Life of the Brand

Is your website stunning but secretly useless? We sit down with our web developer to tackle one of the biggest tensions in web design: beautiful aesthetics versus real-world functionality. Sonia breaks down what she looks at first when auditing a website, why design and art are not the same thing, and how every site has to serve two audiences at once — real humans and search engine crawlers. You&#...

Meet Dawn Franklin — Texas Tech graphic design graduate, American Advertising Awards winner, and one of the most creatively curious people to walk through the GriffinWink doors. In this episode of Life of the Brand , we sit down with Dawn for a conversation that's equal parts inspiring and real. She shares how she went from a small-town upbringing in Sweetwater, Texas to earning Gold and Judge...

If you’ve ever wondered what actually goes into a successful content day, this episode is your behind-the-scenes pass. On this episode of Life of the Brand , we sit down with our Social Media Manager, Megan, to break down how we plan, produce, and deliver custom content days for our clients at GriffinWink Advertising. From strategy and shot lists to on-site execution and post-production deliverabl...

How often should businesses really update their creative, and how do you know when it’s time to make a change? In this episode of Life of the Brand , Brian Wink unpacks one of the most common (and costly) questions in marketing: when to refresh creative and when to let it ride. We break down the difference between changing creative vs. rebranding , why even great ads can become “wallpaper,” and ho...

In this episode of Life of the Brand , we sit down with Amanda Ruvalcaba, Account Executive, to talk about what makes marketing in El Paso truly unique and why relationships matter more than ever. With over 30 years of experience in advertising and media, Amanda shares her journey into the industry, how her background shapes her relationship-first approach to client service, and why digital market...

Before we talk websites, code, or conversions, we’re introducing you to the person behind the pixels . In this episode of Life of the Brand , we sit down with Sonia Szeton , the web designer and developer behind many of the sites we build at GriffinWink Advertising. From growing up in Colorado to nearly finishing a computer science degree before pivoting into a more creative, tech-meets-design pat...

In this episode of Life of the Brand , we’re introducing you to Sude Naz Keles , GriffinWink Advertising’s Digital Marketing and Content Creation Specialist who works across organic and paid social media strategy . Sude shares her journey from studying graphic design to earning her master’s degree in mass communication and media studies from Texas Tech University , and how that education reshaped...

Are marketing myths holding your brand back? In this episode of Life of the Brand , we break down some of the most common misconceptions in marketing and explain what actually works in today’s digital-first world. From the belief that “more followers equals more success” to the idea that marketing is a quick fix instead of a long-term strategy, we’re calling out the myths that cost brands time, mo...

In this episode of Life of the Brand , we’re welcoming Megan Maldonado , GriffinWink Advertising’s new Social Media Manager . With nearly 10 years of experience as a content creator, Megan shares how social media evolved from a creative hobby into a career, why authenticity matters more than ever, and what it really takes to grow an engaged audience. We also talk content days, branded social media...

AI can write a paragraph in two seconds… but can it build a brand with soul? Hard NO. In this episode, Caylar and Rusty break down why AI is an incredible tool but a terrible replacement for real creative and strategic thinking. They dig into what machines can help with, where they fall flat, and why your marketing still needs actual humans behind the wheel. If you’ve ever asked, “Can AI just do t...

In this episode of Life of the Brand , we sit down with Rusty Griffin , agency partner, creative director, and account executive in our Lubbock office. From licking stamps in the 1980s to leading high-tech campaigns today, Rusty shares how growing up in a family-run ad agency shaped his creative philosophy and work ethic.

In this episode of Life of the Brand , Caylar and Dakota Lynn unpack the ultimate showdown: Instagram vs. TikTok for businesses and brands . We dive deep into what each platform does best, what to watch out for, and how to align your social-media strategy with your brand goals. We cover: How Instagram continues to deliver value for brand building , community engagement , and visual storytelling es...

Do you really need an ad agency…or can Brenda at the front desk keep posting TikToks forever? In this episode, Brian and Caylar unpack the most-asked question in small business marketing: when DIY makes sense, when it stalls growth, and what a good agency actually does (hint: more than “make it pretty”). We get real about the hidden costs of going in-house, why platforms hit diminishing returns, a...

In this episode of Life of the Brand , we’re hanging out with our Albuquerque account executive, Dakota Lynn! She shares how she found her way into the world of advertising and what it’s really like working with clients in such a unique and vibrant market. From the quirks of doing business in Albuquerque to the trends she’s spotting among local brands, Dakota Lynn brings a fresh perspective and to...

The search game is changing FAST. In this episode of Life of the Brand , we’re diving into how artificial intelligence is transforming search engines and what it means for your business. With the rise of tools like ChatGPT , Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) , and AI-powered snippets , fewer users are scrolling through traditional search results. In fact, recent studies show that up to 6...

Every brand has a story, so why not tell you ours first? In this kickoff episode of Life of the Brand , GriffinWink Advertising President, Brian Wink, and Account Executive, Caylar Brinkman, spill the beans on why we started this podcast, who we are as an ad agency, and what you can expect in episodes to come. Think of us as your marketing pals who happen to know a thing or two about branding, SEO...