The Champions of Purposeful Change Podcast: Recent Episodes
Bill Gullan, President of Finch Brands
Champions of Purposeful Change is a podcast that will spotlight those who are making an impact – especially those making a difference in Insights roles. It is hosted by Bill Gullan, President of Finch Brands. Each monthly episode features a fast-paced interview with an Insights practitioner. We have become increasingly drawn to leading thinkers in insights roles and who are champions of purposeful change in their organizations. Our podcast combines compelling career journeys with the big ideas that drive business and brand innovation in today’s fast-paced economy.
Join us as Nicole Rocchio, Global News Consumer Insights Lead at Google, takes us through her career and the unique initiative she leads – which helps news organizations use insights to connect with readers. With so much going on in the world, Nicole shares the thinking behind this initiative and how she works with leading publishers.
Download our 2024 Insights Community Benchmarking Guide here
If you like the podcast, please give us a rating! You can now find videos of our podcast recordings on YouTube
Follow us:
Instagram: @finchbrands
X: @finchbrands
Facebook: Finch Brands
LinkedIn: Finch Brands
The post Using Insights to Help News Organizations Break Through appeared first on Finch Brands.
Join us to hear from Sonny Sethi, Senior Director of Marketing Research at Zip Co in Australia. Sonny shares stories and philosophies from his career across categories and markets – and his thoughts on where the industry is going. We hope you enjoy the show!
Download our 2024 Insights Community Benchmarking Guide here
If you like the podcast, please give us a rating! You can now find videos of our podcast recordings on YouTube
Follow us:
Instagram: @finchbrands
X: @finchbrands
Facebook: Finch Brands
LinkedIn: Finch Brands
The post Taking a Global Approach with Sonny Sethi of Zip Co appeared first on Finch Brands.
On this episode, we catch up with Elizabeth Oates, Vice President of Consumer Insights and Guest Services at ULTA Beauty. Join us as Elizabeth walks us through her career and talks about her role driving customer centricity at the largest beauty retailer in the U.S.. We hope you enjoy the show!
Download our 2024 Insights Community Benchmarking Guide here
If you like the podcast, please give us a rating! You can now find videos of our podcast recordings on YouTube
Follow us:
Instagram: @finchbrands
X: @finchbrands
Facebook: Finch Brands
LinkedIn: Finch Brands
The post Putting Guests at the Center – with Elizabeth Oates of ULTA Beauty appeared first on Finch Brands.
On this episode, we catch up with Brittany Kennedy, Director of Research and Insights at SYSCO. Join us as Britt walks us through her career and talks about her role channeling the voice of the customer at the world’s global foodservice leader. We hope you enjoy the show!
Download our 2024 Insights Community Benchmarking Guide here
If you like the podcast, please give us a rating! You can now find videos of our podcast recordings on YouTube
Follow us:
Instagram: @finchbrands
X: @finchbrands
Facebook: Finch Brands
LinkedIn: Finch Brands
The post Channeling the Voice of the Customer with Brittany Kennedy of SYSCO appeared first on Finch Brands.
On our first episode of Champions of Purposeful Change, Matt Thell of General Mills takes us through his career journey and shares stories from along the way. Matt is part of an internal strategic consultancy that helps General Mills pursue a range of innovation opportunities – and he’s passionate about putting insights at the center of the work.
You can now find videos of our podcast recordings on YouTube
Follow us:
Instagram: @finchbrands
Twitter: @finchbrands
Facebook: Finch Brands
LinkedIn: Finch Brands
The post Innovation Through Insights with Matt Thell of General Mills appeared first on Finch Brands.
We’re evolving our podcast from Real-World Branding with Bill Gullan and relaunching as Champions of Purposeful Change with Bill Gullan. The podcast will spotlight those who are making an impact – especially those making a difference in Insights roles.
We started in 2014 and have over one hundred episodes on the books. What sparked this change in direction? We have become increasingly drawn to leading thinkers in insights roles that drive impact in their roles and who are champions of purposeful change in their organizations.
Our podcast combines compelling career journeys with the big ideas that drive business and brand innovation in today’s fast-paced economy. Keep an eye out for the launch of our first episode, starring Matt Thell from General Mills.
You can now find videos of our podcast recordings on YouTube
Follow us:
Instagram: @finchbrands
Twitter: @finchbrands
Facebook: Finch Brands
LinkedIn: Finch Brands
The post Champions of Purposeful Change™ Trailer – New Podcast Coming Soon appeared first on Finch Brands.
On this week’s episode of Real World Branding with Bill Gullan, podcast host and President of Finch Brands, talks Socializing Insights with Victoria Ng, Director Consumer Insights at Sodexo. Finch Brands runs a brand tracker for Sodexo and they’ve been one of our more adventurous and forward-thinking clients, asking us to help them socialize the insights gathered from their brand tracker and create an animated video using the data. We loved working on this project and so we thought you too might love to hear from the woman behind the scenes at Sodexo, Victoria Ng, Director Consumer Insights.
After engaging in and investing in research studies (such as brand trackers), there is still more work to be done to translate data into insights. By socializing the data and making it appealing to more than just researchers, it extends the life and purpose of the data.
Are you making your data sets more digestible by creating visual stories to accompany the data? Should you be? We think so.
Listen to our podcast and hear more from Bill Gullan and Victoria Ng as they talk Socializing Insights and Data Visualization.
Check out our Socializing Insights blog post and watch how we translated Sodexo’s data into a video.
And you can now find videos of our podcast recordings on YouTube
Follow us:
Instagram: @finchbrands
Twitter: @finchbrands
Facebook: Finch Brands
LinkedIn: Finch Brands
TRANSCRIPTION:
Bill Gullan: Greetings, one and all. This is Real-World Branding. I’m Bill Gullan, President of Finch Brands, a premier boutique brand consultancy, and thank you for joining us today. I know our timing has been a little bit intermittent, as I always say, we’re trying to get back to monthly at least.
And we are again, here in ’23, and we have a terrific guest to kick off the year. Victoria Ng, who’s a Director of Insights at, as she will tell you, a really large and meaningful company, that some folks have probably interacted with in many cases, maybe without knowing it. Sodexo is a food service leader in higher ed and corporate and healthcare and government, and in all these other segments. They provide food and beverage services, so sometimes under different brands, under different brand names that you may be familiar with. So if you go to a hospital and have a meal or a cafeteria on a campus, et cetera, that’s likely them.
Victoria is going to walk through her career, which is fascinating, as well as spend some time discussing a particular university lifestyle tracker that they run every two years, and that we at Finch were honored to be part of this latest go around. And I think the thrust of the comments, as the conversation goes on, is really about not only how to collect that data, but how to make that data achieve its full potential internally and externally through visualization and socialization, which she was a very strong leader for us in that regard. So enjoy hearing from Victoria Ng.
[00:02:00] We are so pleased and proud to have Victoria Ng with us today. Victoria is the Director of Consumer Insights at Sodexo, which probably most of you know what they do. I’ll ask Victoria to start, and thank you for being with us.
Victoria Ng: Of course, Bill. Thanks for having me on today.
Bill Gullan: Now it really is our pleasure. And let’s start where we typically do, with a little bit of a walkthrough your journey to the present role. How insights was sort of awakened in you as a passion, and some of the stops you’ve made along the way. If you could take us through that, we’d love to hear it.
Victoria Ng: Yeah, sure. I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. But I majored in psychology as an undergrad at the University of Virginia, and so I’ve always, always been interested in consumer behavior in general. And I was trying to figure out, okay, well, how do you take that passion or interests and make it marketable, like you actually create a career out of it.
And so branding and marketing was another interest of mine. And I was fortunate enough to find my first opportunity in consumer research, actually started in Shanghai, China. So over in Asia I started at a small innovation agency that was working to use consumer insights to help multinational companies break into the Asian markets. And so a lot of that was super cool work. I mean, China was emerging at the time, it was early 2011, I think, around the time was when I was there. So kind of a newer market to American companies especially. But they just wanted to figure out, “How do I bring my brand and how can I bring my products into the Asian markets and make it relevant for consumers there?” So it was a lot of qualitative work, a lot of co-creation workshops with clients and consumers, and just super fast paced and really, really interesting.
Loved that kind of research and working with the smaller team. But because that was my first role in insights, I also wanted to gain experience working at a larger research agency, just because they have other tools and methodologies that I might not have been exposed to at the time. And so I started working at Millward Brown a few years later, still in the Shanghai office. And so that was my first exposure to how to marry qual and quant together, because that’s obviously what they do well and one of their areas of expertise. And so that opportunity was also really fantastic, just because it gave me a broader exposure to different industries, working with different types of clients around the world, and super fun team to be on there as well.
And then after that, I realized at some point that I had spent a little bit too long outside of the US and I wanted to build a longer term career back here in the States, that I felt like I needed to start building my career in the US as well. And an itch I guess I had at the time was also just gaining more experience in developing brand strategy. So really using insights to build strategies for these bigger brands. And so I found an opportunity at a branding agency in New York City and worked there for a couple of years, really just trying to hone those skills and scratch that itch, so to say. But I did realize that I really missed the consumer research aspect of it all.
And so came back to research a few years later, started working at an online community focused agency, and that was also my first exposure to the tool at the time. And it was still relatively new in the market, I would say, and it wasn’t something I had worked with before. Now they’re everywhere, everyone runs an online community platform, and I think they’re fantastic for a variety of reasons. And it was that, again, exposure and experience with that tool was fantastic. And that team got acquired by LRW, which I believe you’re familiar with as well, but a larger research firm based out in LA. And so that, again, just led to additional opportunities. Building out a new team based on the new acquisition. Again, learning their tricks and tools of the trade, because they specialize in a lot of entertainment clients out in LA and all of that. Again, just great exposure to a variety of industries and clients.
And at that point, all of my research experience had been on the agency side. And there’s a lot of benefits to that because you get to work on different brands and different types of projects, and it’s super interesting and fast-paced all the time, but there was always that part of me where … I think people that work on either client or agency side maybe always wonder what it’s like on the other side-
Bill Gullan: Sure.
Victoria Ng: … those things. So I found a client side role at UCLA on their marketing team. And so that was a really cool experience to be able to use the insights to help academic departments develop programs and courses that matched what employers were looking for, and the skills that students needed to develop to meet the needs of the employers.
And so that, I think, was a really great way for me to just get exposed to seeing, okay, how do you take insights and carry it all the way through to the end so you have some just tangible outcome with it. You’ve developed a strategy, you’re actually creating the, for example, academic programs that were derived from the consumer research that you’ve done. Because I think that’s something that was missing for me on the agency side was, you don’t always get to see the final outcome or output of the research that you’ve done. And so just being able to have that tangible outcome for me was a big motivation for going to the client side.
And now at Sodexo I am doing the same thing with consumer insights for their universities and school segments, which is really helping our teams create a deep, empathetic understanding of who our students or who our consumers are today. What are their needs around food and food service specifically to help us figure out, okay, what products and services do we need to develop or bring in to help deliver on those needs.
Bill Gullan: Right. What a journey you’ve had. Couple things, I was going to ask about supplier side versus client side and you answered it, and it certainly rings true with everything we’ve experienced and folks here.
Within the UCLA, at least according to your LinkedIn, there were some work that you did on certifications and other perhaps emerging opportunities within the higher ed setting. Any reflections on what that was like? It sounds like you worked on some more traditional coursework as it relates to employer connections and other things. But also in that emerging space, was that something that you did touch, and I’ve just been fascinated by that side of the role.
Victoria Ng: Yeah, yeah, definitely. I did a lot of work on their certificate programs, which are part of the Continuing Education branch of UCLA. And what was interesting is, traditionally I say for higher education, it was like you created it and people would come. Whatever you put out there, you look to the academics as experts, and they still are in their relative fields. So you thought, “Okay, if this person’s studying this or if they’re putting out a course on X, Y, and Z, that’s probably what should be important to the world and what I should be studying.”
But we were finding that there was a slight gap in between what academically we felt was important, but in the marketplace we’re seeing other skills or other types of needs from employers, saying, “Oh, with automation or with technology growing, here are the types of topics, or here are the types of specific skills that we want our employees to have or people that we’re hiring. This is what we’re looking for.”
And so being able to use research to really help bridge that gap, to say, “Here’s where the job market growth is happening. Here are the types of skills that are going to be essential to capitalize on that growth as an employee looking for work. And therefore, these are the types of academic topics or programs that we need to start developing to ensure that continuing education learners …” A lot of people that took the certificate programs were maybe people like you and I. You’re already in a career, but maybe you want to pivot to something else. Or maybe, “Hey, I’m looking to get promoted at my job. What are the types of skills that I need to help me get there?”
And so that’s where our programs will come in and say, “Take our course, it’s super short and sweet. And we’ll be able to help provide you with that experience and those skills to be able to help you either pivot in your careers,” or get that promotion or get that raise or whatever they were looking for.
Bill Gullan: Yeah, cool. Fascinating. I mean, the higher ed marketplace has some demographic headwinds and other challenges.
Victoria Ng: Yes.
Bill Gullan: And the ability to pivot in that direction of being valuable, with the rigor of UCLA and other institutions that have done this, while that informateur matters, the learning matters, and it’s a fascinating category.
So Sodexo, I’m sure many of us know, but Sodexo is a leader in food and beverage programs for universities, which we’ll talk about in a minute, but certainly with strength in corporate office and healthcare and in other environments. Could you give us the lay of the land of how Sodexo’s organized, and you talked a little bit about your role, but give us the scoop on Sodexo?
Victoria Ng: Sure. It’s always funny because I think Sodexo is … I always joke that it’s probably the biggest brand name that most people know or have experienced but have never heard of.
Bill Gullan: Yeah. Right, right.
Victoria Ng: It’s a French-owned company. It’s a global company. And the business is organized by what we call segments. And so those are typically, if you think of different verticals within the organization, where we do deliver food services and facilities management to our clients. Exactly like you mentioned, we run food service and facilities management for corporate services, for government services and agencies, universities, obviously K-12 schools, healthcare, senior living facilities, and these live entertainment venues and airport lounges and things like that.
Again, it touches a lot of different facets of everyone’s daily lives. And so that’s why I say, you probably encountered us at some point and have eaten our food or experienced our service when you’re dining in an airport lounge, for example. But you just haven’t heard of the name behind it all.
Bill Gullan: Totally. And so you were attached, and obviously given your experience, you’re very well supportive of the higher ed vertical market. And when we met, you were pursuing the latest wave of what sounds like an ongoing tracker. Without telling us anything that might be private or proprietary, could you talk about the role of tracking and what the tracker is intended to do internally and externally, and how you conceive of it?
Victoria Ng: Yeah, definitely. Our Student Lifestyle Survey, which is the tracker that we had brought Finch in to help us with, it actually started about back in 2004, started in the UK business specifically. And they just wanted to understand, what are university students today looking for and what are their expectations [00:15:00] when it comes to a university experience. What are they hopeful for, what are they worried about, and things like that.
And eventually it expanded to a global tracker, because we wanted to understand what are some similarities and differences that we’re seeing across all of our university businesses around the world. I believe at the most, at one time we had about six countries, including the US, included in that tracker, which was absolutely fascinating to see.
Obviously, a couple years ago with the pandemic, that threw a wrench into things. And with different countries recovering at different rates and businesses just trying to figure out how to get back on track, we pivoted last year, when we ran the tracker, to just focus on the US only. Because we, again, understood the value that the insights brought from the tracker to really help us understand and tell that story about how we, as Sodexo, can help our clients, and ultimately students at those specific universities, increase campus engagement, increase their education around wellness and nutrition and health and mental health and things like that.
We were so excited to be able to do that study, again, more focused on the US, with Finch last year. And even more excited to include, for the first time ever, a small cohort of high school students.
Bill Gullan: Oh, cool.
Victoria Ng: Which obviously they are relevant for our K-12 schools business, but historically in the tracker, we had never included high school students before, but we felt like it was important to because they are our future university customers.
Bill Gullan: Sure.
Victoria Ng: And so what better way to understand what types of experiences we need to build today, than to understand what that future generation is going to be looking for in terms of a university experience.
Bill Gullan: Right. And so, correct me if I’m wrong and [00:17:00] expand on what I share, but I know the tracker certainly has, and the Lifestyle survey, has internal value, in terms of product development and planning and ensuring that Sodexo’s offerings create high engagement and meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff.
At the same time, this does have some sales and marketing value. I’ve heard and believe obviously Sodexo seeks to position as thought leaders seeks to be or earn the trust and opportunity, with various institutions. Could you talk about the internal and the external role of something like this?
Victoria Ng: Yeah, absolutely. For the external piece, I’ll start with … And it’s exactly like you mentioned. We wanted to be able to continue to position ourselves as thought leaders in campus engagement with our clients, and potential future clients too, just within the industry as a whole.
And one of the ways that we try to do that is through these types of research and studies that we can use in speaking engagements or discussions with, again, existing or new clients to say, “Tell me about your campus challenges today.” And a lot of that that we hear does involve campus engagement. So, “How do I get my students involved with campus activities a little bit more? How do I make them feel like they belong at the university?” Because the ultimate goal of all of our clients and all these universities is to make sure that a freshman that enters graduates as a senior three, four, however many years later.
And so that retention aspect is super important. And just making sure that’s sustainable across the years and over time is really key and a really priority for a lot of our clients. And so we like to think of ourselves as an enabler in helping students engage with their campus community through food specifically, but also through spaces, through some of the wellness programs that we offer, and among other factors like that.
And so last year, specifically, we wanted to think about, “Okay, how can we help increase our position as thought leaders, and how can we even increase our speaking engagements?” Or what we can do with these insights throughout the year. And we really had to take a step back and think about, how have we told the story in the past, what has worked well, what hasn’t, and how do we want to continue telling that story in the future.
And this year specifically, especially with your team, since you have a fantastic creative team as well, we made the decision to invest in bringing that data to life in ways that we hadn’t done before. So with your creative team we had created those motion graphics of the college student personas and the high school personas, and we had one-pagers of each of those personalities or personas as well.
And those, again, have come a long way. And again, it’s something that we hadn’t done before in terms of really telling that story in a more visual way. So when we go to trade shows now we have the video playing in the background, so people walk by and say, “Hey, that seems really interesting. Tell me more about the study that you did,” or, “Tell me more about what you’re learning about the university student experience.” And maybe they’ll be able to learn something that they hadn’t heard before. So it just really helps lengthen the data, and it helps us squeeze all of the juice that we can out of this research and continue to build that equity with our clients in that way.
Bill Gullan: No, totally. And I want to get to that in a second, but I mean, without giving away the whole data set, I mean, food service, you hit on, it is fundamental. It’s not ancillary, it’s a catalyst for social life. It’s a catalyst for nutrition and sustenance. These spaces are central gathering places that promote engagement and enhance mental [00:21:00] health. And Sodexo really does, and we’ve been so impressed by how holistically the organization views its role in, you talk about engagement and retention. It really comes through that Sodexo is not thinking only about what ought to be available on the menu, but its role in campus life and student life.
You mentioned socialization, and that’s in many ways, having come through this with you and sharing the philosophy of its importance, was one of the reasons why we wanted to go deeper today. You’ve been a supplier at small, medium, and large organizations. You certainly now put in your time on the client side as well. You mentioned internal audiences, who maybe non researchers or many of them are, you mentioned external audiences, clients and prospects who are trying to make sense of this. How does visualization or socialization, things like motion graphics, things like one-pagers, what is the role and power and potential, I guess, of that as a method to activate really the full potential of that data set?
Victoria Ng: Yeah, no, that’s a really good question. And I’m sure you’ve come across this in a lot of the work that you do as well. But for me, from my experience, it’s just a way of bringing the data to life in a way that creates empathy and engages [00:22:30] people in wanting to learn more about what you know, about the research that you’ve done.
And so I think anyone can look at a spreadsheet or look at different pieces of data and create their own points of view from it, but the storytelling aspect is something that everyone craves today. And I think that’s what’s going to get the point across in a stronger way that makes it stick as well. Because I can throw out tons of data points on the student lifestyle, student living, and mental health issues and all of that, but to see it play out in a video or even just as a one-pager or as a graphic I think just stays with people a little bit longer.
And again, I just think being able to tell a story with the data is probably one of the most important things that senior leaders, at least in our clients specifically, look for as well. Because it’s all about translating, “Okay, what does it mean for me at the end of the day?” And then if you can tell me a great story coming out of it, then, “Oh, okay, great. Now I see the impact. Now I see why it’s important for me to think this way because of the data that I’ve seen presented.”
Bill Gullan: Right. And that process of turning data into genuine insight and then turning that insight into digestible, meaningful, vivid calls to action really, for clients as well as internally, makes a ton of difference.
You mentioned some of the tactics that Sodexo has pursued on this one, motion graphics that bring to life these stories and these data points in ways that are easy to access and understand, and also at least intended to be very affecting as it relates to things like mental health and student life, that has broad extensibility, it sounds like, from sales presentations, to looping in trade show booths-
Victoria Ng: Yes. Yeah.
Bill Gullan: … to being vivid one-pagers, personas. I know that you are a really strong advocate of a variety of tactics, multimedia tactics here, to make this tracker or this lifestyle survey have meaningful and ongoing life within internal and external conversations.
Victoria Ng: Yeah, exactly. I think one of the interesting things about this tracker is that the data lives on, and we do it every two years. And so the data needs to live on, for the year that we conducted it, but also within the next year. I sit down with our audio engagement team and Stacy’s team, who you met as well, and really go through, okay, what are our upcoming engagement activities for the year? What are the trade shows or conferences that we’re speaking at? What are the different types of client engagements that we’re going to be presenting at?
[00:25:30] And then we then say, “Okay,” based on all of the different assets that we have today, which is great that we have a variety and not just a detailed PDF report or PowerPoint presentation or whatnot, to be able to sit down and say, “Okay, great.” Knowing how much time we have at this conference or what we’re presenting at this trade show, and matching it along with all the other initiatives that we have going on and saying, “Okay, now let’s put together this fantastic calendar of all the different types of activities [00:26:00] that we can get out of this one piece of research.”
And just making sure that for each of those, throughout the year, that we always have something new to present and new to be talking about. Because we’re not just presenting the same data sets over and over again, but we like to, I will say gatekeep for a lack of a better word, certain things. We use the high school data, for example, as a nice gatekeeper for, “Okay, now you’ve heard us talk about the university students a lot, but now [00:26:30] come back and hear us talk about how it affects high school students and what they’re expecting out of the university experience.” So keeping our clients engaged throughout the year with these little bits and pieces as well has been really just such a great benefit for us out of this research.
Bill Gullan: Yeah. Well, it was an honor for us to play even a meager part in it, and we so enjoyed learning. I mean-
Victoria Ng: Definitely more than meager.
Bill Gullan: The depth and texture of the university experience as it relates to [00:27:00] food service, but more generally, is so rich. And I mean, to your point, every two years, when we’re working with general consumer products that are not related to a particular time and place like a college matriculation path, I mean, you think almost in terms of generations. I mean, two years is almost that, when it comes to-
Victoria Ng: Yeah, that’s true.
Bill Gullan: Especially with how much change that these folks have lived through. I mean, if you think about a four year, hopefully, four year [00:27:30] college experience, I mean, with COVID obviously, with economic challenges, with all of the forces that move so quickly to change and shape our lives. The great thing about a tracker and an ongoing survey is to be able to learn new things, but also to compare how attitudes and mindsets and behaviors are shifting.
It’ll be interesting to see next time around, if we’re ever … I mean, whenever, maybe post COVID, but it’s a little less acute maybe than it was.
Victoria Ng: Yeah.
Bill Gullan: Campus life’s a little freer maybe than it [00:28:00] was when this was mounted. We’ll see how big a difference it is. It’s fascinating.
Victoria Ng: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I mean, that was one of the key questions that everybody was asking out of COVID. The changes that were created, or what were the impacts and effects of it, and how long-term or short-term are they.
Yeah, exactly like you were saying, we’re actually very excited for the next wave to start next year. Just to see if any of the changes that we saw over the past two to four years are here to stay, or if they might be reverting [00:28:30] back to normal, to pre COVID times. So it’ll be really interesting to see.
Bill Gullan: Yeah. And given Sodexo’s role and your role as a listener and a leader when it comes to client engagements and how food service is shaped in higher ed, I mean, it’s certainly in the company’s interest and has been its track record of being ahead of these shifts. I mean, things don’t change overnight. You don’t rip up a cafeteria or add a new … This takes a little bit of time, I would think, within the development cycle. And so yeah, that-
Victoria Ng: [00:29:00] It does. Yeah, it does. And I think all of the talk around Gen Z and now with the upcoming Gen Alpha, I think everyone’s just on their toes just waiting to see, okay, how does what we know about this generation today, how is that going to impact what we need to deliver tomorrow? And because it’s such a fascinating generation. I’m a millennial so I can say they’re a little bit younger, there’s a lot of behaviors that I still don’t fully understand.
Bill Gullan: So entitled [inaudible 00:29:30].
Victoria Ng: Yeah. [00:29:30] There’s just a lot there, and it feels like it’s constantly changing. We’re having to keep up with all of the different changing trends and behaviors of this super interesting generation. And so I think it’s imperative for us to keep a pulse on our consumers because of this as well.
And so, yeah, I’m excited to, again, pick this up again next year and just see the trends and see what similarities or [00:30:00] differences we had from just 2022, a short two years ago.
Bill Gullan: Totally. Well, I’m a proud Gen X’er, and I guess I don’t really change that much.
Victoria Ng: I know. I was going to say, at this point in my life
Bill Gullan: Yeah, you don’t need to-
Victoria Ng: … I’m not changing.
Bill Gullan: You don’t need to track me every seven or eight years.
Victoria Ng: Exactly.
Bill Gullan: Well, Victoria, thank you so much for your kind words and your partnership, and certainly for your time and insight today. It was a pleasure.
Victoria Ng: Of course. Thanks again for having me, Bill. And it’s a pleasure working with you and the team.
Bill Gullan: Thank you.
[00:30:30] Thank you so much to Victoria for her time and her insight. [00:31:00] Not only has she had a fascinating academic and career journey, she really shares, I think, with us a bunch of key philosophies around the power of insights, how they can be best socialized internally and externally. Internally, so that the company can learn from data points, and even non researchers can grasp the key things and take action against them. And then externally, within sales and marketing efforts, helping burnish [00:31:30] Sodexo’s leadership position in terms of bringing meaningful data not only to the work that they do, but to the awareness of their clients and contacts.
As always, three ways to support us here at Real-World Branding, now that we’re back on it. One is to click Subscribe. Make sure you never … Especially with our intermittent timing, clicking Subscribe within the podcast app of your choice or here on YouTube, ensures that you do not miss an [00:32:00] episode. When we post it, it’ll be there. Rate and review within podcast apps or stores of your choice. Rating gives us feedback, hopefully positive, but feedback that we seek to bring into future iterations of this to make sure it delivers value. The review also, pardon me, helps us learn. And if you like it, we’re told that the level of rating and [00:32:30] reviewing does help us get found by people who would also enjoy this.
And then the third way is to keep the dialogue going on Twitter @billgullan, @FinchBrands. I haven’t been doing as much, I post random sports things. I’m not a prolific tweeter these days, but I do very much love to hear folks’ reactions to our topics, our guests, ideas for future topics and guests. So @FinchBrands, @billgullan, or any other way, email, however you’d like. We greatly appreciate the time that you’ve spent with us when we have one [00:33:00] of these, and we want to make sure that each minute that you spend is valuable and enjoyable. So let us know how to do that.
It’s about to be playoff weekend in the Cradle Liberty. By the time you hear this we’ll know perhaps how the Eagles did this weekend, but hopes are high and spring training’s right around the corner. So we’ll sign off from the Cradle of Liberty.
The post Socializing Insights with Victoria Ng, Director Consumer Insights at Sodexo appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this episode of Real-World Branding, our President and host, Bill Gullan takes on 3 common themes we’ve been hearing from our clients regarding the remainder of 2022. He also covers, at length, how to handle brand identity choices in the wake of M&A Activity. Check out our Rebranding Strategies for M&A blog and Download […]
The post Owning the Next 6 Weeks and M&A Brand Identity Decisions appeared first on Finch Brands.
As we frequently note, many companies have built an insights community to provide a continuous, on-demand flow of quantitative and qualitative input from customers and prospects. Yet – for a variety of reasons – these initiatives can sometimes fail to make the desired impact or can degrade over time. This blog dives into the 10 […]
The post 10 Signs it’s time to Upgrade Your Insights Community & Switch with Confidence RWB Podcast appeared first on Finch Brands.
Research suppliers and clients alike are responsible for turning the data they collect into genuine insight with which to progress brands and businesses. In this episode of Real-World Branding, Finch Brands’ own Kate Virzi, discusses her career – brand side on the Subway marketing team and as a supplier at Nielsen’s BASES – and how […]
The post From Data to Insight to Action with Kate Virzi SVP, Consumer Insights- Finch Brands appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, we sat down with Gary Kopervas, SVP, Creative Strategy at Finch Brands. Take a listen as Gary dives into the history of sprint offerings and the benefits of a real-world sprint to accelerate key brand and business initiatives. If you like the podcast, please give us a rating! You can now […]
The post Ready, Set, Sprint! With Gary Kopervas SVP, Creative Strategy- Finch Brands appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, we sat down with Trish Wethman from Marlette Holdings (d/b/a Best Egg – a company with roots in personal loans, recent expansion into credit, and more to come). Take a listen as Trish details the fundamental power of CX to transform businesses – internally and externally. If you like the podcast, […]
The post Real-World Branding- Putting Customers at the Center with Trish Wethman, Chief Customer Officer at Best Egg appeared first on Finch Brands.
Over the past couple weeks, we’ve broken our M&A Branding Playbook into sections – today’s episode is a full audio version of the Playbook! This represents our compendium of best practices for how to define and execute key branding choices in the wake of M&A activity. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and share […]
The post Full M&A Branding Playbook appeared first on Finch Brands.
Sadly, this is the final section of our M&A Branding Playbook podcasting journey. We hope you enjoyed our audio version of the Playbook and have a deeper insight into what drives M&A success from a branding perspective. If you enjoy our podcast, please give us a rating and subscribe. http://blog.finchbrands.com/mabrandingplaybook-part3
The post M&A Branding Playbook – Part 3 appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this episode, we continue with Part 2 of the M&A Branding Playbook. This section is packed with tips and tricks for how to navigate the branding process by listening well and documenting key decisions. If you’re enjoying the Playbook and our podcast, please subscribe and give us a follow on Twitter – @finchbrands or […]
The post M&A Branding Playbook – Part 2 appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today we are shaking things up here at Real-World Branding – a dramatic reading of our very own M&A Branding Playbook. Broken down into three easy-to-consume episodes, please enjoy Part 1. If you like our podcast, please subscribe. https://blog.finchbrands.com/mabrandingplaybook-part1
The post M&A Branding Playbook – Part 1 appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, we hear from Phil Rubin of Therabreath. Tune in to hear about his career journey, how the Therabreath brand got started and where it is today, and what it takes to build a brand that is disruptive yet authentic. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! blog.finchbrands.com/therabreath
The post Building an Authentic Brand – Therabreath – Phil Rubin, President appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today, we discuss Aimee’s background, the super-interesting Endless Pools brand and business, how they invented a category, built a portfolio, navigated COVID, and are strongly positioned in the home wellness marketplace. Watkins Wellness is the world’s leading manufacturer of hot tubs/spas and maker of aquatic fitness products. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/endless-welness-podcast
The post ‘Endless’ Wellness – Aimee Soto, Senior Brand Manager – Watkins Wellness appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, Darren Sudman, CEO of Unless Agency, joins us! We chat Darren’s background, how a personal tragedy shaped his professional path, and what he’s building at Unless. Unless is a creative agency promoting cause marketing, focused philanthropy, and mission building. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/marketing-a-cause
The post Marketing a Cause – Darren Sudman, CEO – Unless Agency appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, we have Founder & CEO of Amazi Foods, Renee Dunn. We talk about how Renee started her company after leaving her job and boarding a plane back to Uganda, purpose-driven snacks, and doing good in business. http://blog.finchbrands.com/amazi-foods
The post Snack on Purpose – Renee Dunn, Founder & CEO – Amazi Foods appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding we have Aishah Hunter of sweetgreen, who oversees HR functions for the company’s east coast locations. We learn about her career journey and path to sweetgreen, what sweetgreen has done to support the safety of their teams during COVID-19, and the role of frontline people in shaping exceptional brand experiences for […]
The post The Power of People – Aishah Hunter, Sr. People Business Partner – sweetgreen appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding we have Abbey Schoenberg, Director of Marketing at Fancy.com. Abbey has spent the past 12 years building direct-to-consumer brands, crafting campaigns, programs, and strategies to drive brand love and generate growth. From launching new stores and product lines at Forever 21 to leading the global digital brand team at Oakley to driving […]
The post A Fancy Customer Experience – Abbey Schoenberg, Director of Marketing – Fancy.com appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today, we meet Seth Young, Chief Innovation Officer at PointsBet. We hear about Seth’s incredible backstory, why he fell in love with sports betting, how PointsBet builds customer loyalty and drives innovation, and some words that Seth lives by. Points Bet is a cutting edge digital sportsbook that delivers a user-friendly interface, innovative bet types, […]
The post Taking The Points – Seth Young, Chief Innovation Officer – PointsBet appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today, we have TWO guests from one incredible company: Michael Ross, President & CEO and Karen Getz, Co-Founder & VP Product Development of Maine Crisp Company. Maine Crisps are made in good spirit, from the best possible natural ingredients, responsibly farmed. We hear about Karen’s founding story – 25 years in the making – from […]
The post Made in Good Spirit – Michael Ross, President & CEO and Karen Getz, Co-Founder & VP Product Development – Maine Crisp Co. appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today, we feature Andy Zavodney, CEO of KUSTOM. He takes us through the incredible journey of a family business – from the early days in roofing and sheet metal to KUSTOM’S current focus on building a national restoration brand. As a 3rd generation leader, Andy shares hard-earned wisdom from his career journey and how KUSTOM […]
The post Building a National Brand – Andrew Zavodney, CEO – KUSTOM appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today, we hear from David Freedman of Freestar, a Top 40 fastest-growing private company in America two years in a row and a force to help publishers monetize digital content. We hear about David’s career path to Freestar, the Freestar brand, how they have navigated their way through 2020, and a few words of wisdom […]
The post Publisher First – David Freedman, Co-Founder – Freestar appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today we welcome Mary Pochobradsky, VP of Product & Innovation at Nutrisystem. Mary takes us through her career journey – from competitive skiing to marketing and innovation roles at Procter & Gamble, Hershey, and now Nutrisystem. We discuss how Nutrisystem creates growth opportunities by getting to know its customer on a deep level – supporting […]
The post Growth Through Innovation – Mary Pochobradsky, VP Product & Innovation – Nutrisystem appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding we have Amy and Shelby Zitelman, Co-Founders of Soom Foods, the trusted tahini brand among James Beard award-winning chefs and home cooks alike. We cover the academic interests and early career experiences that led them to found Soom, the brand story, category dynamics, their day-to-day experiences as a family business, and the impact […]
The post Make Room for Soom. – Amy Zitelman, CEO & Co-Founder, and Shelby Zitelman, COO & Co-Founder – Soom Foods appeared first on Finch Brands.
Ctrl M Health is a digital health company providing integrated health and wellness solutions for those living with headache and migraine. We’re proud to have Will Gadsden, Co-Founder and CEO, join us today. We discuss Will’s career, how the idea of Ctrl M Health came about, the new company, how they navigated launching during COVID-19, and future plans. If […]
The post Control is Within Reach – Will Gadsden, Co-Founder and CEO – Ctrl M Health appeared first on Finch Brands.
Kimberly Bombery Smith, Senior Director Workplace Strategy at Knoll, Inc. joins us today on Real-World Branding! We chat Kimberly’s career journey, the Knoll brand and business, how Knoll has evolved, and the future of work – how Kimberly sees the world these days (i.e. COVID-19) and beyond. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/future-of-work
The post The Future of Work – Kimberly Bombery Smith, Senior Director Workplace Strategy – Knoll Inc. appeared first on Finch Brands.
Melissa Ben-Ishay is a mom, baker, and founder of Baked by Melissa, the New York City-based brand famous for its signature, bite-size cupcakes and treats.Melissa joins us (again – we’re honored!) to provide an update on the company that bears her name and how COVID-19 has shaped her as a leader. If you like our […]
The post Making Life Sweeter in 2020 – Melissa Ben-Ishay, CEO – Baked By Melissa appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding we have the co-founders of Social Goods, Kate and Lisa Sokolov! Social Goods is a women-owned, sister-run small business based in NYC. Merging their shared experiences in politics, fashion and social impact, Kate and Lisa created Social Goods to allow conscious consumers to shop the causes they care about, while finding […]
The post Look good. Do good. Change the world. – Kate & Lisa Sokolov, Co-Founders – Social Goods Podcast appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today, we welcome back Nick Bayer, Founder and CEO of Saxbys. Nick updates us on the Saxbys brand and business, relates how they’ve pushed ahead despite COVID-19, and shares how a values-driven company like Saxbys can take on issues of racial injustice. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/making-life-better-2020-saxbys
The post Making Life Better in 2020 – Nick Bayer, Founder and CEO – Saxbys appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding we welcome renowned communications strategist Larry Ceisler. While his current work supports the communications objectives of corporate and non-profit clients, Larry’s deep experience in the political realm informs our discussion. We focus on the 2020 race and how both the Biden and Trump campaigns can harness positioning and messaging techniques to […]
The post The 2020 Election Through a Brand Lens – Larry Ceisler, Principal – Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy appeared first on Finch Brands.
Bernard Tynes joins us today on Real-World Branding. We discuss a wide range of topics – from PCB’s recent ‘Here We Grow’ campaign to the bank’s role in administering the PPP program to Bernard’s career journey as an African-American executive in a predominantly white industry. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/here-we-are-pcb
The post Here We Are & Here We Grow – K. Bernard Tynes, Senior Vice President – Penn Community Bank appeared first on Finch Brands.
Audrey Chee-Read, Strategy and Insights Manager at Boston Beer Company joins us today on Real-World Branding. Boston Beer Co. is the parent company of not only Sam Adams, but Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard, Truly Hard Seltzer, Dogfish Head and many more. Audrey discusses her travels and career path, how Boston Beer has successfully brought in […]
The post Beer and Beyond – Audrey Chee-Read, Strategy and Insights Manager – Boston Beer Company appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today we have two special guests from Davidson College, an institution that has been widely lauded for its COVID-19 response. Mark Johnson, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer and Chris Gruber, Vice President & Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, join us to discuss how the pandemic has affected higher ed generally and especially in the […]
The post Crisis Communication & The Class of 2024 – Mark Johnson & Chris Gruber, Davidson College appeared first on Finch Brands.
Tune into Real-World Branding this week to hear from Justin Dunn, Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer at WSFS Bank. We discuss Justin’s career path, WSFS’s acquisition of Beneficial, how the bank is managing the Paycheck Protection Program through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new myWSFS app. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/wsfs-bank-standing-for-service
The post Standing For Service – Justin Dunn, Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer at WSFS Bank appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, we welcome back one of our faves: Dan Hershberg Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Workhorse Brewing Co. Dan talks about the Workhorse business in general as well as two charitable initiatives — #RaiseYourGlass, which benefits a trio of local organizations helping those in need, as well as a new beer […]
The post #RaiseYourGlass – Dan Hershberg, Co-Founder, Chief Brand Officer – Workhorse Brewing Co. appeared first on Finch Brands.
Tune into Real-World Branding this week to hear from Eric Sugalski, President & CEO of Archimedic. We discuss Eric’s career path, the merger and transition from Smithwise to Archimedic, the current state of business, and how small service businesses are managing COVID-19 (and what they are doing with masks!). Archimedic helps innovators struggling with technical, […]
The post Building Tomorrow’s Medical Technology – Eric Sugalski, President & CEO – Archimedic appeared first on Finch Brands.
Tune in today to hear from Nick Catalana, General Manager of Innovation Foods. Nick tells the story of how he got into his family’s business, discusses how Innovation Foods carefully balances tradition with progress, and outlines the impact COVID-19 is having on the business. He also shares their purpose-driven pivot into producing hand sanitizer. If […]
The post Innovation in 2020 – Nick Catalana, General Manager – Innovation Foods appeared first on Finch Brands.
Chris has been instrumental in the growth of the AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange (ACE) business and also drives the planning and execution of corporate marketing across all business segments. Today, we discuss Chris’ career journey and path to leadership, the AmeriGas brand today, and the impact of COVID-19 on the business. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! […]
The post AmeriGas Has Your Back – Chris Cook – Vice President of ACE and Marketing, AmeriGas appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today, we’re joined by Peter Hotz, President & CEO of vybe urgent care. Peter is a seasoned entrepreneur, business leader, investor, and mentor who thrives on helping emerging healthcare businesses achieve their potential. We discuss his career, the amazing brand and business he’s building at vybe, and what it’s like to successfully run an urgent […]
The post On the Front Lines – Peter Hotz – President & CEO of vybe urgent care appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, Sabrina shares insights from her career journey, how the Best Egg brand was built, and what they are doing in this peculiar moment to keep things moving for the team and their customers.As Chief Strategy Officer, Sabrina leads the development of the company’s customer-centric growth strategy. In addition, she is responsible for […]
The post Supporting Your Customers Through COVID-19 – Sabrina DeVito – Chief Strategy Officer of Marlette Funding (Best Egg Personal Loans) appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding, Jamie Schrotberger (CEO of Spread Bagelry) discusses the brand they’re building and how COVID-19 has impacted their business. With a strong background in finance, Jamie got to know the restaurant business through a financial lens before transitioning into operations and leadership as CFO for Garces Restaurant Group. His current role is […]
The post Spread Bagelry Manages Growth – Jamie Schrotberger, CEO of Spread Bagelry appeared first on Finch Brands.
Today on Real-World Branding we welcome back our old/dear friend Jordan Goldenberg! After 18 years as Finch Brands’ Creative Director, Jordan headed west — ultimately landing as VP of Brand & Creative at Petco. Now two years in, he reflects on his accomplishments at Petco so far and the differences between the agency and client […]
The post Life on the Client Side – Jordan Goldenberg, VP Brand & Creative – Petco appeared first on Finch Brands.
Mark Johnson is Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Davidson College, a highly selective liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. Mark takes us through his fascinating and diverse career — from journalism to government to cultural institutions to higher ed — and tells the story of the new #DavidsonTrue campaign. If you like our podcast please […]
The post #DavidsonTrue – Mark Johnson, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer – Davidson College appeared first on Finch Brands.
Steve is an accomplished senior executive with a proven history of driving revenue, cultural, and operational improvements at both startups and more mature organizations. With over 25 years in marketing, technology, and sales leadership roles, Steve provides a comprehensive perspective on how to bring about change within an organization. Shipley Energy uses their energy and services expertise to make […]
The post Making Energy (And Branding) Easy: Real-World Branding Podcast appeared first on Finch Brands.
Amy Errett, Founder and CEO of Madison Reed, leads an omnichannel beauty brand that is redefining the hair color space. Amy’s multifaceted career has ranged from founding/operating companies, to investing in startups, to non-profit and philanthropic leadership. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/madison-reed-amy-errett-podcast
The post A Better Way to Color – Real-World Branding Podcast appeared first on Finch Brands.
It’s hard to avoid because everyone seems to be talking about customer-centricity. They talk about it through a variety of lens in a variety of ways, but there seems to be a prevailing sense across functions and industries and sizes that everybody is trying to get more customer-centric, whatever that means. And so, we’re here […]
The post Customer Centricity Round Table appeared first on Finch Brands.
Tune in today on Real-World Branding Podcast for the Northeast Regional Urgent Care Association Conference’s Branding Keynote. Bill Gullan, President of Finch Brands, walks through the foundations of branding and what makes a great brand. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/urgent-care-keynote
The post Branding Keynote with Bill Gullan, President of Finch Brands – NERUCA Conference 2019 appeared first on Finch Brands.
As Founder and President of InnerView, Chris builds upon previous success as the founder and CEO of Incite, a sales consulting and coaching practice, and his more than 15 years of sales, marketing and corporate leadership. InnerView is a marketing consulting firm established to help companies reach and influence their most critical audiences – the […]
The post Brand Alignment from the Inside, Out – Chris Wallace, Founder and President – InnerView appeared first on Finch Brands.
Jessica Holtz from Creative Artists Agency joins us today on Real-World Branding. Jess leads the team representing the off-court interests of such NBA stars as Chris Paul, Paul George, and Joel Embiid. If you like our podcast, please subscribe! http://blog.finchbrands.com/jessica-holtz-caa
The post Branding Off The Court – Jessica Holtz, Co-head Basketball Marketing & Servicing – CAA Sports appeared first on Finch Brands.
http://blog.finchbrands.com/experity-podcast Copy
The post Powering the Patient-Centered Healthcare Revolution: Matt Blosl, CRO – Experity appeared first on Finch Brands.
http://blog.finchbrands.com/music-branding-2019 Copy
The post Music Branding in 2019: Brian Nolan, SVP – Capitol Music Groups appeared first on Finch Brands.
blog.finchbrands.com/reinventing-insurance-lemonade Copy
The post Reinventing Insurance: Yael Wissner-Levy, VP of Communications – Lemonade appeared first on Finch Brands.
Ed Trissel, Partner at Joele Frank, joins us today on the Real-World Branding Podcast. Ed provides strategic communications counsel to U.S. and international companies and private equity firms with long-term corporate positioning and investor relations programs, transactions, special situations, crises and issues, and restructurings. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a […]
The post Intellect, Integrity, and Intensity: Ed Trissel, Partner – Joele Frank appeared first on Finch Brands.
Erik Harbison, Co-Founder of The Marketing Help, joins us today on the Real-World Branding Podcast. Erik dives deep into the necessity of personal branding in one’s own career development and how personal marketing strategy has evolved with the growing availability of digital information. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! […]
The post Build Your Personal Brand: Erik Harbison, Co-Founder – The Marketing Help appeared first on Finch Brands.
Scott Balwinski, Director of Home Delivery, and Lynsey Steffy, Associate Product Manager, at Cynch fueled by AmeriGas, join us today on the Real-World Branding Podcast. Scott retells his transformation from a transportation engineer to Director of Home Delivery at Cynch. Lynsey describes how AmeriGas – an established player in the propane industry – pioneered a revolutionary home service […]
The post Fuel Your Fun – Cynch appeared first on Finch Brands.
Tal Nathanel, co-founder of Showfields joins us today on Real-World Branding. Tal is a serial entrepreneur with 12 years of experience in creating successful consumer products. He is now co-founder of Showfields, the most interesting store in the world; a revolutionary retail concept that invites you to discover and engage with the brands of tomorrow. If you […]
The post The Most Interesting Store in the World: Tal Nathanel, Co-Founder of Showfields appeared first on Finch Brands.
Greg Star, Co-Founder of Carvertise joins us today on Real-World Branding. He is more than 6 years into his entrepreneurial journey with an advertising company that enables companies to advertise on the private commuter’s vehicle. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! blog.finchbrands.com/dominate-the-streets Copy
The post Dominate the Streets: Greg Star, Founding Partner of Carvertise appeared first on Finch Brands.
Laura Queen, Founder & CEO of 29BISON, joins us today on Real-World Branding. With more than 25 years of experience in human resources and administration at the executive and leadership level, Laura Queen oversees 29BISON’s advisory services, organization design, talent assessment, and coaching activities. 29BISON are Human Capital Advisors for the Middle Market. If you […]
The post Appreciating Human Capital: Laura Queen, Founder & CEO – 29BISON appeared first on Finch Brands.
Keith Cooper, CEO of Revolutionary Clinics joins us today on Real-World Branding. With a degree from Harvard Business School and 30 years of experience, Keith dove into the unknown in sight of a new business venture in the cannabis industry. Revolutionary Clinics is a vertically integrated marijuana dispensary and growth facility. If you like our […]
The post Breaking In & Rising on Top: The Cannabis Industry with Keith Cooper, CEO of Revolutionary Clinics appeared first on Finch Brands.
Dan Rhoton, Executive Director of Hopeworks joins us today on Real-World Branding. With two decades of experience helping youth and adults achieve their dreams, Dan’s career path is not one to miss. With a focus on education, technology, and entrepreneurship, Hopeworks provides a positive, healing atmosphere that propels young people to build strong futures and break the cycle of […]
The post Recode your Future – Dan Rhoton, Executive Director – Hopeworks appeared first on Finch Brands.
We have two guests today on Real-World Branding from The Philadelphia Contributionship – Bob Whitlock, President & CEO, and Chris Oehrle, VP of Marketing. We discuss their career paths in insurance and the strength of The Philadelphia Contributionship brand that was started by Ben Franklin in 1752 and what it looks like today. If you like […]
The post Since 1752 – Bob Whitlock, President & CEO and Chris Oehrle, VP Marketing – The Philadelphia Contributionship appeared first on Finch Brands.
Aryeh Cohen-Wade (Bloggingheasd.tv) and Bill Gullan (Finch Brands) Brand consultant Bill on Gillette’s controversial new ad on masculinity Bill explains what a brand consultant does Why Gillette took a big risk Was a conservative backlash part of Gillette’s plan? Was the ad a success? Pepsi’s disastrous political ad and Nike’s successful political ad If you like […]
The post Critiquing Gillette – Aryeh Cohen-Wade, Bloggingheads.tv appeared first on Finch Brands.
Brad Goldoor, Co-Founder, Chief People Officer at Phenom People, joins us today on the Real-World Branding Podcast. Brad shares his background as an entrepreneur, and his philosophies of how to build a brand from the inside out. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating!
The post Branding Inside Out appeared first on Finch Brands.
Pam Cummings Director of Marketing & Operations (and etc.) at Active Day, joins us today on the Real-World Branding Podcast. Pam shares her experience, discusses health care trends, and details how transforming the brand has taken Active Day to the next level. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating!
The post The Brighter Side of Branding – Pam Cummings, Active Day appeared first on Finch Brands.
Charles Sutherland, Chief Product Officer at Sagent Lending Technologies, joins us today for Episode 101 of the Real-World Branding Podcast. Charles shares his lessons learned through branding Sagent, which branched off from Fiserv, and the power of experiences. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating!
The post Growing Wisely – Charles Sutherland, Sagent Lending Technologies appeared first on Finch Brands.
Ken Langone, icon and philanthropist, is best known for co-founding Home Depot and he joins us today for episode 100 of the Real-World Branding Podcast. Ken shares his insights on why relationships matter and why he sees his recent memoir, ‘I Love Capitalism,’ as particularly important now. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and […]
The post The Power of People – Ken Langone, Co-Founder of Home Depot appeared first on Finch Brands.
Tony Perlak, CEO, and Erin Hoskins, CMO, of Allied Health Media join us to share their backgrounds and the rebranding process that they went through at Allied Health Media. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating!
The post The Branding Process with Tony Perlak and Erin Hoskins of Allied Health Media appeared first on Finch Brands.
Bruce Williamson, Global VP of Innovation & Chief Marketing Officer of Mars Drinks, joins us to share his incredible experiences and research into why some people leave a lasting legacy at work. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating!
The post The ABCs of Leaving a Legacy appeared first on Finch Brands.
Jim Martin, Chief Strategy Officer of SIM International, joins us this week to share his experience on how SIM integrated acquisitions to build a greater whole. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating!
The post From the Dining Room Table to NASDAQ appeared first on Finch Brands.
Dan Hershberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Workhorse Brewing Company, joins us on the podcast this week to share his insights on developing a brewing company. Listen today to hear his entrepreneurial story and if you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating!
The post Brands Made Right appeared first on Finch Brands.
Jon Kramer, Managing Director at JMK solutions, joins us this week to share his early objectives and eventual career arc that has led him to be an expert in the realm of shopper marketing. Listen as Jon reveals his best advice, including 4 crucial steps for success for newbies in the business world. If you […]
The post Shopping for Success- Industry Secrets and Shopper Marketing with Jon Kramer appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Tim DeGennaro and John Ferreira to discuss the shifts in the world of market research and methodologies that 60% of the worlds largest brands are using to better understand consumers and win when it matters most. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a […]
The post Welcome to the Community appeared first on Finch Brands.
Chris Malone is the co-author of The Human Brand. Following three years of research, Chris explains how social psychology and the way we interact with humans mirrors how we interact with brands, products, and companies. Using the principles of warmth and competence, Chris demonstrates how brands can better connect with consumers. If you like our […]
The post The Human Brand – Chris Malone appeared first on Finch Brands.
Todd Rothenberger is SVP and CMO of Diamond Credit Union. Credit unions are interesting for a variety of reasons, but Todd and his team have been extremely effective at telling the Diamond story and conveying their difference to compel consumers to choose Diamond. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! […]
The post Membership Has Its Perks – Todd Rothenberger appeared first on Finch Brands.
Countless industries are ripe for disruption, and the dental market is no different. Dave Monahan and his team knew there was something to be done but needed clarity to build a successful model. Through a rigorous process of market research and beta testing, they’ve built a brand and platform at Kleer that cuts out the middle man […]
The post Getting Kleer Direction – Dave Monahan, CEO of Kleer appeared first on Finch Brands.
Following the final whistle, there is a clear winner and loser on the field. While Eagles fans everywhere rejoice, we take some time to look at the winners and losers off the field as it relates to the Super Bowl advertisers. In this episode, we provide a couple of comments on this year’s commercials — […]
The post One Big Idea: Super Bowl Smackdown appeared first on Finch Brands.
Daniel Ruble is Vice President of Marketing at CubeSmart, a leading self storage service provider. In this episode, Daniel lends his insight into how the brand is used to balance the functional and emotional factors that drive consumer decision-making in an interesting, yet low-frequency category. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a […]
The post It’s What’s Inside that Counts – Daniel Ruble, VP Marketing at CubeSmart appeared first on Finch Brands.
Strategy is only as good as it’s execution. All too often, we see brands taking a very heavy handed, overt approach to bringing a strategy to life. This week, we look at the recent Diet Coke expansion and how this strategy is directly linked to the brand’s initiative to reach millennials. If you like our […]
The post One Big Idea – Your Strategy is Showing appeared first on Finch Brands.
Pia Silva: Never be different just for the sake of being different. I think that people get confused with that, “Oh, I have to stand out, so let me do this thing,” and that’s why there’s so much inauthenticity milling about. Bill Gullan: Greetings one and all. This is Real-World Branding. I’m Bill Gullan, president […]
The post Small Business Branding – Pia Silva, Partner at Worstofall Design appeared first on Finch Brands.
Almost every day or every week there’s a negative headline about a brand. In this week’s episode, we look back on brands that have been tarnished by some event or series of events and how and why some scandals will hurt brands more than others. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us […]
The post One Big Idea – Brand Damage and the Effects of Scandal appeared first on Finch Brands.
With significant differences from marketing to consumers, B2B branding is a unique and interesting challenge for organizations across the globe. Having served as a senior executive at three best-in-class multinational companies: Aramark, Tyco International and CHEP (Brambles Ltd), Jason Rabbino shares his insights on how to build strong brands in the B2B world. If you […]
The post B2B Branding – Jason Rabbino, CEO of Saberhawk Growth Partners appeared first on Finch Brands.
As the Vice President of Marketing at Heartland Food Products Group, Kim Holdsworth manages global marketing for SPLENDA®, among other things. With her CPG background and insight into managing brands globally, Kim provides a unique perspective on what makes big brands successful. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Transcription: […]
The post Sweetening the Brand – Kim Holdsworth, VP Marketing at Heartland Food Products Group appeared first on Finch Brands.
From virtual and augmented reality to interactive kiosks and beyond, technology has impacted every facet of our lives. The emergence of these platforms present an opportunity for brands to create immersive experiences for consumers. James Giglio and the team at MVP Interactive are leading the way in tech-driven brand experiences. In this episode, James provides […]
The post Interacting with Brands – James Giglio, CEO of MVP Interactive appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we talk all about logos with Finch Brands’ Creative Director, Jess Koffman. We review what makes a logo successful and detail the finer points of great logo design. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Transcription: Bill Gullan: Greetings one and all, this is Real-World Branding, […]
The post One Big Idea: How Good is Your Logo? appeared first on Finch Brands.
Rob Levin, COO of Printfly shares his perspectives on the role of brand and culture after joining a business that experienced explosive organic growth. His insight speaks to the importance of these elements in sustaining and supercharging the next stage of the business. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! […]
The post Culture Counts – Rob Levin, COO of Printfly appeared first on Finch Brands.
Cities and municipalities across the nation have submitted bids to host Amazon’s second headquarters. With the promise of economic development and job opportunities, its a no-brainer why. In this episode, we look at the role that this opportunity has on both the Amazon brand and the brand of it’s future home. Transcription Bill Gullan: Greetings […]
The post One Big Idea – Amazon HQ2 appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this episode, we host Melissa Ben-Ishay and Seth Horowitz of Baked by Melissa. Melissa, co-founder and chief product officer, shares her story from losing her job to building a brand out of joy and authenticity. Seth details his journey from some of the biggest brands in the world to his new post as Baked […]
The post Baking Up Brands – Melissa Ben-Ishay and Seth Horowitz of Baked by Melissa appeared first on Finch Brands.
As the cultural divide continues to widen in the US, many brands are caught in the middle. Most notably, the NFL finds itself in between the two positions and things are starting to heat up for the brand. In this podcast, we take another look at the things impacting the NFL’s brand and that of […]
The post One Big Idea: Kneel or Stand – What’s Happening to the NFL’s Brand? appeared first on Finch Brands.
Whether your looking to inform brand positioning, product mix, pricing, specific ad copy testing, trend tracking, or staying in tune with how the marketplace is changing, insights communities are a key tool for brands and consumer insights departments. This week, we host John Ferreira and Tom Finkle who share their perspectives on the changing pace […]
The post One Big Idea: The Keys to Successful Insights Communities appeared first on Finch Brands.
Research communities are the future of market research and serve as a vehicle for injecting the voice of the customer into decision making processes that inform sales, marketing, operations, product development, and beyond. In this episode, we host Tom Finkle, Chief Innovation Officer of Finch Brands. He provides his perspective on market research today, the […]
The post One Big Idea: Research Communities and the Customer-Centricity Imperative appeared first on Finch Brands.
Pete Angevine, Co-Founder and CEO of Little Baby’s Ice Cream, shares his journey and values-driven approach to building an entire business structure, building a brand, and connecting with the consumer. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! The post A New Take on Sweet – Pete Angevine, Co-Founder of Little […]
The post A New Take on Sweet – Pete Angevine, Co-Founder of Little Baby’s Ice Cream appeared first on Finch Brands.
On this episode, Jess Edelstein shares the story of PiperWai, from a need to build a better natural deodorant to the Shark Tank stage and beyond. She provides her perspective on building brands around the ‘natural’ movement and how to look at category disruption. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a […]
The post A Natural Connection – Jess Edelstein, Co-Founder of PiperWai appeared first on Finch Brands.
Tom Wingert is Marketing Manager of City Fitness. This week, he shares with us how his unique path led him to marketing in the fitness world and how he and his team seek to take a unique approach to standing out in a growing and somewhat crowded market. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and […]
The post A Brand that Moves – Tom Wingert, Marketing Manager of City Fitness appeared first on Finch Brands.
The most fundamental brand architecture decision following and M&A event has to do with identity – the name, logo, and core message of the post-transaction company. In an M&A situation, there are 10 prevailing approaches – each with strengths and weaknesses. In this episode, we review what these options are and how to decide which […]
The post One Big Idea: Identity Crisis – Choosing the Right Brand Strategy for Your Merger appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this episode, we interview Amy Kothari, CEO of My Alarm Center. My Alarm Center has grown and expanded into new markets by making strategic acquisitions throughout the years. Hear from this practitioner as she details how she and her team thought through the difficult decisions around brand architecture and identity. If you like our […]
The post Building Brands Through Acquisition – Amy Kothari, My Alarm Center appeared first on Finch Brands.
With the increase of M&A activity every year, its shocking to hear that more than half of these decisions fail to create value for organizations. One often overlooked factor in a merger or acquisition’s success is the brand decision. In this episode, we look at the need for practitioners to understand the role the brand […]
The post One Big Idea: Boom or Bust – Branding After M&A appeared first on Finch Brands.
Reeling from struggling earnings and loss of market share, GNC announced a “One New GNC” rebranding initiative, will it be enough to pull the brand out of its slump? If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription: Bill Gullan: Greetings […]
The post One Big Idea: Rebranding GNC, A Recipe for Gains? appeared first on Finch Brands.
Much has been made of the NFL’s early season ratings drop and subsequent recovery, with explanations ranging from the situational to the fundamental. We take a look at the state of the NFL’s brand and how cultural trends are shaping the future of the league. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us […]
The post One Big Idea: Hits from All Sides – The State of the NFL Brand appeared first on Finch Brands.
With less than two weeks until election day in the US, we take a look at the role and effectiveness of campaign slogans across the years. With unique insight provided by the glimpse into the Clinton campaign and the road to the final slogan, we take a nonpartisan look at branding presidential candidates. If you […]
The post One Big Idea: Slogans for President appeared first on Finch Brands.
As the company and business model evolves, MetLife recently debuted a new brand identity – the first major marketing change for the life insurance company in 30 years. With the rebrand, MetLife has chosen to part ways with Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. At a time when the Peanuts brand is surging after a renaissance, […]
The post One Big Idea: A (Met) Life Without Snoopy appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we host Chris Cera, Founder and CEO of Arcweb Technologies, a digital product design company. He shares his insights on the role of the brand in custom software solutions and app development. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: […]
The post Branded Tech: Chris Cera, CEO of Arcweb Technologies appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, Bill examines the factors that are critical to deciding whether or not a tagline is appropriate for a brand. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription Bill Gullan: Greetings one and all. This is Real-World […]
The post One Big Idea: Do We Need a Tagline? appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we host Mitchell Reichgut, Founder and CEO of Jun Group. With over two decades of applied experience, Mitchell explains how advancements in mobile and digital media are transforming the way brands communicate with consumers. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | […]
The post The Truth About Digital: Mitchell Reichgut, CEO of Jun Group appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this episode, we host Elisa Padilla, CMO of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment. An accomplished media professional and sports marketer, she walks us through the intricacies of the Brooklyn Nets’ rebranding process as the team moved from New Jersey. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new […]
The post Nothing but Nets: Elisa Padilla, SVP and CMO of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we use Starbucks’ recent change in uniform policy to consider the role of visual consistency in brand personality. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription The post One Big Idea: Wearing the Brand appeared first […]
The post One Big Idea: Wearing the Brand appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this episode, we host Agata Clevenger, whose impressive career includes leadership roles at both David’s Bridal and Destination Maternity. We take a look at how branding helps companies succeed in fixed categories with short consumption cycles. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download […]
The post The Mother of All Brands: Agata Clevenger, Destination Maternity appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, Bill details the role of target market feedback in developing creative brand elements, with a focus on when and how to test creative designs with consumers. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription The post […]
The post One Big Idea: Testing Creative appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this episode, we examine the role of licensing and consumer products in brand growth. Donna Goldsmith, SVP of Consumer Products, Partnerships and International Event Licensing at Tough Mudder, reviews lessons learned across brands including the NBA and WWE. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new […]
The post Extreme Branding: Donna Goldsmith – SVP of Tough Mudder Inc. appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, Eric Sugalski speaks about the recent rebranding process that took his company from Boston Device Development to Smithwise. We examine the nuances of rebranding in practice and discuss best practices. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | […]
The post Rebranding in the Real World: Eric Sugalski, Founder and President of Smithwise appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, Carter Weiss and Frank Lin of Silas Capital explain how they leverage strong brands and storytelling to grow the businesses in which they invest. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription The post Investing in […]
The post Investing in the Brand – Carter Weiss and Frank Lin, Silas Capital appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode of the Real-World Branding podcast, we host Deborah Fine, who’s successful career includes executive roles building and managing brand-first organizations like PINK, Avon, and Modell’s Sporting Goods. In this episode, we look at how omnichannel marketing is changing the way brands communicate with consumers. If you like out podcast, please subscribe […]
The post Omnichannel Observations: Deborah Fine – CEO, Board Member, and Private Equity Consultant appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Josh Rosen, VP of Brand Strategy at Finch Brands and master of all things digital, to review Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends Report. Among the trends she highlights, we cover those that are most pertinent to brands and businesses including, the rise of voice search, increasing movement […]
The post One Big Idea: Talking to Robots appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this Bonus episode, Bill reflects on the life and legacy of the late Muhammad Ali through a brand and marketing lens. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription Bill Gullan: Greetings one and all, Real-Word Branding. I’m Bill […]
The post One Bonus Idea: Ali the Icon appeared first on Finch Brands.
Ray Carballada, a media, content, and advertising executive, shares the ways that content is shaping how brands communicate and shares insight into what the future of content may look like. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription Ray Carballada: […]
The post The Power of Content: Ray Carballada – Media, Content, and Advertising Executive appeared first on Finch Brands.
Lifestyle brand – an inescapable buzzword that it seems everyone from apparel brands to consumables are seeking to become – but what does it really mean? In this week’s episode, Bill examines the two critical components of what it takes to be a true lifestyle brand and looks at classic examples of lifestyle brands across […]
The post One Big Idea: Lifestyle Brands 101 appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we host Sarah Van Aken, President and COO of Kathy Davis Studios. She shares her experience across industries such as fashion, real estate, and most recently at Kathy Davis Studios, to explain how companies move beyond the product to become a lifestyle brand. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and […]
The post The Path to a Lifestyle Brand: Sarah Van Aken, President and COO of Kathy Davis Studios appeared first on Finch Brands.
Business leaders come from all backgrounds and departments — with many having experience in a sales role. In this week’s episode, Bill discusses the benefit of having a sales background in one’s career as preparation for our industry and beyond. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in […]
The post One Big Idea: How Sales Figures In appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, we turn the tables and interview the man behind the microphone at Real-World Branding. Bill details his professional background, explains the key trends he sees shaping the branding world, and provides insight into what it means to be a real-world branding agency. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave […]
The post Turning the Tables: Bill Gullan, President of Finch Brands appeared first on Finch Brands.
From hidden fees and cramped conditions to inconsiderate staff and bad food, the experience of air travel, for lack of a better word, sucks. In this week’s episode, Bill uses the airline industry as an example to evaluate the value of seeking, and the risks of neglecting, a great customer experience as well as its […]
The post One Big Idea: Not So Friendly Skies appeared first on Finch Brands.
The use of branded destinations and experiential marketing is becoming a core strategy as brands look to make lasting connections with consumers. In this episode, we host John Kasman, VP of PGAV Destinations, a leading destination design firm working with some of the world’s biggest brands to bring life changing experiences to their customers. We […]
The post Experience the Brand: John Kasman, VP of PGAV Destinations appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, Bill takes an introspective look at some global brand strategies that have worked and others that have missed the mark to emphasize what one must consider as brands expand into global markets. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: […]
The post One Big Idea: Global Concerns appeared first on Finch Brands.
Rhode Island’s recent branding campaign has caused an uproar on social media and beyond. In this episode, Bill discusses brand strategy’s role in informing creative expression — and the perils of separating the two. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | […]
The post One Big Idea: Cooler and Warmer appeared first on Finch Brands.
What makes a brand iconic? And how can brands at that level embrace their heritage while expanding innovation. Ana Kornegay, Brand Director of Jack Daniel’s Craft and Luxury, details what it takes to balance and grow a long-standing, iconic brand in an ever-changing market. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a […]
The post You Don’t Know Jack – Ana Kornegay, Brand Director of Jack Daniel’s Craft and Luxury, Brown-Forman appeared first on Finch Brands.
Many sales-driven organizations tend to overlook the supportive role the brand can play in assisting the sales force. In this week’s episode, Bill discusses the complementary role and value of brand marketing as a companion to selling efforts. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download […]
The post One Big Idea: Selling the Brand appeared first on Finch Brands.
Matt Hoffman is the Founder and CEO of Bleacher Creatures, maker of uniquely true-to-life plush figures of the greatest athletes and entertainment icons. In this episode, Matt details the twists and turns that have taken him from playing in a band to launching a successful brand. Learn how he channeled his passion into his business to […]
The post Chase Utley as a Muppet: Matt Hoffman – Founder and CEO, Bleacher Creatures appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, Bill examines the differences between a brand refresh and a fundamental rebranding, as well as the reasons why a rebrand may or may not be right for an organization. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS […]
The post One Big Idea – Time to Rebrand? appeared first on Finch Brands.
Anthony Bucci is the Co-Founder and CEO of RevZilla, a leading e-commerce company specializing in motorsports and motorcycle accessories. In this episode, he shares with us his fascinating and inspiring journey from enthusiast to immensely successful business leader and brand builder. Anthony’s insight affirms many of the brand principles that we examine in prior episodes […]
The post Anthony Bucci – Co-Founder and CEO of RevZilla: 100% Orange appeared first on Finch Brands.
Brands must adapt with evolving social trends in order to thrive, but the most powerful brands are themselves leaders. Finch Brands’ own Mary Hanna speaks about her tenures at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Toys”R”Us through the lens of women’s empowerment, an important cultural movement. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us […]
The post One Big Idea: Changing the Game appeared first on Finch Brands.
It is often said that good marketing is based on storytelling. With his background working with brands like AND1, Converse, Timberland, and Under Armour, and his current role as the VP of Marketing and Communications at the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, Ed Harris shares his insight into the parallels in branding across the […]
The post The Pursuit of Happiness: Ed Harris, VP Marketing at the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board appeared first on Finch Brands.
Mergers and acquisitions lead to a host of integration questions — including a set of important branding decisions. With many contributing factors to consider, there are four general strategies for brand architecture in these situations. In this episode, Bill looks at M&A branding strategies and details the process for determining the best path for specific […]
The post One Big Idea: M&A Branding appeared first on Finch Brands.
When Keira Krausz became Chief Marketing Officer of Nutrisystem in 2013, the company was in a ’turnaround’ situation. Fast forward to today—Keira and her marketing team have contributed to an incredible rebirth, including seven straight quarters of growth. In this episode of Real-World Branding, Keira walks us through the twists and turns of her career […]
The post Reinvigorating a Business: Keira Krausz, Nutrisystem EVP & CMO appeared first on Finch Brands.
When summer comes, everyone has a particular place that is ‘their’ beach town, but how do places separated by mere miles stand apart so drastically in the minds of consumers? On this week’s episode we look inward at a recent branding project with the borough of Wildwood Crest, New Jersey. If you like our podcast, […]
The post One Big Idea: Summer Dreams appeared first on Finch Brands.
Why do some new businesses succeed and others fail? Dreamit Ventures has been ranked as one of the top 10 business accelerators in the world, and David Bookspan, Founding Partner, shares his insight into the role of the brand in growing early stage companies. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and give us a […]
The post Accelerating the Brand: David Bookspan, Founding Partner of Dreamit Ventures appeared first on Finch Brands.
When it comes to brands, core values are about defining cultural distinctiveness. In this week’s episode, Bill examines how to properly develop core values that help steer an organization as well as the inherent benefit to defining and embracing a set of fundamental brand beliefs. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us […]
The post One Big Idea: The Value of Values appeared first on Finch Brands.
When used correctly, technology can enrich brand experiences. In this week’s episode, Nicole Staple, Co-Founder of Brideside, shares her insight into the how optimizing the customer journey has helped her company provide a better experience for bridesmaids. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download […]
The post A New Day for Bridesmaids: Nicole Staple, Co-Founder of Brideside appeared first on Finch Brands.
As the year comes to a close, like many others, we take some time to reflect on the first (almost) year of our podcast. This week we take a look behind the scenes at Real-World Branding. Until next year, happy holidays from the Cradle of Liberty. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | […]
The post Behind the Scenes of the Real-World Branding Podcast appeared first on Finch Brands.
There are many differences between emerging and defined brands. Scaling a business from a startup venture to a ‘grown-up’ organization not only requires a specific management style, but also special consideration of how the brand will grow with the company. In this episode, Brock Weatherup shares his insights into taking startups to grown-ups, developed over […]
The post Startups to Grown-ups: Brock Weatherup, Former Chief Digital Officer of PetSmart appeared first on Finch Brands.
When starting a business, there are many things on which entrepreneurs must focus – everything from developing prototypes to raising capital. However, one aspect every business owner or founders need to address, especially early on, is the brand. In this week’s One Big Idea, Bill explains the role of brand in early stage organizations and […]
The post One Big Idea: Early Stage Branding appeared first on Finch Brands.
As the term ‘geek’ has evolved, so has its business application. Katy McCarthy, CEO of ThinkGeek, the leading eCommerce brand for the geek in all of us, shares her insight on balancing growth with authenticity and the impact of ThinkGeek’s acquisition by GameStop. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! […]
The post Join in. Geek out. Katy McCarthy, CEO of ThinkGeek appeared first on Finch Brands.
‘What’s in a name?’ Naming a product or company is one of the most exciting and challenging processes. With many creative routes to take, it can be difficult to know where to start or how to evaluate candidates. In this week’s One Big Idea, Bill explores the naming process and provides guidance on effective ways […]
The post One Big Idea: Naming in Practice appeared first on Finch Brands.
In honor of the season openings for both the NBA and NHL, we are recasting our interview with Scott O’Neil, CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. Scott has a very unique perspective on life, business, and branding. We sit down to discuss the Sixers brand, elevating a city with a sports team, […]
The post Scott O’Neil, CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers appeared first on Finch Brands.
We’ve noticed increased interest among non-profits in branding as a discipline. In this week’s One Big Idea, Bill explores why that is and provides insight into the challenges and opportunities these organizations face — and how service providers should adapt processes to support the unique rhythms of non-profits. If you like our podcast, please subscribe […]
The post One Big Idea: Branding for a Better World appeared first on Finch Brands.
“The best agency people were once clients themselves.” Words we strongly believe in here that also perfectly describe this week’s guest, John Ferreira, SVP and General Manager of Finch Brands. With over a decade of experience in brand management and consumer insights roles at Campbell Soup, as well as his tenure leading the Finch Strategy […]
The post From Soup to Us: John Ferreira, SVP and General Manager of Finch Brands appeared first on Finch Brands.
In this week’s episode, Bill explores the concept of brand betrayal – not in the sense that your can of Coke is going to stab you in back, but when a company explicitly deviates from the attributes or core values that the brand embodies. Brand betrayal can be very damaging not only to the short-term […]
The post One Big Idea: Don’t Betray the Brand appeared first on Finch Brands.
Matt Hoffman is the Founder and CEO of Bleacher Creatures, maker of uniquely true-to-life plush figures of the greatest athletes and entertainment icons. In this episode, Matt details the twists and turns that have taken him from playing in a band to launching a successful brand. Learn how he channeled his passion into his business to […]
The post Chase Utley as a Muppet: Matt Hoffman – Founder and CEO of Bleacher Creatures appeared first on Finch Brands.
There is a time to listen and a time to lead. In this episode, Bill discusses the right moments to seek the voice of the customer — when consumer insights are most valuable to an organization. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: […]
The post One Big Idea: When to Do Market Research appeared first on Finch Brands.
Building businesses takes tenacity and a whole lot of passion. StubHub and Stitcher are pioneers in their industries, but how did they start? In this episode, Noah Shanok, founder of Stitcher and one of the original members of the StubHub team, shares his captivating journey from trader to impresario. He shares the challenges and triumphs […]
The post From StubHub to Stitcher, an Entrepreneur’s Journey: Noah Shanok – Founder of Stitcher appeared first on Finch Brands.
Branding can become complex, especially for multi-dimensional or abstract organizations that have a lot to say. In order to concisely convey what a brand stands for, what it does, and why its different, marketers and branding agencies alike must figure out how to get simple. In this week’s One Big Idea, Bill discusses how brands […]
The post One Big Idea: How to get Simple appeared first on Finch Brands.
What is it like to manage the Snoopy brand? To be at DoubleClick in the early days? To wade through the depth of Ben Franklin Technology Partners and simplify its message? Jason Bannon answers these questions in our latest episode and reflects on his career as a ‘branding troubadour’. If you enjoy our podcast, subscribe […]
The post Complexity in Branding: Jason Bannon- Ben Franklin Technology Partners appeared first on Finch Brands.
Much has been written about the customer experience — or ‘journey.’ In this episode, Bill discusses why the customer journey is essential to fostering brand advocacy and also why some corporate structures and/or attitudes hold brands back. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download […]
The post One Big Idea: The Customer Journey is Marketing appeared first on Finch Brands.
Anthony Bucci is the Co-Founder and CEO of RevZilla, a leading e-commerce company specializing in motorsports and motorcycle accessories. In this episode, he shares with us his fascinating and inspiring journey from enthusiast to immensely successful business leader and brand builder. Anthony’s insight affirms many of the brand principles that we examine in prior episodes […]
The post 100% Orange: Anthony Bucci – Co-Founder and CEO of RevZilla appeared first on Finch Brands.
For marketers, success hinges upon making a connection with the consumer. No matter what market, product, service, or story, we must understand and, above all, respect the consumer. In this episode, Bill examines how respect builds brand authenticity, shapes brand strategy, and delivers results in the real world. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe […]
The post One Big Idea: Respect the Consumer appeared first on Finch Brands.
Creative expression is the vessel to communicate a brand’s essence. In this episode, we host Jordan Goldenberg, Creative Director of Finch Brands, to celebrate his tenure and share his unique insight in supporting brand strategy and delivering real-world results through creative execution. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: […]
The post Creating the Brand: Jordan Goldenberg- Creative Director of Finch Brands appeared first on Finch Brands.
Every organization, large or small, needs a guiding light – a ‘North Star’ that defines the collective purpose. A clear vision documents your ‘why,’ providing inspiration and clarity. In this episode, Bill details the core components of a strong vision statement and demonstrates the value of vision in long-term brand building. If you enjoyed our podcast, […]
The post One Big Idea: Define Your Vision appeared first on Finch Brands.
Commerce is downstream from culture — and emerging cultural values presage what gets bought and how. In this episode, Bill provides several examples of how brands can anticipate or capture changes in the culture to promote brand relevance and success. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Transcription Bill Gullan: Welcome one […]
The post One Big Idea: Culture Drives Commerce appeared first on Finch Brands.
Joanna Cline is the Chief Marketing Officer of Fathead, the fast-growth company that made its name in life-sized wall decals of professional athletes. Today’s Fathead is so much more, and Joanna shares an insider perspective on the company’s growth, future, and her own journey to the C-suite. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and leave […]
The post Joanna Cline, CMO of Fathead: Growth For Real appeared first on Finch Brands.
It is easy to focus on the ‘how’ of one’s business — features, function, specs. The truly great brands somehow get to the ‘why.’ In this episode, Bill speaks about how and why this is so important. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a rating! Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: iTunes | […]
The post One Big Idea: Get to the ‘Why’ appeared first on Finch Brands.
Lauren Boggi is the Founder and CEO of Lithe Method, a powerhouse fitness concept that combines principles of cheerleading, Pilates, etc. With four studios and expansion across the lifestyle, Lauren shares her fascinating personal story — from an unfortunate injury in college through building the Lithe business and brand. An accidental businesswoman, Lauren is inspiring, […]
The post Cheer for the Brand- Lithe Method founder Lauren Boggi appeared first on Finch Brands.
‘One Big Idea’ is a shorter episode of Real-World Branding, to be released in the week between our interviews. In this edition, Bill uses case studies to show how the strongest brands are built and delivered with a focus on the internal team. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review! Podcast: […]
The post One Big Idea: Brands are Built from the Inside Out appeared first on Finch Brands.
Wil Reynolds is a true digital marketing visionary. Discouraged early in his career, Wil went on to found and lead Seer Interactive as it has grown into an SEO and Paid Search powerhouse, with offices on both coasts and over 100 team members. In this episode of Real-World Branding, Wil tells his story and proceeds […]
The post Wil Reynolds, Seer Interactive Founder- Searching for Growth appeared first on Finch Brands.
‘One Big Idea’ is a shorter episode of Real-World Branding, to be released in the week between our interviews. In this edition, host Bill Gullan seeks to set the world straight on what ‘branding’ and ‘strategy’ really mean! If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review! Podcast: Play in new window | Download […]
The post One Big Idea: The True Meaning of ‘Branding’ and ‘Strategy’ appeared first on Finch Brands.
Laura Johnson is a powerhouse fashion executive and consultant. She has contributed to the growth of successful brands such as Urban Outfitters, Zac Posen, Theory, The Limited, and beyond — parlaying her design/merchandising talent into an incredible general management career. In this episode of ‘Real-World Branding,’ Laura shares her thoughts on the state of the fashion world […]
The post Laura Johnson, fashion executive and consultant: Business is Always in Fashion appeared first on Finch Brands.
Summary: When Keira Krausz became Chief Marketing Officer of Nutrisystem in 2013, the company was in a ’turnaround’ situation. Fast forward to today—Keira and her marketing team have contributed to an incredible rebirth, including seven straight quarters of growth. In this episode of Real-World Branding, Keira walks us through the twists and turns of her […]
The post Nutrisystem EVP & CMO, Keira Krausz: Reinvigorating a Business appeared first on Finch Brands.
Summary: Saxbys Coffee, and its Founder & CEO Nick Bayer, are very much on the move. In this podcast, Nick explains what makes Saxbys unique, his passion for entrepreneurship, and his latest project with Drexel University. He also takes us through the history of Saxbys and how finding the “why” was a turning point in the […]
The post Saxbys Founder and CEO, Nick Bayer, and The School of Hard Knocks appeared first on Finch Brands.
Summary: How do you market a team willing to trade losses today for a bright future? That is among the questions Philadelphia 76ers CEO, Scott O’Neil, faces every day. Also the CEO of the New Jersey Devils, Scott’s unique perspective on life, business, and branding makes him the ideal guest for our inaugural podcast. We […]
The post Philadelphia 76ers CEO, Scott O’Neil, and The Rule of Three appeared first on Finch Brands.