The Government’s Struggle With Brand Strategy, When Is It Time to Change Careers? and Scott’s Best Relationship Advice

Summary

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway Episode: The Government’s Struggle With Brand Strategy, When Is It Time to Change Careers? and Scott’s Best Relationship Advice Release Date: January 22, 2025

In this compelling episode of The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway, hosted by Vox Media Podcast Network, Scott delves into three pressing topics: the government's faltering brand strategy, navigating career changes in a turbulent industry, and offering his best relationship advice. Through insightful analysis and candid discussions, Scott provides listeners with actionable advice and thought-provoking perspectives.

---

1. The Government’s Struggle With Brand Strategy

Timestamp: [01:59] – [06:37]

Scott begins by addressing Ethan Schwartz’s concern regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ineffective brand strategy. Ethan, a Regulations Manager at the EPA, expresses frustration over the agency's inability to effectively communicate its value to the public beyond sporadic headlines.

Key Points:

• Importance of Branding in Government: Scott emphasizes that branding is crucial not only for corporations but also for government agencies. Effective branding helps in winning hearts and minds, fostering public trust, and enhancing the perceived value of governmental work.

• Cultural Advantages: He highlights the United States' multicultural and risk-taking culture as foundational to its ability to build strong global brands. This cultural diversity aids in understanding and appealing to varied demographics, a strength that government agencies often overlook.

• Failures in Current Branding Efforts: Scott criticizes the Biden administration’s poor branding, noting a lack of clear leadership and narrative control. He argues that without a coherent brand identity, agencies like the EPA struggle to position themselves positively against misinformation and adversarial interests.

• Strategic Recommendations:

  • Identify Brand Identity: Government agencies must first define their unique brand identity.
  • Leverage Platforms and Spokespeople: Utilize effective communication channels and credible spokespersons to disseminate the agency’s message.
  • Respond to Misinformation: Develop strategies to quickly counteract false narratives and reinforce the agency’s true mission.

Notable Quotes:

• “Branding is essentially unearned margin or shorthand.” [03:15]
• “The government is losing to corporations because Washington has done a pretty piss poor job of branding themselves.” [04:50]
• “We need great agencies like the EPA to identify what their brand identity is and use platforms to respond quickly to misinformation.” [06:00]

---

2. When Is It Time to Change Careers? Navigating Industry Declines

Timestamp: [06:37] – [10:28]

Xavier, a 23-year-old from Appalachia with a background in political science and experience in the indie video game industry, reaches out to Scott for guidance on pivoting careers amidst industry downturns.

Key Points:

• Assessing Industry Health: Scott discusses the cyclical versus structural decline of industries. He advises determining whether the decline in the video game industry is temporary (cyclical) or indicative of a long-term (structural) downturn.

• Current State of the Video Game Industry: While acknowledging recent layoffs and a decrease in gaming time post-COVID, Scott points out that the gaming industry remains vast and integral to modern entertainment, suggesting potential for future growth despite current challenges.

• Strategic Career Moves:

  • Deepen Industry Expertise: If passionate and skilled in the current field, Scott recommends staying and leveraging unique skills rather than frequently switching industries.
  • Timing the Pivot: Entering an industry during its trough can position one advantageously for future growth, avoiding the pitfalls of jumping in during peak periods that may precede a decline.
  • Building a Support Network: Assemble a "kitchen cabinet" of trusted advisors who can provide honest feedback and support career decisions.

• Long-Term Outlook: Scott remains optimistic about the gaming industry's resilience and adaptability, suggesting that cyclical declines should not necessarily prompt an immediate career change unless supported by broader structural shifts.

Notable Quotes:

• “If you like the industry and you're good at it, I don't think you want to sort of ping from industry to industry when it starts going down.” [08:45]
• “AI is going to have cyclical downturns, so don't just hopscotch based on those.” [09:20]
• “The video game industry is just an enormous industry and likely to continue to thrive in some format.” [09:55]

---

3. Scott’s Best Relationship Advice: Building Strong Partnerships

Timestamp: [13:44] – [18:41]

Patrick, a 28-year-old from the UK, seeks Scott’s advice on structuring conversations about goals with his new partner, aiming to foster mutual support and growth.

Key Points:

• Avoiding the Scorecard Mentality: Scott advises against keeping a score of contributions in relationships. Instead, he encourages partners to focus on the type of person they want to be within the relationship, fostering a supportive and loving environment without tracking favors or efforts.

• Surplus Value Concept: Emphasizing the importance of contributing more than one receives, Scott introduces the idea of "surplus value" as a metric for masculinity and relationship strength. Offering more emotional and practical support than expected enhances the relationship's foundation.

• Expressing Affection: Regularly showing physical and emotional affection is crucial. Simple gestures like holding hands or showing desire help differentiate romantic partnerships from friendships and reinforce the bond between partners.

• Practical Support: Ensuring that one’s partner never feels neglected or uncomfortable by addressing their immediate needs, such as providing food or warmth, can prevent conflicts and strengthen the relationship.

• Long-Term Relationship Building: Scott underscores the significance of mutual admiration and actively supporting each other's interests and goals. Celebrating each other’s achievements and being present during significant moments cultivates a deeper connection.

Notable Quotes:

• “Put the scorecard away and decide what kind of boyfriend, husband, lover you want to be.” [14:50]
• “Surplus value is a decent metric for masculinity.” [15:30]
• “Express as much physical desire as possible. Women want to be wanted.” [16:10]
• “Never let your partner be hungry or cold. It can prevent half of your major blow-ups.” [17:05]

---

Conclusion

In this episode, Scott Galloway adeptly navigates through diverse topics, offering valuable insights into effective branding for government agencies, strategic career planning within fluctuating industries, and nurturing healthy, supportive romantic relationships. His candid approach and practical advice empower listeners to tackle challenges in both their professional and personal lives with confidence and clarity.

Listeners are encouraged to submit their own questions for future episodes by emailing a voice recording to officehoursofgmedia.com. Stay tuned for more episodes, including Scott’s award-winning newsletter, No Mercy / No Malice, narrated by George Hahn.

---

Notable Quotes Compilation:

• “Branding is essentially unearned margin or shorthand.” – Scott Galloway [03:15]
• “If you like the industry and you're good at it, I don't think you want to sort of ping from industry to industry when it starts going down.” – Scott Galloway [08:45]
• “Surplus value is a decent metric for masculinity.” – Scott Galloway [15:30]

---

This episode exemplifies Scott Galloway’s unique ability to blend business acumen with personal growth advice, making it an essential listen for anyone looking to enhance their understanding of branding, career dynamics, and relationship building.

Transcript

[Moomoo Representative]

Want to know what helps keep Wall street Pros Ahead? Level 2 Market Data and trading platform Moomoo gives it to you for free with a qualified deposit. Plus Mumu offers 0 commission stock trading, pro level tools and seamless trading from your desk or your phone right now, open an account and get up to 15 free stocks. Head to moomoo.com use code Prof. G and take charge of your trading terms and conditions and other fees. May App product and services are provided by Mumu Financial Inc. Members, FINRA and SIPC. Please visit www.moomoo.com for full disclosures.

[Charles Schwab Representative]

Support for the show comes from Charles Schwab at Schwab. How you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique with award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more. Support for this show comes from Capital one with the Spark Cash plus card. From Capital One, you earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase plus no preset spending limit. Helps your purchasing power adapt to meet your business needs. Capital One what's in your wallet? Find out [e-mail] SparkCashPlus terms and conditions apply.

[Scott Galloway]

Welcome to Office Hours with Prav G. This is the part of the show where we answer your questions about business, big tech, entrepreneurship, and whatever else is on your mind. If you'd like to submit a question, please email a voice recording to officehoursofgmedia.com Again, that's officehoursofigmedia.com so with that first question.

[Ethan Schwartz]

Hi Scott, I'm currently working for the U.S. environmental Protection Agency as a Regulations Manager for the Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water. My office is responsible for regulating contaminants and drinking water such as lead and PFAs. While the EPA has been in the news quite a bit over the past few years, mostly for good reasons, I've discovered firsthand that the federal government, specifically the civil service, is not very good at brand strategy, I'm taking steps to pivot towards an external communications role within the agency because I believe there's a lot more that the EPA can do to show Americans the value of our work beyond getting the occasional headline in the New York Times or something when we finalize a big regulation. My question for you is how would you change the way the executive branch agencies engage with the public and of course, thank you for your continued wisdom and Cialis jokes. Take care, Scott. From Ethan Schwartz in Washington D.C. that's.

[Scott Galloway]

A super interesting question. Essentially, the government, I mean, you could argue that a key component of winning hearts and minds is branding. One of the reasons the United States has had the best economic growth in the world is that because we have kind of a risk taking culture, because we have a multicultural culture. Multicultural culture. And that makes no fucking sense. We have people from different places in the world and as a result we're able to build global brands. How many global brands have come out of China? How many global brands have come out of Japan? Decent number come out of Japan, but the majority of really great kind of global brands come out of the US and, and I would argue part of that is our culture, at least in the US of risk taking and in Europe. It's because I believe that a multicultural society just has an easier time understanding and appreciating different cohorts and how to market to them. I also think this sounds a little weird, but I think we're more in touch with our emotions and more encouraged to express communication that creates emotion. Branding is essentially unearned margin or shorthand. I stay at the Four Seasons or the Ritz Carlton or the Mandarin Oriental because they always do an 8 and I don't have time. Time to look at for hotels. Now granted, the importance of branding has declined because now you have your social graph or TripAdvisor to kind of tell you, well, no, this is the hotel you should stay at. You should stay at, you know, the Faina South Beach. Anyways, don't know how I got here. The government is losing and corporations. One of the reasons corporations have overrun Washington is that Washington has done a pretty piss poor job of branding themselves. And that is they've let these billionaires. I should stop playing in the identity pollux of billionaires. I'll just say assholes. Assholes who tend to have a lot of money and maybe own a platform and can communicate. But a lot about branding is just controlling the message or just awareness. Something that really upsets me right now is the poor branding of the Biden administration. I mean, for God's sakes, who the fuck exactly is President right now? It appears to be the President elect is now president and his vice president is First Lady Alania. They are totally controlling the narrative because we have a president that for some reason people around him thought it was a good idea that he should run again and quite frankly comes across as just feeble. And the People around him aren't willing for him to be in anything that's not scripted, where he's wrapping a medal around Bono. And as a result, they are controlling the narrative, they are controlling the branding. In addition, I think you're right. I don't think they do a very good job of communicating how important the EPA is and the importance of clean drinking water and managing the messaging such that people say, you know what, the EPA are the good guys, instead of having these people, people whose financial interest is to position them as the bad guys. So the fight of branding, if you will, the importance of branding plays a critical role not only in developing shareholder value, but also in ensuring that our fantastic agencies and government agencies. I just never understood how people are so comfortable shitposting government. It's shitposting yourself, folks. We elect these people, we make the decisions around who represents us in government and they make the decisions around these agencies and the notion that we don't have a vested interest in all these things and they don't represent who we are. I find it just fucking hilarious that the majority of people who hilarious is the wrong word, who shit post the government are the ones benefiting most of in the government. We need great agencies like the EPA to identify what is their brand identity, how can they position it against two things, where is the market and what are their strengths and then specifically do a better job of using platforms and spokespeople to get out there to respond quickly to misinformation and crap their own message. Thank you for the question. Question number two.

[Xavier]

Hi Prof. G. My name is Xavier and I'm a 23 year old from good old Appalachia with a political science degree from a no namer school in the middle of nowhere. Over the past three years I've worked as a pr, IR and events professional specifically within the indie video game industry. With the state of the video game industry in a constant decline, I'm starting to get spooked as even my current company announced layoffs this past week. I'm wondering if you have any advice on pivoting careers specifically when my hard and soft skill set is so pigeonholed in this specific industry. Thanks for your time.

[Scott Galloway]

Okay, so spooked is a term. When I think of the term spook, it's a horse gets spooked and makes an irrational decision. Are you making an irrational decision by getting out of this industry? Because I think of the video gaming industry as just an enormous industry and right now it's in what I'd call cyclical decline. I think video games are likely going to continue to thrive in some format. It's just such a big business and this is pulse marketing. But Jesus Christ. I think about the amount of time and attention my 14 year old son spends on, you know, Fortnite or UEFA or whatever it is, Madden Soccer. I just think that's a big business and probably a pretty decent industry. Let's look at some data here. After a huge boom during COVID the video game industry has shrunk. In 2020, the gaming industry grew over 23%. That's off a big base. However, that boom quickly turned to bust. So layoffs in the video game industry by year 2022, 8,500 people, 2023, 11,000 and 2024 12,000. And you're right, people are just simply spending less time gaming. But I mean there was a bit of a sugar or an anomaly high. A sugar high or an anomaly during COVID right, where people were trapped at homes. The first quarter of 2021, average play time has dropped. A who? But again, that's off of an unnatural base. I would suggest that if you like the industry and you're good at it, I don't think you want to sort of ping from industry to industry when it starts going down. I think you need to decide is this decline cyclical or structural? Because every industry is going to have cyclical declines and if you try and hopscotch from different industry based on cyclical declines, you're just going to be moving around and kind of starting over. If you're a letter E in video games and you're good at and you like it, if you go somewhere else that's growing, if you go into AI, you're going to start at letter C and trust me, AI is going to have cyclical downturns. So I would suggest a couple things. One, determine if this is a cyclical or a structural decline. Obviously I'm putting forward a comment and a viewpoint there. And two, I would assemble a kitchen cabinet of people that know, you know, how good you are, know your seat, know your skills, you know what are you bringing something that is truly differentiated to the industry, that foots to your skills as opposed to getting spooked and moving out. So one way to know that an industry is probably about to go into decline is to look at the most popular industry out of amongst second year business school students. Why is that? Because they're going. Typically second year business school students are rear view looking, rear view mirror looking. And that is they look at what's hot now. Well, when something's hot now, that means it's probably peaked and may eventually go into its own cyclical decline. It's hard to do, but the best or the most fortunate way to go into an industry is to go into it when it's at a trough and it's about to come back. But no, this is an amazing industry and I think over the medium and long term this industry, whether it's reshaped, is going to continue to thrive. I appreciate the question. We have one quick break before our final question. Stay with us.

[Moomoo Representative]

Want to know what helps keep Wall street pros ahead? Level 2 Market Data Real time NYSE and NASDAQ data usually costs hundreds, but trading platform Moomoo gives you access for free with a qualified deposit. MooMoo also offers zero commission stock trading plus pro level tools that let you trade seamlessly from your desk or on your phone. Open an account now and you can get up to 15 free stocks. So head to moomoo.com use code Prof. G and take charge of your trading. Terms and conditions and other fees may apply. Products and services are provided by Mumu Financial, Inc. Members, FINRA and SIPC. Please visit www.mumu.com for full disclosures.

[Vanta Representative]

Support for the show comes from Vanta Trust isn't just earned, it's demanded. Whether you're a startup founder navigating a first audit or a seasoned security professional scaling your GRC program, proving your commitment to security has never been more critical or more complex. That's where Vanta comes in. Businesses use Vanta to establish trust by automating compliance needs across over 35 frameworks, including SoC2 and ISO 27001. They also centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. Vanta not only saves you time, it can also save you money. A new IDC white paper found that Vanta customers achieve $535,000 per year in benefits, and the platform pays for itself in just three months. Join over 9,000 global companies, including Atlassian, Quora and Factory, who use Vanta to manage risk and improve security in real time. For a limited time, our audiences get $1,000 off [e-mail] profg that's V A N-T A.com propg for $1,000 off. Support for propg comes from Domo. Some businesses thrive on data, but sometimes all of those numbers can seem like a maze to sift through. What if you could simply ask your data a question and Get a quick answer back questions like how are sales this quarter? Or how's the new marketing campaign perform? What does the overall health of the company look like? With Domo's AI and data product platform, you can get answers right away. Packed with charts, graphics and actionable information, Domo simplifies data exploration and analysis, intelligently guiding you at every turn. Domo says that anyone across your team can use it to easily prepare, analyze, visualize, automate and distribute data using simple natural language. And while you can maximize every minute with Domo's AI agents, it can go way beyond productivity. It's designed to transform your processes, helping you make smarter and faster decisions to drive real growth. All powered by Domo's trust, flexibility and years of expertise in data and AI innovation. Some of the world's best companies rely on Domo to make smarter decisions. See how Domo can help transform yours. Learn [e-mail] that's AI.domo.com Foreign.

[Scott Galloway]

Welcome back. Question number three hey Scott, I hope you're well.

[Patrick]

My name is Patrick, I'm 28 years old from the UK. Thank you so much for, for all your work and for your constant inspiration. My question is related to something that you've mentioned before, which I believe is where you sit down with your partner and you discuss your goals either for the coming year or for the five years coming and you work to support each other on those goals. I've entered a fairly new relationship and coming up to the new year, thought it'd be a great opportunity to have one of these conversations with my partner and I was looking for some structure on how you have those conversations. Thank you so much for the work that you do. A massive fan of your work and please keep it up the dark.

[Scott Galloway]

Thank you. Dude, how dreamy are you? British accent you're thinking about investing in your partnership even though you're a year end? When I was a year end I was like, hey, do you want to go to Saint Bart's? I mean, I was not thinking the way you were thinking. So kudos to you and your partner is very fortunate. I've given several best man toasts and I always give the same toast and it slightly horrifies and delights everybody. I think there are three things to remember in a partnership. One, put the scorecard away and that is decide what kind of boyfriend, husband, lover you want to be and just be that person and stop thinking. Well, her parents were in town and I was really nice to them. So when my mom comes to town, she Needs to be really nice. I mean, I'm not saying get walked all over, but decide what kind of partner you want to be and try and hold yourself to that expectation. And if you're on the plus side, if you're offering more than your partner is, you win. That's great. That's surplus value, which I think is one of the key metrics to masculinity. You give witness to people's life, you notice them, you absorb more complaints than you give. You create more tax revenue than you absorb of social services. I think surplus value is a decent metric for masculinity. Also recognize that you'll likely naturally inflate your own contributions and diminish theirs, even if it's unintentional. So as a result, if you keep score, it just, you end up frustrated and anxious. So I stopped keeping score across my relationships and it's been a big unlock 2 a year in. I would try and express as much physical desire as possible. I think affection, not just sex, but affection and sex. Say I choose you. I think women want to be wanted and I think that it's fun, it's nice when you're young. And I think we're meant to procreate and be physical. And it's what separates you from being romantic partners, from friends. So anytime you feel you want to hold her hand, you want to lie on top of her and express affection while you're watching tv, I think these things are wonderful. I think that's what you're supposed to be doing. And then third is never let your partner be hungry or cold. I have found that probably 50% of my major blow ups with my partners have been, when I look back on that, that they were either hungry or cold. Always have a pashminana power bar wherever you are, wherever you are. So one of my methods or what I talk about or what you're referring to, sitting down and talking about goals and unlocks is more for, I think, a relationship that's a little bit more mature. You're still in an exploration, getting to know you kind of phase that you're in, but I think more just specifically when I think of partnership, you're giving witness to their life. Mel Robbins, who is on our podcast consideration and admiration. You recognize that they're into something and you go out of their way. You go out of your way to get tickets for it. You know she likes a certain meal, so you go ahead and you order that. You admire them. You want them to occasionally be on a stage where they get claps from strangers or you brag about them behind their back or in front of people. Mine is a little bit, I think, what I do with my partners. Not every year we sit down and say, okay, all costs, logistics aside, what would be really cool to do? That's why we moved to Europe. But I think the fact that you're even thinking this way means you're like in the top 1% of boyfriends. Most men do not think this way. Thanks so much for the question. That's all for this episode. If you'd like to submit a question, please email a voice recording to officehoursofgmedia.com Again, that's office hourspropgmedia.com this episode was produced by Jennifer Sanchez. Our intern is Dan Schulon. Drew Burrows is our Technical director. Thank you for listening to the Prophecy Pod from the Vox Media Podcast Network. We will catch you on Saturday for no Mercy, no Malice, as read by George Hahn. And please follow our Prophet G Markets Pod wherever you get your pods for new episodes every Monday and Thursday.

[Charles Schwab Representative]

Support for the show comes from Delta Airlines. Delta believes that every journey should be as unique as you are, so they're leveraging digital tools to put you and your preferences at the center of every trip. Delta is evolving the in flight entertainment experience with new partnerships, features and functionalities unlocked by your SkyMiles membership with fast free Delta Sync, Wi Fi presented by T Mobile on most domestic flights and personalized seatback entertainment. There's always something new to discover on Delta. Go to Deltaunlocks.com to learn more about the future of travel with Delta.