Cover Brand: Cost of Dull
In this episode of Cover Brand, Ethan sits down with Eric Forsyth—a seasoned marketing strategist and agency leader—to unpack the real challenges facing creative teams today. Whether you’re working on mega-brands like Oreo and Star Wars or turnarounds for unsexy products, Eric explains why building strong internal dynamics and nurturing honest client partnerships is now more important than ever.
Discover how agencies can thrive even with tight budgets, and why “safe” work might actually be costing your brand millions. Learn actionable approaches to forging genuine human connections, fostering creative bravery (without recklessness), and keeping high-pressure teams inspired. If you want to revolutionize how your agency or brand approaches marketing, this episode is packed with the actionable insights you need.
Keywords: creative leadership, client relationships, agency process, effective marketing, branding strategy, communication, cover songs, Oreo campaign, cost of dull advertising, Boulder, Eric Forsyth, Ethan Decker, Dentsu Creative, agency culture, internal teams, brand science
Main Topics Covered:
The power of great cover songs (and why Eric recorded them in his bathroom!)
The art of instrumental covers and honoring creative originals
How to build and nurture client-agency relationships under pressure
Why strong internal culture matters—and how it leads to better work
Breaking down the myth of “safe” creative: the high cost of dull advertising
The importance of human connection in fast-paced, high-stakes marketing
Actionable strategies for agency and brand leaders to foster innovation on tight budgets
Using data and science to make a case for creative, effective work
The critical balance of empathy for clients and consumers at every stage
Links to Additional Resources:
Ready to break through the noise and create memorable, effective marketing? Take Eric and Ethan’s advice: invest in your people, ask better questions, and choose creativity over “dull” every time. Start by strengthening your client and team relationships—today!
Subscribe to Cover Brand for more insights into the world of branding and marketing. Share this episode with a friend who could benefit from these strategies, and head over to appliedbrandscience.com to dive deeper into the principles of brand science. Your success starts here!
