The Big Game (aka The Super Bowl) keeps getting bigger. As brands try to find new ways to break through, Eric Segal, accomplished ad guy with plenty of Super Bowl advertising cred, sees a marketing world that requires a fresh method for creating big brand ideas. He talks about what marketers are looking for and an agile new approach that veers away from the big ad agency models of the past.

John and Brian talk about Starbuck’s refreshed positioning, debate the proper ways to customize coffee, and unabashedly support their hometown underdogs, The Philadelphia Eagles. Go birds!

Key topics and chapter markers:

(00:52): What’s brewing at Starbucks. And an argument

(07:29): Introducing advertising pro Eric Segal, X&O

(11:00): The Super Bowl as a cultural opportunity

(17:12): Crashing the Super Bowl with user generated content

(22:02): Starting a new model for big brand ideas

(27:47): A completely different work: a thousand different things

(32:22): The role of specialists

(42:22): Who’s holding the brand together?

(46:11): Sell me. But entertain me.

(48:29): Building a Super Bowl ad: how long should it take?

(55:04): Kicking the Giants while they’re down

Background content:

https://heyxo.co/

https://www.adweek.com/agencies/build-teams-not-departments/

https://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/starbucks-chief-brand-officer-tressie-lieberman-super-bowl-marketing-approach/2601161

https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/crash-the-super-bowl-creators-doritos-evolution-marketing/

When we think of branding, we usually go right to what we see. But listen up - what we hear from a brand can be just as important as any other element in its identity. Joel Beckerman is the founder of Made Music Studio, which has created sonic identities and campaigns elements for top brands, like Corona, Burger King, HBO, AT&T, and Panera. Joel joins Brian and John to chime in on the power of sonic branding. Hear how Joel got started, the impact of sound stickiness, and the time his music replaced a John Williams score (yes, that John Williams). Brian and John also share some interesting holiday shopping insights from a recent client project.

Key topics & chapter markers

(00:45): Diving into holiday shopping behaviors

(08:43): Introducing Joel Berkman

(16:04): Time and resources to create sonic logos

(21:00): Creating an in-store sonic experience

(27:43): Building sonic branding for Corona and Burger King

(32:07): Developing new sound for an iconic sound (HBO)

(33:29): Evolving music by the great John Williams

(45:18): Measuring the impact of sound

Background content

Made Music Studios

• Corona
• Burger King
• HBO
• AT&T
• Super Bowl LII

2025 Essential Retail Insights Guide - AnthologyAI

We often talk about the wonderfully wacky world of TV and media. Right in the middle of it all is Jinx Joglekar, who is responsible for acquiring customers for not just one but TWO TV brands: streaming subscribers for Sling TV and traditional pay TV subscribers for Dish Network. (Yes, TV providers call us all “subs.”) Leading off, John and Brian share good barroom trivia about common product names that are/were actually trademarked brands. Note: this episode was recorded shortly before DirecTV announced long-anticipated plans to purchase Dish Network/Sling.

Key topics & chapter markers

(00:25): The demise of the Tupperware brand

(02:13): Brands that have become generics

(08:48): Meet Jinx Joglekar

(10:51): Finding the right targets, the right media, and the right offering

(15:17): Managing churn and positioning in the era of cord-cutting and switching

(21:50): Rewarding customers for watching TV

(30:08): Marketing TV is fun!

(33:08): Jinx has a patent. No, TWO patents

(37:34): Leadership lessons for large teams

(39:49): From physics and music to marketing: a career spent saying “yes”

Background content

Tupperware going bankrupt - Fast Company

WTF is a mimeograph machine? - How Stuff Works

DirectTV merging with Dish Network - Variety

Sling TV’s recent campaign - YouTube

Connect with Brian and John on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmarks13/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-l-young/