Best of 2025 (Season 6) — JUST Branding Podcast

From brand positioning models to strategic narratives, purpose-driven branding, and the future of strategy, find ideas to help you grow your brand.

[Best of 2025 JUST Branding Season 6]

Best of 2025 (Season 6) — JUST Branding Podcast

December 29, 2025December 29, 2025 by Jacob Cass

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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.

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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.

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What you’ll hear in this episode

• Branding basics that still win: meaning, relevance, relationships

• Positioning that actually works (and why “positioning” isn’t the goal)

• Strategic enemies and the power of contrast

• Leadership and alignment (yes, including the uncomfortable honesty)

• Culture as brand, not a side project

• Customer truth and the discipline of saying “not everyone”

• Problem framing and why the first answer is rarely the best

• Brand fame vs hype and playing the long game

• Execution realities, including SEO getting tougher in an AI driven world

• Community vs audience, and what participation really costs

Featured 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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22 Key Highlights from Season 6:

Branding fundamentals that still win

• Branding is a long term investment. It’s about the future, not this quarter. (Branding in an Age of Autocracy with Marty Neumeier, Ep. 6.19)

• Positioning is not the finish line. It’s the start of being useful. (Branding is Dead & Other Marketing BS with Mark Ritson, Ep. 6.05)

• Branding earns its keep when it creates meaning, stays relevant, and builds relationships. (Inside DixonBaxi with Simon Dixon, Ep. 6.11)

• A strategic enemy is a shortcut to clarity because contrast creates value. (The Strategic Enemy with Laura Ries, Ep. 6.17)

Leadership, culture, and the hard conversations

• If leadership won’t back it, it’s not a brand strategy, it’s a mood board. (How to Go From Bland to Brand with Steve Noss, Ep. 6.01)

• Brand alignment needs honesty. Sometimes the baby is ugly. (Brand Alignment with Brandon Coleman Jr., Ep. 6.03)

• Culture is not separate from the brand. It is the brand, internally first. (What Smart Brands Do with David Aaker, Ep. 6.15)

Customers, community, and real demand

• Not everyone is a customer. Clarity comes from exclusion. (Inside DixonBaxi with Simon Dixon, Ep. 6.12)

• Talk to your customers and find a small group you can rely on. (From Kickstarter to Thriving Brand with Brandon Kim of Brevitē, Ep. 6.02)

• Audiences are not communities. If you want community, you have to earn participation. (Creator Branding with Jay Clouse, Ep. 6.23)

Execution that survives reality

• Complexity exists for a reason. Learn the client’s world before you simplify it. (Transforming Amazon with James Greenfield, Ep. 6.18)

• SEO got harder with AI. The answer is stronger brand demand, not more hacks. (Why Brands Shouldn’t Rely on Google with Mordy Oberstein, Ep. 6.14)

• ABM only works when marketing and sales stop acting like roommates who share a fridge but not a plan. (Smarter Brand Growth with Jennifer Mancusi, Ep. 6.07)

Creativity, influence, and better thinking

• Go wide on problem solving. Don’t take the first framing. (Problem Framing with Rory Sutherland, Ep. 6.09)

• Play is not fluff. It’s a serious innovation tool. (Unlocking Innovation with Melissa Dinwiddie, Ep. 6.06)

• Influence matters because trust travels through people. (Building Influence with Lida Citroën, Ep. 6.08)

• Stay curious longer, especially when coaching and mentoring. (Coaching for Brand Builders with Michael Bungay Stanier, Ep. 6.10)

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