies discover what makes them unique and find the words to say it. She is the founder and chief strategist of Centerboard Marketing, a DC-based marketing agency, and author of Brand Breakthrough: How to Go Beyond a Catchy Tagline to Build an Authentic, Influential and Sustainable Brand Personality. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Margie...