blog
Read or Listen!
All blog posts are also available as audio on the Making the Brand podcast.
Why Social Media is Like Karaoke, Inspired by Kelly Clarkson
Being a talk show host on cable television isn’t as easy as it used to be. The ’90s gave us Ricki Lake, Jenny Jones, and our queen, Oprah. In 2022, Maury is still conducting DNA tests, and Ellen DeGeneres just wrapped up her final season. With so many cord-cutters and...
How the Boy Band Wars Can Boost Your Social Media Engagement
Like it or not, pretty much every brand has its competitors. It’s a reality of being in business. Coke has Pepsi. McDonald’s has Burger King. Nike has Adidas. The list goes on and on. But the first time I declared my own brand loyalty was during the historic rivalry...
Want to Get Hired? T-Pain Says You Need a Personal Website
I never imagined that my blog would have not one but two posts inspired by hip-hop artist, T-Pain, but this man is more influential than we may give him credit for. My original post about T-Pain talked about his masterful use of autotune and how it helped put him...
All the Small Things Content Creators Need to Remember
It’s no secret that my love of teenybopper boy bands is a big part of my personality. And while I was never the girl at the rock show, I still had love in my heart for Blink-182. I was driving in my car the other day and “All the Small Things” by Blink-182 was...
Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion is about Personal Branding
If Lisa Kudrow only starred in Friends, we could still classify her as a legend. But thankfully, she didn't stop there. I'm here to talk about her 1997 film with Mira Sorvino, Romy & Michele's High School Reunion, and how it's a perfect metaphor for personal...
User-Generated Content isn’t Always Great Content: How to Use It Wisely
I was going down a YouTube rabbit hole the other day and I ended up watching an old episode of TRL from the year 2000. Melissa Joan Hart and Britney Spears were hosting in Carson Daly’s absence. Besides the fact that Mambo #5 was on the countdown, I was reminded of...
The Streisand Effect: A Must-Know for Every Marketer or PR Pro
You don’t have to be a Barbra Streisand fan or have grown up in her era of music to know just how respected she is. She is known as one of the greatest voices of all time. But beyond her voice and music legacy, we can thank Barbra Streisand for helping create a social...
This Simple Content Idea Works Every Time
Content creation usually requires a lot of trial and error, but for a content idea that ALWAYS works, I looked to some of my favorite movie scenes for inspiration. Like in Miss Congeniality when the frumpy FBI agent Grace Hart becomes a stunning pageant queen. Or in...
How to Take Personal Branding Photos as Awesome as SNL Bumper Shots
There’s a lot to love about Saturday Night Live. The show has been going on for decades and always makes us laugh. We get to see a different side of the celebrities we love, poke fun at the media, and play back the skits countless times on YouTube. But there’s...
Brands: How to Jump in on Trending Topics without Getting Canceled
If you knew all of your potential customers were going to a party, wouldn’t you try to make an appearance? Real-time trending topics are like parties on social media. It’s where your audience hangs out, and where your brand should, too. From the latest news in music,...
Frontier Airlines Announces Tacky Offer Capitalizing on the #FreeBritney Movement
There is a right way and a wrong way for brands to newsjack, and this time, Frontier Airlines got it completely wrong. On Saturday, the airline announced an exclusive offer allowing anyone with the first name “Britney” to enter for a chance to fly for free. The...
What the Spice Girls Teach Us About Brand Purpose
If you were a young girl growing up in the ’90s, you pretty much had no choice but to love the Spice Girls. They were absolutely EVERYWHERE. If it weren’t for them, I certainly would have had a much harder time making friends on the playground. I owned the CDs, saw...
Why ‘Ava Dean Beauty’ by AJ McLean is Marketing Gold
Every time I open up my Instagram, it seems like I’m introduced to a new celebrity beauty line. I can’t say I blame these celebs — if I had massive influence and millions of Instagram followers, I’d want to cash in on this $50 billion industry, too. It’s what made...
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Brand Storytelling
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song is one of those timeless classics. In fact, I love it so much, I recently awarded it the top spot on a podcast where I ranked the top five ’90s sitcom theme songs. Whether you’re listening to it on your couch or at the bar, you...
2020 or 2002? The Brilliance of Kim Kardashian’s Velour Tracksuit Revival
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't waiting for velour tracksuits to make a comeback, and who better to spearhead their revival than the socialites who started it all? Kim Kardashian recruited Paris Hilton to introduce her line of velour tracksuits for her shapewear...
TRL and the Magic Formula for Raving Fans
If you grew up in the late ’90s and early 2000s, long before Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube, Carson Daly was your gateway to new music. On September 14, 1998, a little show called Total Request Live (TRL) premiered on MTV. It was a driving force that helped launch the...
The Problem with the MTV Video Music Awards
Even in a pandemic, the show must go on. MTV is hosting their annual Video Music Awards on Sunday, August 30th. We all know that the best part of the VMAs are the performances. This year Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, The Weekend, BTS, and CNCO are just a few acts to take...
Pop-Up Video’s Lesson for Content Creators
It’s wild to think that TikTok has become a vehicle for people to discover music. Growing up, I turned to traditional media to fuel my passion for music — radio, print, and television. One TV show I always gravitated toward was VH1’s Pop-Up Video. Although it only...
Marketers, Put Your Brand Voice on Autotune
When you hear the word autotune, who comes to mind? If you’re a pop culture fanatic, you may think of Cher, who is often credited as the first artist to experiment with autotune with her 1998 single, "Believe." But if there’s anyone who's known for using autotune...
How to Tell Your Story – Inspired by Black Musicians Who are Part of Mine
Just like the rest of the world, I’ve been doing some reflection on the people of color who have made an impact on my life. Aside from the incredible people I’ve come to know personally, there are a number of famous Black people who sparked my interest in music. I...
This Storytelling Tip Explains Why “All Too Well” is Taylor Swift’s Best Song
During a performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series last year, Taylor Swift addressed something I’ve known for quite some time: her best song is "All Too Well." Several media outlets have ranked Taylor’s songs over the years, and “All Too Well” is almost always...
Don’t Laugh. Memes are Your Brand’s Social Media Secret Weapon
Grumpy cat. Success kid. Condescending Willy Wonka. Memes in our social media feeds have been making us laugh for years, but only recently have brands shifted their strategy to get in on the fun. Memes can take on many forms, but are generally described as humorous...
Celebrity Fashion Statements that are Part of Their Brand Identity
What is the mark of effective branding? It’s simple: branding is a success when you become memorable. You may be overwhelmed wondering how to differentiate your personal brand. But the good news is, you don’t need to be the best in your field or have the biggest...
Oh. My. God! Why Janice from Friends is a Personal Branding Muse
Over ten seasons and 236 episodes, audiences around the world got to know and love every character of Friends, inside and out. They each were known for specific traits: Monica was the competitive neat freak. Ross was the academic. Joey was the ladies man. Phoebe...
8 Personal Branding Moves to Survive an Unpredictable Job Market
I saw on the news that 6.6 MILLION people have applied for unemployment amid the coronavirus pandemic. This makes my heart hurt. Aside from social distancing, I wanted to help any way I knew how. So I've put together eight essential personal branding moves you should...
Blast From the Past: At-Home Fitness Marketing
While the coronavirus outbreak has forced us to put our gym memberships on hold, people are transforming their living rooms into gyms. It’s one of the few ways we can get a sweat session in while social distancing. But I can’t help but chuckle over the fact that...
Jessica Simpson’s Brilliant Tips to Build Your Online Presence
When you hear the name Jessica Simpson, many people think of her ditzy moments on the MTV reality show, Newlyweds. But if you ask me, who cares if it was chicken or fish? Jessica Simpson is not the dumb blonde that society paints her to be. Her true fans know that she...
Aviation Gin and Pop Culture Marketing Mastery
Ryan Reynolds is certainly a successful fixture in popular culture. You may love him for his movies, his looks, or his charm, but I love him for something more: his creative genius. In February 2018, Ryan (yes, I've decided to affectionately call him by just his first...
6 Reasons to Use Pop Culture in Your Social Media Strategy
Let’s go back to one of my favorite eras: the late ’90s. Imagine you’re surfing Internet Explorer on your dial-up connection, minding your own business as you research fansites, games, and chatrooms. Life is good. Then suddenly, you’re assaulted by a flurry of pop-up...
6 Steps to Turn Ordinary Customers into Passionate Groupies
From Taylor Swift’s adoring “Swifties,” to Lady Gaga’s feisty “Little Monsters,” Justin Bieber’s dedicated “Beliebers,” and Beyonce’s fierce “Beyhive,” there are lots of passionate fan bases out there. My favorite has to be J.Lo’s sassy J.Lovers, or the new crowd of...
Kobe Bryant: A Basketball Legend with Immeasurable Star Power
The world is grieving over the loss of an icon… the legendary Kobe Bryant. And even more devastating is the death of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and the other passengers on board that flight. I was listening to an interview on ESPN with Bob Costas, a sportscaster...
4 Things TikTok Does Better than Every Social Media Platform
If you didn’t make up dances with your friends, did you even have a childhood? I have vivid memories of hosting sleepovers with my friends where we’d either choreograph our own dances to whatever was on the radio, or copy moves from the music videos we saw on TRL. ...
Every Social Media Platform Explained as a ‘Friends’ Character
Social media encompasses several different platforms that we all know and love, but for your strategy to succeed, you can’t treat them all the same. From Facebook to Instagram, Twitter to YouTube, and LinkedIn to now TikTok, each channel has their own considerations...
Designer Wins Christmas with Cash Packaging
Let's face it — cash is always a crowd-pleasing gift, but stuffing it in a boring envelope is not a fun experience neither for the gift-giver nor the recipient. But Twitter user, @TwoClawsMedia found a way to solve this problem and add even more joy to Christmas...
This Christmas Card Trend Can Help Your Marketing
When is the appropriate time in your relationship to send a family Christmas card? As Ross Geller would say, it’s a pretty big step. My husband and I love each other very much, but I’m pretty sure Christmas cards aren’t part of our holiday plans until we have...
Why Boomerangs are the Worst Thing to Happen to Instagram
It seems like I can’t go a Sunday morning without seeing a Boomerang of clinking mimosas on Instagram. As much as I love mimosas, this bothers me. Look, I’m not here to rain on the basic bitch parade — if you’re on social media to have fun and cheers to living your...
3 Reasons You Should Want Your Brand to Get Made Fun Of
In case you missed it, Jennifer Lopez hosted Saturday Night Live this past weekend, and just like anything she does, it was epic. Source: NBC J.Lo had a series of hysterical sketches, but one that stood out was her spoof of the boutique fitness gym, Barry’s Bootcamp....
What Taylor Swift’s ‘Christmas Tree Farm’ Really Symbolizes
Christmas came early! Or should I say, “Swiftmas” came early.Last night at midnight, Taylor Swift released her first Christmas song entitled "Christmas Tree Farm." (Fun fact, Taylor grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania.) I can just imagine the mayhem at...
The Big Mistake Your Small Business Is Making on Instagram
Every time I see another small business in my community shut its doors, I think about the 1998 modern classic, You've Got Mail. Source: Warner Bros. I’ve never owned a brick-and-mortar business of my own, but Meg Ryan's character helps me empathize with small business...
In Defense of Peloton’s Awkward Holiday Commercial
Peloton is facing backlash for a commercial, "The Gift That Gives Back" that they released on November 21 amidst the holiday shopping season. Seriously, Twitter is having a field day with this one. I can understand why people are critical of this ad. On the surface,...
How to Market Yourself Like Elle Woods
Last month, I returned to my alma mater, the University of Central Florida to talk about marketing and personal branding with a group of students. Of course, I had to teach them what I know the best way I know how — with pop culture references. I started brainstorming...
The Secret Science Behind Red Bottom Shoes
In my last podcast episode of Making the Brand, my guest Gina and I talked about what bloggers can learn from Sex and the City. One of the things we touched on was Carrie Bradshaw’s obsession with shoes, which really stems from Sarah Jessica Parker’s real-life...
6 Things Bloggers Can Learn from Carrie Bradshaw
Before there were bloggers, there was Carrie Bradshaw and her column in the fictitious publication, The New York Star. I like to think that Carrie’s character on Sex and the City paved the way for women to be unapologetically themselves and write about how they see...
Dancing With The Stars and Getting Over Your Personal Branding Fears
Now that The Bachelorette is over, we need to talk about Dancing With The Stars (DWTS). I’m sure it’s no surprise that I first started watching DWTS because Nick Carter was a contestant back in 2015. Leave it to anything Backstreet-related to get me hooked. He ended...
What Brands Can Learn From the Pumpkin Spice Phenomenon
There’s something magical about the fall. The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and football season is in full swing. But perhaps what people most look forward to during this change of season is pumpkin flavored everything. And by far, the darling of...
The Storytelling Lesson From NBC’s ‘This Is Us’
In my house, Tuesday nights are reserved for This Is Us. Because I grew up worshipping all the teen queens like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson, part of me wanted to watch This Is Us to keep up with Mandy Moore. As you probably know, she plays...
This Backstreet Boys Song Is Actually About Marketing
It seems as if there is a song to overcome every personal obstacle — a breakup, low self-esteem, a tough workout, or even the loss of a loved one. There is inspiration in lyrics everywhere you turn. But sometimes, songs can even help us navigate challenges in the...
Phoebe Buffay Proves Your Email List is Your Biggest Asset
Perhaps Phoebe Buffay is the most enterprising character in Friends. With an unconventional education background, Phoebe worked some odd jobs in her career. Before becoming a masseuse, she mugged people on the street. She also had brief stints as a telemarketer,...
Modern Networking: How to Slide into DMs the Right Way
It was May of 2013. I was 23, single, and visiting Las Vegas for an annual girls trip. My friends and I threw on our glitziest dresses and most uncomfortable heels before heading to a nightclub at Caesar’s Palace, which had free drinks for ladies until midnight. After...
Brands are Taking DNA Tests Thanks to Lizzo
For once, Maury Povich isn’t the only one talking about DNA tests. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard the anthem every woman has been singing all summer long: “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo. The song is so popular, it’s been sitting at #1 on the Billboard charts for...
6 Irresistible Words to Help You Sell Better
If you’ve ever worked for a non-profit, you know how rewarding yet challenging fundraising can be. Non-profits depend on donations, events, auctions, etc. in order to advance their cause and continue the work that they do. But sometimes, inspiring people to dig into...
What Brands Could Learn From Jennifer Lopez’s Phone
This past July, I had the pleasure of seeing Jennifer Lopez in concert on her It’s My Party Tour. It was the second time I’d seen her perform live, but this time was special. This tour was to celebrate her 50th birthday with the people she loves most (besides her...
Upgrade Your Audience Research with an Empathy Map
It’s the first thing you’ll learn in any marketing class: know your audience. When it comes to content creation, you can’t know what your message should be if you’re not clear on who it is for. Most of the time, brands tackle this need by defining target personas....
The Fool-Proof Content Marketing Formula
In school, math was never really my thing (still isn’t!). I’ve always been the left-brained, creative type, which is how I got into content marketing. So don’t look to me to help you with the quadratic formula. But one thing I did absorb about mathematical formulas is...
A Lesson About Discounting from Taylor Swift
The next time you think about discounting your products, think of Taylor Swift. Today, her new album, Lover, dropped, and she has people all over the world lining up outside brick-and-mortar Target stores to pick up not one, not two, not three, but all FOUR deluxe...
BSB DNA: Marketing an Album in the New Millennium
I'll never forget May 18, 1999. I was an antsy, nine-year old girl, waiting impatiently for my dad to pick me up from school. I remember bolting through the doors toward his truck and buckling myself in as fast as I could. We drove straight to Wal-Mart to buy my...
What Content Creators Can Learn from Ariana Grande
She’s small but mighty. Sassy but smart. And love her or hate her, she seriously has the voice of an angel. This week, Ariana Grande made history by becoming the first artist to claim the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart since...
