Let's talk branding
Discover the secrets of brand-building from world-renowned experts, and academics in marketing, branding & design together with your host Stef Hamerlinck. Let's talk branding is a no bs exploration of all things brand, known to cut through to the clutter and share unique perspectives. labmarcel.substack.com
Episodes
Before I take the stage at the Tectonic conference tomorrow, I wanted to share this with you first: a sneak peek of my new keynote on the future of branding. It’s a look at how I see brands evolving in the age of generative AI, and the two very different futures we might be heading toward.
I hope it gives you a few sparks of inspiration before the world sees it on stage.
Would love to hear your thoughts: are we cooked? Or cooking?
<...Recently, I got caught in a bit of a storm. People on YouTube got angry about the use of AI footage in my recent documentary on brand mascots. “AI slop! I’m not watching this stuff!” It got me wondering (some great comments in that LinkedIn thread) about what the future for brands would be like. Enter: Joe Burns, who’s been dropping the most insightful and amazing flipbooks on LinkedIn.
Joe did not disappoint, we had a fascinating c...
In this episode, Dan Salkey is back on the show to talk about their latest research paper called ‘Entertain or Die’. This is the second round and this time Dan shares some new insights on how to actually build an entertainment brand.
Important links
* You can find the full report here.
* Find Dan on LinkedIn here
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episod...
Hey everyone! Super happy to kick off a new season with more brand-building legends and insights.
In this conversation, I chat with Damian Borchok, Managing Director of Koto for the Asia Pacific region. A conversation sparked by a great article on Koto ‘s newsletter, We discussed the nuances of branding, rebranding, and brand refreshes. Damian emphasizes the importance of understanding the value of a brand and the strategic decision...
In this episode, we have a good (loyal?) friend of the show back for a second round: John Lyons.
Important links
* John on LinkedIn
* John’s new YouTube show ‘Bin Juice’
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit labmarcel.substack.com
Show notes
* John on LinkedIn
* John’s Substack and other links
Summary
* John shares his journey from advertising to consulting, focusing on practical outcomes rather than marketing politics.
* He highlights the common misconception that advertising only means paid ads and explains that any brand communication can be seen as "advertising."
* John describes the industry's split between "brand" and "performance" marketing, noting that cus...
Show notes
* Adam’s agency Thinkerbell
* Adam’s book: Stop listening to the customer
Summary
* Adam Ferrier challenges the idea of being "customer-obsessed," arguing that brands lose their identity by focusing too much on consumer needs.
* He believes brands should prioritize their own values and what they stand for instead of solely catering to customer demands.
* Companies like Apple and IKEA are examples of successful brands that don’...
Here are the key takeaways from the podcast:
* Effectiveness in marketing: It's about ensuring that marketing efforts, particularly advertising, achieve their intended goals, whether that's awareness, behavior change, or sales.
* Econometrics simplified: Econometrics uses data to determine if a marketing campaign worked by analyzing both the campaign’s direct impact and other factors (e.g. a competitor campaign) that could influence ...
As a brand designer, Austin experienced a similar journey to mine, he learned about the power of brand strategy and started offering it to clients. Things were great. But on that journey towards becoming a strategist, he also noticed that some things were broken in this new ‘era’ of strategic brand designers.We explore the following topics:
* Is Brand Strategy Overrated?: We dive into whether brand strategy is often overhyped, somet...
Discover the 5 key brand religions, their core beliefs, and how they can apply to your brand.
Important links
* Download the white paper to take a deep dive into the 5 brand religions
* Kristof on LinkedIn
* The episode with Jan Verlinden (Ritchie)
Creative business company
One of the biggest challenges in my own career has been trying to convince business leaders that their ‘brand’ is one of the most important assets of their company.
Th...
Discover the captivating marketing story of Ritchie, a Belgian lemonade brand built from strong marketing principles by entrepreneur/marketer Jan Verlinden (ex Pepsi-co). Learn how Jan leverages his experience at big brands to grow Ritchie through unexpected marketing channels and tactics to expand his market share gradually.
Show notes
* Jan on LinkedIn
* Check out Ritchie, the amazing brand Jan is building
* The book about the Ritchi...
A deep dive into the problematic state of online advertising, from its lack of effectiveness to its societal impacts.
Show notes
* Find ‘Adscam’ + the free ebooks on Bob’s website
* Bob on LinkedIn
Creative business company
One of the biggest challenges in my own career has been trying to convince business leaders that their ‘brand’ is one of the most important assets of their company.
That’s why this episode is sponsored by Creative B...
A deep dive into brand architecture and how to use it to strengthen your brand positioning
Show notes
* Felicia on LinkedIn
* The Morningstar case study by Creative business company
Brand strategy course
Activate your strategic brain and level up your creative business. Find courses on brand strategy, brand workshops, and brand strategy presentations. You can use LTBPODCAST to get a 20% discount.
This is a public episode. If y...
In this episode, we discover the power of ‘associative attention’, a framework developed by Max Stricker and Samuel Brealey. It zooms in on the importance of not only getting attention but the right type of attention through strong association.
Show notes
* Associative Attention Paper & ‘Health Check’
Associative Attention is a framework that helps brand owners deliver better executions (think advertising, POS material, packaging). I...
Discover what it takes to be a leader in brand for a large B2B tech company.
Show notes
* Gwen on LinkedIn
* This episode is sponsored by Creative business company. Find your free no-bs brand-building guides here.
Brand strategy course
Activate your strategic brain and level up your creative business. Find courses on brand strategy, brand workshops, and brand strategy presentations. You can use LTBPODCAST to get a 20% discount.
Show notes
* The multiplayer brand slidedeck
* Zoe on LinkedIn
* This episode is sponsored by Creative business company. Find your free no-bs brand-building guides here.
Brand strategy course
Activate your strategic brain and level up your creative business. Find courses on brand strategy, brand workshops, and brand strategy presentations. You can use LTBPODCAST to get a 20% discount.
This is a public episode. If you would lik...
Show notes:
* Article on Brand difference and pricing power
* Dom Boyd on LinkedIn
* BrandZ index
* This episode is sponsored by Creative business company. Find your free no-bs brand-building guides here.
Brand strategy course
Activate your strategic brain and level up your creative business. Find courses on brand strategy, brand workshops, and brand strategy presentations. You can use LTBPODCAST to get a 20% discount.
This is ...
How brands can create an unfair creative advantage.
Show notes
* Discover the full paper here.
* Dan Salkey on LinkedIn.
* This episode is sponsored by Creative business company. Find your free no-bs brand-building guides here.
Brand strategy course
Activate your strategic brain and level up your creative business. Find courses on brand strategy, brand workshops, and brand strategy presentations. You can use LTBPODCAST to get a 20% disco...
Show notes
* Professor Pauwels on LinkedIn
* This episode is sponsored by Creative business company. Find your free no-bs brand-building guides here
Brand strategy course
Activate your strategic brain and level up your creative business. Find courses on brand strategy, brand workshops, and brand strategy presentations. You can use LTBPODCAST to get a 20% discount.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this wi...
Show notes
* Bart on LinkedIn
* Bart’s new venture: I know a guy
Key Takeaways
* Understanding client problems and formulating them better than the clients themselves is crucial in agency-client relationships.
* The balance between digital and branding is essential in marketing strategies, with a shift towards investing in branding for long-term effectiveness.
* New platforms like TikTok and AR are on the rise and should be explored for ...
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