Brand Shorthand
Brand Shorthand
Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler
Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler discuss advertising, public relations, sales, positioning, branding, and more in this podcast designed for those who want to do a deep dive into the world of marketing. Mark and Lorraine discuss the psychology of what makes great brands. They break down the details of the good moves and some really bad moves by brands big and small. It's like a play-by-play of what went right, or what went wrong. If you're in the world of marketing, learn tips and tricks that will help you develop a new brand, from finding and focusing on a position, dramatizing that position in the marketplace, and distributing through the wide, wide world of media. With a combined 80 years of marketing experience, both Mark and Lorraine provide insights on campaigns they've led or seen others lead. All gloves are off when it comes to their take on great strategic marketing moves and those that might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but later flopped. No matter what part of marketing interests you, there'll be something for everyone as we cover positioning strategy, branding, creative dramatization, media selection, sales techniques, analytics, and less discussed parts of the spectrum such as distribution and growth strategies. You can be a strategist, a copywriter, an art director, a web developer, a digital marketing specialist, a sales person, an SEO specialist, and pretty much anything else in the advertising world and you'll find something on the Brand Shorthand podcast that interests you.
Brand Shorthand Season #1 Wrap-up
Mark and Lorraine wrap up the first season of the Brand Shorthand podcast. What does Mark think about the series, "The Pitch?" What are the first season highlights? Find out the answers to these questions and more on this final episode of season #1.Spend 30-ish minutes with Mark and Lorraine as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and positioning!
Nov 6, 2023
38 min
The Wizard of Ads Interview – Roy H. Williams (Part 3)
In this third and final segment of our interview with the Wizard of Ads, Mark and Lorraine dive deeper on Roy H. Williams' thoughts on why positioning and his philosophies apply whether the marketing is B2C, B2B or D2C. Roy spends considerable time explaining: why we are consumers regardless of where we're buying (work or home),why  the emotional environment of the prospect is so critical,why gross rating points is a farce in selecting media,why the portable people meter (PPM) is your better media planning gauge,why positioning is critical to supercharging your brand-building efforts, andwhy repetition of your message matters.Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine – AND Mr. Williams – to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Oct 30, 2023
30 min
The Wizard of Ads Interview – Roy H. Williams (Part 2)
Mark and Lorraine share part 2 of the interview with the Wizard of Ads, Roy H. Williams. Roy discusses deep insights on his understanding of the human condition and why we buy what we buy. From discussing reductionism and spirituality to "dead cows everywhere," Roy provides insights that any advertiser will appreciate. Learn: why demographic targeting is a myth and how to properly target through the message,why media targeting is so costly and the alternative we should consider, why a prospect's realm of association is so critical, why positioning is one of the most critical components of marketing, andwhich books Roy recommends for marketers (it's only 3 titles long).Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine – AND Mr. Williams – to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Oct 23, 2023
28 min
The Wizard of Ads Interview – Roy H. Williams (Part 1)
Mark and Lorraine welcome The Wizard of Ads, Roy H. Williams, to the show today. The first 30 minutes of our interview (part 1 of 3) with the wizard covers the genesis of the Wizard Academy, how Roy came up with The Wizards of Ads moniker, and why sound is so critical to human emotion, memory, and memorable advertising. Each word had us sitting on the edge of our chairs and we’re excited to bring this first of three parts to our subscribers.Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine – AND Mr. Williams – to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Oct 16, 2023
31 min
How Positioning Impacts All Marketing Disciplines
This week Mark and Lorraine discuss how positioning permeates every single marketing discipline. As a business strategy, positioning should touch every corner of your business, but many marketers give it lip service and execute without a position. Learn why and how the practice of positioning can supercharge your marketing from PR to research and from media planning to investor relations.Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Oct 9, 2023
32 min
Ways to Differentiate: Low Price
Before Mark and Lorraine dive into the latest discussion on ways to differentiate, they spend 15-ish talking about the food category with Campbell Soup's purchase of Rao's. How will this play as Campbell's goes up against Mondelēz and Kraft Heinz, the other big players in the market? Then Lorraine walks through the challenge of trying to claim a low price position and what that really means for organizations. Several have tried, but few have been able to sustain a low price position for very long. Learn the secrets to promoting a low price position as the positioning gurus talk Geico, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual.Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Oct 2, 2023
31 min
The Wizard of Ads
Marketers - if you haven't read Roy William's 3-book series, The Wizard of Ads, you're missing a real treat. Mark and Lorraine dive into three of his chapters with topics on: 1) finding your diamond, 2) the perspective of your ads, and 3) whether audience targeting is the holy grail. Learn more about the simple approach Roy takes to creating great advertising.Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Sep 25, 2023
32 min
Ways to Differentiate: How a Product is Made
Mark awards a Purple Cow Award to a non-purple mattress, then Lorraine and he dive into another Way to Differentiate: How a Product is Made. Learn the secret ingredient to this positioning method and how differentiating one ingredient, technology, or approach in your product or service can separate you from the competition. Learn how Sleep Number, Papa John's, Goodyear, and a few other big brands are doing positioning right.Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Sep 18, 2023
26 min
Obvious Adams and In Search of the Obvious
Obvious Adams, a short-read pamphlet, has influenced millions across the globe for its obvious principles. Mark and Lorraine talk through the five tests of obviousness and how it influenced Jack Trout's last book, In Search of the Obvious. Learn how positioning is directly related to the five tests of obviousness and why finding a position can be problematic if it doesn't pass the "obvious" sniff test.Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Sep 11, 2023
34 min
Ways to  Differentiate: Preference + Influencer Marketing
Corporate speak runs amok today as Mark and Lorraine try to figure out what Calvin Klein's CMO is saying. Marketing 101, Public Relations 101, and other basic positioning principles rarely change and continue to be used by even the big brands. Once their frustrations are vented, the positioning gurus spend time explaining Preference as a way to differentiate. How does influencer marketing -- aka celebrity endorsement -- play with Preference? Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to find out, and learn more about advertising, marketing, and positioning.
Aug 28, 2023
31 min
Load more