Lead Balloon - Marketing, Public Relations and Strategic Communications Stories

Dusty Weis
  • 5.0 (25)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Compelling tales from the world of public relations, marketing and branding, told by the well-meaning communications professionals who lived them. Lead Balloon is like Freakonomics for communicators and media consumers. It's a show where we tell stories from communications industry leaders, brands that everyone knows and loves (or hates), and spectacular PR disasters. With immersive storytelling and a wry sense of humor, host Dusty Weis (nominated for "Best Indie Podcast Host" at the 2026 Podcast Academy awards) revisits epic PR disasters, intense communications scenarios, professional inflection points and notable campaigns we all remember, and usually finds a reason to chuckle. Because sometimes, there are important lessons to be learned from someone else's worst day. And sometimes, it's just more convenient than group therapy. Lead Balloon is an award-winning program, named by Adweek as "Marketing Podcast of the Year," nominated for a Webby award and nominated twice for "Best Business Podcast" in the Podcast Academy awards. Tune in monthly for new episodes. Visit podcampmedia.com/leadballoon to learn more.

  1. Delicious Redemption: Getting Fired for an Infamous PBR Tweet Made Corey Smale the CCO at Garage Beer

    JAN 27

    Delicious Redemption: Getting Fired for an Infamous PBR Tweet Made Corey Smale the CCO at Garage Beer

    It was four years ago that the Twitter account for legendary beer brand Pabst Blue Ribbon tweeted out: "Not drinking this January? Try eating ass!" And we're FINALLY talking to the guy who did it. Because Corey Smale—who was promptly fired for the Tweet and owned it publicly—isn't just PBR's ex-social media manager. He's now been named Ad Age's "Marketer of the Year" for his current work as Chief Creative Officer at Garage Beer, one of the fastest-growing beer brands in the world. Look, we already covered the PBR "eating ass" tweet extensively in episode 30 of this podcast. And Dusty arrived at the conclusion that it might have been a dumb thing to tweet, but it was consistent with the brand voice that management and fans had embraced. Firing Corey was just an act of scapegoating. But in this episode, we'll chart the four-year redemption ordeal that took Corey Smale from social media fall guy… to the creative force behind a growing beverage brand that counts football and podcast sensations Jason and Travis Kelce among its co-owners. Corey will tell us about the very deliberate decision-making that rebuilt his reputation, the uncertainty that comes from missing on a big swing, and the source of the work ethic that has propelled him to the top of the marketing heap. Plus, we'll talk about the creative process behind Garage Beer's deliciously deranged marketing and social media presence, including its "Brewmite" martial arts movie, its Predator parody "Thermal Buzz," and a water bed that dispenses beer to one lucky brand fan. Check out the video version if you want to see clips of the creative assets: https://youtu.be/X32LR9Q0SVs Finally, Corey will break a bit of Garage Beer merchandising news—the upcoming launch of its "Beer Hand," a reimagined Nintendo Power Glove designed to aid the wearer in making life decisions and pounding brewskies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  2. The Wikipedia Prank: Why the Internet Mistakenly Thought the Movie Good Luck Chuck was Based on Ben Kollenbroich

    10/22/2025

    The Wikipedia Prank: Why the Internet Mistakenly Thought the Movie Good Luck Chuck was Based on Ben Kollenbroich

    15 years ago, if you had googled Ben Kollenbroich’s name, you would have discovered that his life story was the inspiration for “Good Luck Chuck,” a mid-budget, critically-panned romantic comedy starring Dane Cook and Jessica Alba. That’s not REMOTELY true, however. In fact, Ben Kollenbroich was just a regular 25-year-old guy in 2010. There certainly weren't any movies based on his life. And it wasn't an accident, a mix up or a mistaken identity that caused dozens of websites… and even his own grandmother… to believe otherwise It was an intentional and painstakingly-implemented prank executed by one of his best friends. With time to kill and a dogged commitment to the bit, Ben’s buddy Vince had cultivated a steady buzz of internet chatter claiming that Ben had inspired the Hollywood flop. Over the course of months, he gradually built up the source material needed to keep that fabricated factoid on Wikipedia. But what started as a prank got suddenly serious when Vince’s made-up Internet claim started to circulate all on its own. Search results for Ben’s name cited him as the movie's inspiration for more than 10 years. And neither of them was capable of doing anything about it. In this episode, Ben and Vince recount the story... and reflect back on an era when people still believed what they read on the Internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
  3. A.I. Podcast Host Invasion: Inception Point's Business Model & the Podcast Industry's Reaction

    09/24/2025

    A.I. Podcast Host Invasion: Inception Point's Business Model & the Podcast Industry's Reaction

    Earlier this month, a new startup announced that they would be using artificial intelligence to churn out thousands of podcast episodes voiced by A.I. podcast hosts. Inception Point A.I. claims to be able to fashion 3,000 podcast episodes a week at a paltry cost of $1 per episode, and plans to flood the market with massive amounts of content in the hopes of generating revenue through programmatic advertising. But the reaction to their market entrance was anything but warm and welcoming. Podcast industry stalwarts and professional communicators expressed shock and outrage that the startup would resort to such a low-quality, high-volume tactic. Many raised ethical questions about replacing human insights with A.I.-generated "slop," and concerns abounded about job losses in an already contracting industry. In a post to her LinkedIn, Inception Point A.I. CEO Jeanine Wright was flamed by dozens of angry comments from incensed audio professionals. Some objected strenuously to bizarre comments where Wright declared that "half the people on the planet will be AI" in the near future. Others were upset by her decision to cast critics of the business model as "probably lazy Luddites." So obviously this story is a PERFECT fit for us here on Lead Balloon. First, we'll discuss the industry reaction, the PR faceplant and the dubious business model with Jeff Umbro—CEO of the Podglomerate, host of the show "Podcast Perspectives," and a leading authority on the state of the podcast industry. And then we'll cover the moral implications of A.I. podcast hosts with Ronald Young, Jr. , "Best Podcast Host" winner at this year's Ambies Podcast Academy Awards and creator of award-winning podcasts including "Weight For It." Ultimately, whether you consider communication an artistic act OR a professional pursuit, we'll unpack the implications and repercussions of a world where big tech insiders try to replace the HUMAN in the human act of communication. A note: we spoke with Inception Point A.I. CEO Jeanine Wright and invited her to respond to our questions about the company's business model and ethics. Ultimately, she chose not to provide us with any commentary prior to our publishing deadline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    51 min
  4. Modernizing the Way We Communicate About Road Closures (Especially During Emergencies), with Scott Oppman from ArcGIS

    08/20/2025

    Modernizing the Way We Communicate About Road Closures (Especially During Emergencies), with Scott Oppman from ArcGIS

    Most people get travel information about road closures from Google Maps, Apple Maps or a similar smartphone-based application. But when a road is closed, most transportation agencies put out a press release. And this disconnect is not only annoying—it can be a public safety hazard. So after the recent catastrophic flooding in his Southeast Wisconsin community, Dusty wants to start a conversation about how public officials can modernize the way they communicate about road closures in 2025. Because, in order to maximize the impact of potentially life-saving information, municipalities and departments of transportation need to take their message to the channels that the public actually uses. In this episode, we speak with Scott Oppmann, ArcGIS Solutions Director at Esri. Esri's ArcGIS is the leading mapping and spatial analytics software in its field, allowing organizations to leverage location-based digital insights across a wide variety of fields. And Esri’s Community Maps Program and Road Closures solution helps local governments get time-sensitive travel information out to the apps that people actually use when they travel. We'll discuss the imperative for pushing live travel updates to maps apps, different methods for doing so, and why it's important to have a plan in place BEFORE an emergency strikes. Learn more about Esri's Community Maps Program and Road Closures Solution. Contribute to contentpartners.maps.google.com Support Wisconsin Flood victims: feedingamericawi.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min
  5. Will Wikipedia survive Artificial Intelligence? (And Can A.I. Survive Without Wikipedia?)

    07/30/2025

    Will Wikipedia survive Artificial Intelligence? (And Can A.I. Survive Without Wikipedia?)

    Wikipedia readers consume nearly one billion articles per day from the online encyclopedia. In its 25 years of operation, this compendium of human knowledge has become an integral tool for understanding the world in which we live. But artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT could threaten Wikipedia's viability over the next 25 years. And in fact, by diverting fundraising traffic, undermining traditional journalism, and thinning the ranks of Wikipedia editors, large language models (LLMs) could even imperil their own usefulness. So in this episode, we're talking to a Wikipedia expert about the implications—both for strategic communicators and for society in general. Bill Beutler is the founder of Beutler Ink, a PR firm that specializes in optimizing brands' presence on Wikipedia. And together we'll discuss what can be done to preserve Wikipedia as a resource, how communicators should adapt their strategies, and what the future might hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min
  6. Recession Lessons from Content Marketing Institute Founder Joe Pulizzi: Double Down, Dig In

    06/25/2025

    Recession Lessons from Content Marketing Institute Founder Joe Pulizzi: Double Down, Dig In

    In the world of business, yet again, things looks grim. A brewing trade war, the uncharted fallout of artificial intelligence, and political upheaval around the world... All these factors have created an atmosphere of business uncertainty. Marketing jobs and budgets face the specter of the chopping block once again, and many are taking a "batten down the hatches" approach. But at a time like this, it's important to remember: when everyone else goes quiet, your voice carries that much further. And so in this episode, we're revisiting a pivotal conversation with Joe Pulizzi from the peak of the Covid lockdowns. When uncertainty was at its worst, he shared the story of how he raised the multi-million-dollar brand "Content Marketing Institute" from the ashes of an entrepreneurial venture that failed during the Great Recession. By "going big" on branded media when everyone else went home, that fledgling company changed marketing forever, rebranding the notion of "Content Marketing" and forging a media empire. Pulizzi would go on to launch the "Content Marketing World" conference, write three best-selling books and co-launch “This Old Marketing” the podcast. And his advice will come as a breath of fresh air for communications professionals who are uncertain about what comes after 2025. It certainly did for Dusty in 2020. As he reveals for the first time in this episode, he was close to despair about the future of Podcamp Media when he first had this conversation with Joe. But the interview forced Dusty to take a deep breath, double down on his podcast content marketing strategy, and dig in on making Podcamp Media succeed. And here we are today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
  7. Bot Farms Have Made Social Media Engagement Metrics Meaningless, with Eric Schwartzman

    05/28/2025

    Bot Farms Have Made Social Media Engagement Metrics Meaningless, with Eric Schwartzman

    What you see online is not real. This has long been a reliable axiom for information consumption on the internet. But social media and SEO marketers have long relied on their engagement metrics as an exception to that rule—critical quantitative data that can't be faked and can be leveraged to demonstrate the value of a campaign or piece of content. Except in 2025, it's just not reliable any more. That is because sophisticated operations called "bot farms" have built swarms of networked smart phones designed to mimic the organic engagement that drives social media algorithms. At a command, these bot farms can create a cascade of authentic-seeming engagement that's nearly indistinguishable from the real thing, catapulting selected posts to the top of social media feeds. International state actors can wage propaganda wars. Financial influencers can pump up the value of assets they hold. And, more and more, global brands can leverage bot activity to drive their messaging to the top of feeds, manufacture social proof, and astro-turf the impression of favorability. So in this episode, we're talking to digital PR expert Eric Schwartzman, whose firm helps clients with brand management, reputation monitoring, crisis management, and corporate communications. He also recently published an expose for Fast Company on the rise of bot farms and its implications. Together, we'll learn how bot farmers manipulate the algorithm, what means are available to detect inauthentic activity, and why social media networks are slow to react. Plus, we'll explore the moral quandary that social media and SEO marketers increasingly face in this brave new world: If everyone else is using bots to drive engagement... should you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    33 min
  8. The Mystery of the I-94 Sales & Marketing Tip of the Week Billboard

    04/29/2025

    The Mystery of the I-94 Sales & Marketing Tip of the Week Billboard

    There is a weird, enigmatic old billboard along the interstate in Wisconsin promoting a "Sales & Marketing Tip of the Week." Without any branding or context, this weathered sign invites thousands of motorists daily to call a mysterious phone number. And that has been driving Dusty CRAZY because, frankly, nothing about this billboard makes any sense in 2025. So we're going to SOLVE A MARKETING MYSTERY, folks! Together with our old pal Kyle Brown, we're going to speculate about WHY this sign exists, how it got there, and what its purpose is. And THEN, we're actually going to track down the person responsible for the sign and learn the strange-but-true story of the "Sales & Marketing Tip of the Week." Because it turns out this billboard is a portal back in time to a different era of direct response marketing. We discover that it was built decades ago by Ken Hoffman, a self-proclaimed "ideas man" who gives them away for free, but has trouble getting his own ideas off the ground. We learn how his career was influenced by the so-called "marketing gurus" of yesteryear, and find lots in common with this endlessly curious polymath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Compelling tales from the world of public relations, marketing and branding, told by the well-meaning communications professionals who lived them. Lead Balloon is like Freakonomics for communicators and media consumers. It's a show where we tell stories from communications industry leaders, brands that everyone knows and loves (or hates), and spectacular PR disasters. With immersive storytelling and a wry sense of humor, host Dusty Weis (nominated for "Best Indie Podcast Host" at the 2026 Podcast Academy awards) revisits epic PR disasters, intense communications scenarios, professional inflection points and notable campaigns we all remember, and usually finds a reason to chuckle. Because sometimes, there are important lessons to be learned from someone else's worst day. And sometimes, it's just more convenient than group therapy. Lead Balloon is an award-winning program, named by Adweek as "Marketing Podcast of the Year," nominated for a Webby award and nominated twice for "Best Business Podcast" in the Podcast Academy awards. Tune in monthly for new episodes. Visit podcampmedia.com/leadballoon to learn more.

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