Episodes
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In this episode, Jacob Cass sits down with Jonathan Stark, pricing expert, author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts, host of Ditching Hourly, and co-host of The Business of Authority, to unpack why trading time for money is such a poor fit for expert work.
Together, Jacob and Jonathan explore the difference between fixed fees and true value pricing, how to run better sales conversations, why pricing is deeply connected to positioning, and how authority changes the way clients buy.
They also discuss the psychology of charging more, why creatives often underprice their own judgment, and the practical first steps for ditching hourly without blowing up your business overnight.
If you are tired of selling hours, defending rates, or being compared against cheaper alternatives, this episode will help you rethink what you are really selling and how to build a business around expertise, not availability.
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In this episode of JUST Branding, we’re joined by Ulli Appelbaum, globally respected brand strategist, founder of First The Trousers, and author of The Science of Brand Associations.
Ulli has spent years helping organisations understand how brands grow by shaping the associations people hold in memory. In this conversation, we unpack one of the most important and often misunderstood areas of branding: how associations are formed, strengthened, measured, and used to drive real business growth.
We explore why some brands own clear memory structures while others remain vague, how emotion and storytelling help build associations, and what marketers often get wrong about consistency, distinctiveness, and meaning.
If you want to build a brand that is easier to notice, easier to remember, and easier to choose, this episode will give you a practical look at the science behind brand growth.
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Missing episodes?
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In this episode, Jacob Cass and Matt Davies sit down with David C. Baker, author of The Business of Expertise and one of the leading voices on positioning, specialization, and advisory businesses.
Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
Together, they explore what actually becomes valuable in a world where production is abundant.
We discuss:
• The difference between execution and expertise
• Why many creative firms still struggle to position themselves clearly
• What clients are really paying for at the highest level
• Why judgment, trust, and perspective matter more than ever
• How AI is reshaping pricing, specialization, and creative work
• What makes a firm truly irreplaceable
This conversation is for designers, strategists, consultants, and creative entrepreneurs who want to move beyond being seen as a pair of hands and become trusted experts.
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In this episode, we sit down with brand strategist and verbal identity specialist Emily Penny to unpack the growing challenge of differentiation in an increasingly saturated market.
Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
Emily is the creator of the Fully Saturated report and founder of a micro studio focused on positioning and voice. Together, we explore why so many agencies struggle to stand out, what strong positioning actually looks like today, and how agencies can build relevance in an AI-enabled world.
We discuss:
• Why agency positioning often falls flat
• The real meaning of “fully saturated”
• How verbal identity creates distinction
• The role of personality and point of view
• What agencies can offer that AI can’t
• How micro studios and modern agencies can stay valuable
Whether you’re a strategist, designer, consultant, or agency founder, this conversation will challenge how you think about differentiation, positioning, and the future of creative businesses.
Grab the report @ https://fully-saturated.com/
Use code: LASTCHANCE for 75% off
Now only £95.
Ends: 30th June 2026
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Jacob Cass and Matt Davies speak with Amelia Sordell, founder and CEO of Klowt and one of the leading voices in founder-led marketing.
Learn more at justcreative.com/podcast
As audiences become more sceptical of faceless companies, founders and leaders are becoming one of the most powerful trust signals a brand can have. The company brand still matters, but increasingly, people want to hear from the people behind the business.
Amelia shares why founder branding has become a serious commercial lever, how it differs from company branding, and what CEOs often misunderstand about visibility, thought leadership, and influence.
We explore how founders can show up without overshadowing the business, how to align personal voice with company positioning, and why posting more does not automatically mean building authority.
You’ll also learn where to start if you are building from zero, what content habits actually move the needle, and how to think about ROI from founder branding.
A practical conversation for founders, marketers, strategists, designers, and brand builders who want to understand how personal visibility can drive trust, growth, and brand momentum.
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In this episode, Jacob and Matt sit down with Alexander Lofthouse — Senior Designer at Nzime and a specialist in UX and digital experience. Lex and Jacob go back nearly a decade, and after watching her deliver a standout talk at NDC London, it was time to get her on the show.
They get into where brand strategy ends and UX begins (and whether that line even makes sense), what happens when brand and product teams are pulling in different directions, and why beautiful brands so often feel terrible to actually use.
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Why do some designers build lasting careers while others fade out?
In this episode of JUST Branding, we sit down with James Martin, founder of Made by James, to unpack what really sustains creative success over time and what quietly destroys it.
Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
While many designers are chasing visibility, speed, and short-term attention, James makes the case for something deeper: reputation, craft, taste, and care.
We explore why reputation is more valuable than hype, why craft still matters in a world of AI and instant design tools, and why taste remains one of the most overlooked advantages in creative work.
James also shares why motivation is unreliable, why care is a far stronger driver of long-term creative growth, and how designers can think more clearly about their role in an industry being reshaped by automation and DIY branding tools.
This conversation is not just about design. It is about longevity. What makes people trust your work. What makes your work worth paying for. And what separates designers who build real careers from those who get lost chasing noise.
We also get into the hidden cost of DIY branding, when founders should do it themselves versus bring in a professional, and what becomes more valuable for creatives as AI lowers the barrier to entry.
If you are a designer, strategist, or founder trying to build something with depth, credibility, and staying power, this one is for you.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why many designers confuse visibility with credibility
• What actually builds a strong creative reputation
• Whether craft is being lost in the age of speed and automation
• Why taste is still a serious competitive advantage
• The difference between motivation and care
• The hidden cost of DIY branding
• What AI makes easier, and what it can never replace
A sharp, honest conversation about what still matters in creative work, and why the designers who last are rarely the ones chasing the fastest win.
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In this episode of JUST Branding, Jacob Cass and Matt Davies sit down with Kevin Finn, founder of TheSumOf and author of Brand Principles, to unpack a provocative idea that challenges a core assumption in the branding industry.
Kevin argues that designers and agencies don’t build brands. Businesses do.
Brands are not logos, identities, or positioning statements. They are the result of consistent delivery, earned trust, and meaning that accumulates over time in the minds of customers.
In this conversation, we explore the difference between brand and branding, why many companies claim the title of brand far too early, and what role designers should actually play in the process.
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B2B rebrands do not fail because of the logo.
They fail because the organisation was never aligned, the board never believed in it, and the rollout was treated like a campaign instead of infrastructure.
In this episode with Martin Zarian of Factory39, we unpack the uncomfortable realities of branding inside complex organisations.
If you work with complex B2B organisations or aspire to operate at board level, this conversation will sharpen how you think about brand as a financial asset, not a marketing layer.
No fluff. No shiny case studies. Just the operational truth of what it really takes to make B2B branding work.
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We’re joined by Nikkia Adolphe, Chief Innovation Officer at BrandSavor, to unpack the role PR plays in turning brand strategy into something people actually see, trust, and believe.
With over 15 years leading communications and PR strategy for global brands like Amazon, Meta, and Ryder, Nikkia has worked at the sharp end of branding. Where positioning meets public perception. Where reputation is built or quietly eroded. And where strategy either earns attention or disappears.
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We sit down with Debbie Millman, one of the most influential voices in design and brand thinking, to talk about what endures when trends fade and platforms shift.
Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
Debbie is the host of Design Matters, the longest running podcast on design, launched in 2005. She is the co founder and chair of the Masters in Branding program at School of Visual Arts, and spent two decades at Sterling Brands leading work for global icons like Burger King and Tropicana. She is also the author of multiple books, including Why Design Matters and Brand Thinking.
We go beyond surface level branding to unpack why personal branding can quietly trap creatives, how to define real brand DNA without freezing your identity, and how meaning is built honestly rather than manufactured theatrically.
We also explore why big redesigns so often fail, how to separate non negotiable DNA from executional style, and the fastest way to create meaning without faking it.
Along the way, Debbie shares what hundreds of interviews have taught her about creative careers, patience, and long term reputation.
This conversation is for designers, strategists, founders, and creators who want their work to compound with integrity rather than perform for attention.
And yes, we also touch on symbols, objects, and why the most powerful brands behave more like living systems than campaigns.
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We’re closing out 2025 with a highlight reel from Season 6 of JUST Branding.
This year we sat down with some serious heavy hitters, including Mark Ritson, Rory Sutherland, Marty Neumeier (round two), David Aaker (round two), Laura Ries, plus guests like Simon Dixon (DixonBaxi), Michael Bungay Stanier, Jay Clouse, and more.
In this best of episode, Jacob and Matt pull the sharpest clips, biggest lessons, and most repeated themes that matter if you’re building a brand that lasts.
What you’ll hear in this episode
Branding basics that still win: meaning, relevance, relationshipsPositioning that actually works (and why “positioning” isn’t the goal)Strategic enemies and the power of contrastLeadership and alignment (yes, including the uncomfortable honesty)Culture as brand, not a side projectCustomer truth and the discipline of saying “not everyone”Problem framing and why the first answer is rarely the bestBrand fame vs hype and playing the long gameExecution realities, including SEO getting tougher in an AI driven worldCommunity vs audience, and what participation really costsFeatured clips in this highlight episode
Branding earns its keep through meaning, relevance, relationships (Ep. 6.11, Simon Dixon)Positioning is not the end, it’s the start (Ep. 6.05, Mark Ritson)One page brand strategy thinking (Ep. 6.05, Mark Ritson)Strategic enemy creates value through contrast (Ep. 6.17, Laura Ries)Leadership endorsement is non negotiable (Ep. 6.01, Steve Noss)Brand alignment requires honesty (Ep. 6.03, Brandon Coleman Jr.)Culture is the brand, internally first (Ep. 6.15, David Aaker)Brands need a real relationship with culture (Ep. 6.08, Cyril Louis)Go wide on problem solving, don’t accept the first frame (Ep. 6.09, Rory Sutherland)Stay curious longer when coaching (Ep. 6.10, Michael Bungay Stanier)Not everyone is a customer (Ep. 6.11, Simon Dixon)Talk to your customers, find your core group (Ep. 6.02, Brandon Kim)Play drives innovation (Ep. 6.06, Melissa Dinwiddie)Hype vs fame, and why the long game wins (Ep. 6.19, Dan Cushing and Diego Borgo)Complexity happens for a reason, learn the client’s world (Ep. 6.18, James Greenfield)Influence matters (Ep. 6.02, Lida Citroën)Be careful entering politics and bandwagons (Ep. 6.04, Jeroen Reuven)SEO is harder with AI, so brand matters more (Ep. 6.14, Mordy Oberstein)ABM works when sales and marketing actually align (Ep. 6.07, Jennifer Mancusi)Audience is not community (Ep. 6.12, Jay Clouse)Season 7 kicks off late January 2026. Until then, hit follow, share this episode with a brand builder mate, and if you’ve got 30 seconds, a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts helps the show reach more people.
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From Kickstarter to thriving brand, Brevitē is a case study in how a challenger wins without a war chest.
Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
In this episode of JUST Branding, we sit down with Brandon Kim, co-founder of Brevitē, to unpack how a scrappy Kickstarter project became a beloved camera bag brand for photographers, creators, and everyday explorers.
We get into the real strategy behind their early momentum, including how they positioned in a crowded category, what they got right about their audience, and how they balanced instinct, research, and creative direction to build a brand people want to be part of.
Brandon also shares what bootstrapping taught them about pace, priorities, and protecting the “soul” of the brand while scaling operations.
If you’re building a DTC brand, growing a challenger business, or trying to create genuine community instead of empty reach, this one’s packed with practical lessons you can steal.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Brevitē found whitespace in a saturated marketWhat made their Kickstarter campaign resonate earlyHow they approached positioning, identity, and brand voiceThe tradeoffs of bootstrapping versus outside investmentHow they built community and creator advocacy without chasing vanity metricsWhat’s next as Brevitē evolves from product to lifestyle -
In this episode, Jacob and Matt sit down with Thumbcorp’s co-founders Dan Cushing and Diego Borgo to unpack what brand fame really looks like in the worlds of blockchain, Web3 and frontier technology.
Dan brings decades of creative and planning experience from Levi’s to Stella Artois to Vogue. Diego has helped global giants like adidas, Prada and Salesforce translate complex tech into stories the mainstream actually cares about. Together, they’re building Thumbcorp: an agency that sits at the intersection of visionary technology and the real world.
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How do you reimagine one of the world’s most powerful brands?
Over 18 months, across 15 global markets, and with 50+ sub-brands, Koto partnered with Amazon to deliver one of the largest brand transformations in recent history. In this episode, James Greenfield, CEO and Founder of Koto, shares the inside story — from simplifying a sprawling brand architecture to modernising the iconic “smile.”
Matt and Jacob dive into how to design at scale, build internal alignment, and create systems that drive consistency without killing creativity. A must-listen for anyone managing complex global brands.
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In this episode, global branding expert Laura Ries joins Matt and Jacob to unpack her provocative new book Strategic Enemy: How to Build a Brand Position by Fighting Someone Else. Together they explore why great brands need a clear adversary, how to choose the right one, and how this approach sharpens focus, storytelling, and growth.
Expect iconic examples, practical frameworks, and fresh inspiration for your next brand strategy session.
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What if the key to standing out wasn’t finding your niche… but attacking the norm?
Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
In this provocative episode, we sit down with Todd Irwin, Chief Strategy Officer at Fazer and author of the new book De-Positioning (Amazon), to challenge the status quo of brand strategy.
Drawing on decades of experience with both global giants and venture-backed startups, Todd reveals why traditional positioning frameworks are falling short—and how De-Positioning flips the script.
You’ll learn:
Why most brand positioning fails to drive real impactHow to win by challenging category conventionsWhat CMOs and founders get wrong about brand-growth alignmentHow to put De-Positioning into practice in your own brand todayWhether you’re a strategist, creative, or founder, this episode will give you a sharp new lens to rethink how your brand competes.
🎧 Tune in and get ready to play offense.
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Branding legend David Aaker returns to JUST Branding to unpack what separates truly strategic brands from the sea of sameness in 2025.
We also spotlight the updated edition of Aaker on Branding and wrap with a fast-paced quickfire round you won’t want to miss.
If you care about building brands that actually matter—this is essential listening.
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Google is shifting—and fast. Between AI Overviews, zero-click results, and the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity, traditional search isn’t what it used to be.
» Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
In this episode, we’re joined by Mordy Oberstein, a leading voice in SEO, to break down what these changes mean for brand builders, marketers, and strategists alike.
But this isn’t your standard SEO conversation. We explore:
• Why brands should stop relying on Google for discoverability
• The difference between being found vs being known
• How SEO and branding are more connected than ever
• What LLMs are doing to content, reputation, and brand recall
• Why your future visibility depends more on brand codes than keyword rankings
Whether you’re a CMO, strategist, or founder, this is a wake-up call to rethink your brand visibility strategy in an AI-first internet.
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As democracy fractures and trust erodes, branding enters unfamiliar territory. What happens to brand building when truth becomes optional and power consolidates?
Learn more at www. justcreative.com/podcast
In this episode, we’re joined by Marty Neumeier—one of the most influential voices in branding—to explore what it means to design brands in a world increasingly shaped by autocracy, AI, and cultural volatility.
We unpack:
• Why branding depends on openness, trust, and shared meaning
• What AI, media, and power shifts are doing to perception
• The risks of brand neutrality—and the cost of staying silent
• The role of brand builders as educators, sense-makers, and cultural participants
• Why Level C is pushing brand education into new territory
• How business can remain human in an increasingly controlled landscape
This is a timely, wide-ranging conversation about branding’s responsibility, relevance, and future. If you’re a strategist, creative, or leader—this one asks more of you.
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