The Brand Show

Social media tools and the marketers who love them

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:20:54 PDT

MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer, Ann Handley heads up All Things Content on the MarketingProfs Web site and is the Primary Caregiver of Marketing Profs Daily Fix.

The blogosphere is teeming with "expert" content, but there's one resource in particular where more than 324,000 marketers go for practical, professional advice. It's called MarketingProfs.com, and it's home to thousands of insightful articles authored by marketing experts from around the world; including our own Ethan Whitehill, Gavin Johnston and Lou Thurmon.

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This week we talk blogs and social media with MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer, Ann Handley. Ann is a marketing maven in the thick of it. Not only does she help run MarketingProfs, she contributes content to its Daily Fix blog, writes for the Huffington Post and maintains her own blog, Annarchy.

In this interview, Ann shares her views on the pros and cons of brands on Twitter and explains how she uses social media to deliver content her readers want. She also offers a few helpful hints to anyone who'd like to get published on MarketingProfs.

Does your business use social media or a blog? How has it helped your brand grow? Let us know on The Brand Show LinkedIn group.

The Brand Show recommends these upcoming MarketingProfs events:
July 16, 2009:
The Art Of Social Media with Charlene Li
Sept. 16, 2009:
Digital Marketing World Fall 2009

Leading the new economy of marketing and design

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:55:25 PDT

Promax|BDA 2009 brings the brightest minds in entertainment marketing together for three days of dialogue, debate and discussion

Jonathan Block-Verk, became the President of Promax|BDA in early 2008.

From June 16 to 18 the New York Hilton will be invaded by some of the most innovative, forward-thinking visionaries leading the entertainment marketing revolution. Jonathan Block-Verk, President of Promax|BDA, joins The Brand Show to discuss this year’s annual conference and the impressive line-up of guest speakers, including the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Robert Redford.

Conference attendees can expect to hear insights from experts in the entertainment industry and beyond, including Jim Margolis, GMMB and Chief Media Strategist for the Barack Obama campaign; John Miller, CMO NBC Universal Television Group; Tom Kelley, General Manager IDEO; and Randi Zuckerberg, Marketing Director Facebook among others. For a full list of sessions and speakers visit Promax|BDA Sessions Overview.

If you are interested in attending the conference, it’s not too late. You can register at the New York Hilton June 16 to 18 or online at Promax|BDA Registration.

Can’t make the trip? Worry not! After the conference, The Brand Show will give listeners full access to interviews with conference speakers, panelists and attendees hosted by Ethan Whitehill, CEO of Two West.

For more information on Promax|BDA visit www.promaxbda.org.

After checking out the coverage at The Brand Show, join us on LinkedIn and share your thoughts: What do you look for when considering a conference? What are the most valuable conferences you have attended and how have they influenced your business strategies?

Go ahead, make my brand: what marketers could learn from storytellers like Clint Eastwood

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:46:07 PDT

Vance Van Petten is the Executive Director of the Producers Guild of America.

This week The Brand Show welcomes Vance Van Petten, Executive Director of the Producers Guild of America, an organization dedicated to representing producers in motion picture, television and new media around the world. Since assuming his role in 2000, Van Petten has grown the organization’s membership ten-fold to over 3,500 members including James Cameron, Ron Howard and other household names. Van Petten attributes the successful membership expansion to effectively telling the PGA story to audiences around the world.

Van Petten can also be credited with founding the Produced By Conference. The first annual conference takes place June 5-7 in Los Angeles, CA and is expected to draw an impressive list of critically acclaimed entertainment gurus.

This week our Two West hosts Ethan Whitehill, CEO and Lou Thurmon, Senior Vice President of Human Potential, speak with Mr. Van Petten about his views on the future of branded entertainment, and how innovative giants like Pixar and Marvel are doing it right. Van Petten offers advice on how to further develop brands and how to become master storyteller.

How have branded entertainment programs like The Biggest Loser or Project Runway influenced your purchase decisions?

Join us on the Brand Show LinkedIn group to give us your opinion.

Creating a Legion of Superfans.

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:02:02 PDT

At the end of the day, our job is to make people fanatics of our brand, and have them share their love with friends, family and the rest of the world. Well, we found one guy who has some pretty interesting experience in turning people into "superfans." And he offers some tips of the trade that could help any brand convert loyal customers into flag-waving, face-painting, raving fans.

This week we talk to Cameron Hughes, about how to transform consumers into cheerleaders and champions. Cameron’s made a name for himself traveling around the world working as a superfan for major sport teams. Taking time out from his ongoing crusade for team spirit, he discusses with us what he’s learned along the way about creating fans for a brand and creating a brand for himself.

Check out the video below to see Cameron in action.

And once you’ve heard the show, stop by our LinkedIn Group where you can offer your thoughts about creating superfans.

Eat or be Eaten: Will Your Brand Survive the Next Decade?

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:10:47 PDT

Adam Morgan, author of the recently released second edition of “Eating the Big Fish,” joins The Brand Show to address how Dyson made vacuums sexy, Vitamin Water changed the definition of water and what your brand can do to outlast the competition. With the original release of “Eating the Big Fish” in 1999, Morgan provides insight into ten years of brand evolution and what it will take for brands to thrive in today's world where consumers speak louder than ever before.

How will your brand to evolve from “challenger” to “category leader?” Morgan and the Two West crew aim to answer just that by exploring how brands like Absolut and Oakley tipped from challenger to leader in 10 short years.
Join The Brand Show as we explore questions every transforming brand seeks to answer:
1) How can a brand sustain growth over the next decade?
3) In this changing market environment, what is the new road map to marketing success?
4) How can challenger and leader brands proactively address the growing voice of the consumer?

After the show, join our LinkedIn Group for more talk about “challenger brands.” What challenger brands do you think have elevated to category leaders in the last decade? What one-time leaders now struggle to hold their thrown? And, what challengers are poised to usurp their position?

Develop Products People Can’t Live Without!: A Must Listen for Product Developers, Innovators, and Marketers

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:31:01 PDT

Are your products suffering from feature creep? Legendary product developer and columnist Phil Baker, author of From Concept to Consumer joins The Brand Show to discuss how companies can develop products people want, need and can’t live without by bridging the gap between engineers and marketers.

We kick off the show discussing Sprint’s new Now Network (4G) campaign that has found popularity both on-air and with the YouTube audience. Phil shares how an April Fools article mocking customer service provoked a response and exclusive interview with Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint. Dan spoke candidly with Phil about the necessity of strong customer relations and the rapid and remarkable turn around of Sprint’s customer service. With all the chatter about the highly anticipated Palm Pre, Phil gives his review of the new product and what it might mean for the industry.

Join the Two West crew as we uncover the power of consumer word of mouth and how outlets like the Consumerist and Twitter have put the customer back in the driver seat.

Take the first step to transforming your brand and listen to the Brand Show.

After you listen, take The Brand Show Challenge – call any customer service line and share your experience on The Brand Show’s LinkedIn group. How important is customer service to building a brand? Who is doing it right, and who could use a visit to VH1’s Charm School?

Has Starbucks lost its mo-Joe?

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:29:54 PDT

Inspired by conversations with over fifty of the top marketing executives from the biggest brands in the world, Tim Manners joins the Brand Show to discuss his new book RELEVANCE and explore how Apple has re-captured their relevance, and what brands like Starbucks and Target did to lose their way.

Listen as we discuss the extreme irrelevance of 55 Minutes of Solo Triangle on NPR, and how brands like Google are at risk if they continue to not inform consumers of their new applications.

Take the first step to transforming your brand and listen to the Brand Show.

After the show join us on LinkedIn and Facebook to discuss what brands have lost their relevance and what they can do to bring it back.

Tim Manners published work can also be found at Reveries.com and The Hub Magazine.

Yammer, Twitter, Plaxo, Orcut, Oh My! Branding Yourself on Social Networks

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:59:10 PDT

Is Oprah selling saunas? Not exactly, but Listen to this week’s Brand Show as we discuss how businesses like Sunlight Saunas are successfully leveraging an appearance on Oprah with social networking to boost their brand awareness.

Anthony Power of Recipe31 also joins the Two West crew to talk about 50 tweets and how online influence can be leveraged to build your brand. We also explore how unlikely social networkers like the United States Air Force are outlining their engagement policy for blog responses to ensure brand consistency in the digital world. Anthony also dishes on how P&G’s connect+develop crowdsourcing solution is capturing new product innovation from outside the P&G walls.

After you listen to the Brand Show join us on LinkedIn and Facebook to discuss the Good the Bad and the Ugly of branding through Social Networking.

Viral Marketing: How contagious is your campaign?

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:26:21 PDT

Liquids and plenty of rest? No thank you! Marketers are catching the viral bug, and banking that their customers will too. On this week’s the Brand Show guests Reggie Miller and Scott Hurwitz of ICED Media join the Two West crew and explore the viral campaigns we love, hate and love to hate.

Listen in as we dish on the success of Skittles and examine whether McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish campaign will be a catch, or thrown back to flounder.

Wondering how to do it yourself? Listen as Reggie and Scott offer their expert advice on how to turn an idea into a contagious campaign, and how to measure your success. Join us as we Join us as we outline how to focus dollars on viral marketing, and what your company must consider before planning any social media attack.

Which viral campaigns have you caught, and which have faded away? Share with us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Best of the Brand Show: Brands and the people who love them

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:01:01 PDT

Original air-date October 29, 2008

Donna Heckler, co-author of The Truth About Creating Brands People Love joins the Brand Show to talk about the rigors of creating brands people love. As the Lead Brand Strategist for Monsanto, Donna knows a thing or two about building world-class brands and shares her insight for companies who want to do the same.

Donna’s extensive experience in brand strategy for companies like Energizer Batteries, Cardinal Health, Clorox, Emerson Electrict, Maritz, Inc., The American Redcross and Ralston Purina positions her as one of the best minds in the business. Join us as we tap into Donna’s expertise and provide insight on how to make a personal connection with your customers to build your brand.

After you download this week’s show, join us on LinkedIn or comment below to discuss how companies are building brands people love.

We’re going Digital! Starting April 1st, the Brand Show will transition from radio and be available exclusively online at www.thebrandshow.com and via podcast.

Download the show now.

War in the Boardroom: What side of the table are you on?

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:37:29 PST

Have marketing and management turned your boardroom into a battleground? Join us on the Brand Show as the Two West crew welcomes author Laura Ries to discuss her recently released book War in the Boardroom. Laura explores why Left-Brain Management and Right-Brain Marketing don’t always see eye-to-eye and what companies can do to bring peace back to the process.

What side of the table do you sit on? Take the “Brain Quiz” and find out. Then join us on Facebook and LinkedIn to discuss how companies can bring marketing and management together to transform their customer experience.

Also on this week’s show…
What’s in a name? Discover how brand names like Silk appeal to consumers and why Lenovo missed the mark with its naming opportunity.

The Best of the Brand Show: Branding Through a Recession

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:37:51 PST

Original air date: September 10, 2008

Take a ride in the Brand Show time capsule to waaaaayyyyy back in 2008 when the U.S. economy was referred to as merely being in “an economic slowdown.” Since the original broadcast of “Branding Through a Recession” in September of 2008, the question of “are we in a recession?” has been replaced with “how long will this recession last?” With a bit of nostalgia, The Brand Show uncovered one of our fan-favorite shows featuring guest Chris Kuehl, the Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence to take a trip down memory lane when times were simpler and the “R” word was only something our grandparents talked about.    Download this week’s show to reflect on what brands like the Chevy Volt and McDonald’s were doing to break through the clutter and capture market share during a slowing economy. Join us as we explore how to overcome the nervousness of buyers, find your brand soul, and be poised to come out on top.

After downloading the show, join the Brand Show Facebook discussion. Share your thoughts on which brands will survive, and what brands you turn to as we face these unprecedented economic times.

Meet My Daughter, GoldenPalace.com

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:15:50 PST

Over-branding or savvy marketers? This week, you be the judge as Lucas Conley, experienced journalist and author of Obsessive Branding Disorder, talks with the Two West crew about some of the surprising steps advertisers, product manufacturers and businesses are taking to connect with consumers.

This week the Brand Show turns its attention to over-branding and explores several companies that seem obsessively focused on re-branding at the expense of good-ol’-fashioned R&D. The topic begs the classic marketing question: are you finding customers for your products or making products for your customers? Bryan, Ryan, Gavin and Lou analyze which brands hold their value by doing the latter, and which brands have joined the crowd of purposeless products.

From Sly Stone Pudding to a baby named GoldenPalace.com, Lucas shares a few favorite stories of outrageous advertising attempts, and sheds some light on a few brands he considers very ‘overvalued.’

Download this week's show.

Fit-n-In: Branding Exercise and Fitness

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:48:38 PST

This week, the Brand Show welcomes fitness expert Roy S. Johnson, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Men’s Fitness magazine and MensFitness.com to dish with the Two West hosts on how he helped shift the perception of fitness and nutrition – turning a pastime into a lifetime commitment.

In a market dominated by personal preference, products like Wii fit have followed a one-size-fits-most formula while others like personalized boot-camp workouts have carved out their own niche. Join the conversational calisthenics with hosts Andrew, Gavin and Bryan as they burn through new theories on why America needs 24-hour fitness, and share stories about their respective workout regiments.

Download this week’s show to find out which fitness brands are cooling off and which are just getting warmed up.

Bubble Trouble for Brands?

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:40:40 PST

The crew welcomes this week’s guest, John Gerzema, author of The Brand Bubble, as they discuss the dismal science. Mr. Gerzema, Chief Insights Officer for Young & Rubicam Inc., walks us through what brands need to do to grow and sustain a competitive advantage during the economic ebb.

Is there a “bubble” for today’s brands and is it about to burst? How are the current economic conditions impacting consumers’ behaviors and perceptions of brands? And how are some brands successfully riding the current economic storm? All is addressed, if not answered, in this week’s Brand Show.

Listen in as Brand Show regulars, Lou, Phil, Andrew and Bryan tackle the topic of brand loyalty and how it is built, maintained and sometimes, lost. They’ll also discuss how consumer trust and preference is affected during a recession and what to do to protect it.

Download the show and learn more about avoiding the brand-bubble bungle.

Face Time on Facebook

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:05:38 PST

Thousands of people join social networking sites each and every day. Whether you’re already one of them or about to make the leap, this week’s show is for you. Our discussion delves into the good, the bad, and the just plain wrong ways to leverage social media for your personal image or company brand.

While the majority of online networks have only emerged within the last decade, these sites have effectively infiltrated the daily routines and social rituals of their members. Gone are the days when crosswords and solitaire occupied our idle moments. Today, we’re passing the time making LinkedIn connections, poking Facebook friends, or snooping around MySpace. Download the show to hear our discussion on the social networking boom, and how everyone—from eccentrics to entrepreneurs—is making it work for them.

This week, Juliette Powell, author of 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence and Run a Successful Business using Social Networking, joins us to talk about the growing role of social networks in our lives. Get the scoop on how all this fun and friendship can add up to a serious business opportunity.

Download this show — and don’t forget to become a fan of The Brand Show on Facebook.

Death Brands: Marketing the Macabre

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:21:05 PST

Few topics deserve delicacy and decorum more than death, but that hasn’t stopped people from making money on mortality for centuries. Let’s face it, no brand loyalty could ever match our fascination with death. So this week, the Two West team sheds light on the dark subject of brand “death.”

Download the show to hear how some macabre-preneurs are reaping the rewards of the morbid market through innovation and in-your-face attitude. From custom caskets to haunted hotel getaways, this episode covers all the creepy corners of this nightmarish niche opportunity.

Our dialog explores everything from horror flicks to cigarettes, and provides a prime opportunity for the gang to air their own grim confessions and obsessions. Phil launches his newest product – the Carmina Burana-rator, Andrew discusses his penchant for Halloween costumes, and Gavin reveals his next great business idea: Stuffing Fluffy, a pet taxidermy toy.

You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, but only if you download this week’s show.

Links:
Phil's MaxFactor Ad
Casket Furniture

Video Gaming in a Brand New Way

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:44:01 PST

What do Burger King, Sysco Foods and Google all have in common? You might be surprised to find out that scores of big brands in a variety of industries are using video games for serious business. That’s right, this show is all about gaming. Download the show now to learn how video games are changing the way businesses train employees and engage customers.

To infuse a little expert insight into the conversation, we bring in game guru and author of Changing the Game: How Video Games are Transforming the Future of Business, David Edery. David’s experience merges the worlds of amusement and analysis - he’s the Worldwide Games Portfolio Manager for Microsoft’s Xbox Live and research affiliate of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program.

As we discover through our discussion, video games are good for far more than racing stolen vehicles and battling zombies. Download the show to see how a little digital fun can teach Google’s computers new things, produce brainwashing burger propaganda and fight childhood obesity (rather than promote it).

Download the show

Links:
Google
Fold It
Free Rice

Branding on the World Wide Interweb Cyberspace Superhighway

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:37:43 PST

Yep, that’s right, this show is all about digital branding. With the speed of technology and trends today, you can’t go more than a few months without touching base with the swiftly shifting digital landscape. To help us stay on top of things, we invited Andrew Doak, Senior Interactive Strategist at Two West, Inc., back to the studio.

In his classic style, the former Brand Show co-host led our conversation on digital branding with all the booming verve (and nerve) of a monster-truck-rally voiceover. Download the show now to hear about Doak’s recent online consumer research experience, as well as a rundown of the brands that have revved up their digital game.

To complement Doak’s industry insights (and intensity!), we also hosted author and Managing Director of Landor Associates, New York, Allen P. Adamson. Adamson’s new book, BrandDigital: Simple Ways Top Brands Succeed in the Digital World, provided the perfect focal point to our conversation. Check out our interview in the last half hour of the show.

All and all, this topic sparked numerous debates, but one thing we could all agree to was that digital conversation has opened the door to greater consumer control of brand perception--making it even more imperative for brands to deliver their story, products and promises with consistency, transparency and authenticity.

Download the show

Links:
NikePlus
Whopper Virgins
Whole Foods Market

The Brand Show Not-for-Profit Bailout Plan.

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:18:33 PST

We decided to take a moment and examine how the current U.S. economic state, now officially labeled as a recession, has and is affecting non-profit brands.

Those that listen to The Brand Show on a regular basis have heard us go on and on about how a recession is actually one of the best times a brand can position itself to become the industry or category leader. You know, the whole “invest while everyone else is cutting back to maintain and grow consumer relationships” mantra. Well, just like for-profit ventures, non-profits can maintain their current support but also seize new market share during these financially tight times. Download the podcast to learn how local, regional and national non-profit organizations are tapping into the power of social networking to gain awareness and dollars.

Also, tune in to hear our in-studio guest, Dawn Taylor, Development Officer of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, discuss several unique situations non-profit brands must balance in order to increase awareness and maintain funding momentum. Based on her category experience, Dawn provides valuable insight into the multi-faceted challenge of branding a cause vs. education vs. arts vs. community.

Download the show now to hear this entertaining dialog on non-profit branding that any fundraiser or philanthropist can appreciate. You’ll be happy you did.

Check out a few links that we mentioned on the show:
• http://www.charitynavigator.org/
• http://www.heifer.org
• http://www.goodsearch.com/
• http://www.kemperart.org/

Brands that have people talking

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:22:58 PST

How does word-of-mouth originate? What's the difference between brand buzz and brand conversation? This week's show takes a look at the power of true conversations for a brand and how those dialogs can enhance a consumer's experience and relationship with that brand.

Lou, Ryan and Gavin, our weekly regulars, return to discuss their own experiences with brands that create buzz and those that create meaningful conversation. In particular, Gavin provides anthropological observations from his recent Las Vegas trip. What happened in Vegas for Gavin definitely did not stay there! But on a professional note, Gavin shares how the Las Vegas environment is engineered to create an experience that impacts behavior to create advocacy through buzz, and more importantly, conversation.

This week's guest, Bertrand Cesvet, took the crew through his book, Conversational Capital: How to Create Stuff People Love to Talk About. Bertrand, who also happens to be chairman and Lead Strategist for SidLee, explains how to create intense consumer experiences that result in greater consumer satisfaction. He identifies eight engines a brand can utilize to create a more relevant experience that generates true brand conversation.

Check it out and hear how to capitalize on your brand's conversation power today.

Brands and the people that love them

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:22:13 PST

There’s nothing more precious for a company than the love of a customer. It’s the ultimate goal — to have your brand identify with your audience in such a way they practically make you family. But getting to that point is a whole other story.

This week Lou, Gavin, Ryan and the refreshing English accent of our new Creative Director/Chief Innovation Officer, Phil Gayter, talk about brand love. We discuss the obstacles and challenges of finding that tender spot in your customers’ hearts, and we go through many of the details that help make that connection. You’ll also hear a few brands — some you might not expect — that all kinds of people are falling head over heels for. And you’ll learn what brand Ryan wants to have his baby with.

Our guest, Donna Heckler, is the co-author of a new book, The Truth About Creating brands People Love. Donna is a Brand Manager with quite the resume. She’s lead brand strategy for Energizer Batteries, Kimball Office and Cardinal Health. While owning her own firm she’s worked with Clorox, Emerson Electrict, Maritz, Inc., The American Redcross and Ralston Purina. Currently, Donna works with Monsanto an agriculture company that provides innovative technologies for farmers around the world.

Donna takes the time to talk with us about the rigors of creating brands people love, and shares her wealth of experience about a few truths that are important to get the love companies are aching for. We think this week’s show is pretty entertaining and educational. But you be the verdict.

Download the show now.

Ultimate Unifier? International Telecom

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:49:20 PDT

LISTEN NOW

American’s view their cell phones as a tool, status symbol, extension of fashion and lifestyle. Is there a different point of view on what a phone is based on the culture you are in? Here’s what our international street team discovered, take a listen.

So the debate raised this week: What dictates brand strategies for international telecom groups? After all, living in different parts of the world means we mustwant and need different things when it comes to our cell phones, yes? Of course not! According to a study out of University of Michigan, while cultures are distinct from country to country, teens and tweens across the globe use their cell phones for similar reasons. Something you could have predicted, but now there is data to back it up! Yea for data!

In this weeks show we specifically cover the telecom Mecca of South Korea and Japan, and developing countries of India and China, discussing how the behavioral norms of specific cultures are shifting as cell phones and mobile devices now penetrate all demographic levels around the world. We also delve into the Middle East, UAE to be specific, where it is now common (and acceptable) to carry on personal conversations in public. Personal conversations in public, once seen as private and against the norm are totally acceptable if a cell phone is the vessel of the message. Cell phones and mobile devices have become a physical barrier of privacy in public situations. Download the show to get our answer on this. Yeah, that’s right. If you want our answer to that question, you’ll have to download the show! We’re meanies.

To help us gain greater insight (as our team has not traveled internationally since last Spring), our guest, Jon Barry, joined us live from Singapore and brought his overseas perspective to our debates. Jon’s experience in India as Operations Manager for the leading smart phone manufacturer helped bring clarity to our discussion. You should download the show to learn if the branding advocacy efforts in emerging countries like India and China are more advanced and aggressive then the efforts in the states. You will also learn a few Asian Pacific cell phone etiquette rules, determine if India will secure the next billion mobile phone subscribers and more. So go for it!

Download the show now and determine for yourself if telecom has created the ultimate unifier of cultures. Come on, go for it. You know you want to download the show. Do it. It’ll make you smile. You’ll feel smarter. You know you want to. View it as your daily deposit to your brain bank.

Check out what we couldn't get to on air:
India Moto Ads:

Haptic Part 1:

Haptic Part 2:

Haptic Part 3:

TalkPlayLove:

Branding Through a Recession: The Economy of the Undead

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:55:11 PDT

LISTEN NOW

Are we in a recession? What do you think? Have your spending habits changed in the last six months? We took it to the streets. Take a listen. (mp3, Man on the Street Interview)

If you fall into the category of the middle class American, chances are you’re probably watching and evaluating your consumption habits. Brand Managers across all categories are taking notice of consumer behavior changes among their target markets and adjusting accordingly. But are they adjusting their messaging approach effectively to maintain their relationship with their current consumer base, let alone demonstrating their value to potential consumers?

Download the show to hear our point/counter point on McDonald’s new regional marketing tactics focused on their specialty coffee drinks.

You’ll also be entertained as our guest, Chris Kuehl, co-founder and Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence educates us on how viewership of horror movies (specific to zombies) spikes during economic downturns. Seriously! You’ll be amazed at the tangled web of educational, inspirational and debatable conversation in this episode. We cover brand examples across multiple categories and examine their strategic approach to messaging during this economic downturn. So, if you are a fan of Audi, Home Depot, brands that support small business communities or into zombie movies, this is the show for you! Of course, we didn’t limit our conversation to the brands listed above, so be certain to download the show to get the whole convo.

Check out what we couldn’t get to on air:

Burger King’s investment to Value Menu with new product: Reverse Pick Pocket Campaign
Target: More for Less Campaign

Pediatric Branding: Children’s Hospitals, Branding Against a Second Opinion

talktous@thebrandshow.com (Two West) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:35:38 PDT

The fact is, if you’re a parent you don’t want to think about your child being sick. So how do you know where to take your child if something does happen?

That’s where branding comes in, and it’s a tricky task to brand a children’s hospital. Children’s healthcare institutions must brand their services and expertise in a way that allows its messages to penetrate an audience that does not want to listen.

Further more, when you are marketing something as serious as a child’s wellbeing, most of your reputation lies in the hands of word of mouth. Studies prove that parents often take the recommendation of a children’s hospital and specialty physician from a friend or relative over that of their pediatrician.

While this reputation influencer of friends and family might not be surprising, the fact that the United States only has two data-driven surveys that rank our nations top children’s hospitals should be; especially since the first of these two surveys began only five years ago in 2003.

Child (Magazine) realized that the nation lacked a comprehensive, data-driven raking of the nation’s children’s hospitals and was the first to do something about it in 2003. Until then all children’s hospital surveys were subjective and weighed heavily on reputation.

Child took the position of a good steward and created a sound methodology and pediatric advisory board to determine which children’s hospitals were the nation’s leaders. By examining vital medical information (such as: survival rates, volume of research studies, efforts to reduce medical errors, quality of medical staff training, and more), along with looking into support for families and more intangible areas like child friendliness and community support Child strengthened their brand as a trusted thought leader among parents. Their bi-annual survey of hospitals is now a nationally known source of referral.

In 2007 US News & World Report came out with their own methodology to rank our nation’s children’s hospitals on an annual basis. While their rankings recognized many of the same hospitals credited via Child magazine, there is a debate as to which survey is the most credible: Child or US News & World Report. Our vote: Child, but you will have to listen to the show to hear why we believe this to be true.

Children’s hospitals do an amazing amount of research on an annual basis. Research in the world of child healthcare as been termed “the race”. The term refers to the determination to create new possibilities for the youth of the world. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), our nation’s first children’s hospital, is the leader in the area of research. In 2007, CHOP conducted over 1,500 research studies. Couple that with all of the other research studies from top children’s hospitals and you have one massive commitment to cure finding.

Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals joined the discussion and illustrated how distinct the proper healthcare & treatment for a child is compared to an adult. Shawn Arni, Director of Marketing and Children’s Mercy educated us on these differences and also discussed challenges children’s hospitals conquer that are unique to the world of healthcare.

On top of gaining greater insight into the world of children’s hospitals, Shawn shared with us the branding and marketing strategies behind the “My Child, My Story” contest. Listen to the podcast to hear how Children’s Mercy is reaching out through social media to strengthen its core brand promise.

For the complete show and interview with Shawn Arni of Children’s Mercy Hospitals & Clinics we encourage you to download the show.