On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“Snapchat is Twitter meets YouTube.” The meteoritic rise of this new network has left many marketers scratching their collective heads. Not Carlos Gil. An early adopter of social media from back when it was called AOL, Gil has led social teams for brands such as Winn-Dixie and LinkedIn. Today, as Global Head of Social Media for BMC Software, he’s become a leading authority on Snapchat for business...

On this week's Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some new data compiled by Fractl outlining who's sharing what on Facebook. With 91% sharing something at least once weekly on the social network, it's important to understand the demographic differences as we plan content that's as effective as possible. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy...

“You learn more by doing than by watching.” Jason Keath knows a thing or two about learning and doing. As CEO and Founder of Social Fresh, he helps marketers stay on top of the latest, greatest, FRESHEST digital marketing insights through their Social Fresh Conference as well as their blog, podcast, and emails. Recently, they raised the bar on their mission even further by releasing the Future of...

“You have to build marketing inside out today. It has to come from inside the company.” It’s this kind of hard work that drives John Zissimos, Chief Creative Officer for software giant Salesforce. His work includes growing a coherent brand and bringing a promise to life across a variety of channels online and off. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Ab...

“Branding today isn’t that different. It’s just harder.” Jason Falls is a branding, digital marketing and PR expert. The founder of Social Media Explorer, author of No Bullshit Social Media and The Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing, and VP at Elasticity joined us for a raucous “Jason Falls” brand conversation around social listening, branding with attitude, and more on this week’s episode of the On...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed an emerging turf war between social media’s 800-pound gorilla Facebook and its latest shiny new thing Snapchat. Ironically at the very moment when Facebook is looking to make their Messenger app even more like Snapchat. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, tre...

“The companies that don’t have a good strategy around their content usually don’t have a good strategy around their brand either.” Creating an engaging content experience is one of the most effective branding tools marketers can employ today. However, it’s also one of the hardest times to create content that stands out. That’s why Yoav Schwartz co-founded Uberflip — to take control and better leve...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed Facebook’s latest, greatest (frustrating!) update to their ever-evolving news feed algorithm. Part of their new “Feed Quality Program,” this update will focus more on the content you spend the most time with. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and ti...

“Our Instagram voice is very different than even Facebook and Twitter.” As Associate Director of Social Media at Whole Foods Market, Lisa Grimm is responsible for how the innovative natural supermarket chain comes to life online. From developing brand standards to working with the creative team and engaging with customers, Lisa has her eye on both the big picture and the tactical, practical day-to...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some confusion Facebook created recently for all of us who manage Facebook pages. They moved our favorite features including using Facebook as your page! We tell you where they are on this week’s show. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips incl...

“Don’t be afraid to inject humor and humanity into your brand. People love this. Life’s too short to be that serious.” This week’s episode was many things but serious was not one of them! Spin Sucks author and founder Gini Dietrich stopped by our virtual studios for a discussion on brands that stand out, avoiding spin, and infusing your brand with personality. Enjoy this week’s episode of the On B...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed two major social platform updates. First, after Facebook bowed out of negotiations, Twitter picked up the streaming rights for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games. Instagram is also in the process of rolling out a longer, 60-second limit for videos. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy t...

“Your brand is more than your logo.” How many times have you heard something like this? If you’re a visual brand builder like Mike Smith, you probably find yourself saying this a lot. But what does it really mean? As art director at email marketing solution AWeber, Mike has been responsible for reinvigorating the venerable brand and bringing it to life across new touch points including a live even...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the new Instagram algorithm. While some are freaking out — pleading with followers to turn on push notifications for their brand — a better bet is to focus on being more engaging on the platform to ensure that your content stands out. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links t...

When your business category is taboo, how do you get people to talk about it? Suzy Bátiz is the inventor and entrepreneur behind Poo~Pourri, an innovative brand that is literally changing the way we go to the bathroom. As founder and CEO, she’s built everything herself including one of the most engaging brands of the day. Grab some reading material and join us in the loo for this week’s On Brand p...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new report on which digital marketing tactics are most effective. Guess what? Once again, the winner was email marketing. Quit writing this channel’s obituary and ask yourself what you’re doing to reinvigorate your email program. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to t...

“Everyone has a brand because everyone has a reputation.” John Michael Morgan knows a thing or two about branding for everyone. That’s because the Brand Against the Machine author has worked with everyone from bestselling authors, Fortune 500 companies, small business owners, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and churches to build better brands. I couldn’t wait to chat about what all of these different...

“Every single time you respond to a customer complaint it increases advocacy. Every time you don’t it decreases it.” Jay Baer would know. For his new book Hug Your Haters, Jay didn’t just write about what he thought and felt about customer complaints. He commissioned a study from Edison Research to better understand the role customer service plays in how we build brands online. We talked about all...

“People want to hang out with brands they like and trust. Those are the principles we were founded on in 1906.” As Chief Marketing Officer at Coldwell Banker Real Estate, it’s Sean Blankenship’s job to guide a brand going through one of the most disruptive periods in its 110 year industry with the help of 87,000 independent contractors as brand ambassadors. All of this provides challenges and oppo...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed Facebook instant articles. These fast-loading, mobile friendly articles have been available for big publishers like The New York Times and National Geographic but are now on their way to the marketing masses this April. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, tre...

“I think 2016 is the year of the blog.” And Maddy Osman knows a thing or two about brands and blogging. That’s because she’s the force behind not one but two blog brands. Her lifestyle blog, Chicago Cheap Ass, helps young Chicagoans find the best deals in the second city. Over at The Blogsmith, Maddy helps personal brands and small businesses find their voice online through better blogging. I coul...

“Brands often fall flat when trying to be an Onion or a Buzzfeed.” As these irreverent powerhouses have taught us, humor can significantly impact your online reach. A mistake many make is trying to execute this potent mixture on their own. What they should be doing is looking to experts like The Onion. As social media lead for Onion Labs, Eric Munn and his team help brands bring the funny while co...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed new features for brands on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook page managers can answer back in private and Instagram users can now seamlessly switch between accounts. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Last but no...

“If you’re looking at risks, you’re going to want to quantify those risks.” Whether its upset customers, out-of-control advocates, or failed campaigns, marketers have their hands full when it comes to managing online brand reputation in the digital age. In his new book — Managing Online Reputation — Communications Advisor Charlie Pownall does just that. I couldn’t wait to learn more on this week’s...

“If you don’t embrace the new rules online you’ll be left behind if you aren’t already.” David Meerman Scott knows a thing or two about new rules. Over a decade ago his landmark book The New Rules of Marketing and PR was first published. Now in its 5th edition and used in classrooms throughout the world, this best-seller continues to set the stage for how we build brands in the digital age. I coul...