Building a brand Philosophy — Benjamin Shapiro // I Hear Everything

Brands are no longer abstract creations that are out to take money from people. On the contrary, people seek out and connect with brands with a philosophy they can relate to and love. Unfortunately, many brands still do not understand how to create a brand philosophy. Some say they want to save the world or are about some mission or purpose, which is great only if it is authentic and backed by a genuine brand philosophy. How do you build a brand philosophy? Listen to the conversation as Benjamin Shapiro, CEO & Executive Producer at I Hear Everything, interviews the CEO of OH Partners, Scott Harkey, to talk about building a brand philosophy.
About the speaker

Benjamin Shapiro

I Hear Everything

- I Hear Everything

Benjamin Shapiro is the producer of the Revenue Generator Podcast, the host of the Martech Podcast, the Voices of Search Podcast, and the CEO of I Hear Everything, which is a new media network that combines the impact audio with the power of digital content to connect content creators and brands with their target audience.

Show Notes

  • 03:57
    Scott Harkey's pathway into branding
    From high school passion to building five agencies, Scott's appreciation of the art and science of marketing is special.
  • 08:03
    What is the philosophy of a great brand?
    The first step to creating a great brand philosophy is to give your brand a human face. So if you want to be more attractive as a brand, your brand has to have human characteristics.
  • 09:55
    How is your brand differentiated in the marketplace?
    In today's competitive environment, one of the most critical pieces is how your brand is differentiated in the marketplace. What are your competitors doing? Differentiating is not just product differentiation: personality, platform, delivery, design, and the differentiation of your product, service, or brand.
  • 10:28
    Focus on the customer
    You should be representing the consumer and helping companies understand some of the human behaviors that change over time.
  • 11:58
    Does your brand have to be mission driven?
    The problem is that people often overreach in their mission and have some mission that's not authentically true to the brand.
  • 15:05
    Why some big brands fail
    Short answer: overreaching in their mission or purpose that it becomes inauthentic.
  • 16:52
    How to align your brand to feel authentic
    It is about owning who you are and not playing it safe.

Quotes

  • "Finally, after 15 years of owning an agency, I've found myself coaching and mentoring other agencies that are part of our group. We have five agencies now in our agency platform that's coming out called the Harky Group." - Scott Harkey

  • "Philosophy can go across all verticals and sizes of companies. It starts with three things. Number one is, as you're thinking about your brand, think of it as a human. You have to give it some human traits because humans want to relate to humans. If you want to be more attractive as a brand, your brand has to have these human characteristics." - Scott Harkey

  • "Want to give your brand a personality? Who is your brand, and what is the human character? Who is it today, and who will it be five years, ten years down the line?" - Scott Harkey

  • As a brand, what are your competitors doing? You have to study your competitors and how you are uniquely different. I have a saying, when they zig, you zag, and differentiating is not just product differentiating. Still, it's personality differentiation. It's platform differentiation, and it's everything: delivery, design, and the differentiation of your product, service, or brand." - Scott Harkey

  • "Good agencies should be representing the consumer and helping companies understand some of the human behaviors that change over time, how you can align with human behavior, and how they will be attracted to your brand." - Scott Harkey

  • "What's your North Star? Of course, it starts with why, and understanding the why behind things is essential. But it comes down to where you are going and how that benefit customers." - Scott Harkey

  • "Great marketing destroys a bad brand very fast. If you're set up wrong and do great marketing, and your purpose is not true to who you are or essential to consumers, then the better your marketing, the worse your brand will do. People aren't going to talk about it, people aren't going to use it, and people aren't going to tell their friends about it." - Scott Harkey

  • "How brands fail, especially large ones, is CMOs that come in and out, and they certainly overreach on their mission and purpose a little bit, and they're not truly living it." - Scott Harkey

  • "What are those unique nuggets that are ownable and don't have to be perfect? It's undoubtedly ownable and confident, and people are attracted to that. And when you can start doing communications and creative around that, it's a huge, unique advantage." - Scott Harkey

About the speaker

Benjamin Shapiro

I Hear Everything

- I Hear Everything

Benjamin Shapiro is the producer of the Revenue Generator Podcast, the host of the Martech Podcast, the Voices of Search Podcast, and the CEO of I Hear Everything, which is a new media network that combines the impact audio with the power of digital content to connect content creators and brands with their target audience.

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