Best Mark Vandegrift Podcasts (2024)

1
Pepsi Loses #2 Position - What Went Wrong?!? 36:13

6h ago36:13

36:13

If you haven't heard the news about Dr. Pepper overtaking Pepsi as the #2 soft drink, you might have been living under a rock. Mark and Lorraine dive into the reasons that might have caused Pepsi's decline. The positioning duo has a long discussion on the "Pepsi generation's" position and why moving away from it is the most likely culprit in its fa…

1
Mike DeVilling - The Value of Public Relations 43:01

21d ago43:01

43:01

Today, our positioning duo is joined by Mike DeVilling, President and CEO of WestShore Public Relations. Mike brings his wealth of knowledge and experience to the podcast to share valuable insights on how brands can leverage public relations. The discussion also uncovers all the new tactics, channels, and platforms available to public relations pro…

1
Positioning for Professionals - Exploding Myths Part 3 32:59

28d ago32:59

32:59

In the final part of Positioning for Professionals, Lorraine and Mark knock down the last five positioning myths: 11) All clients are good; 12) full-service exists; 13) focus is limiting; 14) more means more; and 15) the middle is safe. Find out why these myths are simply not true, and what you can do about it. Mark also laments the "expiration" of…

1
Positioning for Professionals - Exploding Myths Part 2 30:53

1M ago30:53

30:53

What is Papa John's doing? Or is that Papa Johns without an apostrophe?!? Mark and Lorraine dive in on this topic before they get to Positioning for Professionals, a book by Tim Williams that discusses how positioning works for professional service firms. The positioning duo walks through the next six myths about positioning that many service firms…

1
Positioning for Professionals - Exploding Myths Part 1 31:59

1M ago31:59

31:59

Do you have a stale brand? Are McDonalds' and Starbucks' problems related to positioning? Mark and Lorraine dive in on this topic before they get to Positioning for Professionals, a book by Tim Williams that discusses how positioning works for professional service firms. The positioning duo walks through the myths about positioning that many servic…

1
Designing a New Category - Part 2 39:16

2M ago39:16

39:16

Before the positioning gurus tackle the marketing strategy of Designing and Building a New Category, they throw a red flag on Apple's latest iPad ad, and Starbuck's trend downward. Then Mark and Lorraine cover the next six rules of designing and building a new category. Learn what inverted marketing, insulating siding, getting there first, shooting…

1
Designing a New Category - Part 1 30:56

2M ago30:56

30:56

On this week's Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark and Lorraine dive into the complex, yet highly effective business move to design and build a new category. This move isn't for the faint of heart, but the glory that can follow makes this strategy one that has allowed companies like Uber, IKEA, and maybe now, Poppi, to dominate. Learn the first three rul…

1
Mike Gallina - Aultman and AultCare In Your Community 46:08

3M ago46:08

46:08

Mike Gallina, VP of organizational development and community engagement for the AultCare Health Plans, joins Mark and Lorraine to talk healthcare and health insurance marketing. Mike's insights on the trends and evolution of healthcare are, all at once informing and inspirational. Learn some of the macro trends of healthcare, how the big players in…

1
Small Brands. Real Results. 33:38

3M ago33:38

33:38

As a follow-up to Big Brands, Big Trouble, Mark and Lorraine chat about some of the small brands who have had amazing results despite relatively small marketing budgets. Before they get there, however, Mark rants about a Celebrity Cruise's article that adds confusion to the language of marketing, then we talk about what Celebrity is really doing. T…

1
Marketing During a Recession 30:54

3M ago30:54

30:54

Are we in a recession? That's not quite the right question to ask. The question for marketers is: are you ready for a recession? History shows us that market share is won -- and lost -- during a recession. Those who market during a recession, win. On this week's Brand Shorthand, Mark and Lorraine cover companies like Kellogg's (versus Post), Ford (…

1
Big Brands. Big Trouble. Part 3. 39:52

3M ago39:52

39:52

In the final installment of Big Brands, Big Trouble, Mark and Lorraine discuss the last two mistakes from Jack Trout's 2001 book: the Live by the Numbers/Wall Street Mistake and the Not Attacking Yourself Mistake. Once these last two of Jack's nine codified mistakes are tackled, the positioning duo adds four of their own: the Out-of-Touch/Ivory Tow…

1
Big Brands. Big Trouble. Part 2. 30:21

4M ago30:21

30:21

This week, Mark and Lorraine continue with mistakes 3-7 from Jack Trout's Big Brands, Big Trouble: the "Truth Will Win Out" Mistake; the "Other Guy's Idea" Mistake; The "Go Opposite" directive for those who are #2 in the market; the "We're Very Successful" Mistake; and the "Everything for Everybody" Mistake. The positioning duo talks big trouble fr…

1
Big Brands. Big Trouble. Part 1. 33:21

4M ago33:21

33:21

This week's episode finds a few big brands in some hot water! Mark and Lorraine revisit Jack Trout's 2001 book, Big Brands – Big Trouble, and share some more recent examples of big brands making not-so-smart moves. The positioning duo walks through the nine mistakes codified in Trout's book, then provides a definition of each mistake before sharing…

1
A Look Back on 50 Years of Advertising - Experiential Marketing 39:28

4M ago39:28

39:28

This week, the positioning duo wonder about the power of AI to do the irrational, emotional, creative task of ideation and creative concepting. MKHSTRY claims to reduce concepting from 6-9 months down to hours. What do our fearless positioning experts think about that claim?! Next up, Mark and Lorraine cover the rise of experiential marketing. This…

1
A Look Back on 50 Years of Advertising - The Rise of Branding 48:08

4M ago48:08

48:08

Mark and Lorraine tackle Wendy's behaving badly with their surge pricing and how things should have been done differently. But they didn't ask us, so we gave kudos to Burger King for responding with a free offer! Well played. Then the positioning duo tackles the Rise of Branding over the past 50 years. Learn Lorraine's perspective on the shift from…

1
Dr. Scott Powell - Part 2: Positioning Grove City College 27:26

4M ago27:26

27:26

Join us for part 2 of our interview with Dr. Scott Powell, Professor of Marketing at Grove City College. Dr. Powell discusses how outside forces and four different presidents in 14 years impacted the marketing of the college, and how he would alter things if he were in charge. Mark and Lorraine also ask about the macro trends going on with higher e…

1
Dr. Scott Powell - Part 1: Positioning Grove City College 31:20

5M ago31:20

31:20

Dr. Scott Powell, Professor of Marketing at Grove City College, joins the positioning duo today to talk about positioning in the world of academia. Learn how he discovered positioning and why he teaches it in his classes and feels it's THE critical strategy to successful marketing. Also enjoy a few stories about how Scott arrived in marketing and h…

1
A Look Back on 50 Years of Advertising - The Rise of B2B Marketing 30:52

5M ago30:52

30:52

Your favorite positioning tandem continue to look back on the past 50+ years of advertising, this time focusing on the rise of B2B marketing. What used to be considered risky is now standard practice, and in fact, B2B advertising continues to evolve closer to B2C strategies. Mark and Lorraine consider the examples of Owens Corning, BASF, and Intel,…

1
Super Bowl Ad Winners - Special Extended Episode 1:04:23

5M ago1:04:23

1:04:23

Mark and Lorraine spend over an hour dissecting almost every ad that ran in last evening's Super Bowl. While Kansas City walked away with an overtime win, not every advertiser was a winner. However, the duds were fewer than in past years, and the positioning gurus are happy to report that the ads made our positioning hearts pretty happy. Learn who …

1
Super Bowl Ad Preview and a Look Back on 50 Years of Advertising - The Rise of Transactional Media 34:39

5M ago34:39

34:39

Mark and Lorraine have a long chat about the Super Bowl commercials and why they can be a good or a bad buy, and what makes the difference. Get a glimpse of what's coming as advertisers spend $7 million per spot just for the media buy. Then hear how the rise of transactional media has been one of the significant changes over the last 50 years of ad…

1
A Look Back on 50 Years of Advertising - Technology and Targeting 36:59

6M ago36:59

36:59

Take a walk back in time as our two positioning gurus reminisce about the advancement in technology and targeting. How has technology changed, and how has it impacted marketing? What technology has been positive and where has it made advertisers mis-step? Mark and Lorraine talk Bernoullis and Zip disks, Amigas and Commodore 64s, film stripping and …

1
A Look Back on 50 Years of Advertising - Media Proliferation 36:44

6M ago36:44

36:44

Mark and Lorraine kick off the second season of Brand Shorthand while kicking off the celebration of Innis Maggiore's 50th year in business. The duo takes a look back at the past 50 years of advertising and discuss what has changed, and what hasn't. The first category of change they cover is media proliferation. What used to be dozens of media opti…

1
Brand Shorthand Season #1 Wrap-up 38:52

8M ago38:52

38:52

Mark and Lorraine wrap up the first season of the Brand Shorthand podcast. What does Mark think about the series, "The Pitch?" What are the first season highlights? Find out the answers to these questions and more on this final episode of season #1. Spend 30-ish minutes with Mark and Lorraine as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and p…

1
The Wizard of Ads Interview – Roy H. Williams (Part 3) 30:28

9M ago30:28

30:28

In this third and final segment of our interview with the Wizard of Ads, Mark and Lorraine dive deeper on Roy H. Williams' thoughts on why positioning and his philosophies apply whether the marketing is B2C, B2B or D2C. Roy spends considerable time explaining: why we are consumers regardless of where we're buying (work or home), why the emotional e…

1
The Wizard of Ads Interview – Roy H. Williams (Part 2) 28:29

9M ago28:29

28:29

Mark and Lorraine share part 2 of the interview with the Wizard of Ads, Roy H. Williams. Roy discusses deep insights on his understanding of the human condition and why we buy what we buy. From discussing reductionism and spirituality to "dead cows everywhere," Roy provides insights that any advertiser will appreciate. Learn: why demographic target…

1
The Wizard of Ads Interview – Roy H. Williams (Part 1) 31:28

9M ago31:28

31:28

Mark and Lorraine welcome The Wizard of Ads, Roy H. Williams, to the show today. The first 30 minutes of our interview (part 1 of 3) with the wizard covers the genesis of the Wizard Academy, how Roy came up with The Wizards of Ads moniker, and why sound is so critical to human emotion, memory, and memorable advertising. Each word had us sitting on …

1
How Positioning Impacts All Marketing Disciplines 32:34

9M ago32:34

32:34

This week Mark and Lorraine discuss how positioning permeates every single marketing discipline. As a business strategy, positioning should touch every corner of your business, but many marketers give it lip service and execute without a position. Learn why and how the practice of positioning can supercharge your marketing from PR to research and f…

1
Ways to Differentiate: Low Price 31:10

10M ago31:10

31:10

Before Mark and Lorraine dive into the latest discussion on ways to differentiate, they spend 15-ish talking about the food category with Campbell Soup's purchase of Rao's. How will this play as Campbell's goes up against Mondelēz and Kraft Heinz, the other big players in the market? Then Lorraine walks through the challenge of trying to claim a lo…

1
The Wizard of Ads 32:14

10M ago32:14

32:14

Marketers - if you haven't read Roy William's 3-book series, The Wizard of Ads, you're missing a real treat. Mark and Lorraine dive into three of his chapters with topics on: 1) finding your diamond, 2) the perspective of your ads, and 3) whether audience targeting is the holy grail. Learn more about the simple approach Roy takes to creating great …

1
Ways to Differentiate: How a Product is Made 26:26

10M ago26:26

26:26

Mark awards a Purple Cow Award to a non-purple mattress, then Lorraine and he dive into another Way to Differentiate: How a Product is Made. Learn the secret ingredient to this positioning method and how differentiating one ingredient, technology, or approach in your product or service can separate you from the competition. Learn how Sleep Number, …

1
Obvious Adams and In Search of the Obvious 34:16

10M ago34:16

34:16

Obvious Adams, a short-read pamphlet, has influenced millions across the globe for its obvious principles. Mark and Lorraine talk through the five tests of obviousness and how it influenced Jack Trout's last book, In Search of the Obvious. Learn how positioning is directly related to the five tests of obviousness and why finding a position can be p…

1
Ways to Differentiate: Preference + Influencer Marketing 31:13

11M ago31:13

31:13

Corporate speak runs amok today as Mark and Lorraine try to figure out what Calvin Klein's CMO is saying. Marketing 101, Public Relations 101, and other basic positioning principles rarely change and continue to be used by even the big brands. Once their frustrations are vented, the positioning gurus spend time explaining Preference as a way to dif…

1
Why Most Ads Don't Work (a nod to Roy Williams, the Wizard of Ads) 31:30

11M ago31:30

31:30

The positioning gurus get to the point immediately on this episode of Brand Shorthand, that being a commentary on Roy Williams' Monday Morning Memo, "Why Most Ads Don't Work." It's a brief, but brilliant commentary on the advertising industry. Williams' point is that most ads are written "not to offend." Mark and Lorraine spend the episode walking …

1
Ways to Differentiate: Being First to Mind with a New Idea + Overstock.com 38:44

11M ago38:44

38:44

Mark and Lorraine play a game of positioning point-counterpoint about Overstock's acquisition of the Bed Bath & Beyond brand name. Lorraine thinks it will work and Mark's not so high on the idea -- see what factors are in play that will make one of these positionists right, and the other wrong. Then the podcast continues with the series on Ways to …

1
Barbie. X. Brand Shorthand 31:18

11M ago31:18

31:18

Lorraine goes off on a few topics including the Barbie movie and the move by Twitter to rebrand as X. It's no holds barred. Then Mark shares how he arrived at the podcast name of Brand Shorthand and why it makes so much sense given the line of work we find ourselves: advertising. Learn how your brand can reach the nirvana of a shorthand and what th…

1
Ways to Differentiate: Heritage 31:13

12M ago31:13

31:13

Italian wines. French romance. German engineering. Amish furniture. These all have a common thread and are the topic of today's discussion — how to differentiate using a Heritage position. Mark and Lorraine do a deep dive on why Heritage can be such a powerful position, including some sensitivities and potential competitor moves that can back your …

1
How Positioning Impacts Sales 31:39

12M ago31:39

31:39

Yes, this is a marketing podcast, but Mark and Lorraine decided to tackle the closely related topic of sales. How does positioning impact sales? Is there a framework under which both marketing and sales operate? Can positioning supercharge your sales team? These questions and others are answered on today's episode. Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorrai…

1
Ways to Differentiate: The Market Specialist 27:39

12M ago27:39

27:39

The Ways to Differentiate series continues with a focus on the Market Specialist position. Mark and Lorraine share how one of the best startup strategies is to enter the market as a specialist to position against the established generalist/leader. Also, take the specialist quiz with Lorraine and see how you score against her answers. [This is the t…

1
Re-positioning a Brand 34:50

1y ago34:50

34:50

In this latest episode, Mark and Lorraine talk about the two definitions of re-positioning: 1) what we do to competitors every time we position a client and 2) what happens when clients have to re-position their own brands. From Coke/Pepsi, Avis/Hertz, and about another dozen brand examples, including one of our clients who is currently re-position…

1
Ways to Differentiate a Brand: Leadership 37:50

1y ago37:50

37:50

This week, Mark and Lorraine discuss a position of Leadership and what it means to a brand and its messaging. Discover the multiple layers of not only claiming leadership, but how to act as the leader and communicate to your audience. It's not braggadocio to claim leadership if it's executed the right way. Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to lea…

1
Ways to Differentiate a Brand: Owning an Attribute 34:39

1y ago34:39

34:39

Mark and Lorraine dive right into an explanation on one of their most critical positioning tools: Ways to Differentiate. After some discussion on how and why the tool is used, they take a deep dive on what it means to Own an Attribute as your differentiating idea. Spend 30-ish with Mark and Lorraine to learn more about advertising, marketing, and p…

1
Q&A Session: Positioning. Values...and Adver-tainment 29:42

1y ago29:42

29:42

Mark and Lorraine answer listener's questions: What are Lorraine's top two positioning books, with a +1? How can Innis Maggiore claim it's the nation's leading positioning ad agency? What's wrong with advertising a company's values? And the last question, what in the world is going on with the new paradigm shift and what Mark calls adver-tainment? …

1
Immutable Forces, Immutable Laws ... and Bad Brand Behavior 29:40

1y ago29:40

29:40

After a discussion about frustrating and bad brand behavior, Mark and Lorraine dive into the next three laws from the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: The Law of the Ladder, the Law of Division, and the Law of Resources. Learn one of the most critical laws that must be understood before diving into the exercise of developing a position. Then discove…

1
Perception, Exclusivity ... and Focus 31:36

1y ago31:36

31:36

What's on Lorraine's mind? Some messed-up advertising campaigns, plus a name change for the Wienermobile. Then Mark and Lorraine dive into one of Trout and Ries' all-time best books, the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, and cover three laws they deem most fundamental to positioning strategy: the Law of Perception, the Law of Exclusivity, and the Law…

1
Media Strategy, Media Proliferation ... and Miller Lite 32:29

1y ago32:29

32:29

Mark and Lorraine take a quick detour to discuss the latest beer commercial fiasco: Miller Lite. Then we dive into the topic of media strategy. Why does media strategy matter so much in marketing? Why does media strategy always seem to be an afterthought? And what makes for good media strategy? We answer these questions and more, while providing so…

1
Some Winners, Some Losers ... and Bud Light 29:53

1y ago29:53

29:53

Mark and Lorraine dig right into some advertisers who are back to doing positioning right: Burger King lets you have it your way and Dominos is back at the delivery game. Those are our winners. We have a few losers too, including Bed Bath & Bankrupt and the loser of the month, Bud Light. Learn what's going right (and wrong) with each of these brand…

1
A Position, A Brand ... A Shorthand 31:14

1y ago31:14

31:14

Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler introduce each other and then jump right into the history about what it took to become famous for positioning strategy. They clear up the confusion by defining a position, a brand, positioning, and branding, and how they are different, but perfectly interrelated. Two sides of the same coin. If you dig all things…

1
"Perpetual Motion" - Ronald Reagan High School (2000), with Mark Chambers (Director of Bands, 1999-2006) 1:38:31

1+ y ago1:38:31

1:38:31

In 2019, the Ronald Reagan High School Marching Band from San Antonio, TX won the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional for the third time with a record score of 97.30 winning outstanding visual performance and outstanding general effect with their show, ‘Secret World.’After bursting onto the scene in 2000, the Reagan Rattler Band has won cou…

1
William Pitts (William Pitts Music, Inc.) 2:02:57

1+ y ago2:02:57

2:02:57

William Pitts (b. 1986) is a composer, conductor, and arranger from Atlanta. Growing up in Carrollton, Georgia, Pitts graduated summa cum laude from Emory University, where he studied saxophone, conducting, and composition. He has completed graduate study in Music at North Georgia University and the University of Michigan.Pitts most recently served…

1
"Remembered" - Vandegrift High School (2009), with Jeremy Spicer (Director of Bands, 2009-2014) 1:30:22

1+ y ago1:30:22

1:30:22

In 2019, the Vandegrift High School Marching Band from Austin, TX won the Bands of America Grand National Class 4A Championship sweeping all captions and was named Grand National Champion with a score of 97.18 winning the award for Outstanding General Effect with their show, ‘Aria: Queen of the Night.’After bursting onto the scene in 2010, the Vand…

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Mark Vandegrift Podcasts

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