From Madison Avenue to Main Street — Benjamin Hawk on Brand Strategy That Actually Works
What do BMW, American Express, and small-town coffee shops have in common? They’ve all benefited from Benjamin Hawk’s sharp creative mind and brand-building expertise. In this episode, I sit down with Benjamin Hawk — a seasoned creative strategist, brand whisperer, and self-proclaimed “couples therapist for brands” — to unpack what enterprise brands get right about marketing, and how small businesses can apply the same principles to scale without the bloat.
With 20+ years in the advertising world, Ben has worked with everyone from global giants like Verizon and Mini to solo entrepreneurs trying to turn passion into profit. His advice is grounded, clear-eyed, and full of the kind of practical wisdom you wish more marketing gurus gave.
We cover:
- The #1 reason most entrepreneurs sabotage their own growth
- Why branding is business hygiene — and what it has to do with deodorant
- What big brands know about customer experience that small businesses miss
- Why community and "brand citizenship" matter more than ever post-COVID
- How to do more with less — and why your strategy needs to start before your ad spend
🎯 Key takeaways:
- You are not your customer. You are also not your brand. Understand that early, and build accordingly.
- Don’t skip strategy. Without a playbook, you’ll work harder and spend more to go nowhere fast.
- Marketing is not an expense — it's an investment in relationships, recognition, and revenue.
- AI is a tool, not a strategist. Use it for speed and research, but don’t hand it your brand voice.
- Brand is behavior. It shows up in every touchpoint — your pricing, your tone, your actions in the world.
This episode is for entrepreneurs who’ve hit a wall, brand builders chasing clarity, and anyone who believes great marketing starts with knowing who you are — and who you're talking to.
Connect with Benjamin:
Follow Us:
📸 Instagram: Uncomplicate It!
▶️ YouTube: Uncomplicated Marketing - YouTube
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com