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JUST Branding - by Jacob Cass & Matt Davies
The JUST Branding Podcast, hosted by Jacob Cass & Matt Davies, is the only podcast dedicated to helping designers & entrepreneurs grow brands. Each episode goes deep into the details of the brand building process, with professional insights, actionable tips and resources to help you build better brands. The focus is on helping designers & entrepreneurs bridge the gap between strategy and design. Branding professionals from around the world join Jacob & Matt in discussing the benefits of brand strategy, top tools, how to sell strategy, brand purpose, brand positioning, neuroscience, brand personality, messaging, storytelling, brand naming, tag lines, logo design, brand identity design and brand experience. ABOUT JACOB CASS Jacob Cass is a Sydney-based designer & strategist who runs JUST Creative, an award-winning branding & design firm that doubles as an industry leading blog. Jacob helps brands grow & get results by crafting distinctive logos & brand identities that are backed by a solid brand strategy. He recently rebranded San Francisco and Puerto Rico, and also branded New York's Digital District. Other clients have included the likes of Disney, Nintendo and Jerry Seinfeld. Jacob has spoken at TEDx, been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur and has been awarded LinkedIn’s “Best of” for branding. For him, design is a lifelong journey of continuously honing his craft, as well as educating other fellow designers & business owners to build on theirs, which has allowed him to build a large and loyal following, including his website which has been been viewed over 50 million times. Jacob is an avid traveler and has traveled to 87 countries. ABOUT MATT DAVIES Matt is a brand strategy specialist working with leaders to align around their brand and get it ready to connect deeply with those inside and outside of their organisations. His work enables you to grow your business faster and easier. Matt solves a variety of brand challenges, from strategy and positioning to naming and identity right through to company culture and product innovation.
Total 104 episodes
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S03.EP07 - Web3, NFTs & The Metaverse with Kostas K.

S03.EP07 - Web3, NFTs & The Metaverse with Kostas K.

What does Web3 mean for brands & creatives? What about NFTs and The Metaverse?  We break it all down for you in layman’s terms, with special guest Kostas K! We go over the fundamentals of Web3 including its definition, why it matters, tokens, the blockchain, cryptocurrency, wallets, and trends in the space.  Plus a discussion around NFTs, what they are (and are not), and the opportunities brands and creatives can tap into such as AR & VR, DeFi, DAOs, Virtual Commerce, Digital Assets including Digital Real Estate, Virtual Worlds, the Metaverse, Mixed Reality Solutions, the Blockchain & the Decentralised Web, and so much more!  Ready to go down the Web3 rabbit hole? Jump in. "
01:15:1812/04/2022
S03.EP06 - Brand Hacks with Emmanuel Probst

S03.EP06 - Brand Hacks with Emmanuel Probst

Often we think of brand-building from a commercial or business perspective. This week's guest thinks this needs to change and that as brand builders we need to consider our efforts from the perspective of the meaning consumers will attach to a brand. Tune in to list insights from Emmanuel Probst - author of Brand Hacks, How to Build Brands by fulfilling the consumer quest for meaning. In this episode, we discuss the three levels of meaning, brand hacks, examples of meaningful brand building, and how to deal with “naysayers”.
40:3029/03/2022
S03.EP05 - Branding for Start Ups & Founders

S03.EP05 - Branding for Start Ups & Founders

Alex Naghavi is the ECD at Josephmark which is a global venture studio based out of Brisbane and Los Angeles. In this episode, we learn how to design, validate, launch and sell a brand by deep diving into the process, exploring the benefits and nuances of working with a venture studio VS a traditional design shop. We discuss MVPs, MVBs, failures and successes and how purpose, beauty and simplicity can help create better brands that make an impact. We even explore the future of brands through the lens of Web 3.0, VR, 3D Printing, DAOs and the Metaverse. If you’re startup, founder or someone that works with them, this episode is not to be missed.
53:2015/03/2022
S03.EP04 - The Future of Brands with Anneli Hansson

S03.EP04 - The Future of Brands with Anneli Hansson

Anneli Hansson is a brand strategist, coach & speaker based out of Stockholm, Sweden. Many will know Anneli as the resident strategist over at TheFutur with Chris Do who we interviewed back on Episode 13. Anneli just launched an incredible 6-figure course over at The Futur called Brand Strategy Fundamentals. What people may not know, is that Anneli has a background in building sustainable brands (long before it was a trend) and has recently pivoted into helping creatives transform into strategic thinkers. With this background, it’s no wonder we have invited Anneli here on to JUST Branding! In this episode we discuss “The Future of Brands” and all that entails. This is not to be missed!
53:2501/03/2022
S03.EP03 - Global Brand Strategy with Jan-Benedict Steenkamp

S03.EP03 - Global Brand Strategy with Jan-Benedict Steenkamp

Are you looking to take a brand to an international audience?  Global expansion needs careful consideration and so if this is you this episode will be packed with value!  We sit down with marketing expert, academic and author Jan-Benedict Steenkamp (or as we know him "JB"!) to discuss his book "Global Brand Strategy: World-Wise Marketing in the age of Branding" In this insightful episode, JB walks us through the COMET framework and the components of which are helpful to consider for brands seeking to go international or for brands who are already international and need to focus their strategy.
55:3015/02/2022
S03.EP02 - Building Legendary Brands with Storytelling w/ Gair Maxwell

S03.EP02 - Building Legendary Brands with Storytelling w/ Gair Maxwell

The strength of any brand – including yours - hinges on two key factors: Differentiation & Relevance. But it doesn’t stop there. What makes a truly legendary brand is the STORY behind it. In this episode we decipher why some brands have lines reaching around the block, while other perfectly apt competitors sit empty just steps away. Gair Maxwell shares case studies including WHY the Mona Lisa is famous and how every-day leaders can build irresistible brands. Gair Maxwell is a brand strategist, historian, speaker, a former radio and TV host and author of the new book, Big Little Legends: If you want to build a legendary brand, tune into this brilliant episode.
59:4801/02/2022
S03.EP01 - Designing Company Culture with Josh Levine

S03.EP01 - Designing Company Culture with Josh Levine

How can you create an amazing company culture that ensures a brand strategy can be actualized? That's at the core of this discussion with the amazing Josh Levine, author of Great Mondays. We sit down with Josh to examine how branding should be done from within by intentionally designing a company culture. Together we discuss the six components of company culture - Purpose, Values, Behaviors, Recognition, Rituals and Cues. If you are a brand builder looking to operationalize, align and motivate a whole company around brand thinking, this one is for you.
43:2919/01/2022
S02.EP22 - Best of Season 2 (2021)

S02.EP22 - Best of Season 2 (2021)

Listen in as we reveal our favourite outtakes from Season 2 of the JUST Branding Podcast in 2021, including branding insights from creative minds such as Sagi Haviv, Joseph Pine II, Denise Lee Yohn, Natalie Nixon, Bill Gardner, Emily Cohen, Armin Vit, Julian Cole and more.
01:09:4115/11/2021
S02.EP21 - Building Brands for a Sustainable Tomorrow with Katie Klencheski

S02.EP21 - Building Brands for a Sustainable Tomorrow with Katie Klencheski

Katie is the Founder and Creative Director of Brooklyn-based SMAKK, a branding and growth studio whose mission is to help values-led clients build world changing brands. For much of her career she has worked with everyone from industry giants like American Express and Shiseido to a variety of nimble disruptive beauty, fashion, wellness, and lifestyle brands, including The Honey Pot Company, Harry’s Razors, and more. Katie applies her expertise across content creation, ecommerce, social media, marketing, and digital experiences toward changing consumer behavior, leading to purchasing decisions that are better for people and the planet.
49:2101/11/2021
S02.EP20 - Powerful Personal Branding with Rob Levinson

S02.EP20 - Powerful Personal Branding with Rob Levinson

What makes a powerful personal brand and how can you build one that endures? We outline all the steps you need to follow to craft an authentic brand narrative that will help you get noticed, remembered and results. Rob Levinson is a seasoned brand strategist who’s worked for global consumer brands such as DeBeers, Rolls-Royce, BMW and more. Now he’s the principal of Leverage Advisors which helps grow middle-market B2B businesses, as well as a Personal Brand Coach which helps people to develop brand stories that get them noticed & remembered. He’s also a lecturer at Boston Uni, and a former Wall Street Journal online columnist. If you’re wanting to improve & grow your personal brand, this episode is for you!
01:08:5818/10/2021
S02.EP19 - Creative Briefs & Strategy Fundamentals with Julian Cole

S02.EP19 - Creative Briefs & Strategy Fundamentals with Julian Cole

Learn how to write rock-solid creative briefs and the fundamentals of strategy so you can gain confidence in your strategic abilities, and ultimately have a bigger impact on your company. Julian Cole is a strategy consultant for global brands such as Apple, Facebook & Disney. Previously, he’s held the role of Head of Comms Planning at BBDO & has helped create award-winning work for PlayStation, Pepsi, Google and after looking at his wrap sheet - pretty much the Global 100. Julian is also a strategy coach and in 2017 he founded the Planning Dirty Academy which helps agency strategists improve their craft by getting their hands dirty.
49:5004/10/2021
S02.EP18 - Branding From The Inside with Kyle Millar

S02.EP18 - Branding From The Inside with Kyle Millar

What's it like working on corporate brands from the inside? In this episode we take a peak behind the curtain to see how big brands are managed by their in-house teams. We sit down with the fantastic Kyle Millar, VP of Marketing at SodaStream Canada. Kyle outlines how he views brand strategy, the principles he uses to build brand, create memorable customer experiences and to inspire his teams to success. He also digs into what it’s like to work “in-house” - both the highs and the lows. If you are thinking about working in-house, or if you are just curious as to what it's like joining a large organization in their brand department, this episode is not to be missed. Previously Kyle has led leading brand roles in Unilever, Molson Coors and Capital One - so it you want to learn from someone whose been there, done it and got the corporate T-shirt, this is the episode for you.
51:2120/09/2021
S02.EP17 - No-BS Strategies To Evolve Your Creative Business with Emily Cohen

S02.EP17 - No-BS Strategies To Evolve Your Creative Business with Emily Cohen

In this episode, we go deep into the world of business strategy with Emily Cohen. Emily is a self-described “brutally honest” consultant to creative professionals and in fact, she even named her book that! Her business book, Brutally Honest: No-Bullshit Strategies to Evolve Your Creative Business, is chock full of advice, insights, business best practices, actionable strategies, case studies and much more, but unlike many other books for our industry, Brutally Honest is designed for visual learners (like us!) and includes colorful info-graphics, checklists, as well as short & impactful sound bites to apply! So if you’re looking for the tools & strategies to whip your business or team in to shape, this episode is for you.
01:03:3006/09/2021
S02.EP16 - Simplicity in Branding with Scott Buschkuhl

S02.EP16 - Simplicity in Branding with Scott Buschkuhl

Today we have Scott Buschkuhl who is the Creative Director at Siegel & Gale, a brand strategy, design, and experience firm with its global headquarters located in NYC. Here, Scott develops teams and works hands-on with his clients who have included folks like New York Times, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, and dozens more. He’s got a ton of awards on his belt, he’s a sought-after lecturer, an esteemed judge for competition juries, and also a professor at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He’s previously worked at Pentagram and also ran his own agency for 12 years so it’s safe to say we’re in good hands. Today we’re going to be discussing Simplicity in Branding which is S&G’s philosophy on brand in general. In fact, they state “We’re the simplicity company” as their tagline. We discuss designing for humans, emotional responses, team collaboration, simplicity as an approach to brand strategy, presentation techniques, and much more!
32:1923/08/2021
S02.EP15 - Staying Relevant as a Brand with Allen Adamson

S02.EP15 - Staying Relevant as a Brand with Allen Adamson

Relevance. That's the key to ensuring a brand thrives. We sit down with expert and author of "Shift Ahead", Allen Adamson, to understand how to stay relevant in today's fast moving world. How organizations stay relevant is Allen’s area of specilality. Together we tuck into the principles of relevance, and Allen gives valuable first-hand examples of how to apply these principles in action. We look at how the best organizations recognize when it’s time to change direction, and how they pull it off while bolstering their brands. As well as “Shift Ahead” Allen is an author of a number of branding books such as; BrandSimple, BrandDigital, and The Edge:50 Tips from Brands That Lead – which are used in universities across the USA. He is also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Metaforce, a disruptive marketing and product consultancy which, unlike traditional firms, takes a multi-disciplinary channel-agnostic approach to marketing challenges. So - if you want to learn from an industry giant on the key topic of Relevance, look no further!
51:0703/08/2021
S02.EP14 - The Customer Experience Economy with Joseph Pine II

S02.EP14 - The Customer Experience Economy with Joseph Pine II

As a customer, you’re not buying the item. You’re buying the experience. Today, we have Joseph Pine, co-author of The Experience Economy, on the show to discuss the importance of delighting your customer, along with some powerful examples that will help you “Design the TIME the customer spends with YOU”. If you work with people, then this episode is for you.
47:1013/07/2021
S02.EP13 - Copyright & Trademark Law with Joey Vitale

S02.EP13 - Copyright & Trademark Law with Joey Vitale

Trademark law is tricky. And unsexy. But not anymore. Come join trademark lawyer, Joey Vitale, who will teach you the ins and outs of trademark law so you can practice safe branding. Joey is a “lawyer with a soul” who works with small businesses, helping them stay safe when it comes to entity formation, trademark registrations, contract drafting and other fundamental legal needs. In this episode, we break down the legal jargon in a way that actually makes sense, so you can stay safe and keep pumping out great work, without being worried of the consequences. We discuss: - How can you protect your ideas & work - What do you do if your work is stolen - What to put in your contracts - The differences between ® ™ © symbols - The trademarking process - Plus dozens more legal questions for you to get schooled on. Practice safe branding people. Take a peek inside this episode. It’s glorious.
01:06:4628/06/2021
S02.EP12 - Problem Solving with Sagi Haviv

S02.EP12 - Problem Solving with Sagi Haviv

Sagi Haviv is a logo design legend. However, in this episode we go deeper and uncover what it takes to solve big brand & business problems. We discuss CGH’s branding process using case studies from Discovery+, Harvard University Press and Chase Bank, as well as Sagi’s biggest life lessons, how to “pressure test” a trademark & visual identity system, presentation techniques that win, when & how to break the rules, and ultimately how to “problem solve”. Hint… you first must define the business’ problems & success criteria. Tune in for a monster value-packed episode.
58:5714/06/2021
S02.EP11 - Brand Discovery & Innovation with Jose Cabeller

S02.EP11 - Brand Discovery & Innovation with Jose Cabeller

Jose Caballer is a designer, strategist & creative entrepreneur. He currently teaches organizations how to create a culture for rapid innovation - focused on alignment, experimentation & feedback. Jose previously worked at RazorFish during the dot com era, and ran a digital agency for 11 years, working with clients such as Jamie Oliver, Disney and Nike. Today he combines his 20 years of design and business experience to train thousands of professionals on webinars and in workshops worldwide. What some people may not know, is that Jose co-founded The Skool with Chris Do, which is now called TheFutur and this is where we came across Jose. Jose released CORE which is a Design Strategy Framework and consequently is one of the TheFutur’s most popular products. Today we’re going to discuss CORE, brand strategy & innovation and how these tools can be used to help businesses achieve their goals. Plus, we’ll get a sneak peek into Jose’s latest project, The System.
01:20:2231/05/2021
S02.EP10 - Rebranding Strategy with Armin Vit

S02.EP10 - Rebranding Strategy with Armin Vit

When should a brand, rebrand? What makes a good rebrand? How can you use strategy to ensure your brand’s rebrand is a success? Armin Vit answers these questions and more in this episode focused on Rebranding Strategy. Armin also reveals his design process, critiquing methodology, how he built a successful branding conference and shares some classic rebranding failures. Want to learn more about rebranding? Then this episode is for you.
47:0217/05/2021
S02.EP09 - Building A Million Dollar Strategic Agency with Mash Bonigala

S02.EP09 - Building A Million Dollar Strategic Agency with Mash Bonigala

Mash Bonigala is a brand strategist & owner of Spellbrand, a brand strategy & design agency. Mash reveals his rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey of growing his first agency, going bankrupt, how he overcame these adversities and then how he built up his now, million-dollar agency, Spellbrand. Mash shares all the techniques he has used to sell design & strategy over the years, with some compelling & unconventional methods that will be sure to blow your mind. You’ll be spellbound in this magical episode.
01:07:4003/05/2021
S02.EP08 - Logos VS Brands with Bill Gardner

S02.EP08 - Logos VS Brands with Bill Gardner

Bill Gardner joins Jacob Cass and Matt Davies to discuss the differences between logos and brands, Jennifer Aawker’s brand personality framework, the discovery process with clients, objectivity VS subjectivity, establishing design briefs, how to sell the value of branding, logo design trends and magic. Yes, magic! Bill Gardner is the owner and president of Gardner Design, where he and his team have produced effective and award winning results for such industry leaders as NFL, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Kroger, Hallmark, SeaWorld, and others. He understands the nuances of brand practicalities better than anyone in the business and leads his team to always first consider the business that the design is supporting. As the founder of LogoLounge.com – the international, searchable compendium of logos – Bill authored the affiliated bestselling LogoLounge book series, volumes 1-12, and is the author of the annual LogoLounge Logo Trend Report. 2013 marked the release of the highly anticipated Logo Creed, a foundation textbook for students, educators and professionals alike. Bill is also the author and presenter of LinkedIn Learning’s series of online courses concentrating on branding and identity design. In 2014, Bill became an AIGA Fellow Award recipient for his contributions to the local, national and international creative community. Bill also judges design competitions and speaks nationally and internationally on identity trends and logo development. In his spare time, he serves on several community boards and has completed a six-year term as the Territorial Vice President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
01:00:2719/04/2021
S02.EP07 - Primal Human Desires with Nathan Hendricks

S02.EP07 - Primal Human Desires with Nathan Hendricks

Nathan Hendricks believes there is no excuse for a lousy brand. As chief creative officer at LPK, he challenges the organization’s creative teams to uphold the vision that every brand should make a powerful and positive difference for the people it serves. A candid cultural commentator, he’s never afraid to tell it like it is. In this episode, we explore primal human desires and how we can use that to create stronger brands. Nathan holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from The Ohio State University, where he majored in visual communications and cultivated an affection for industrial beer. ABOUT LPK LPK is a brand, innovation and customer experience consultancy, helping organizations build enduring brands that thrive in the emergent culture. Merging trends, insights, strategy and creativity, we create the now, near and next for B2Bs and B2Cs, startups and Fortune 50s.
57:5405/04/2021
S02.EP06 -  Brand Building Mistakes with Jacquelin Lieberman

S02.EP06 - Brand Building Mistakes with Jacquelin Lieberman

Learn what NOT to do when it comes to developing your brand. Listen in as we discuss with brand strategist, Jacquelin Lieberman, the most common mistakes brands make as they grow & market their brand. This is a juicy episode, where we discuss the brand purpose, core values, uncovering brand truths, brand management, creating value and so much more. If you want to learn how to create an enduring brand that matters, this episode is for you! Jacquelin Lieberman is the founder of the brand strategy consultancy, BrandCrudo. She’s honed her no-B.S.-approach to marketing strategy over the years guided by one belief – when you make brands more human, you connect them to more people. Throughout her career, she has developed a narrative-based approach to traditional strategic planning to uncover the brand truth that resonates with audiences. She has worked with many brands, most notably for many of Unilever's iconic brands, Beech-Nut, General Mills, and most recently with Happy Family Brands and fintech disrupter, the Alternative Investment Exchange. Jacqueline applies both art and science to understanding human insight and interpreting findings in order to unearth the real reason people should care about your brand. For Jacqueline, it’s all about finding a brand's raw truth and making it matter.
41:2722/03/2021
S02.EP05 - Cracking Complexity with David Benjamin

S02.EP05 - Cracking Complexity with David Benjamin

David Benjamin is the author of CRACKING COMPLEXITY: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast (Nicholas Brealey; 2019). He is the co-founder of Syntegrity and the Chief Architect behind its implementation of the Complexity Formula as laid out in Cracking Complexity. David regularly guides leaders and their teams through their application of the formula, helping them get to decisions and action in days, no matter the industry, type of challenge, or nature of the organization. In this capacity, David has become a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies and government leaders on how to organize for complexity and find traction in the face of the intractable. He frequently speaks on a wide range of topics related to complexity, effective and efficient problem-solving, and human dynamics in systems. David spends most of the rest of his time and energy on writing, family, long-distance running and cracking cryptic crosswords. David and his wife, Angie, live near Toronto and have three incredibly talented daughters whom he loves equally.
42:3308/03/2021
S02.EP04 - How to Use Curiosity, Improvisation & Intuition to Create More Value with Natalie Nixon

S02.EP04 - How to Use Curiosity, Improvisation & Intuition to Create More Value with Natalie Nixon

Natalie Nixon is the author of The Creativity Leap and in this episode, she shares her techniques to helping brands through the power of creativity. We tuck into some big ideas like how creativity leads to innovation, why a business needs more creative ideas, anthropology, design thinking and how being curious and how asking more of the "why", "what if" and "how" questions create more value for organisations. Take the leap with us and Natalie Nixon in this value-packed episode.
43:1022/02/2021
S02.EP03 - Creative Bravery with Lisa Hastings

S02.EP03 - Creative Bravery with Lisa Hastings

Lisa Hasting is an independent Creative Director, a brand strategist and an unorthodox solver of problems. She's experienced working all over the world including the far east. In this episode, we dig into coming up with ideas and being brave. Lisa shares her techniques and ideas in this space and shows how asking the right questions and digging into problems in a deeper way can lead to the solutions that add real value. Along the way she gives live examples from some of her work and inspires us with fresh ways of thinking. If you want ideas this is the episode for you.
46:0308/02/2021
S02.EP02 - Brand & Culture Fusion with Denise Lee Yohn

S02.EP02 - Brand & Culture Fusion with Denise Lee Yohn

Denise Lee Yohn is the go-to expert on brand leadership for national media outlets, an in-demand keynote speaker and consultant, and an influential writer. She is the author of the bestselling book What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest and the new book FUSION: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World's Greatest Companies. In this episode, you will learn exactly that - how to integrate brand & culture into your company for massive success!
50:4325/01/2021
S02.EP01 - The 7 Key Business Strategies Businesses Need with Kevin Duncan

S02.EP01 - The 7 Key Business Strategies Businesses Need with Kevin Duncan

Kevin Duncan is a business consultant and best selling author - known for his snappy no-nonsense wisdom packed books on business strategy. In this episode we dig into Kevin's approach and his overview of 7 strategies businesses need to create to be successful from his book "The Smart Strategy Book". The seven strategies we touch on are: Commercial, Brand, Customer, Sales, People, Innovation and Communication. We especially dig into brand strategy, discover how this fits into the other six strategies and Kevin shares some of the techniques and concepts he uses to create effective strategies with his clients. Recommended listening for all brand builders.
01:08:1811/01/2021
Best of Season 1 - 2020

Best of Season 1 - 2020

Listen in as we reveal our favourite outtakes from Season 1 of the JUST Branding Podcast in 2020, including branding insights from creative minds such as Marty Neumeier, Chris Do, Michael Johnson, Melinda Livsey, Michael Janda, Tom Ross, Rob Meyerson, Stephen Houraghan, Stef Hamnerlink, Tobias Dahlberg, Valerie Jacobs, Motto and more. Don't miss this one!
01:39:5104/01/2021
S01.EP23 - Building Stronger Brands with Peter Wilken

S01.EP23 - Building Stronger Brands with Peter Wilken

Dolphins, Donuts and Condoms. What do these three things have in common? Nothing. However, we do touch on these topics through the lens of brand strategy. Our guest today is Peter Wilken, who is a brand strategy consultant, author and professional speaker. He’s the founder of Dolphin Brand Strategy, as well as the former Head of BBDO Asia Pacific. He has run agencies for Leo Burnett and Ogilvy too, working for numerous Fortune 100 companies during this time. His book ‘Dim Sum Strategy’ is packed with bite-sized tools you need to build stronger brands, which is what we explore in this episode… building stronger brands.
01:03:2528/12/2020
S01.EP22 - Building FMCG Brands with Folkert van der Heide

S01.EP22 - Building FMCG Brands with Folkert van der Heide

What's it like to build brands in the food and beverage industries? In this episode we sit down with consultant Folkert van der Heide from the Netherlands who shares his story brand-building for many years in this space. Coming from a humble background where he grew up learning from his families farming and other small businesses, Folkert went on to work for various businesses before finding himself working in FMCG (fast moving consumer goods). He did this initially for corporations in-house before then eventually going freelance. This work then led eventually to him establishing his own drinks brand, Moj. We dig into the story of Moj, why he created it, and his experiences creating a brand from scratch and bringing it to market. Folkert shares his approach and methodology - including how to create a product with a "big idea" behind it. If you are involved in creating brands you'll find this very inspirational!
41:5821/12/2020
S01.EP21 - Making a Difference with Michael Johnson

S01.EP21 - Making a Difference with Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson is the founder and creative director of Johnson Banks, an incredible design consultancy based in London, responsible for the rebranding of companies such as Virgin Atlantic, Think London, Christian Aid and many more. His company is known for how they define, then design, brands that make a difference and that’s what we discuss in this episode, as well as Michael's incredible book “Branding in 5.5 Steps” which is focused on the branding process, from the lens of both strategy and design. Plus, we’ll explore his latest book release, “Now Try Something Weirder”, which shows how to have great ideas & survive in the creative business. We’re incredibly stoked & privileged to have Michael on the show, as his award-winning work really does change lives.
40:2814/12/2020
S01.EP20 - The Future of Branding with Valerie Jacobs

S01.EP20 - The Future of Branding with Valerie Jacobs

Look into Valerie Jacobs’s crystal ball and see what lies ahead for the future of branding. You’ll go back to the future, by following Valerie’s journey to becoming a master trend forecaster and how she uses these techniques to innovate & grow brands for Fortune 500 brands. You will learn how to gather consumer & market insights, and more importantly how to use these insights for “future-fluency”, a skill that will provide you with “future-forward design intelligence” that you can use to stay relevant in today’s accelerated world. Buckle up, it’s time to fly, chicken.
01:00:1007/12/2020
S01.EP19 - How to Grow Real Brands with Dava Guthmiller

S01.EP19 - How to Grow Real Brands with Dava Guthmiller

Dava Guthmiller, who spearheaded Uber’s branding, is founder and CCO at Noise 13, a branding & design agency in San Francisco. In this episode, you will discover what it takes to be a “real brand” - one that is bold, honest and centred around emotional connections. You will learn how Dava used this philosophy to rapidly scale her agency, including a deep dive into her process of working with Uber and various other lifestyle brands. Dava shares her past failures, with key insights on why execution is just as important as strategy, plus strategies on how to measure branding. Tune in with Dava Guthmiller, Jacob Cass & Matt Davies and discover how to grow real brands with strategy & design.
49:5323/11/2020
S01.EP18 - Growth, Mentorship & Strategy with Philip VanDusen

S01.EP18 - Growth, Mentorship & Strategy with Philip VanDusen

Join Philip VanDusen as we discuss personal growth, mentorship and how to use the power of strategy, design and marketing to build bullet-proof brands & businesses. PHILIP VANDUSEN Philip VanDusen is the founder of Verhaal Brand Design, a YouTube Star and has over 20 years experience in branding & design including roles like ECD at Landor, Head of Design for Global Snacks at PepsiCo, P&G Old Navy.
01:04:0209/11/2020
S01.EP17 - Personal Branding with Tom Ross & Michael Janda

S01.EP17 - Personal Branding with Tom Ross & Michael Janda

Grow your personal brand with confidence. Tune in with Michael Janda & Tom Ross as we explore what it takes to maximise your personal brand’s success! These “Biz Buddies” run multi 7-figure businesses and in this episode, you’ll hear the lessons they’ve picked up along the way. MICHAEL JANDA Michael Janda is an agency veteran, business coach, and best-selling author of Burn Your Portfolio. He helps creative freelancers and agencies run their businesses with confidence and make more money. TOM ROSS Tom Ross is the CEO of DesignCuts and a marketing coach. He co-hosts the Biz Buds podcast with Michael Janda and is probably the most Honest Entrepreneur on the internet. This episode is not to be missed!
01:06:2926/10/2020
S01.E16 - Nike & Brand DNA with Matt Watson

S01.E16 - Nike & Brand DNA with Matt Watson

What does working at Nike for 10 years teach you about brand? Find out in this episode with Matt Watson, founder of Watson Creative & Brand Labs, as he reveals all, including his affinity for the Nike logo. Watson will make you think about your brand and market differently after you hear how his firm handles the branding process. We discuss brand audits, consumer research including both creative & analytical sides, the power of brand DNA, plus some key insights on how to take a position and own it. Don’t miss this episode with Matt Watson, Jacob Cass & Matt Davies! Show notes: https://justcreative.com/podcast
43:4712/10/2020
S01.E15 - Brand Mastery with Tobias Dahlberg

S01.E15 - Brand Mastery with Tobias Dahlberg

Get to know the super sleek brand educator that is Tobias Dahlberg all the way from Helsinki, Finland. In this episode, we discuss the value of brand strategy for businesses and how it can be applied to multiple business units and not just marketing, plus exactly how to approach this and embed it in businesses. Tobias discusses brand theories such as “becoming the only choice”, “radical differentiation” and how he gets people on board when making “brand choices”. He also explains his background and the super work he is doing at The Future Academy. This episode is not to be missed! Show notes at justcreative.com/podcast ABOUT OUR GUEST: Tobias Dahlberg is an Entrepreneur & Strategist. He is the Founder of Wonder, a strategic brand and design consultancy in Helsinki, Finland. He is also the Founder of The Future Academy - a learning platform for entrepreneurs and companies who want to build game-changing brands and businesses. He has consulted, advised and created hundreds of strategies and innovative concepts for brands such as: Nike, The Coca-Cola Company, Fiskars, Fazer, Iittala, Hartwall, Nissan, Paulig, Telia, Marimekko, Halti, Neste Oil, Altia, Mandatum Life, and many more, from start-ups to multi-national corporations.
48:0228/09/2020
S01.E14 - Psychology-Driven Brand Strategy with Kaye Putnam

S01.E14 - Psychology-Driven Brand Strategy with Kaye Putnam

In this episode, we sit down with the wonderful Kaye Putnam, a psychology-driven brand strategist from South Carolina. We geek out about all things brand thinking. We get into the meaning of ‘psychology-driven branding’, about knowing your brand and living your brand. Kaye shares her ‘4C Brand Strategy Framework’ which helps to bake psychological principles into brands. We also discover Kayes inspirational story, her obsession with human decision making and how this helps her in her work + how she keeps a work life balance as a Mum and entrepreneur. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Kaye Putnam is a psychology-driven brand strategist for entrepreneurs. Through work with hundreds of clients from international corporations to solo-entrepreneurs, she developed her signature Clarity Code™ method. She believes that online business should be more human and that all entrepreneurs have genius they can use to impact the world. She works with students in her brand incubation program and with clients 1-on-1. When she’s not transforming brands, she’s exploring the world with her husband and two little ones.
43:2014/09/2020
S01.B1 - Design Education, Change & The Business of Design

S01.B1 - Design Education, Change & The Business of Design

In this bonus episode, we have Douglas Davis join us, Jacob Cass & Matt Davies, to discuss the current state of design education and what it takes to remain relevant as we evolve as creatives in these disruptive and turbulent times. We explore his book, Creative Strategy & The Business of Design as well as the future of design. There has never been a more timely episode. Douglas Davis is a strategist, author and professor at the New York City College of Technology, a part of the The City University of New York. He holds the chair for the BFA in Communication Design and has a through background in marketing, creative strategy and art direction. Show notes available at https://justcreative.com/podcast
01:12:1207/09/2020
S01.E13 - Chris Do’s Biggest Mistakes, Failures & Regrets

S01.E13 - Chris Do’s Biggest Mistakes, Failures & Regrets

Chris Do is an Emmy award-winning designer, director, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind and the founder of The Futur—an online education platform with the mission of teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love. In this episode, Chris reveals his biggest mistakes, failures & regrets, plus how you too can overcome these adversities. We then dive into how to get paid more as a creative, how to move into brand strategy & sell it, Chris’s strategic branding process, the powers & pitfalls of the labels we put on ourselves and the quest for success. This is not to be missed!  
55:4031/08/2020
S01.EP12 - Behavioural Marketing & The Strategic Branding Process

S01.EP12 - Behavioural Marketing & The Strategic Branding Process

Rudy Fernandez, joins Jacob Cass & Matt Davies to walk through the strategic branding process of his creative marketing agency, Creative Outhouse, giving case studies & insights on how to better work with clients through problem solving, plus how you can use strategic thinking to help brands properly connect with their customers, through research and testing. Rudy also reveals his proudest projects in the realm of Behavioral Change, proving that “information is not motivation” when it comes to making users change their behaviour, and how you can can actually make others change their behaviour.
45:4817/08/2020
S01.EP11 - Working With Leaders

S01.EP11 - Working With Leaders

Sunny Bonnell and Ashleigh Hansberger of Motto, a strategic branding agency in NYC, reveal what it takes to work with “rare breeds” - the leaders, rebels & entrepreneurs who do things differently. You’ll find out how to build more purposeful brands by better connecting with your clients, plus exactly how you can use your “vices” as superpowers, backed up by personal stories of failure and courage.
51:4003/08/2020
S01.E10 - Marty Neumeier on Mastering Brand Strategy

S01.E10 - Marty Neumeier on Mastering Brand Strategy

Join Marty Neumeier, Andy Starr, Jacob Cass & Matt Davies as we uncover the ideas, techniques, and principles that you need to become a brand master, starting at Marty’s famous definition of brand, the process of uncovering this definition, as well as Marty’s classic books Brand Gap, Zag & Brand Flip. We explore the future of branding in the C Suite, and what that means for designers, plus how we can use Metaskills and agile strategy to create better brands. This is an episode not to be missed!
01:00:3120/07/2020
S01.E09 - Strategic Audio Branding

S01.E09 - Strategic Audio Branding

🔊 Ever heard of sonic branding? Audio branding is the strategic use of music and sound to help reinforce brand recognition and enhance the consumer experience. We go deep in this session, exploring the ins and outs of successful audio branding, using popular examples, as well as the process Drop Music Branding used to audio brand this very podcast. Tune in with Jacob Cass, Matt Davies & Gabriel Ignacio Agüero to discover why “good audio branding is invisible” and how you can stand out with audio branding. 
41:1406/07/2020
S01.E08 - Brand Strategy Workshops with Melinda Livsey

S01.E08 - Brand Strategy Workshops with Melinda Livsey

Melinda Livsey, a brand strategist & online educator, shares her journey of going from a designer to brand strategist, sharing her definitions of brand & brand strategy, how she “sells” strategy, her onboarding process, how to conduct a brand strategy workshop step-by-step, including the deliverables, plus, what life is like without design. Tune in with Jacob Cass, Matt Davies & Melinda Livsey, if you want to go from being an “order taker” to brand expert.
42:3322/06/2020
S01.E07 - Brand Personality, Personas & Archetypes with Stephen Houraghan

S01.E07 - Brand Personality, Personas & Archetypes with Stephen Houraghan

Stephen Houraghan joins Jacob Cass & Matt Davies to discuss customer personas and brand archetypes and how these tools can be used to help better understand your audience and define your brand’s personality.
41:5808/06/2020
S01.E06 - Brand Positioning & Naming with Rob Meyerson

S01.E06 - Brand Positioning & Naming with Rob Meyerson

Positioning and naming expert, Rob Meyerson, joins Jacob Cass & Matt Davies in exploring positioning statements & the best naming practices from the lens of the company, client and consumer, sharing actionable tips and real world examples that will help you build a better brand.
54:5125/05/2020
S01.E05 - Brand Purpose with Stef Hamerlinck

S01.E05 - Brand Purpose with Stef Hamerlinck

Stef Hamerlinck, a strategy consultant, joins Jacob Cass & Matt Davies to discuss brand purpose, brand authenticity and some unique perspectives on the benefits and misuses of growing a brand from the inside out, touching on purpose, missions, visions and core values.
37:3511/05/2020