Brand Shorthand Podcast
Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler
88 Episodes
Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler discuss advertising, public relations, sales, positioning, branding, and more in this podcast designed for those who want to do a deep dive into the world of marketing. Mark and Lorraine discuss the psychology of what makes great brands. They break down the details of the good moves and some really bad moves by brands big and small. It's like a play-by-play of what went right, or what went wrong. If you're in the world of marketing, learn tips and tricks that will help you develop a new brand, from finding and focusing on a position, dramatizing that position in the marketplace, and distributing through the wide, wide world of media. With a combined 80 years of marketing experience, both Mark and Lorraine provide insights on campaigns they've led or seen others lead. All gloves are off when it comes to their take on great strategic marketing moves and those that might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but later flopped. No matter what part of marketing interests you, there'll be something for everyone as we cover positioning strategy, branding, creative dramatization, media selection, sales techniques, analytics, and less discussed parts of the spectrum such as distribution and growth strategies. You can be a strategist, a copywriter, an art director, a web developer, a digital marketing specialist, a sales person, an SEO specialist, and pretty much anything else in the advertising world and you'll find something on the Brand Shorthand podcast that interests you.
less88 Episodes
Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler discuss advertising, public relations, sales, positioning, branding, and more in this podcast designed for those who want to do a deep dive into the world of marketing. Mark and Lorraine discuss the psychology of what makes great brands. They break down the details of the good moves and some really bad moves by brands big and small. It's like a play-by-play of what went right, or what went wrong. If you're in the world of marketing, learn tips and tricks that will help you develop a new brand, from finding and focusing on a position, dramatizing that position in the marketplace, and distributing through the wide, wide world of media. With a combined 80 years of marketing experience, both Mark and Lorraine provide insights on campaigns they've led or seen others lead. All gloves are off when it comes to their take on great strategic marketing moves and those that might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but later flopped. No matter what part of marketing interests you, there'll be something for everyone as we cover positioning strategy, branding, creative dramatization, media selection, sales techniques, analytics, and less discussed parts of the spectrum such as distribution and growth strategies. You can be a strategist, a copywriter, an art director, a web developer, a digital marketing specialist, a sales person, an SEO specialist, and pretty much anything else in the advertising world and you'll find something on the Brand Shorthand podcast that interests you.
lessBrand Shorthand Podcast
Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler
2025-09-15
What happens when you try to change something that customers know and love? Cracker Barrel had something unique to offer its customers. Established in 1969 and filled with vintage Americana, the “Old Country Store” offered customers a warm and cozy atmosphere to gather with family and friends. Now, over 50 years later, Cracker Barrel has decided it is time for a rebrand...
24 min
2025-09-08
Our strategy gurus never shy away from controversy. In this episode, Mark and Lorraine dive into 2025’s biggest advertising controversy – the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle Jeans/Genes campaign! See how the positioning duo impartially shares their thoughts on the campaign and why the stock soared, the jeans flew off the shelf, and how American Eagle may once again be relevant to a new generation...
23 min
2025-08-25
Did you know that franchising is one of the most popular methods to growing a business? Over 700,000 franchise units have opened in the past 15 years and the projection is that by the end of 2025, there will be more than 850,000 units. Mark and his special guest, Steve, discuss what makes a great franchise system and why Innis Maggiore and FranSource decided to join forces...
32 min
2025-08-18
Following a brand refresh earlier this year, Walmart has officially reintroduced itself with its latest campaign, “Walmart. Who Knew?” as a way to showcase all its new offerings. Walmart has always been a well-known example of the low-price position, but is it trying to change its image? Join Mark and Lorraine as they share their thoughts on Walmart's new offerings, the campaign, and some recent brand news from Pepsi...
21 min
2025-08-11
What happens when you step out of the norm with your advertising efforts? Tune in this week to hear about different non-traditional campaign types including larger-than-life campaigns, guerrilla campaigns, and IRL experiential campaigns. The positioning duo, Mark and Lorraine, go through some examples of the non-traditional campaign types, sharing their input on each...
43 min
2025-08-04
Interested in learning more about brand identity? This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark is joined by the Innis Maggiore creative department to discuss the brand identity process. Tune in to learn how the creative team works together to bring brand identities to life and to hear real-life examples of the work they have done...
37 min
