
Cover Brand: Mere Familiarity
Host Ethan Decker welcomes entrepreneur Lili Siegelson to discuss her journey launching Gelt+Glow—a brand bringing innovative Hanukkah wrapping paper and gifting options to the marketplace. Together, they explore the challenges of growing a highly seasonal brand, smart marketing strategies for new businesses, and why smart timing—and distribution—can make or break your seasonal success.

Are you UNDERthinking your brand enough?
Good marketers overthink things.
How they segment the market. Their target. Their product or service offering. Their pricing. Their packaging and distribution strategy and partnerships and promotions. And they should. This stuff is hard.
But when it comes to connecting with buyers, great marketers UNDERthink it too.

Cover Brand: Fight Unfair
Ethan Decker welcomes T Strickland onto Cover Brand for an energizing conversation on the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses trying to break through in a crowded market. Together, they unpack actionable branding strategies for startups, solopreneurs, and local ventures, with T offering a real-world case of how her company, Zocco Print and Promo, is fighting to build a brand from the ground up. Get ready to learn how to leverage word-of-mouth, carve your own niche, and “fight unfair” against the big players dominating your industry.

Cover Brand: Commit to the Bit
Ready to stand out in a sea of sameness? In this episode of Cover Brand, host Ethan Decker chats with Anne Macomber about crafting an authentic personal brand—especially for those just starting their careers. They bust outdated career advice and unpack practical, actionable steps for uncovering your unique “spiky” qualities that can launch your professional reputation.

What face should you make on your YouTube Thumbail?
Like, does changing your facial expression impact your viewcount?
Heck yeah it does.
Kapwing used an automated facial coding tool to see which facial expression (happy, afraid, surprised, disgusted, etc.) on the thumbnail got the highest view counts on YouTube. They checked hundreds of the most-viewed videos for the top 10 ‘Tubers in each of 10 categories (music, comedy, science, etc.).

Cover Brand: Ladder of Abstraction
In this episode of Cover Brand, Ethan Decker welcomes branding expert Steve Morris to explore the crucial role of defining and embodying core brand values. They dive into practical exercises and tools, like the ladder of abstraction, to help businesses transform abstract ideas into actionable principles that reinforce brand authenticity both internally and externally.

How should you interpret your purchase funnel?
Like, should you worry if your consideration rate is lower than the industry average?
F’rinstance, if you look at outdoor apparel brands in the US, you find that The North Face’s funnel is big, Patagonia’s is medium, and Helly Hansen’s is tiny.

Cover Brand : Memorable Merch
In this episode, Ethan Decker and guest Steven Bell uncover the unique branding strategy of using quality merchandise to stay memorable in long sales cycles. Learn how clever, creative merch can keep you in the minds of clients without annoyance, providing a fun and delightful connection that lasts.

Are old people more brand loyal?
My friend Benjamin Cawthray at Kantar wondered about this. So he checked Kantar’s panel of ~30,000 UK households across ten category-leading grocery brands.
One measure of brand loyalty (lord I hate that term) is ‘share of wallet’ (SoW): f’rinstance, what percent of a household’s bottled water purchases go to a single brand, like Evian (the category leader)?

Cover Brand : Ideal Client Needs
In this episode of Cover Brand, host Ethan Decker welcomes Chelle Johnson to discuss the significance of identifying an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and how it plays a crucial role in enhancing your brand strategies. From navigating the complexities of customer focus to sharing insights on managing resources efficiently, this episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs and marketers seeking to optimize their efforts and attract the right clientele.

Does any car brand buck the Law of the Demand Curve?
Like, can you have a high-priced car that’s also a high-volume car?
It’s one of the oldest truisms in business: if you raise your prices, demand (and thus volume) should go down. It’s the ‘Demand Curve’. Augustin Cournot described it in 1838.
But in these ‘unprecedented times’, does it hold up? Why yes, it holds up remarkably well.

Cover Brand : Brand Personality
This episode of Cover Brand features a deep dive into branding authenticity with guest Rajev Sivarasa. Together with host Ethan Decker, they unpack how small enterprises can maintain their unique brand essence during growth by leveraging brand behaviors and personality.

How hard is it to buck demand curves?
Like, can you have a high-priced product that’s also a high-volume product?
It’s one of the oldest truisms in business: if you raise your prices, demand (and thus volume) should go down. It’s the ‘Demand Curve’. Augustin Cournot described the relationship in 1838 (20 years before the invention of the oil well).
But now that we have zillabits of data, does it hold up? Why yes, it holds up remarkably well.

Cover Brand : Show Don’t Tell
In this episode of Cover Brand, host Ethan Decker engages with Dan Smink to explore the often-overlooked world of branding in the manufacturing space. Discover actionable strategies to enhance brand recognition and make your business memorable, even in traditionally less brand-focused industries. From premium brand positioning to leveraging brand details that speak volumes, this episode has something for anyone looking to elevate their brand game.

How crappy is digital targeting, really?
Like, one of the big promises of digital media is targeting. HYPERtargeting even.
But how accurate is the data these big ad platforms have on us?
Adlook decided to find out.

Cover Brand: Brand Body Language
In this episode of Cover Brand, host Ethan Decker is joined by sales expert Andy Wilson to talk about how to create sweet harmonies between sales and marketing. Learn the powerful concept of "brand body language", and how your brand's non-verbal cues communicate volumes to potential customers. Learn about the synergy needed between sales and marketing, the importance of aligning on brand messaging, and the power of “on-brand toilet paper”.

What Would an Applied Brand Science Podcast be Like?
Find out right meow.
“Hello world; is this thing on?”
It’s official: We’ve launched a podcast: COVER BRAND. We LOVE our alma mater, right?! We bleed gold & blue (or crimson & silver, or)

Cover Brand : Brand Neighborhood
Host Ethan Decker chats with Sima Ali from the Ali Law Group and HRtelligence about foundational steps of launching a new brand. They cover the concept of the “brand neighborhood”, an exercise for establishing what position you want to occupy in the market, a key question for any and every business.

How “loyal” are people to their college or university?
We LOVE our alma mater, right?! We bleed gold & blue (or crimson & silver, or).
But what does “brand loyalty” look like for colleges & universities?

Cover Brand : What is “Brand”?
Host Ethan Decker chats with seasoned business leader Marc Wallace about What We Mean When We Say “Brand”. Understand the dual concepts of "Big B" and "Little b" branding, and discover how these elements work in harmony to shape a company's image, reputation, and business.