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 effectiveness in grabbing attention. They highlight the importance of using visual assets beyond just a brand name in ads. They also discuss the effectiveness of jingles, characters, and celebrities in advertising. They emphasize the need for distinctive visual assets that can be easily recognized and associated with a brand.
Key Takeaways:
- Visual assets, such as logos and slogans, make ads more effective than just talking about a brand.
- Characters are highly effective visual assets that can be owned by a brand and evolve with the brand’s creative style.
- Sonic brand cues, such as jingles, are underutilized but have a significant impact on brand recognition and recall.
- Celebrities can be effective visual assets, but they can switch brands and do not provide the same level of ownership as characters.
Quotes:
- “Visual assets beyond just a brand name in an ad make it more effective.”
- “Characters are highly effective visual assets that can be owned by a brand and evolve with the brand’s creative style.”
- “Sonic brand cues, like jingles, are underutilized but have a significant impact on brand recognition and recall.”
- “Celebrities can be effective visual assets, but they can switch brands and do not provide the same level of ownership as characters.”
| Timestamp | Summary |
|---|---|
| 0:28 | Introduction to the podcast episode |
| 2:05 | Discussion on the tendency to focus on doom and gloom |
| 3:49 | Explanation of the podcast format |
| 4:36 | Introduction to the chart on visual assets |
| 6:20 | Effectiveness of logos and slogans in ads |
| 7:10 | Example of an ad without branding |
| 8:51 | Discussion on attention and QR codes |
| 9:29 | Mention of McDonald’s unbranded campaign |
| 10:31 | Introduction to distinctive visual assets |
| 10:39 | McDonald’s jingle and distinctive assets in ads |
| 10:31 | McDonald’s made a distinctive asset with their Big Mac jingle. |
| 10:49 | Market leaders like McDonald’s don’t need a logo if their distinctive assets are strong enough. |
| 11:12 | Heinz’s tomato sauce ad looked like a Heinz ad even though it wasn’t. |
| 12:15 | Sonic brand cues are underutilized but highly effective. |
| 13:21 | Characters and celebrities are powerful assets but not cool. |
| 16:13 | People don’t deeply engage with brands or want a brand relationship. |
| 18:51 | Characters are more effective than celebrities. |
| 19:17 | Characters can be owned, celebrities can switch brands. |
| 19:46 | Kanye West switched sneaker brands from Nike to Adidas. |
| 21:01 | Colonel Sanders is a character who represents KFC, not McDonald’s. |
| 21:01 | Discussion about Colonel Sanders and the KFC brand |
| 21:57 | Talking about creating brand assets and characters |
| 23:01 | Conversation about the effectiveness of influencer marketing |
| 24:38 | Sam’s experience with influencer marketing and a billboard |
| 26:26 | Influencer marketing as a way to prime consumer interest |
| 28:35 | Using celebrities and characters as brand assets |
| 29:37 | Branded characters offer flexibility and storytelling opportunities |
| 30:48 | Discussion about the malleability of brand characters |
| 31:08 | The effectiveness of uncool branding elements |
| 31:50 | Wrap up and mention of potential podcast character |
| 31:48 | Discussion about needing a character for the podcast |
| 32:00 | Mention of Salesforce and their use of characters |
| 32:26 | Mention of the successful execution of the Meerkat character |
| 33:30 | Discussion on whether characters can be human or animated |
| 34:02 | Explanation of how brand assets and characters work |
| 34:38 | Examples of ads with characters that become the brand |
| 35:40 | Mention of Flight Centre and Amy as characters |
| 36:19 | Speculation on the future use of characters in ads |
| 37:01 | Discussion on the effectiveness of characters in ads |
| 38:14 | Conclusion and invitation for audience to share character examples |