On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“Digital has democratized marketing … Consumers are playing an active role in defining our brands.” Barbara Apple Sullivan would know. As the founder and managing partner at Sullivan, she’s helped complex regulated brands like American Express and Merrill Lynch build and socialize strong brand architectures. I couldn’t wait to discuss all of this with Barbara this week on the On Brand podcast. Abo...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a recent development from Google. On last week’s show, we shared new data illustrating that Facebook is far from dead with teens. However, Google is breaking their social network Google+ into three products — streams, photos, and Hangouts. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful li...

“Your brand is not something you create. It’s a story that is told by you and your customers. It’s a co-creation.” As part of his role at Edison Research, Tom Webster spends a lot of his time carefully examining the relationship between brands, their customers, and the media landscape. We discussed all of this during his recent visit to the On Brand podcast. About Tom Webster Tom Webster is Vice P...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed new data from Edison Research on social media usage among Americans age 12–24. Of particular interest is the fact that Facebook is still the dominant social network for this demographic in spite of characterizations to the contrary. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to...

“I don’t particularly love the term — branding.” This may come as a surprise when you consider the source. Jason Baer has an extensive background working with large organizations on large-scale brand transformations. He has a point, though. While branding isn’t any less important, we have to come up with a better definition. That’s what we set out to do on this episode of the On Brand podcast. Abo...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed an upcoming episode of ABC’s Modern Family shot entirely on the Apple products (iPhone, iPad, etc). While this makes for some engaging TV, there’s also a content marketing lesson baked into this story as well. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and t...

“Don’t think of digital as a channel — it’s the sum of all touchpoints.” It’s human nature to sort and categorize the world around us. All of these new marketing tools like Facebook and Twitter? They’re just part of “the digital channel.” Nope. They’re actually part of a larger, all-encompassing brand experience. I couldn’t wait to sit down and discuss this further with the author of Digital Brand...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the deal that Twitter inked with Google for full access to their “firehose” of tweets. We broke down what this means and also shared some light news about a Texas teen who lost her job due to an unfortunate tweet her boss saw. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the ne...

“Pick one or two things instead of trying to do everything.” As a leading social media influencer, Silicon Valley CEO, and TED speaker, Bryan Kramer knows a thing or two about personal branding. Kramer also knows about some of the pitfalls that brands of all shapes and sizes can succumb to. You won’t want to miss this master class on personal branding from Purematter’s Bryan Kramer. About Bryan Kr...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the new Twitter group DM feature. We also added some more social media commentary about the recent Super Bowl — the game, the half-time show, the ads, and everything in between. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show...

“Brands are being distracted by drones, 3D printing, and big data.” This keeps us from focusing on what we should be focusing on. Larger trends in consumer behavior pose even bigger shifts in how we build brands online and off. I couldn’t wait to sit down and chat with digital strategist, agency leader, and podcast extraordinaire Mitch Joel of Twist Image. About Mitch Joel Mitch Joel is President...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the new Discover feature on Snapchat. We also offered some pregame commentary the upcoming Super Bowl, the ads, and what we’re watching for from brands online and off. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Remember...

Each month as part of the On Brand podcast, we take a look back on the month that was. We’ll 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 January 2015! A Few Final Reminders A big thanks to...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed some of the lessons that brands small and large can glean from the President’s very social State of the Union address. We also reviewed new data on which forms of content are most effective at reaching B2B tech buyers. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, tren...

“When I first started, I shared a cubicle with Jerry.” Yes. That Jerry. Mike Hayes began his career at Ben & Jerry’s sharing space with the company’s legendary co-founder and he — like everyone on the team — has been living the brand ever since. On this week’s episode of On Brand, we had the opportunity to ask Mike what this means. About Mike Hayes As the Digital Marketing Manager at Ben and Jerry...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – a recap of our show recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – I discuss some recent data from Pew Research Center as visualized by the smart folks at Statista. I also issue a stern warning on why you can’t simply slap the same two social media icons on all of your marketing and call it good. You have to choose your social networks wisely. Listen for the fu...

“You have to tell a story no one has ever heard or offer a simple twist on a familiar theme.” Marketing speaker and best-selling author Andrew Davis is on a mission to change the way that marketers market and publishers publish. One audience at a time. From content brands to branded content and everything in between, I couldn’t wait to chat with Drew.  About Andrew Davis Andrew Davis’ 20-year care...

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a few of the prominent 2015 social media predictions and digital marketing trends to keep an eye on. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite 22 Experts on Which 2015 Social Media Trends to Watch...

“Being one step ahead has been a huge asset to Chobani in the digital space.” As social media strategist for the Greek yogurt giant, Ashley Butler has been around for most of the brand’s meteoric rise. It’s hard to believe that Chobani has only been around since 2007. Ashley tells us about building the brand online and off and the role that digital media has played on this week’s episode of On Bra...

“Your brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” Bottom line: your brand is your reputation. Too many today think that reputations just happen. In reality, strong brand architects can play a big role. Dorie Clark is one of those brand architects. The author of Reinventing You took some time to talk with us about brand reinvention. About Dorie Clark Dorie Clark is a marketing stra...

“Your brand exists in the head and heart — not necessarily at headquarters.” If there’s one thing that Tamsen Webster knows, it’s that brands are built from a variety of perspectives. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it, and also how that message is heard. “Ultimately I help people sell ideas.” With a background that includes agency work, message consultancy, and producing successful T...

“Branding discussions used to be esoteric. Like molding fog.” It was this realization that led Patrick Hanlon to come up with a better way to frame the branding conversation. What he created ended up being one of the most effective frameworks for building brands both online and off. As a huge fan of Hanlon’s work, I couldn’t wait to make him the inaugural guest on the On Brand podcast. About Patri...

  A new year brings many new things. One of the things that I’m most excited about is a new podcasting announcement. Recently, DJ Waldow and I hung up our headphones from our 100-episode run as hosts of The Work Talk Show. But I wasn’t done with podcasting. Not by a long shot. Today, I’m pleased to announce our newest project here at Brand Driven Digital — the On Brand podcast.  Learn more about y...