The brndBrief Podcast

Most B2B sales cycles push for speed, but Rachel Montague closes deals that sometimes won't happen for three years. As CMO of the oldest Black-owned food service company in the U.S., she runs marketing strategies that couldn't be more different: throwing survey parties for college students while building multi-year relationships with university presidents. This episode reveals why her longest sales cycles produce her best clients, and how treating marketing like medicine changed everything.Key Takeaways:Rachel started marketing with zero experience by unlocking competitor files, redesigning proposals like magazines, and teaching herself from Harvard's curriculum after her father said she had "nothing to offer."She solves the angry-respondent problem by throwing parties where students take surveys for prizes, then uses AI to analyze patterns in the feedback and posts "you asked, we listened" signs for every change implemented.Her B2B strategy requires starting relationship-building two to three years before a contract expires, positioning as a friend rather than a vendor so clients already know her reputation when RFPs come out.She studies con artists and scammers to understand psychological patterns in persuasion, goes undercover at her own locations and competitors' businesses, and pays students to be "spies" who report problems directly to her cell phone.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest InformationGourmetservicesinc.com

Marketing leaders say they want visibility into what happens after a lead reaches sales, but most never actually look. Latasia Cox, founder and CMO of Framework Marketing Consulting, breaks down where that fear comes from and why the fix isn't more effort, it's better systems. This episode gets into the real reasons marketing keeps getting treated as expendable, and what to do about it.Key Takeaways📌 Marketing leaders often avoid pushing for full visibility into sales handoffs because looking too closely can expose how little organizational support their team actually received.📌 Latasia names five distinct types of marketing ROI beyond simple attribution, including transformational and efficiency ROI, both of which leadership rarely thinks to measure.📌 When different platforms report conflicting website or campaign numbers, the answer isn't choosing which one to trust, it's tracking the pattern across all of them.📌 Trade show spending deserves the same scrutiny as any other line item, starting with clear goals before deciding which shows make the cut.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest Informationhttps://www.frameyourmarketing.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/framework-marketing-consulting/ 

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, guest Kevin Kinghorn, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Portland Trail Blazers, discusses how small-market sports teams navigate budget constraints while building identity-driven fandom. He tackles the the shift from broad awareness campaigns to targeted, values-based marketing that puts the brand in the hands of fans through their "pass the mic" strategy. The conversation explores why website traffic and other vanity metrics stopped being useful indicators of fan engagement, and how retail data revealed surprising gaps between actual buyers and aspirational brand positioning. Key points include:📌 Small-market sports teams face constant budget constraints because costs concentrate in athletic operations rather than scalable infrastructure, requiring focused decisions about where to spend marketing resources based on specific fan segments rather than broad awareness campaigns.📌 Fan-led marketing works better than traditional influencer partnerships when you prioritize "people of influence" who have authentic audiences in specific communities, then let them tell the story rather than paying them to promote the brand.📌 Website traffic and passive social metrics can be misleading vanity numbers that don't connect to business impact or accurate audience targeting, making it necessary to combine syndicated research data with first-party behavioral data to measure what actually drives purchase and fandom.📌 Regional sports networks shifting to direct-to-consumer models creates opportunities to gather detailed viewing data by device and user, enabling sports organizations to tie watch behavior to other fan activities without relying on traditional measurement companies like Nielsen or Comscore.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest Informationhttps://www.nba.com/blazers/ https://www.instagram.com/trailblazers https://www.tiktok.com/@trailblazers?lang=enhttps://www.youtube.com/user/portlandtrailblazers https://x.com/trailblazers 

Most marketing leaders face constant pressure to prove ROI on every initiative, which often kills the brand-building work that drives long-term growth. Ed Fuchuck, General Manager at Tank Garage Winery, operates in an environment where the owner has a marketing background and understands that not everything belongs on a spreadsheet. This episode explores how Tank Garage makes brand deposits that can't be directly measured but create the differentiation that keeps them growing in a struggling wine industry.Key Takeaways:Tank Garage Winery applies the Steve Jobs "brand bank" framework: every marketing decision either deposits value into the brand or makes a withdrawal, and tracking ROI isn't always the point.They deliberately exercise restraint on direct marketing tactics like pop-up forms and discount wheels because respecting customer experience matters more than collecting email addresses.Their entire wine model creates legitimate scarcity through one-off, limited production releases that function like sneaker drops, forcing customers to buy direct or miss out completely.They use AI to extend capabilities they don't have in-house (like coding special web experiences) but refuse to let it touch creative decisions because machine-generated content lacks the weird, human edge their brand requires.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest Informationtankgaragewinery.cominstagram.com/tankwinery

In this special episode of The brndBrief Podcast, we bring together insights from our guests this second season discussing how AI is transforming their businesses and industries. Leaders from venture studios, e-commerce, healthcare, events, marketing, and media share practical applications of AI tools in their daily operations, from coding assistance to creative auditing to patient data analysis. The conversation tackles widespread concerns about job displacement, with guests arguing that AI should free employees to think strategically rather than simply reduce headcount. A recurring theme across all segments is the "business to human" principle — that despite AI's power, authentic human connection and oversight remain critical differentiators.Key points include:📌 Venture studios are building leaner, AI-enabled companies that reach profitability faster with less capital, requiring $100-200M exits instead of billion-dollar valuations as development costs drop and teams stay smaller.📌 AI tools work best as accelerators for people with existing expertise — developers code faster, marketers analyze performance data more deeply, and professionals break through creative blocks, but the human provides direction and quality control.📌 Companies should avoid reflexive cost-cutting when AI increases productivity. The goal is giving teams capacity to think, strategize, and pursue higher-value work instead of rushing through research and reports without time to analyze them.📌 The "business to human" (B2H) approach will separate winners from the pack as AI adoption spreads. When generic AI tools produce similar outputs everywhere, companies that prioritize authentic human connection and customized experiences will stand out.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest InformationMelinda Joseph, VP of Marketing & Communications at InVitro Capitalhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/melindajoseph/ https://invitrocapital.com/ Gabrielle Richards, Brand Director at Trafilea/Shaperminthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellerichards/ www.trafilea.com Amberly Dressler, VP of Corporate Marketing at isolvedhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/amberlydressler/ https://www.isolvedhcm.com/  Michele Hart, Director of Marketing and Communications at BostonSighthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michelespilberghart/ https://www.bostonsight.orgMonica Jackson, Chief Experience Curator at Prissi Productions, LLChttps://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-jackson-brandmarketer/ www.prissi-productions.com &nbsp

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, newest guest Megan Bell, Creator & Host of InsHER Podcast, discusses how she built an engaged community around her podcast through organic social media growth, personal branding, and authentic storytelling rather than paid advertising or corporate positioning. Megan also explains how her background in sensitive consumer markets like natural foods and fertility wellness shaped her empathetic approach to B2B insurance marketing.Key points include:📌 Megan maintains her podcast presence through her personal LinkedIn rather than creating a company page, finding that personal accounts generate higher engagement and allow for more authentic connections with her audience.📌 Her background in consumer goods and natural products, particularly in sensitive areas like fertility wellness and food allergies, provided valuable empathy and humanization skills that differentiate her B2B insurance marketing approach.📌 Committing to weekly episodes from the start created accountability and audience expectations, while collaborating with industry partners on topics like ageism and neurodiversity expanded reach and provided diverse perspectives.📌 Bell uses AI primarily for overcoming creative blocks and improving efficiency, specifically mentioning Zoom's AI summary feature for interview notes and AI assistance for refining messaging, while avoiding AI for fact-checking due to reliability concerns.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest Informationinsherpodcast.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-bell

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, newest guest Cindy Deekitwong, Vice President of Head of Innovation & Marketing at Aperia Corporation, explores her "Business to Human" approach to B2B marketing, the importance of voice of customer research across global markets, and how consultancies measure success through client business growth. Cindy discusses upcoming packaging industry trends including increased localization due to policy changes and Aperia's development of a new platform connecting customer insights directly to product development.Key points include:📌 Moving beyond traditional B2B and B2C categories, Cindy advocates for "B2H" marketing that recognizes all business interactions ultimately happen between people, requiring authentic human connection rather than purely AI-generated content.📌 Understanding customers requires continuous research across generational and cultural differences, as buying behaviors shift from older generations who relied on handshake deals to newer generations with different expectations and values.📌 For consultancies, the primary ROI metric should focus on helping clients grow their business through increased sales, improved profit margins, cost savings, and operational improvements rather than traditional marketing vanity metrics.📌 Political and economic changes are driving packaging companies toward more localized operations within regions and countries, creating increased demand for contract packaging services and supply chain restructuring support.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest Informationhttps://www.aperiacorporation.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-deekitwong/

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, guest Elizabeth Hague, Director of Executive Marketing and Insights at Indeed, highlights the current challenges facing brand marketers during economic uncertainty, including frequent layoffs and the pressure to "do more with less" while maintaining authentic customer experiences. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping both the hiring process and job seeking experience, creating a "black hole" effect where thousands of AI-generated applications flood popular job postings.Key points include:📌 Brand, creative, and organic marketing roles are typically the first eliminated during layoffs, despite marketing driving revenue, while companies shift to agencies that are "easier to fire".📌Job seekers are competing against thousands of AI-generated applications on popular job postings, making the process feel demoralizing and creating a "black hole" effect for legitimate candidates.📌 Moving from mass marketing to one-to-one executive engagement demands deep persona research, custom experiences, and leveraging internal C-suites to connect with external executives at their level.📌 Indeed is integrating Glassdoor more deeply into their operations, focusing on work wellbeing programs that measure employer brand sentiment, and positioning themselves as a comprehensive talent acquisition platform beyond traditional job boards.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, guest Roy Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price discusses the unique challenges of marketing in the legal industry, where attorneys are trained to be autonomous and competitive, and how the profession has evolved since marketing was once forbidden for law firms. This conversation explores how leaning into specialization rather than trying to be all things to all people is the key in marketing today.Key points include:📌 Roy's approach to new roles involves walking around, meeting people, understanding their pain points, and looking for patterns before implementing any major initiatives — a strategy that builds trust and identifies real problems to solve.📌 Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, law firms should focus on their distinctive expertise areas and create compelling, specific content that positions them as authorities in their niche practices.📌 Use AI tools to polish, refine, and enhance content rather than having them do the work entirely, treating AI as a collaborative partner that allows teams to "level up" and think strategically rather than just execute tasks.📌 Drawing from Walt Disney's philosophy of putting a sidewalk where people naturally walk rather than building fences, successful marketing means removing barriers and making it easier for prospects to engage with your content and expertise.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest Informationhttps://www.vedderprice.com/https://linktr.ee/roysexton

In this episode of The brndBrief Podcast, Rose Crichton-White joins us to discuss her work as Director of Marketing, Development and Special Events at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. The 127-year-old nonprofit community music school serves over 80 sites across NYC, offering both paid music classes and free resources to underserved communities. Rose oversees the external affairs that keep this organization connected to its diverse audience, from young children learning violin to seniors returning to piano.The conversation covers how storytelling drives fundraising success, strategies for authentic engagement across age groups, and the organization's measured approach to adopting AI tools for workflow improvement.Key points include:📌 Brooklyn Conservatory uses its 125-year history and community impact stories to show donors they're more than just a music school - they provide free and low-cost resources to schools and community organizations using revenue from paid classes.📌 Success comes from listening to community keywords, observing local trends, and using data to inform messaging while staying true to core mission and avoiding platforms where your audience isn't active.📌 Nonprofits are slowly adopting AI tools like ChatGPT for grant writing, brainstorming, and workflow management - but the core focus remains on people over technology to maintain authentic community connections.📌 Present measurable outcomes alongside compelling stories that demonstrate both current impact and future potential, using tools like mid-year impact reports with focused case studies to show donors the full picture of your organization's effectiveness.------------------------🎙️SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTIf you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review. Thanks!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941 ------------------------Guest InformationBkcm.org@brooklynconservatory