What's going on with small brands?
Like, why don't they seem to follow the "laws of brands"?
There's this lovely theory of shoppers, brands & markets called the NBD-Dirichlet. (I know, I know: lovely theory, terrible name.) It's simple & elegant & predicts a whole bunch about how markets are structured.
But it doesn't do so hot with small brands.
Cover Brand: Branding Innovation
Host Ethan Decker sits down with Billy Otteman of Scythe Robotics to tackle the real-world branding challenges that arise when launching a truly disruptive product. From autonomous electric lawn mowers to the power of brand cues and psychological shortcuts, discover how to bridge the gap between innovation and customer buy-in. They dive into practical storytelling, emotional connection, and making ROI resonate—plus a nod to Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, and some legendary brand moments.
Why is it useful to think about a “spherical shopper”?
Ok, so you might know about this mathematical, academic model of shoppers & brands & categories called the NBD-Dirchlet. You might’ve read about it in How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp. And if you’ve read the original paper from 1984, you might know it makes all these crazy, wild assumptions about shoppers & brands & whatnot.
Cover Brand: Tamales to Tito’s
Host Ethan Decker sits down with longtime friend and colleague Guillermo Saenz to break down the science of branding for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Together, they demystify the jargon, share real-world stories, and provide actionable strategies for anyone—especially those starting businesses from their kitchen table or backyard—to build a memorable and successful brand.
If you brand a placebo, does it work better?
This is an oldie but goodie. In a study of 835 women with headaches, Branthwaite & Cooper set out to see if a) placebos work at all, and b) if branding them made any difference. The results are fascinating.
Cover Brand: New Brand Haircut
Arissa Kirkland, AVP of Marketing at cybersecurity leader Bishop Fox, joins Ethan Decker to share insider lessons from her experience guiding a successful company through rebranding and a strategic brand refresh. Together, they dive into the tough questions businesses face about when and why to update their brand, the value of market research, and how to balance authenticity with modern relevance—without making the classic Tropicana mistake.
If they’re “loyal buyers”, why do they churn so much?
A few years ago, Pointer Media looked at the actual purchases of 32MM people across 658 leading brands in the US. Then they checked out whether “highly loyal” customers in one year (let’s call them HLCs) were still highly loyal in the next year.
They found what looked like a paradox: most brands, including the leading brands in each category, had TONS of churn in their HLCs. And yet market share changed very little.
Cover Brand: The New Familiar
Brand strategy expert Josie Ellerbee joins host Ethan Decker to unravel one of branding’s toughest challenges: How can brands stay fresh and exciting without losing their core identity? In a lively discussion filled with real-world examples—from Oreos and KFC to B2B brands—Josie and Ethan reveal the secrets to blending consistency and novelty to drive business growth in today’s AI-fueled, ever-changing market.
Is there such a thing as a “loyalty crisis”?
F’rinstance, can you lose your loyal customers and not other types of customers?
A few years ago, Pointer Media (they do the coupon printers at the grocery checkout) — looked at the purchases of 32MM people across 658 leading brands.
Cover Brand: Revelant to the Elephant
Drew Bonder joins host Ethan Decker to explore what makes brands—and organizations—truly stick in the minds of customers and employees alike. Together, they unpack the power of storytelling, emotional connection, and creative branding in both the business and personal development spaces. Drew draws on his unique journey from mental health therapist to founder of a fractional CFO firm, revealing how brands can move beyond precision to craft memorable, magnetic messaging.
Which metrics are traps, and which are treasures?
Like, given there are about 525,600 marketing metrics, which ones are good and which are bad?
Granted, this is a hard thing to ask, for lots of reasons. Metrics are complicated.
That said, there is an easy way to classify metrics that helps show you where to spend your time and money, and where it would be wasted.
Cover Brand: Geek Out, Get Noticed
Aug 5:-24: Head over to panelpicker.sxsw.com/votefor my talk:
The True Cost of Being a Boring Brand.
This week on Cover Brand, Ethan Decker sits down with novelist and multi-hyphenate writer Melanie Jennings to break down the real-life journey from unknown author to building a personal brand that publishers (and readers) can’t ignore. Explore the practical steps and mindset shifts needed to go from writing in obscurity to attracting a following—and why it’s okay (and necessary) to embrace your inner nerd.
How much can the “brand name” of a fish matter?
Like, if you rename a fish, can it sell more?
In the early 1970s, fishermen knew of a mild-but-yummy deep-sea fish that grew to about 15 lb. But demand was anemic, so it wasn’t fished much. Why? Well, in part because it was called the, uh, slimehead. Ew, David.
Cover Brand: Sizzle and Impact
Aug 5:-24: Head over topanelpicker.sxsw.com/votefor my talk:
The True Cost of Being a Boring Brand.
Ethan Decker sits down with Chris Barge, Executive Director of the Boulder Library Foundation, to explore how nonprofits can transform their branding and marketing. They discuss the challenges of standing out as a small foundation, the value of flash and sizzle in storytelling, and practical ways to make your cause magnetic—without losing your mission-driven integrity.
Cover Brand: Rational Rationales
Aug 5-24: Head over topanelpicker.sxsw.com/votefor my talk:
The True Cost of Being a Boring Brand.
In this Shop Talk episode of Cover Brand, host Ethan Decker sits down with Priscilla McKinney, founder of Little Bird Marketing and expert in B2B marketing for the market research industry. Together, they unpack the interplay between branding, behavioral science, and the realities of business decision-making, revealing surprising truths about how even the most logical B2B buyers make decisions. This episode is packed with actionable insights to transform how you market your brand—whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started.
Do luxury brands play by different rules?
[This week is a longer post, done in partnership with Tracksuit, the brand tracking company. Read it here or read it over on the Tracksuit Blog.]
Luxury brands: what are they anyway? Do they behave like shampoo and noodles, or are they categorically different? Do they follow the laws of every other brand, or do they float in space like bricks don’t? Are they defying gravity, or can we pull them down? What’s the deal with luxury brands?
Cover Brand: Brand Succession
In this episode of Cover Brand, host Ethan Decker sits down with Lindsay Sutula, founder and CEO of Top Fox Marketing, to tackle a challenge many professional service leaders face: how to grow your business beyond your personal brand. Discover strategies for creating a brand succession plan so your company thrives whether or not you’re in the room—and learn why even the most charismatic founders eventually need to step back.
How does brand differentiation affect your business?
For decades, the orthodoxy in marketing has been that to compete, brands need to differentiate: offer different things, or in different ways, or for different people.
Recently, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has asserted — quite strongly — that brands are generally interchangeable, and that differentiation doesn’t really matter.
We won’t settle the debate here. But we CAN shed some light on it.
Cover Brand: Cost of Dull
Host Ethan Decker welcomes Boulder-based marketing pro Eric Forsyth for a deep-dive on creative agency leadership, unlocking effective client relationships, and the true cost of dull advertising. From viral cover songs in bathrooms to orchestrating Oreo x Star Wars campaigns, Eric shares brand insights and practical wisdom for marketers, agency leaders, and anyone tired of “safe” (read: boring) work.
Do streaming services follow the 80/20 rule?
Like, do 20% of watchers account for 80% of all viewing minutes?
It’s Ye Olde Pareto Principle. In 1906, Vilfredo Pareto (the ultimate Italian Renaissance Man) noted that 80% of the land (and wealth) in Italy was owned by only 20% of the population.
(This is different from the Pleasure Principle, which Janet Jackson discovered in 1986 on her 5X-platinum album Control.)