The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications

Once the calendars hit June, everybody wants to make a summer full of memories: your business might be in the position to provide them. In this episode of The Briefcase, Kirsten Cutshall, CEO of Steel Advertising, calls in from Texas to share the trade secrets of the Summer Marketing Strategies.

What you’ll learn:

• During the summer, people want to make memories-- and to make memories, people need to make time.
• By playing to th...

Sometimes, the best way to make a statement is with silence. For the entire month of May, LL Bean has been pausing all social media to support mental health. In this episode of The Briefcase, Makaila Hickey, Sutherland Weston's Digital Content Strategist, walks us through the reasoning behind and the impacts in the wake of the brand's seasonal silence.

What you’ll learn:

• Having your brand take a stand on well-being and other v...

In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, unpacks the often-underappreciated yet pivotal role that audio plays in video content. Framed by his professional insights and casual banter, Paul highlights how audio can elevate a video’s impact or derail its effectiveness.  As video habits shift toward "listening over watching," Paul shares tips for using music, sound ...

In this episode of The Briefcase, Paul Chadwick, Video Production Specialist at Sutherland Weston, follows up on a previous episode titled “Unforgettable” about the importance of standing out in business. Paul takes this idea further by discussing how video, specifically how you shoot video, can make your business not just seen, but remembered. Whether you’re selling tires or cakes, the goal is to highlight what makes ...

In this episode, Elizabeth Sutherland, President and CEO of Sutherland Weston, explores the blurred lines between fiction and real-world media access, sparked by a plot twist in Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders, part of the Thursday Murder Club series. 

Using the fictional scene as a springboard, Elizabeth and Ric Tyler offer a behind-the-scenes look at television media protocols, typically involving multi...

In this episode of The Briefcase from Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, audiovisual specialist Paul Chadwick shares how turning on closed captioning for his television viewing sparked a deeper appreciation for the practical power of subtitles in marketing and communication. 

He explains that closed captioning isn’t just for accessibility; it’s a strategic tool that boosts engagement, reaches sile...

Corey Morris, CEO of Voltage and author of The Digital Marketing Success Plan, joins The Briefcase to share the power of START, a five-step framework designed to help marketers and businesses cut through the noise and create actionable, enduring plans. Morris provides a compelling argument for structured agility in digital marketing, from avoiding over-complication to building strategies that outlast employee turnover ...

In this episode of The Briefcase, Dan Cashman reflects on the decision to end The Nite Show, the nation’s last locally produced late-night talk show, after a 15-year run. He explores the emotional and strategic complexities of knowing when to let go, whether in media, business, or personal projects. From pandemic pivots to long goodbye planning, Dan shares lessons on flexibility, gut instinct, and making peace with tra...

In this imaginative episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist Mark Parent unpacks a creative technique called Brainstorming 101. The heart of Brainstorming 101 lies in bypassing traditional product benefits and instead asking questions that generate real stories about the product’s context. As Mark explains, it’s not about laundry detergent—it’s about memories of doing laundry (good and ba...

In this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist Mark Parent recount a memorable branding exercise that reveals how employees and customers can perceive the same brand differently. The activity asks participants to personify their company using analogies like “What kind of car would your brand drive?” or “Which superhero would it be?” The goal is to shape a brand’s internal identity in fu...

In this short but sharp episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler and Social Media/Digital Specialist and veteran ad writer, Mark Parent, unpack the most frustrating clichés in commercial copywriting. From “friendly, knowledgeable people” to the dreaded “for all your [blank] needs,” they explore why these lines fall flat and how they waste valuable ad space and time.  Instead, Ric and Mark champion direct, benefit-focused me...

Dan Cashman, Public Relations Director at Sutherland Weston, shares his firsthand experience navigating the tough media landscape where hard news dominates airtime. He recounts how two check presentation events earned coverage despite the odds, thanks to their local relevance, visual assets, and concise structure. 

Dan encourages marketers and communicators to understand both the newsroom’s constraints and...

Is your brand truly unforgettable? Or could it just as easily belong to your competition? In this episode of The Briefcase, Elizabeth Sutherland, President & CEO of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, shares why a distinct brand voice and look are essential for standing out.
Many businesses rely on generic messaging:  “We put the customer first” or “We’re committed to great service.”  These phrases do little to differentiat...

In this episode, Elizabeth Sutherland breaks down one of the most common reasons marketing fails: lack of follow-up.

You'll learn:

• Why most sales happen after the first few touchpoints

• How simple follow-up tactics can make a big difference

Elizabeth Sutherland, Dan Cashman, and Shelley Sund of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications tackle the economic uncertainty many business owners face today. Drawing on lessons from past experiences, they offer grounded, strategic advice on recalibrating marketing efforts without retreating—focusing on customer retention, message relevance, and brand empathy. With real-world examples like Ford’s COVID-era messagin...

Marketing, advertising, and public relations are often mistaken for one another. Just like a classic Scooby-Doo mystery, we’re pulling back the mask to reveal what’s really behind them. And we would’ve gotten away with it too… if Ric hadn’t hopped into the Mystery Machine to solve the case, to uncover the truth behind each.
Is marketing setting the overall strategy? Is advertising delivering the message? Or is PR shaping public per...

In this episode of The Briefcase, Dan Cashman explores why timing, location, and media strategy are crucial in a successful news announcement. Using a recent political campaign launch in Hancock, Maine, as a real-world example, Dan explains how strategic choices can shape how a story is covered and consumed.

Whether you're announcing a new business, campaign, or ...

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