Did you know that smart marketing decisions during a downturn can change your business forever? During the Great Depression, Kellogg’s dominated the market with one bold move: they doubled down on their marketing budget when others were cutting back. But how can small businesses with limited budgets thrive during a recession? In this episode of...

Is your brand ready for the online-only marketplace? In this episode of the Brandwidth® Podcast, Sam McEwin and Dean Millson shine the light on “InstaBrands.” The rise of these online-only brands opens doors of opportunities and profitability, but it also raises an important question: Should the branding approach for Insta Brands differ from traditional methods?...

Summary:Sam and Dean discuss the long-lasting and memorable Australian ad campaign, Cancer Councils “Slip Slop Slap.” They analyse the recent update to the campaign, which added two more actions, “Seek” and “Slide,” and discuss how it has affected the effectiveness of the original message. Emphasising the power of the rule of threes in branding, marketing,...

In this episode of the Brandwidth podcast, Dean Millson discusses the importance of brand guidelines and how they can benefit businesses, explaining that brand guidelines are more than just visual standards and should encompass the vision, purpose, target audience, communication style, values, and visual identity of a brand.

Get ready for another insightful episode of Brandwidth – ‘Big Ideas on Small Business Marketing’! In this episode, we delve into the topic of brand loyalty and loyalty programs with our knowledgeable hosts, Sam McEwin and Dean Millson. They initiate an engaging conversation by discussing the significance of providing superior service to customers in order...

Get ready for another insightful episode of Brandwidth – ‘Big Ideas on Small Business Marketing’! In this episode, we introduce you to the 95:5 rule and discuss key marketing strategies that can help you grow your small business.  Throughout the episode, we cover topics such as why focusing too much on immediate engagement or downloads can...

In this episode we discuss: Why is so much marketing literature focussed on B2C What does Jenni Romaniuk have to say about B2B? Does the law of double jeopardy matter for B2B as much as it does for B2C? Benefits of ling term brand building for B2B businesses Priming a buyer for your B2B brand...

In this episode we discuss: Why you don’t mess with social media influencers on social media. If not sales, what should marketing be ultimately measured by? What is the leading brand of politics in Australia? What really is “the Murdoch press” anyway? Is news media a product and if so, should they tailor that product...

In this episode we discuss: The scary fact that 60% of digital advertising spend is spent with just two companies, Facebook & Google. How did Google ads evolve and why are they now dominated by big brands? Are we now seeing a golden age for new digital channels? What are the top 5 digital channels...

In this episode we discuss: Word of mouth is always seen as important, but why aren’t we more strategic about it? What is a Talk Trigger? What’s the difference between a USP and a Talk Trigger? Types of Talk Triggers – Talkable Empathy, Talkable Usefulness, Talkable Generosity, Talkable Speed, Talkable Attitude Talk Trigger Criteria – Be Remarkable,...

In this episode we discuss: The impact of cognitive biases on purchasing decisions What exactly are category heuristics and why do they matter? Experts vs Acquaintances who do consumers really pay attention to? Why 2 for 1 is better than 50% off, every time Stacking biases and other fun games for marketers Brand preference fragility,...

In this episode we discuss: What job are we ‘hiring’ the products we purchase to perform? The surprising truth behind milkshake purchasing behaviour A better question to ask consumers than “why” they purchased something Are two jobs to be done better than one? Why you should talk to your customers instead of talking about yourself...

Purpose-Driven or Perilous? Brands are increasingly under pressure to take a stand on social issues, known as purpose-driven branding. But high-profile cases like Bud Light, Target, and Gillette highlight the potential for significant financial loss when things go wrong. How, then, can brands support social causes without risking significant backlash and revenue loss and should...

In this episode we discuss: Branding in the B2B space compared to B2C B2B brand strategy is important as an internal driver of organisations How are B2B brands built vs B2C brands The important role of people in B2B brands The role of brand purpose in B2B Marketing mix and effectiveness in B2B brands B2B...

In this episode we discuss: The evolution of consumer buyer journey frameworks Initial consideration vs active evaluation The latest research into active evaluation What exactly is the ‘messy middle’ Exploration and evaluation loops The power of purchasing triggers Is purchase abandonment a bigger issue than cart abandonment? Behavioural biases raise their head again Resources Mentioned...

In this episode we discuss: Traditional Economic Theory vs Behavioural Economic Theory Behavioural biases – the shortcuts our minds use to make decisions and what it means for marketers Costly Signalling Theory and examples in life and marketing Why a brand is a costly signal Loss aversion and its roots from our evolution Signalling in...

In this episode we discuss: How price sensitivity & brand loyalty change during economic downturns Why the decisions we make as brands are amplified during times of recession The not so obvious market opportunity (or threat) that exists right now The pricing strategy discussions that all brands should be having right now Resources Mentioned IPSOS...

In this episode we discuss: The conflict associated with brand design vs search engine optimisation when designing a new website. What happens when you leave your critical web design decisions to you brand agency? What happens when you leave your critical web design decisions to you SEO agency? Why Google loves long form text. Is...

In this episode we discuss: Dean Millson’s tried and tested method for creating memorable brand names. The four core types of name and how they differ. Dangers of selecting a poor name. The specific process Dean uses to brainstorm and decide on a name Resources Mentioned   Subscribe ItunesStitcherGoogle PodcastsDeezerRSS Feed

In this episode we discuss: The impact that perceptual cues have on advertising. How Australian brands such as Bunnings and JB Hifi have used perceptual cues to strengthen their brands. How to use implicit memory to appear more attractive. And why all roads always lead back to positioning. Resources Mentioned Prof. Byron Sharp – How...

In this episode we discuss: The three types of Company DNA types. How to discover your brand’s DNA. Surprising truths some brands discover when they unlock their brand DNA. How to bring a clients to tears, and make them pay for it. Resources Mentioned Andy Cunningham – Get to Aha! – https://www.cunninghamcollective.com/get-to-aha Subscribe Itunes Stitcher...

In this episode we discuss: The dangers associated with re-branding using the example of Harvey World Travel / Hello World. When should you re-brand? Why you should proceed with caution. Why we are so easily tempted to update our assets? Resources Mentioned Where did ‘Hello World’ come from? – https://stackoverflow.com/questions/602237/where-does-hello-world-come-from Let’s Talk Branding Podcast –...

In this episode we discuss: the dangers of focussing too much on short marketing objectives Are your short term campaigns damaging your brand equity? Can digital marketing be used to drive brand awareness How do long term factors influence short term decision making Resources Mentioned Les Binet & Peter Field – The Long & the Short...

In this episode of the Brandwidth podcast, Sam McEwin and Dean Millson discuss the topic of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its potential impact on branding and marketing. They approach the topic with curiosity and explore how AI can be used as a creative partner and a new creative medium. They emphasise the importance of asking...

In this episode we discuss: The concept of zero-based budgeting How should budgets be set? What is the reality of how budgets are set currently? Why is it so hard to increase marketing budgets, even when results are good? Is there a more agile model for budgeting? Why marketers might need to get more serious...

In this episode we discuss: The impact that understanding your brand can have on your organisational culture. Why brand values need to be more than some words on a wall How your values can create behaviours How to create ‘sticky statements’ that become memorable Why if you need to include the word ‘trust’ in your...

In this episode we discuss: The ban of plastic bags from supermarkets Should brands take a role in social issues?
 Net neutrality and censorship  We touch a little on brand purpose, but leave that for another podcast Yes we went quite off topic here! Resources Mentioned Australian Packaging Covenant – https://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/ Alex Jones / Infowars...

In this episode we discuss: Aldi’s launch into Australia Brand strategy is like insurance Content marketing & providing value Various approaches to creating content Resources Mentioned Content Inc. by Joe Pulizzi – https://www.amazon.com/Content-Inc-Entrepreneurs-Successful-Businesses/dp/125958965X Free Writing – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_writing Seth Godin – https://seths.blog/ Dean’s Blog – http://brandingandstrategyblog.com/ Subscribe Itunes Stitcher Google Podcasts Deezer RSS Feed

In this episode we discuss: What is the first principle of marketing? Mental & physical availability. Digital advertising effectiveness strategies. Resources Mentioned Bob Hoffman – The Ad Contrarian – http://adcontrarian.blogspot.com/ The First Principle of Advertising (The Ad Contrarian) – http://adcontrarian.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-first-principle-of-advertising.html Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer: What works, what doesn’t and why: What Works,...

Chapters 02:11 What To Look Out For When Trademarking Your Brand  06:14 What To Do When You Find Yourself in a ‘Brand Crisis’  11:10 Made up Brand names & Invented Business Names  12:42 The Impact of Domain Name and SEO  14:42 Choosing a name for your business  20:27 Google Algorithm Changes  22:25 SEO Keyword in...

Brandwidth™ is an ongoing conversation between a digital marketer and a brand strategist. A compact podcast discussing marketing today, trying to make sense of the good and the bad, and everything in between. In this short episode, Brandwidth hosts Dean Millson and Sam McEwin introduce themselves and concept behind the show.  Resources Mentioned Sam’s Agency...

Sam McEwin and Dean Millson discuss the importance of branding for small businesses. They explain that branding is not just for big companies, but can also be beneficial for small brands. They outline a methodology that they use to help small businesses grow and succeed. They emphasize the importance of balancing activities that drive initial...

Sam McEwin and Dean Millson are the hosts of the Brandwidth podcast. They are experienced marketers and brand strategists who share their insights and expertise on branding and marketing topics.​ **Summary:**​Sam and Dean discuss the different stages of brands and the priorities at each stage. They start with new brands, emphasizing the importance of focusing...

Sam McEwin and Dean Millson are the hosts of the Brandwidth podcast. They are marketing and branding experts who bring their knowledge and insights to the show. Summary: Sam and Dean discuss the power of visual assets in marketing and branding. They reference a chart from Ipsos that ranks different visual assets based on their...

Sam McEwIn and Dean Millson discuss the importance of attention in advertising and the findings of Professor Karen Nelson Field’s research on attention. They explore the impact of attention on memory and brand recall, as well as the different channels that attract attention, such as television, catch-up TV, and mobile phones. The conversation highlights the...

Summary: Dean and Sam discuss the decline of jingles in advertising and the reasons behind it. Reflecting on their favourite jingles from the past and the effectiveness of these catchy tunes in creating brand recall, they uncover why jingles have become less popular in recent years and why they may potentially be making a comeback....

Summary: In this episode of “The Brandwidth Podcast,” Dean Millson and Sam McEwin discuss the importance of employer branding in today’s competitive job market. They explain that employer branding is not a separate brand from the company brand but a different expression of it. The key to successful employer branding is understanding the target audience,...

Search is changing — fast! Thanks, AI. In this forward-looking episode of The Brandwidth Podcast, Sam and Dean explore how AI is shaking up SEO — from search behaviour and algorithms to content creation and discoverability. Here’s what you’ll learn:• How tools like ChatGPT are reshaping how people search• What AI means for your content...

Think brand health tracking is just for big brands with big budgets? Think again. In this episode of The Brandwidth Podcast, Sam and Dean dive into how small and medium-sized businesses can measure and improve brand health — without expensive tools or complex metrics. Here’s what you’ll learn:• What brand health really means (and why...

What’s the deal with marketing funnels? We hear the term everywhere, but what actually is a marketing funnel? Does it have a place in a sophisticated marketing machine or should it be left to marketing bros and youtubers. Join Dean and Sam as they unpack, unravel, and dejargon the world of the marketing funnel and...

Marketing attribution f@#*ed! In this Brandwidth® episode, Sam and Dean dive into one of the biggest challenges facing modern marketers—accurately measuring what’s driving results. From the flawed multi-touch models to the rise of walled gardens like Google and Facebook, it’s time to ask: Are we focusing on the wrong metrics? Or more to the point,...

How well do you know your marketing influencers? Can you tell Gary Vee quotes from Simon Sinek? These are exactly the question Sam asked Dean in this entertaining episode of the Brandwidth® podcast. Dean takes on a quiz featuring quotes from the biggest names in the biz: Gary Vee, Rory Sutherland, Mark Ritson, Byron Sharp,...

Struggling to win over customers or clients? What if the key to changing minds isn’t about saying more—but doing less? If you’re a business owner, understanding the art of persuasion can make all the difference. But here’s the twist—it’s not always about giving more information. Sometimes, the secret lies in removing the roadblocks holding people...

We’ve all heard the famous 60% brand-building, 40% activation rule, but most of the research behind it comes from B2C. So what happens when we apply this to B2B? In this episode of Brandwidth®, Sam and Dean dig deep into the data, asking if the same formula holds true for B2B brands—or if it needs...

Does where you advertise impact how your brand is perceived?Spoiler: It absolutely does. In this episode of The Brandwidth Podcast, Sam and Dean dive into the relationship between advertising medium and brand trust — unpacking how everything from Meta ads to TV spots shapes consumer perception. Here’s what they explore:• Digital vs traditional: Which mediums...

What makes a rebrand actually work, and what happens when it tries too hard? In this episode of the Brandwidth podcast, Sam and Dean break down two big auto campaigns — Jaguar’s latest rebrand and Mazda’s iconic Zoom Zoom — to explore the do’s, don’ts, and deeper strategy behind brand reinvention. Here’s what they dig...

So naturally, everyone’s asking the question:Is digital marketing dead? Spoiler: nope. Then again, people said radio, TV, and print were dead too… So, of course, digital marketing is not dead, but is today’s middle aged version of digital marketing starting to look a little flabby around the waist? Perhaps. In this week’s Brandwidth podcast, Sam...

What if the secret to better branding isn’t doing more — but doing less (and avoiding the wrong things)? In this thought-provoking episode of the Brandwidth podcast, Dean and Sam explore via negativa, a concept pulled from Nassim Taleb’s Antifragile, and how it might apply to modern brand strategy. Here’s what they dig into:• What...

SEO not cutting it for your niche B2B biz? Time to think differently. In this episode of Brandwidth, Sam and Dean unpack the power of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) — especially for complex sales and high-value customers. Here’s what’s inside:• What ABM is and why it works for B2B• A real client story where ABM made...

Ever wondered what a real marketing insight is and why it matters? In this episode of Brandwidth, Sam and Dean go deep into the world of insights and how they power creativity, strategy, and brand storytelling. Here’s what’s inside:• What insights actually are (and what they’re not)• 11 different types of insights — from eureka...