Jean Linda Balke’s Post

A properly positioned personal brand can grow, scale, and expand. But only if you give it a name first. I know a number of you name your business after yourself. 🙋🏾♀️ I get it. It's an easy go to What ends up happening is that you turn your parent brand, the personal brand, into helicopter brand. Think helicopter parent. Back in the day I constantly reminded my husband that at the end of the day it was his name on the door. At the time I had no idea how much pressure that put on him. I think it was because I became resentful. See because his name was on the door, he got all the accolades, questions, and praise. So when shit would hit the fan, I would remind him that he had to eat that up too. I eventually got outta my feelings and stopped doing that. But no sooner did I change my ways when we had a new challenge. When we announced we were opening a second location folx expected us to be there. So much of the business reputation was based on Bigmista and Mrs. Mista folx said they weren't going if we weren't there. 😳 Our helicopter branding tactics was biting us in the ass once again. My husband was Bigmista when I met him. When he started doing bbq competitions he was part of a team called Four Q. Later we thought because everyone already knew him as Bigmista, it was the most logical name choice for the business. 👉🏾 We failed to separate his who from his do. We had Bigmista's Secret Sauce and Bigmista's Perfect Pork Rub, and so it went. It all stopped when we shut down the restaurant. They could have had their own brands to stand on but we didn't want to be bothered. The Bigmista personal brand had grown, scaled and expanded, but it was not properly positioned. Lesson learned. #PersonalBranding #BrandPositioning #BrandReputation #Brandma ----- So tell the truth, are you trying to grow, scale, and expand while in helicopter mode? Ooh, and I have some news about to drop but I gotta let my brandbabies in on it first. If you want to be in the know and part of the behind the scenes action go subscribe to my website.

When 2 iconic brands collide, something "Off The Wall" is bound to happen. 🍻👟 Check out this cool new can from New Belgium Brewing. That pattern is bringing back some memories! #AirBatonClients Here’s why brand managers should pay attention: 👍Co-branding done right The brands have shared values of authenticity, originality, and quality, creating a campaign that appeals to their consumers. 🎯 Targeted appeal They've nailed their target audience of craft beer lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and those who appreciate a dash of "Off The Wall" style. 🎉Multi-channel magic From eye-catching packaging to engaging launch events to tech-enhanced promotions, they're hitting all the right notes across multiple platforms. What other brands would you love to see team up for a collaboration? Let's hear your ideas! Drop them in the chat. #FatTirexVans #BrandCollaboration #CoBranding #Marketing #OffTheWall #BeerMarketing

If you're in SaaS or B2B, please go outside your niche. Follow Shamez for cool CPG marketing ideas. 👇 He shares campaigns from brands like New Belgium, Poppi, Pop Tarts, Nerds, and Trolli. They're a breath of fresh air in the B2B world. The nostalgic campaigns appealing to millennials are my fave! P.S. Where do you get non-B2B inspiration from? #B2B

When 2 iconic brands collide, something "Off The Wall" is bound to happen. Check out this cool new can from New Belgium Brewing. That pattern is bringing back some memories! #AirBatonClients Here’s why brand managers should pay attention: 👍Co-branding done right The brands have shared values of authenticity, originality, and quality, creating a campaign that appeals to their consumers. 🎯 Targeted appeal They've nailed their target audience of craft beer lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and those who appreciate a dash of "Off The Wall" style. 🎉Multi-channel magic From eye-catching packaging to engaging launch events to tech-enhanced promotions, they're hitting all the right notes across multiple platforms. What other brands would you love to see team up for a collaboration? Let's hear your ideas! Drop them in the chat. #FatTirexVans #BrandCollaboration #CoBranding #Marketing #OffTheWall #BeerMarketing 

Let’s talk about brand ambassadors and their role in brand strategy. Brand ambassadors can be a powerful marketing tool when paired with a comprehensive strategy. But here’s the key: a brand ambassador alone should never be the entire strategy. Take the recent partnership between Shenseea and Sunshine Snacks. I’m a big fan of Shenseea, but is she the right fit for a snack company that largely markets to children? Yes and no, and my reasoning isn’t about Shenseea or her personal brand. The deal includes her son, which opens up exciting possibilities for family-oriented campaigns that could resonate well. However, I would’ve loved to see Sunshine Snacks tailor their ambassador choices to reflect each island they serve. By doing so, they could create a stronger local connection, giving each island its moment in the spotlight. This could potentially amplify the impact of their campaigns, making them more culturally relevant across the region. What do you think? Should brand ambassador strategies focus more on local representation? #BrandStrategy #MarketingTools #BrandAmbassadors #SunshineSnacks #CaribbeanMarketing #LocalConnection #MarketingCampaign #BusinessGrowth #CulturalRelevance

The last in our series #buildingtheorythroughpractice. We remain privileged to work with national brands that champion investment attraction to their countries and the elevation of their proud culture to attract visitors. Along the way, we have worked with fun brands that create spaces for entertainment and top-notch hospitality. Talk to us about your brand needs and let us bring interventionist thinking that will accelerate growth. #brand #destinationbrand #nationbrand #hospitalitybrand #wearevalora #brand #interventionistthinking

We understand the power of branding and the importance of leaving a lasting impression. That's why we offer bespoke snack packages that are not just delicious, but also perfectly aligned with your company's identity and event themes. 👉 Message SNACKIFY to start designing your unique snack experience or message me directly to discuss how we can bring your event vision to life. #TechEvents #EventPlanning #CustomSnacks #BrandExperience #Snackify #CorporateEvents

At Social Snacks, we're always up for a creative challenge, especially when it involves blending popular trends with innovative marketing strategies. Last year, we had the opportunity to shoot a video for Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions, O'Cedar during the excitement of March Madness. 🏀 ⚡ Rather than competing for attention amidst basketball fever, we decided to embrace the madness by incorporating the tournament's energy into our campaign. We took the approach in showcasing the cleaning products being thrown into the laundry basket as if they were trying to make a basket and score some points. This strategy proved to be a slam dunk! 🏆 Not only did it spark engagement, but it also effectively highlighted the brand's effectiveness in tackling household messes and highlited some features such as it being machine washable. It's a testament to the power of creativity and strategic thinking in marketing. Looking for innovative ways to elevate your brand's message? Let's collaborate and create campaigns that captivate! DM us!! #socialsnacksvideo #videomarketing #brandawareness #brandcampaign #brandvideo #OCedar

Hall of Flowers happened last week and it was a blast. If you follow the rest of the CPG world, then you also know that hashtag #expowest2024 also popped off in Southern California. Hall of Flowers had around 250 booths and drew around 4,000 attendees while the Expo had around 3,000 exhibitors with around 65,000+ attendees. While others noted the lack of innovation at this year's Hall of Flowers, the rest of the CPG world is brimming with new products, including hemp and/or adaptogenic products. How long until Kiva Brands, Inc. and Bloom have a booth at Expo West? While HOF, also known as Gelato Fest as of recent, may not have brought a lot of innovation to the table, it was by far my favorite HOF. Sure, Northern California and the PNW paved the way for where the plant is today, but little else comes to mind but the beach and sun when you think about imbibing on some flowers or edibles. Also, the LA Market is an innovation hub for branding. So, naturally, Ventura was an amazing location, and the festival was extremely well run, per usual. Everyone was in high spirits with the wind crashing on the waves in the background. It was great to connect with contacts I've never met in person, like Vib Gupta and Ivy from Embarc. Missed you Peter Kasper, MBA. Running into old tech friends like Will Kattenburg Aman Mahal Rico Lamitte Andrew Watson was equally awesome. Witnessing old friends and colleagues like Christopher Violas Scott Roehrick and Zahur S. Lalji supporting the retail side with new technology was really special. If you're considering attending 1 of the 2 Flower Expo events happening in Michigan, and Massachusetts this year, do it. My takeaway nuggets from Hall of Flowers would probably be: 1 - The Bloom party. Lots of innovation happening over there at one of the best venues in downtown Ventura. 2 - The continuation of rosin gummies. 3 - More infused pre-rolls and blunts. #events #cpg #marketing

What's a green horse? The brands that are better positioned to break bad news as they are already having a conversation with their customers. They invested in human-to-human storytelling far before it was essential. They can explain the why behind the percentage increase in dollars, and help the consumer connect the dots and justify the costs in an authentic way. Want to know more about this mythical beast? Read it below on SmartCompany.