JUST Branding JUST Branding - by Jacob Cass & Matt Davies

Warning. This episode might blow your mind.


In this episode, Matt and Jacob speak with Kate Pincott - Head of Design at Matteruem. Mattereuem are at the cutting edge of technology which enables brands to create NFT digital passports of real-world assets which are certified by third parties and which may enable the spiral economy.


If none of that makes any sense to you then definitely listen to this episode to cut through the jargon and get an insight into the future of brand building in the digital world.


We tuck into how NFTs can be used in a practical way to build consumer trust. We delve into what NFTs are and why when pairing them with real products customers can obtain huge amounts of value.


Ultimately, if you want your brand to be relevant in the future, you will need to know about this stuff. You heard it here first.

Do you run strategic brand-building workshops with your clients or team? Or wish to?


Then this episode is for you! We go deep into workshops with expert workshop designer Brittni Bowering (ex AJ&Smart).


In a jam-packed episode, we discuss why workshops are so powerful, when and when not to use workshops, and tips on how to create and run a powerful workshop.


We also go into the pros and cons of physical and virtual workshops and also explore the future of workshopping.

In this episode, Jacob Cass & Matt Davies delve into the subject of community building for both brands & creatives.


We jump straight into understanding your audience, where we cover defining your target audience, understanding their needs and behaviors, and researching to gain insights.


We then move on to defining your community's purpose, highlighting the importance of identifying core values and the overall mission, setting goals and objectives, and aligning with your audience's goals.


Building and growing your community is next on the agenda, where we discuss strategies for attracting members, engaging them, managing conflicts, and measuring success.


We also touch on monetizing your community, finding the right strategy, and ensuring that it benefits both your community and its members.


Finally, we share best practices and tips for success, including common mistakes to avoid, recommendations for successful community building, and tips for management and growth.

In this episode, we dive into the world of brand consulting, what it is, and how it differs from other roles in the branding industry.


We discuss the key qualities that make a successful brand consultant, including confidence, communication and listening skills, a growth mindset, and strong facilitation abilities.


Next, we will each share our own background and experiences in the branding industry, including how we got started and how we have developed our skills and knowledge.


We also share our unique perspectives on the process of working with clients and how we stay current on industry trends and developments.


Join us as we explore the ever-expanding field of brand consulting and gain insights for your own journey!

What a year! In this episode, we share some of our favorite insights from our esteemed guests.


Episodes featured (in order): 


E19: Supercharging Innovation & Creativity with Hussain Almossawi


E9: Agile Swarming with Dennis Hahn


E20: Brands VS Blands with Ariadna Navarro


E11: Debunking Branding Bull with Austin Franke


E13: Million Dollar Consulting with Alan Weiss


E18: Brand Positioning with Ulli Appelbaum


E4: The Future of Brands with Anneli Hansson


E3: Global Brand Strategy with Jan-Benedict Steenkamp


E16: Archetypes & Stories with Carol Pearson


E17: Disruptive Innovation + Purpose-Driven Branding with David Aaker


E10: Corporate Branding from The Inside Out with Meg Kypena


E1: Designing Company Culture with Josh Levine


E7: Web3, NFTs & The Metaverse with Konstantinos Kolias

As brand builders, we used to build brands that would last.


Campaigns would extend for years, and visual identity systems—once created—wouldn’t become obsolete for decades.


Today, the speed of change is so aggressive, brand builders must consider that what they build now could be irrelevant in a few months.


Brands face a choice. First, they can commit to brand positioning and stay true to their visual appearance and social stances regardless of where the wind blows.


Or, they can create a flexible, and ever—A/B testing brand that can evolve as the world does. This second option has contributed to the rise of the blands—brands from the past five years that look, sound, and show up as simultaneously trendy and generic.


In this podcast episode with Ariadna Navarro, the Chief Strategy Officer at VSA partners, a hybrid strategy & design consultancy, we discuss the differences between blands and brands, how we got here and where we need to go next