Author Archives: Nick Westergaard
Developing a Strong Brand Name with Brad Flowers
“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. 
Building Brands That Create Social Impact with Eric Ressler
“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 an 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.
Designing a Meaningful Brand Experience with Daniel Scrivener
“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 Brand podcast.
Hunting for Killer Branding with Ryan Hogan
“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 Killer gaming company. We discussed Ryan’s unique backstory, business, and brand this week on the On Brand podcast.
Adapting to Industry Shifts with David Bates
“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.
Finding Your Brand Personality with Margie Agin
“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.
Content Creation vs. Content Production with Brad Smith
“The key is not to create unique content for all of these different places. The key is to create one really good, deep piece of content that’s going to work for your brand.” Brad Smith is the founder and CEO of Codeless, a content production company for the best SaaS sites on the planet. Their articles have been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, TheNextWeb, and more. At Codeless, content is not simply created, it is produced, and that makes all the difference. We discussed what this means on this week’s show.
Embracing Brand Vulnerability with Margaret Rogers
“This is the moment that people will remember for a much longer time—the brands and how they react and how they help to create a mutually beneficial relationship is something that people will remember for the long term.” As a strategist, Margaret Rogers spends a lot of her time focusing on consumer behavior. That’s gotten even more challenging in the face of both COVID-19 and social unrest. But, as Margaret notes, people will remember what you as a brand do right now. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s show.
Ramping Your Brand with James Richardson
“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.
The Golden Rule of Branding with Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster
“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.
