Brand Shorthand
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.
Episodes
100 episodes
Brand Shorthand’s 100th Episode
We’ve reached a milestone! 100 episodes — all about positioning. Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they remind us of the value of positioning, the meaning behind the name Brand Shorthand, some golf talk at The Masters and why they have such...
True Crime Podcasts and the Power of Positioning - Part 2
This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark and Lorraine continue their discussion on true crime podcasts, a popular and growing category in the world of podcasting. Tune in for part two to learn about what makes these shows addictive, why t...
True Crime Podcast - A News Niche that is Community-Driven and Addictive
A little green screen, a camera, and a microphone can put you on the podcast bus. True crime is a popular and growing category in the world of podcasting. How are these channels breaking through, to the point that they are scooping up viewers, ...
PR News Updates feat. Merce Brown
Ring Doorbell, AI slop, and Frida Baby backlash. This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark is joined by special guest, Merce Brown, to talk about the recent chatter in the world of Public Relations. Be sure to tune in to hear how our publi...
Super Bowl LX Ad Panel
This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, the positioning panelists join Mark to discuss the real winners and losers of last night’s Super Bowl. From Instacart and Lay’s potato chips to Budweiser and State Farm, the panelists review some of the...
Season #4 Kickoff
A new year and another new season of the Brand Shorthand podcast! For the Season 4 kickoff episode, Mark and Lorraine welcome listeners back with a discussion on recent happenings in the world of marketing. Join the positioning duo as they disc...
Brand Shorthand Season #3 Wrap-Up
That’s a wrap on season 3 of the Brand Shorthand Podcast! Join Mark and Lorraine as they go back through some of the biggest brand moves and marketing trends seen throughout 2025. The positioning duo will touch on AI, storytelling with long-for...
Digital Accessibility with Expert James Warnken - Part 2
The digital accessibility expert, James Warnken, is back for this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand Podcast to continue the discussion on all things web accessibility. Join Mark and James to hear the reasons why businesses should care about...
Digital Accessibility with Expert James Warnken - Part 1
James Warnken, a digital accessibility expert, joins Mark on this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to dive into the world of accessibility. Tune in to hear about James's journey to becoming an expert in the field, the company he fo...
Kraft Heinz Splits Into Two Companies
Kraft Heinz announced on September 2nd that they would be splitting into two separate companies. This split, occurring about a decade after the initial merger of Kraft and Heinz, will result in two new companies. One company will focus more on ...
Sports Advertising Is In Season!
Football season is upon us, and fans are gearing up to watch their favorite teams take the field! So, what does this mean for advertisers? Join Mark and Lorraine on this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to learn all about the benef...
Multi-Channel Marketing (feat. Tony Bell)
On this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark is joined by the Executive Director of Client Services and Media at Innis Maggiore, Tony Bell. Tune in to learn all about multi-channel marketing including what it is, some of its adva...
Cracker Barrel’s Brand Gone Bland
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 ...
Sydney Sweeney’s Controversial “My Jeans (Genes)” Commercial
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 the...
Innis Maggiore and FranSource - A Match Made in… Marketing
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...
Walmart’s “Who Knew?” Campaign
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 pos...
Non-Traditional Marketing Campaigns
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 po...
Brand Identity Roundtable ft. Innis Maggiore's Creative Team
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...
The Rise of Reddit in Search Rankings
Reddit is on the Rise! Reddit and other user-generated content platforms have been dominating the search results on Google. Join Mark and Lorraine as they discuss Google’s favoring of user-generated content, its shift away from authoritative si...
Human Creativity vs AI
This year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity provided some interesting takeaways regarding AI and Human Creativity. Join Mark and Lorraine as they discuss the importance of the human touch and why it’s still needed in the creat...
Traditional vs Digital Advertising. Which Outdoor Advertising Works For You?
Do you want to know which outdoor advertising works best for your brand? Join Mark and Lorraine this week as they discuss both traditional out-of-home advertising and digital out-of-home advertising. Learn how these two advertising efforts play...
The Year of the Independent Ad Agency
2025 has been dubbed the year of the independent advertising agency. Join Mark and Lorraine as they discuss the benefits independent agencies offer clients and why remaining independent matters in today’s marketing landscape. Tune in to learn w...
Crispy Chicken Nuggets and Cordless Power Tools
A taco place that’s also a chicken place? Cordless outdoor equipment? Join Mark and Lorraine as they discuss their thoughts on Taco Bell and EGO, two brands who are in the spotlight for this week's episode. Learn what the positioning duo thinks...
We Told You So…Bad Brand Moves
Who doesn’t love a good “I told you so” moment? Tune in to this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand Podcast to hear what the positioning duo has to say about the bad brand moves from HBO Max and Krispy Kreme. Max announced that its name will ...
Creative Talk with art and video director, Alicia Jordan
This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark interviews Alicia Jordan, our Art and Video Director here at Innis Maggiore. Tune in to hear how Alicia and the agency’s creative department work to bring campaigns to life and to get a behind-the-...