Brand Shorthand

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway! Join Mark and Lorraine on this week’s episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast as they discuss some of the advertising for this worldwide sporting event. From LEGO and Lay’s to Adidas and Valvoline, tune in as the positioning duo breaks down these ads and determines whether they scored a goal or received a red card.  Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they disc...

Tune in to this week’s episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to learn all about leveraging your CRM Platform. Mark is joined by Carson Brown, the agency’s very own primary CRM technician and advisor. Learn how a CRM platform can help your business be more efficient, how you can use the data within a CRM platform to make decisions or provide insights, and what tools and capabilities are available...

Do unhinged marketing strategies work? From Dunkin’s Dirty Soda to Dr. Squatch’s skits, tune into this week’s episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to learn if this humorous marketing approach is effective, who the target audience is, and if it’s beneficial in long-term brand building.  Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positionin...

Coke vs. Pepsi and McDonald’s vs. Burger King. These big brand rivalries are nothing new to the marketing world. This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark and Lorraine dive into some recent brand battles in 2026, the strategy behind going against a rival, and tips and tricks for businesses to play to win against their competition. Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things m...

Campaign catch up and the beauty of a simplified position! Some of the popular campaigns that Mark and Lorraine discussed last season are continuing their efforts into 2026. Back for round two is Sydney Sweeney with American Eagle and Walter Goggins with Walmart’s “Who Knew” campaign!  Another brand seeing huge success is Starbucks, thanks to CEO, Brian Niccol, who has successfully enforced his “B...

Tony Bell, Executive Director of Client Services and Media at Innis Maggiore, joins Mark for this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand Podcast to discuss the topic of go-to-market strategies. Tune in to learn how to develop an effective go-to-market strategy, the “bothism” approach, common go-to-market strategy mistakes, and how to dramatize your position.  Join Mark and Tony for 30-ish as t...

We’ve reached a milestone! 100 episodes — all about positioning. Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they remind us of the value of positioning, the meaning behind the name Brand Shorthand, some golf talk at The Masters and why they have such a “master” brand, and some recent good and bad moves of brands through the filter of timeless positioning principles.

This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark and Lorraine continue their discussion on true crime podcasts, a popular and growing category in the world of podcasting. Tune in for part two to learn about what makes these shows addictive, why the community is the magic bullet, the societal impact of these shows, and how marketing and true crime podcasts share basic positioning principles.  Join Ma...

A little green screen, a camera, and a microphone can put you on the podcast bus. True crime is a popular and growing category in the world of podcasting. How are these channels breaking through, to the point that they are scooping up viewers, and in a very real way, disrupting if not obsoleting traditional network viewing? Tune in to this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to lear...

Ring Doorbell, AI slop, and Frida Baby backlash. This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark is joined by special guest, Merce Brown, to talk about the recent chatter in the world of Public Relations. Be sure to tune in to hear how our public relations expert would deal with crisis communication and what her perspective is on these current news updates.  Join Mark and Merce for 30-ish as they d...

This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, the positioning panelists join Mark to discuss the real winners and losers of last night’s Super Bowl. From Instacart and Lay’s potato chips to Budweiser and State Farm, the panelists review some of the Big Game commercials, highlighting which brands scored a touchdown and which ones may have fumbled.  Join Mark and the positioning panelists for 30-ish as...

A new year and another new season of the Brand Shorthand podcast! For the Season 4 kickoff episode, Mark and Lorraine welcome listeners back with a discussion on recent happenings in the world of marketing. Join the positioning duo as they discuss Coca-Cola’s holiday AI ad, Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, Wicked and Stranger Things brand collaborations, Dave’s Hot Chicken being named the...

That’s a wrap on season 3 of the Brand Shorthand Podcast! Join Mark and Lorraine as they go back through some of the biggest brand moves and marketing trends seen throughout 2025. The positioning duo will touch on AI, storytelling with long-form video, the loss of high-profile CEOs, the ongoing battle of the healthy sodas, and of course, the importance of positioning.  Join Mark and Lorraine for 3...

The digital accessibility expert, James Warnken, is back for this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand Podcast to continue the discussion on all things web accessibility. Join Mark and James to hear the reasons why businesses should care about digital accessibility, and the principles that can help guide you through making your digital content accessible.   Join Mark and James for 30-ish as...

James Warnken, a digital accessibility expert, joins Mark on this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to dive into the world of accessibility. Tune in to hear about James's journey to becoming an expert in the field, the company he founded, and how he’s working to make the user experience both usable and accessible. This episode covers the full scope of digital accessibility an...

Kraft Heinz announced on September 2nd that they would be splitting into two separate companies. This split, occurring about a decade after the initial merger of Kraft and Heinz, will result in two new companies. One company will focus more on the global leader brands such as Heinz, Kraft Mac & Cheese, and Philadelphia, while the other will focus on North American food and beverage brands such...

Football season is upon us, and fans are gearing up to watch their favorite teams take the field! So, what does this mean for advertisers? Join Mark and Lorraine on this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to learn all about the benefits of advertising during sporting events, how tapping into an emotional environment with advertising can be effective for a brand, and things to consi...

On this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark is joined by the Executive Director of Client Services and Media at Innis Maggiore, Tony Bell. Tune in to learn all about multi-channel marketing including what it is, some of its advantages, some of the biggest mistakes businesses make with multi-channel marketing, the strategy behind choosing which channels are right for a client,...

What happens when you try to change something that customers know and love? Cracker Barrel had something unique to offer its customers. Established in 1969 and filled with vintage Americana, the “Old Country Store” offered customers a warm and cozy atmosphere to gather with family and friends. Now, over 50 years later, Cracker Barrel has decided it is time for a rebrand. From a logo refresh to res...

Our strategy gurus never shy away from controversy. In this episode, Mark and Lorraine dive into 2025’s biggest advertising controversy – the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle Jeans/Genes campaign! See how the positioning duo impartially shares their thoughts on the campaign and why the stock soared, the jeans flew off the shelf, and how American Eagle may once again be relevant to a new generation. J...

Did you know that franchising is one of the most popular methods to growing a business? Over 700,000 franchise units have opened in the past 15 years and the projection is that by the end of 2025, there will be more than 850,000 units. Mark and his special guest, Steve, discuss what makes a great franchise system and why Innis Maggiore and FranSource decided to join forces. Join Mark and Steve for...

Following a brand refresh earlier this year, Walmart has officially reintroduced itself with its latest campaign, “Walmart. Who Knew?” as a way to showcase all its new offerings. Walmart has always been a well-known example of the low-price position, but is it trying to change its image? Join Mark and Lorraine as they share their thoughts on Walmart's new offerings, the campaign, and some rec...

What happens when you step out of the norm with your advertising efforts? Tune in this week to hear about different non-traditional campaign types including larger-than-life campaigns, guerrilla campaigns, and IRL experiential campaigns. The positioning duo, Mark and Lorraine, go through some examples of the non-traditional campaign types, sharing their input on each. They will also kick off the e...

Interested in learning more about brand identity? This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark is joined by the Innis Maggiore creative department to discuss the brand identity process. Tune in to learn how the creative team works together to bring brand identities to life and to hear real-life examples of the work they have done.  Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things mar...

Reddit is on the Rise! Reddit and other user-generated content platforms have been dominating the search results on Google. Join Mark and Lorraine as they discuss Google’s favoring of user-generated content, its shift away from authoritative sites to more authentic discussion forums, and what this means for marketers.  Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, adverti...