The Power of Productive Tension in Branding

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 power of leaning into brand polarity How to know if brand tension is productive instead of problematic What it really means to be a “social first” brand—and why fearlessness is key Why unhinged marketing works for some brands and flops for others The difference between comments, engagement, and true community Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (00:35) Welcome to Tom Miner (01:22) Crocs as a brand turnaround case study (04:41) Embracing polarity and productive tension (09:08) What it means to be a social first brand (13:21) Fearlessness and comfort levels in social strategy (15:32) Unhinged marketing and authentic brand personality (18:18) Comments versus true community (22:43) Liquid Death as a social first example (25:10) The brand that made Tom smile (27:10) Where to learn more About Tom Miner Tom Miner is a social media strategist and the author of Social First Brands. As the former Head of Global Social Media at Crocs, Tom helped lead one of the most remarkable brand turnarounds in recent years, taking the shoe from internet punchline to cultural icon. Based in Denver, Tom now consults with organizations worldwide—from household consumer names to international B2B enterprises—helping brands move beyond chasing trends to creating genuine, lasting connections with their audiences. What Brand Has Made Tom Smile Recently? Recently, Tom found himself impressed by PopSockets. Long known for their stick-on phone grips, the brand has reinvented itself with MagSafe-compatible products and a renewed sense of fun on social media. A standout moment was a TikTok reaction video where the founder surprised a customer who lost her phone in the ocean. The mix of humor, generosity, and leadership buy-in reminded Tom why surprise-and-delight marketing still matters. Resources & Links Connect with Tom on LinkedIn. Learn more about Tom Miner. Check out Social First Brands on Amazon. Listen & Support the Show Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show. Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode. Sign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips. On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices