On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“The threat of irrelevance has probably never been greater for any company.” As a consultant, investor, and industry thought leader, Martha Pease has spent her career focused on helping companies solidify their relevance and create value for their customers. I couldn’t wait to discuss how brands can benefit from enhanced customer focus, empathy, and relevance on this week’s episode of the On Brand...

“Your brand is the tiny moments. Not the the things case studies are written about.” Ian Greenleigh has spent his career understanding how tiny moments and shifts in access and influence can do big things. He’s used these shifts to his advantage and help brands like Bazaarvoice and The Economist Group. This week he sat down and shared his thoughts on digital branding, thought leadership, and big d...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some new data on Snapchat use that reinforces why this is a social network we’re spending more and more time talking about. Specifically, use among millennials is through the roof. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s s...

“Instead of focusing on big data, we should be focusing on big relevance.” Steven Van Belleghem is a thought leader known for his mind stretching books and keynotes. His latest book, When Digital Becomes Human, explores the sometimes conflicting poles of businesses communication — the digital and human side. Van Belleghem shares with us why these aspects are really complementary this week on the O...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – we discussed the latest update to Facebook — and it’s one that many small businesses will like. That’s because the social social giant announced that in addition to customer reviews on Facebook pages, restaurant pages will now feature critics’ reviews from sources such as Bon Appétit and Condé Nast Traveler. Listen...

“A Ferrari is more than a way of getting from point A to point B. It has a power over you that goes beyond reason.” Luxury brands can do that. However, changing consumers and media dynamics require us to rethink luxury branding in the digital age. Brand strategist and author JP Kuehlwein joined us for a discussion on this very topic. About JP Kuehlwein JP Kuehlwein is Executive Vice President of F...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – we discussed how Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley teased his upcoming presidential campaign announcement with a Snapchat message. He’s not alone. Hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul are just a few of the candidates who are turning to Snapchat in the upcoming race. Listen for the full sound...

“You have to live the values and promise of the brand. You can’t just tell people how good you are.” As Vice President of US Strategy and Insights for McDonald’s USA, Steve Levigne understands better than most how consumers are changing and what that means for brands. After twenty two years under the golden arches, Levigne took some time to chat about the past, present, and future for this great A...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a recent question I got while speaking at the Roller Skating Association’s annual conference. It was something I hear frequently from businesses looking to leverage more user generated content in their social media marketing — what about bad content? Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy thes...

You might not know Marc Hershon by name but chances you are familiar with his names. That’s because Hershon is the man behind some of the most memorable brand names of our time including BlackBerry, Swiffer, and Dasani. What’s in a name? More than you might think. Marc Hershon breaks it down on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.  About Marc Hershon Marc Hershon is senior manager of namin...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed emojis in email subject lines. Specifically we looked at a new study from email marketing platform MailChimp on how and when emojis are used in email. It even included which emojis are used most often in email marketing. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, tr...

“Branding is blocking and tackling.” Guy Kawasaki would know. As a brand evangelist for some of the biggest brands in history including Apple, Android, and Wikipedia, Guy knows that “bringing the good news” is a lot of work. I couldn’t wait to talk to the quintessential brand evangelist about what it takes to do his job on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Guy Kawasaki Guy Kawasak...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a couple of new features on Pinterest. As a driver of 40% of social commerce, brands of all shapes and sizes are looking to promote their wares via Pinterest. This week the social network announced enhanced paid advertising features as well as the ability for businesses to schedule pins using to...

“I’m a teacher in everything I do.” As an international speaker, author, consultant, and educator, Mark W. Schaefer does a lot of teaching. On top of that, he’ll join us in Iowa this fall as a keynote at the Social Brand Forum. I couldn’t wait to talk with Mark about his new book The Content Code, marketing curriculum, and everything in between on this week’s episode of the On Brand Podcast. About...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a couple of new features on Twitter. First, users can now opt-in to receive Twitter direct messages from users who don’t follow them. This could have a big impact on brands using Twitter direct messages for customer service. We also looked at a new feature that will help the network crack down o...

“A name introduces you to the experience.” In short, words and the stories we create with them matter. Jonathan Littman would know. He’s named just a few things over the years. As the author and co-author of nine books he’s a leading thinker on how innovation happens and how brands can use storytelling to create narratives that snowball. As you can imagine, I couldn’t wait to chat with Jonathan on...

“How do we create the perception of trust?” That is the million dollar questions for individuals and brands alike. And it’s a central question addressed in Heidi Grant Halvorson’s new book No One Understands You and What to Do About It. I couldn’t wait to talk to this successful social psychologist speaker and author about trust, perception, first impressions, and everything in between on this wee...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new retweet feature from Twitter plus speculation on the social network’s acquisition. As Twitter’s stock price crept up Tuesday, so did rumors of a potential takeover from not one but two different suitors including Google! Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the ne...

“If you lie, you die.” While severe, truer words have never been uttered about brand building in the digital age. Siegel+Gale Chief Strategy Officer David Srere joined us for a conversation about simplicity, organizational purpose, brand experience, and, of course, how one goes about quantifying all of this. Enjoy this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About David B. Srere David first learne...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed Twitter’s recent release of the Periscope live-streaming video app. What does this mean for Meerkat, the tech set’s darling of late? This week we take a look at Periscope vs Meerkat. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s...

Each month as part of the On Brand podcast, we take a look back on the month that was. We reflect on the brand builders we chatted with here on the podcast and also discuss the biggest stories and pop-culture funnery that made up our brand zeitgeist. To help with this, I’m joined by our special contributor Meghann Foster. Let’s take a look at March 2015! The Brand Zeitgeist Report: March 2015 Twit...

“Bacon is a great metaphor for the perpetually interesting brand.” Taking a cue from comedian Jim Gaffigan (Bippity-boppity-BACON!), strategist and speaker Justin Foster has found that, while it may seem silly, bacon is an amazing metaphor for how we build and grow unique and engaging brands. We couldn’t wait to chat about bacon brands on this week’s On Brand podcast. About Justin Foster “Inside e...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed my recent trip to SXSW Interactive 2015. This event is always one of my favorites and truly the best place for keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s next. What did I learn? Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show...

“I like to be dangerous with my content.” It’s quotes like this where Jason Miller’s rock-n-roll background and passion shine through in his work. By day, Jason is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn. By night, he’s an accomplished rock-n-roll photographer. We talked about both aspects of his work and everything in between on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jason Mi...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a new social app on the block. It’s called Meerkat and it allows users to live stream video directly to their Twitter account. Once you’re done streaming, the online archive of your video is gone (you can save the file to your phone if you choose). Why does Meerkat matter? Listen for the full so...