Podcast Summary: "This Is How Your Brand Needs To Tell Stories"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Sweat Equity by Marketing Examined
• Hosts: Alex Garcia & Brian Blum
• Episode: This Is How Your Brand Needs To Tell Stories
• Release Date: January 21, 2025

1. Introduction to Influencer Brands: Cortez vs. Trico

Discussion Points:

• Cortez and Trico are two prominent brands in the streetwear space, often compared due to their similar marketing strategies and product offerings.
• Brian Blum (B) highlights how Cortez has built a substantial following with over 1.7 million followers, fostering a die-hard community that fiercely defends the brand against competitors.

Notable Quotes:

• B (00:21): “I think he's a sleeper though. Like, I've known about Cortez probably in the range of like six to nine months, but then when I go to his account and it has millions of, you know, 1.7 million followers, you're like, wow. This is huge.”
• A (01:05): “That means crazy ride or die.”

2. Viral Marketing Stunts: Strategies and Impact

Discussion Points:

• Clint, founder of Cortez, employs viral stunts to generate buzz and engage the community. Examples include letting fans design a collection and orchestrating interactive competitions.
• These stunts not only increase brand visibility but also involve the community, turning engagement into actionable outcomes.

Notable Quotes:

• A (02:16): “How can you kind of reverse engineer like a really strong moment for your brand? What do you got?”
• B (09:36): “Like super dialed. Absolutely dialed.”

3. The Evolution of Storytelling in Marketing

Discussion Points:

• The shift from TV-centric campaigns to social media-driven storytelling has transformed how brands communicate.
• Brian Blum (B) emphasizes the need for brands to adapt to the new landscape where daily content can serve as multiple touchpoints with the audience.

Notable Quotes:

• B (03:25): “What I want to talk about is understanding, narrative building, what that is, how to do it, and essentially how the best brands master storytelling in today's landscape.”
• A (03:29): “Every day. It’s crazy.”

4. Narrative Building: External vs. Internal Mission

Discussion Points:

• Narrative building involves crafting a story that resonates with the audience beyond just selling a product.
• External Mission: The public-facing narrative that consumers rally behind (e.g., Jocko Fuel's "Discipline Equals Freedom").
• Internal Mission: The company's operational goals and objectives.

Notable Quotes:

• B (24:00): “Brands need to establish what their external mission is. It’s the thing that you’re putting out into a world that people rally behind.”
• B (24:20): “When we talk about communication at scale, we have to be very clear about what we want to communicate.”

5. Content Strategies: Touch Points and Content Pillars

Discussion Points:

• Marketing Touch Points: Every interaction point with the customer, now amplified through social media.
• Content Pillars: Core themes that support the brand’s narrative. For example, Car Detailing Company A uses reaction videos, song requests, ASMR cleans, and POV interior cleans to reinforce their "Ride with Confidence" narrative.

Notable Quotes:

• A (35:06): “So marketing touch points used to be billboards, commercials, newspaper ads.”
• B (32:58): “The third content pillar could be like ASMR interior and exterior cleans.”

6. Case Studies: 2Js and Cortez Founder Clint

Discussion Points:

• Cortez’s Founder Clint: Utilizes interactive campaigns like design competitions and scavenger hunts to engage the community, leading to increased brand loyalty and visibility.
• 2Js’s Campaign: Collaborated with Lamine Yamal, a rising star at FC Barcelona, integrating the brand’s logo into his braces. This campaign leveraged a high-profile moment (El Clasico) to achieve virality and extensive reach.

Notable Quotes:

• B (12:16): “Like, super dialed. Absolutely dialed.”
• A (15:34): “Like this is a perfect example of how you want to handle backlash on social media.”

7. Comparison: Brand A vs. Brand B (Car Detailing Example)

Discussion Points:

• Car Detailing Company A focuses on narrative-driven content that aligns with their mission, enhancing customer perception and loyalty.
• Car Detailing Company B solely relies on before-and-after photos, missing the opportunity to build a compelling brand narrative.

Notable Quotes:

• B (33:39): “Their content doesn't push any kind of narrative. They're really just trying to push a service.”
• B (34:30): “This is the world's going. Like when we see car detailing company A versus B...”

8. Modern Marketing Practices vs. Traditional Approaches

Discussion Points:

• Transition from traditional marketing touchpoints (billboards, TV ads) to continuous social media engagement.
• Brands must create consistent content that resonates with their narrative to stay top-of-mind with consumers.

Notable Quotes:

• A (35:01): “Every sale still starts with marketing touch points.”
• B (37:08): “Brands don't want to invest that same amount of money into content.”

9. Practical Takeaways for Brands

Discussion Points:

• Engage with Your Audience: Interactive and community-driven campaigns can foster loyalty and increase visibility.
• Consistency is Key: Regular, narrative-aligned content reinforces the brand's mission and values.
• Adapt to Modern Platforms: Utilize social media’s dynamic nature to create multiple touchpoints and engage continuously with the audience.
• External Mission Matters: Define a clear, rallying external mission that resonates with your target audience beyond your internal operational goals.

Notable Quotes:

• B (35:01): “If you are trying to build a brand that people are getting like that have that cult following.”
• A (36:12): “It's gotta be modernity. Where like a company is active still.”

10. Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Summary: In this episode, Alex Garcia and Brian Blum delve into the evolving landscape of brand storytelling, emphasizing the importance of narrative building in the age of social media. They explore how brands like Cortez and 2Js leverage viral marketing stunts and community engagement to create lasting impressions. The discussion highlights the shift from traditional marketing touchpoints to a more dynamic, content-driven approach that allows brands to maintain continuous engagement with their audience. Key strategies include defining a clear external mission, aligning content pillars with the brand narrative, and utilizing social media to create multiple marketing touchpoints.

Final Quotes:

• B (24:00): “This is how brands need to tell stories in 2025.”
• A (36:12): “It's gotta be modernity. Where like a company is active still.”

Note: This summary focuses on the core content of the podcast episode, excluding advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections as per the request.