Why Playing It Safe Kills Brands ft. Mike Cessario | Shane Smith Has Questions cover art

Why Playing It Safe Kills Brands ft. Mike Cessario | Shane Smith Has Questions

Why Playing It Safe Kills Brands ft. Mike Cessario | Shane Smith Has Questions

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 Shane sits down with Liquid Death Founder/CEO Mike Cessario to talk branding, politics, and the power of provocation. They dive into how Liquid Death turned Internet hate into a billion-dollar water brand, why execution matters more than ideas, and how cultural tension fuels marketing breakthroughs. Cessario draws parallels between brand-building and political strategy, analyzing figures like Gavin Newsom, AOC, Trump, and Bernie Sanders through a marketer’s lens. They explore the dangers of brands playing it too safe, the role of advertisers as modern-day censors, and the shifting landscape of media in the age of AI, social virality, and meme culture. Packed with war stories, from Brandy ventures to high-stakes Super Bowl ads, this episode is a masterclass in disruptive marketing, joined with part cultural commentary and banter between two media-savvy provocateurs. Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://vicenews.com⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.