On Brand with Nick Westergaard

“When it comes to HBO it’s really about quality, distinction, and uniqueness. And looking for stories that haven’t been told before.” As Senior Vice President at Warner Media, Jason Mulderig is responsible for everything related to the HBO brand—from advertising to promotion—including the new HBO Max streaming service. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Jason Mulderig

Jason Mulderig is SVP, Brand Marketing for WarnerMedia Entertainment & Direct-to-Consumer, responsible for the branding, positioning, advertising, prosocial, and promotional efforts for the HBO Max brand, as well as the HBO brand and streaming platforms, HBO GO and HBO NOW.

Mulderig joined HBO in 1999 as a marketing assistant in the Affiliate Marketing group. In 2011, he added product marketing to his responsibilities with the launch of HBO’s first streaming app, HBO GO, and in 2013, he was promoted to VP, assuming responsibility for the HBO master brand strategy and advertising for all brand communications, including the HBO linear channel and digital products. In 2015, Mulderig oversaw the brand positioning, brand development, and advertising campaigns for HBO NOW. He currently oversees the national college ambassador program and promotion of HBO’s licensed theatrical movies and in 2020, he also took over leadership of HBO’s brand social media profiles and HBO.com.

Episode Highlights

The challenges of positioning streaming services. In the struggle to stand out among the various streaming networks, Jason framed the challenge as it relates to brand positioning: “What is the right amount of content? It’s the boutique vs. superstore question.”

Launching a brand in the midst of a pandemic. Additionally, COVID-19 presented another set of challenges in the launch of HBO Max, a campaign that was initially built around the NCAA playoffs. “We looked for how we could get to a critical mass—gathering up the long tail of users anywhere we could with high-impact placements online.”

What about Gone with the Wind? Another challenge still was Gone with the Wind. Specifically, how the 1939 film’s romanticized depiction of slavery in the Confederate South is viewed in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Jason talked about how they pulled the movie from HBO Max and “added additional context” to the conversation about the film.

What should you do in the next five minutes? As Tom Peters said on this podast, excellence is the best short-term strategy. I asked Jason what you should do in the five minutes after this show: “Continually go back and look at your messaging, what your purpose is, and what you’re putting out. Advertising can be so expensive. Are you hitting your audience?”

What brand has made Jason smile recently? “I’d have to say Spotify.” Jason walked us through how Spotify now owns every aspect of his audio listenership. I couldn’t agree more. (Remember, you can subscribe to On Brand on Spotify too.)

To learn more, go to HBOMax.com.

As We Wrap ...

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

• Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS.
• Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.
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Matt Johnson is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at award-winning creative shop HAYMAKER. Throughout his career, Matt has helped build iconic brand such as adidas, The Truth Initiative, Powerade, King's Hawaiian, 23andMe, MillerCoors, ESPN, Instagram, and Microsoft. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Matt Johnson

Throughout his career, Matt Johnson has helped build iconic brands for big names like adidas, The Truth Initiative, Powerade, King's Hawaiian, 23andMe, MillerCoors, ESPN, Instagram, and Microsoft. Currently serving as Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of creative agency HAYMAKER, Matt’s thought leadership and expertise have consistently helped his partners win and his strategic insight helped the agency win two Ad Age Small Agency of the Year Awards (2020, 2022), The Truth Initiative win for The Most Effective Brand in North America, and adidas to be named Ad Age’s A-List Marketer of the Year.

When Matt isn't making memorial ad campaigns like the most recent Super Bowl spot for Pluto TV, Matt also lends his voice as a voice actor for over 20 years, voicing countless commercials and starring in two critically acclaimed HBO animated series, Ten Year Old Tom and The Life and Times of Tim.

From the Show

What brand has made Matt smile recently? “I don't want to go too hard at YETI,” Matt joked while also mentioning his love of the recent smile-worthy Super Bowl work for Reece's.

Matt's no stranger to Super Bowl ads. Check out HAYMAKER's most recent work for Pluto TV from this year's big game.

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn and check out HAYMAKER's work on their website.

As We Wrap ...

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• Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.
• On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Story doesn’t start with a 40-page deck. It starts with a founder with a vision.” And yet, there are quite a few 40-page branding decks floating around out there. This week on the podcast I was joined by Ellen Utrecht, a branding, film, and storytelling expert and founder of creative agency MikeTeeVee for a conversation about how brand stories really start.

About Ellen Utrecht

Ellen Utrecht is an all-round film professional with +25 years of experience in both commercials as well as feature films. She got her training at one of The Netherlands most iconic creative agencies, KesselsKramer, where she was instrumental in delivering impactful commercials for brands like Diesel, Ben (t-mobile), Bavaria beer, 55DSL, and Vitra amongst many others. Ellen has a long track record of innovation in film, pioneering new and groundbreaking production approaches for clients like Philips, Heineken, Lego, DSM, and Denham. Her Dutch training in conceptual storytelling and strong execution led to a successful worldwide career in Sydney, Los Angeles, and Toronto.

She is the founder of MikeTeevee which recently successfully launched the Lego The Movie campaign and Midnight Pictures responsible for successful short and feature films such as Eclair, Meeting the Other Women and Bushwack. MikeTeevee was also responsible for the widely shared non-profit anti-gun campaign “Veterans for Gun reform.”

Episode Highlights

Yes, that Mike TeeVee. Of course, my first question had to be if Ellen had named her shop after the character of the same name in Roald Dahl’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Ellen confirmed this with the reminder that the character is addicted to screens and content. That’s certainly relevant to audiences today!

Story + brand. We talk about storytelling a lot today but what does it really mean for brands? “Story doesn’t start with a 40-page deck. It starts with a founder with a vision. A brand that stands out in the world today has that one universal truth. That’s where the story lies.”

What happens if you lose the universal truth of your brand story? “We go back to the root when we create a brand narrative for clients. This usually comes in the form of a three- to four-minute film.”

What brand has made Ellen smile recently? “Supreme. It’s this 20-year old brand that’s completely reinvented itself.”

To learn more, go to miketeevee.com.

As We Wrap ...

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

• Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and RSS.
• Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.
• OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Marketing doesn’t always have one right answer.” As both a branding expert and instructor at NYU Stern School of Business, Allen Adamson knows how the world of branding has changed and what’s important for students and brand builders alike to understand. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Allen Adamson

Allen Adamson is a noted industry expert in all disciplines of branding. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Metaforce.co, NYU Stern School of Business Adjunct Professor of Marketing, and the author of BrandSimple, BrandDigital, The Edge: 50 Tips from Brands That Lead, and his latest Shift Ahead. Prior to Metaforce, Allen was Chairman, North America of Landor Associates, a global branding firm.

Episode Highlights

Part of marketing success is stepping back and looking. Today, too often we’re focused on what’s happening right now. As a result, we miss the opportunity for marketing innovation. As Allen notes, “People were standing on the street yelling for a ride forever. It took awhile to see that there was an opportunity there for brands like Uber and Lyft.”

What’s changed most about branding today? “In the good old days, there were a couple of choices. Now when you watch people are viewing everywhere.”

“We have too much information and not the right type.” Allen shared experiences from his time at Unilever and Pepsi, and how they focused disproportionately on Colgate and Coke. This reminded Allen of a lesson from tennis, you want to “hit the ball to where the other person is not.”

How do you know when it’s time for your brand to make a shift? “If you wait for your customers to tell you where to go next you’re probably too late.”

What brand has made Allen smile recently? Netflix — “The have taken over our content in such a clever way.”

To learn more, go to metaforce.co and check out Allen’s new book at ShiftAheadBook.com.

As We Wrap ...

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my new book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

• Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and RSS.
• Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.
• OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Marketers today have to be data junkies.” Kristin Luck would know. She’s founded two marketing analytics companies that were so successful both ended up being acquired. Today she helps founders and executive teams scale and monetize their businesses. What role does branding play in all of this? We discussed that very topic and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Kristin Luck

Kristin Luck serves as an advisor and growth strategist to a number of cutting-edge marketing and analytics technology and services firms through her consultancy, ScaleHouse. She is the founder of two marketing analytics companies that she led to successful exits. Kristin co-founded OTX, an online research business that was named the fastest-growing research firm in the world in 2002 and 2003 and was subsequently acquired by Zelnick Media & Pilot Group and again by Ipsos in 2007. She then founded Forefront Consulting Group, a research technology firm that was acquired by Decipher. Decipher was acquired by FocusVision in 2014 after seven consecutive years of double and triple-digit growth.

Kristin is a licensed investment banker with Oberon Securities and a founder focused on helping fellow founders and executive teams scale and monetize their businesses. Her deal expertise on both sides of transactions comes from participating in both acquisitions and exits from $30 million to $175 million. She is also passionate about supporting founders in international markets execute their entry into the U.S.

Episode Highlights

What does branding have to do with mergers and acquisitions? “Brand is huge in terms of attracting buyers. You have to have brand equity.” We also discussed that brand is hard to quantify yet companies lacking brand equity are usually lacking other performance metrics like annual recurring revenue—and vice versa.

Analytics is everything. “Marketers today have to be data junkies.” However, you have to avoid the “phenomenon on analysis paralysis.” Kristin went on to cite a new report from Gartner noting that CMOs will spend more than CIOs for the first time ever. Speaking of the C suite ...

“It all comes down to the CEO.” We discussed how “investing in brand” can sound like a dubious proposition, especially as execs typically don’t like investing in marketing much less something “squishy” things like branding. Kristin says the CEO sets the tone. “They can be your biggest asset and advocate. Look at the T-Mobile CEO.”

What brand has made Kristin smile recently? Want a smile? How about checking out “The Naked Truth About Laundry” from the CEO of Dropps, a sustainable laundry company that got Kristin’s attention and mine and made us both smile. Check it out!

To learn more, go to scalehouse.consulting for Kristin’s company website and be sure to check out their blog.

As We Wrap ...

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

• Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and RSS.
• Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.
• OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices