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.

Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

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.

Join Mark and Steve for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

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.

Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

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. They will also kick off the episode with some recent brand news including the latest update on Jaguar and the newest Skinny Pop ad featuring Jennifer Aniston.

Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

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.

Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

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 sites to more authentic discussion forums, and what this means for marketers. The positioning duo also catches up on some brand updates, including Jaguar's recent sales and the end of the Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s partnership.

Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

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 creative process. The positioning duo will also provide updates for the Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s partnership as well as Jaguar’s recent sales.

Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

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 in the public space and some of the benefits and limitations associated with each. The positioning duo also shares some insights on the recent “Share a Pepsi” campaign and their thoughts on Pepsi swapping the personal touch of your name with your favorite classic foods.

Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!