On Brand with Nick Westergaard
On Brand helps you tell stronger stories and build better brands. Each week, host Nick Westergaard, author of Brand Now and Get Scrappy, interviews marketing and communication thought leaders and innovators from brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Meta, Crayola, Beats by Dre, Southwest Airlines, Reddit, Spotify, and MailChimp. Watch the full, in-depth conversations and get actionable insights to help you and your brand stand out in a crowded, distracted world. For show notes and more, please visit http://onbrandpodcast.com.
Episodes
February 2, 2026 • 52 mins
Today is a major milestone—Episode 600. My journey behind the mic began in 2012, and since then, this conversation has evolved from simple marketing tactics into the deeper pillars of leadership, communication, and storytelling. To celebrate, I’m flipping the script. I’ve invited my longtime friend and fellow 2012 podcasting pioneer, Mike Gerholdt, to take over the host’s chair. We’re going behind the scenes on everything I’ve lear...
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January 27, 2026 • 2 mins
“I’m Nick Westergaard, and this is On Brand — helping you tell your story.”
Storytelling is everything—especially for leaders and marketers navigating today's digital world.
On this show, we go behind the scenes with the minds at Microsoft, Spotify, and the Mayo Clinic to see how they lead with purpose and build lasting trust. Featuring insights from global experts like Seth Godin, Nancy Duarte, and Alan Alda, we unpack the human...
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January 26, 2026 • 30 mins
Ashley Herd, founder of Manager Method and former Head of HR at McKinsey, explains why most managers aren't actually failing—they're just guessing. She breaks down her simple yet powerful three-step framework—pause, consider, and act—to help leaders move past the "speed of the inbox" and start leading with real intention. From handling employee mistakes with empathy to navigating the "octopus and wizard" traps of burnout, Ashley pr...
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January 19, 2026 • 30 mins
While every non-alcoholic brand is shouting Dry January, Recess is telling you to quit. Literally. Joining us is Ben Witte, CEO and co-founder of the #1 mocktail brand, to unpack a provocative new campaign that swaps all-or-nothing resolutions for something far more realistic: balance. From a bold manifesto to a full-page New York Times ad timed for “Quitter’s Day,” Ben explains why going against the seasonal grain isn’t risky—it’s...
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January 12, 2026 • 30 mins
Storytelling is easy to talk about—and hard to do well. On this episode of On Brand, I’m joined by John Elbing, Chief Storybuilder Officer at Standpoint, to unpack how his Storybuilding approach helps startups and brands clarify their value, sharpen their pitch, and actually connect—with a framework so effective it’s now a #1 international bestselling book.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why most brands jump to storytelling ...
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January 5, 2026 • 33 mins
What if the story your brand tells could drive growth like nothing else? Park Howell—The World’s Most Industrious Storyteller, Emmy-winning ad veteran, and author of Brand Bewitchery—shows how narrative-first leaders succeed in the age of AI. As host of the Business of Story podcast and creator of the StoryCycle Genie™, he’s helping brands craft powerful stories in minutes, not months.
What You'll Learn
Why storytelling itse...
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December 22, 2025 • 33 mins
What if the future of marketing is a lot more human than we think? Today’s guest, Mark Schaefer, has been shaping that future for decades — and he was actually on this show ten years ago. So this is part reunion, part masterclass. Mark’s a futurist, bestselling author, Rutgers faculty member, and Drucker-trained strategist whose ideas guide brands from Adidas to the U.S. Air Force. His ten books and his top-ranked show The Marketin...
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December 15, 2025 • 33 mins
It’s that time of year again: Brand Federation’s Naughty & Nice list is out, and Matt Williams is here to break it down. Matt is President of Brand Federation and former CEO of The Martin Agency, where he led campaigns for GEICO, OREO, UPS, and Walmart. He’s also a visiting professor at William & Mary, sharing decades of brand strategy know-how. On this episode, Matt reveals which brands earned “Nice,” which landed on “Naughty,” an...
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December 8, 2025 • 29 mins
What if you could test your business strategy in days instead of months? That’s what Kate O’Keeffe, CEO and Co‑Founder of Heatseeker, makes possible. From building the first AI‑powered platform for market experimentation to helping companies validate strategy, positioning, and buyer demand at lightning speed, Kate’s career is all about turning bold ideas into measurable results. Former BCG Partner and Silicon Valley innovator, she’...
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December 1, 2025 • 31 mins
Impact isn’t a vibe — it’s measurable. This week I’m joined by Neil Callanan, LooseGrip founder and creator of the GRASP Impact Framework, to unpack how storytelling can stand up to scrutiny and move both culture and the bottom line.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
How the GRASP Impact Framework helps brands get a real grasp on the effectiveness of their stories
Why consumptive metrics like time spent with content matte...
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November 24, 2025 • 32 mins
The secret to great creative work isn’t just the idea — it’s knowing how to get there. Toby Wilkinson, co-founder of Ask Us For Ideas, has spent the last decade helping brands navigate the messy world of agencies, briefs, and creative partnerships to make the process smoother, smarter, and more successful.
What You'll Learn
Why choosing the right agency is just as important as the creative work itself
How to align your te...
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November 17, 2025 • 33 mins
What does the producer of Wedding Crashers, Serendipity, and Van Wilder know about building brands? Turns out—a lot. This week on On Brand, Andrew Panay shares how Hollywood storytelling principles shape not just hit movies but also unforgettable brand stories for companies like T-Mobile, Microsoft, and Anheuser-Busch.
What You'll Learn
Why originality—not imitation—is still the most powerful creative strategy
How Hollywo...
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November 10, 2025 • 36 mins
What does it take to build one of the world’s top-rated social media management platforms—without a single dollar of outside funding? This week on On Brand, Emeric Ernoult, founder and CEO of Agorapulse, shares how he bootstrapped the company to over $20 million in revenue, pioneered ROI-tracking tools for social, and carved out a powerful niche in a crowded market. We talk scaling smart, making social media actually measurable, an...
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November 3, 2025 • 32 mins
How do the most visible leaders stay trusted and relevant in a noisy world? Danielle Sabrina has spent her career helping them do exactly that. As founder of Society22 PR, one of Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing firms, Danielle has guided CEOs, athletes, and celebrities in building credibility that scales. Named Female Entrepreneur of the Year and one of CIO’s Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs to Follow, she joins me to unpack how smart brand...
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October 27, 2025 • 30 mins
How do brands really live in our minds? According to Ulli Applebaum, it’s all about associations — the complex web of meanings and emotions that define how people see your brand. This week on On Brand, the international strategy veteran and author of The Science of Brand Associations shares how we can use science, not guesswork, to build brands that stick.
What You'll Learn
Why brand associations are the “operating system” t...
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October 13, 2025 • 30 mins
Geoff Cook’s career took off the night he met MoMA’s CMO—and helped create the iconic MoMA QNS brand. Since then, he’s shaped brands from MILK and NeueHouse to Times Talks, JFK Terminal 4, and the Prince Estate. Partner at Base, mentor at TechStars, and global culture expert, Geoff shares how bold branding can leave a lasting cultural impact.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
- How a single encounter can launch a career and def...
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October 9, 2025 • 40 mins
In this special bonus episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, now that The Life of a Showgirl is out in the world, we’re asking: what does this new era tell us about Taylor Swift? To explore, I’m joined by Joanna Weiss, editor of Harvard Magazine, journalist, and co-author of Taylor Swift: Album by Album, a deep dive into every era. Together, we’ll unpack how Showgirl fits into Taylor’s evolution and what this chapter reveals about ...
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October 6, 2025 • 31 mins
What makes a brand unforgettable instead of overlooked? Tom Miner knows. As Head of Global Social Media at Crocs, he helped drive one of today’s biggest brand turnarounds. Now author of Social First Brands, Tom shares how embracing productive tension, making personality your secret weapon, and riding trends that matter can turn comments into real community.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why Crocs’ turnaround shows the po...
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October 2, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, we’re joined by Ann Handley — Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, and one of IBM’s ‘7 people shaping modern marketing.’ Ann brings not just her marketer’s eye but also her mom’s heart to the Swiftiverse. We’ll explore how Taylor’s storytelling fuels parasocial relationships, why The Eras Tour transformed casual fans into rabid ones, and what...
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September 29, 2025 • 33 mins
Few business thinkers have shaped customer experience and marketing as profoundly as Jay Baer. A 7th-generation entrepreneur, best-selling author, and creator of six multi-million-dollar companies, he’s helped more than 700 brands, from Nike to the United Nations, grow and connect with customers in ways that matter. Now, he’s challenging everything marketers think they know about “owned” digital land, AI, and the future of content ...
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