Ueber-brands

Dilmah Tea is the pioneer you might not have heard about when it comes to fairer trade practices, implementing sustainable operating processes, educating consumers and to being founded on the belief that purveying a superior product needs to go hand-in-hand with helping to create a better socio-economical and natural environment. Listen to our interview with its CEO. Continue reading →

S'well brand founder Sarah Kauss explains how she transformed water bottles into becoming meaningful and must-have fashion accessories and her vision for the brand's future. In this interview, you will hear many of the principles of Ueber-Branding and how they are being applied. Continue reading →

In the land of bags, 'Freitag' stands for 'messenger', 'made in Switzerland from recycled truck tarp', 'designed by the bros', and ... "slightly fucked up," as 'Lead Link' tells us .  And he is not only talking about the bags, but also about the brand and company culture, as you will hear in our interview with Oliver Brunschwiler. Continue reading →

Alison Cayne, founder of havens Kitchen, shares how she navigates through this crisis, setting her organization, business and brand up to not only survive but thrive, where possible. And she does so in her own humble, ethical but efficient and entrepreneurial way. Continue reading →

Alison Cayne, Founder of Haven's Kitchen, a cooking school and packaged food purveyor in New York tells us how her brand is made for 'hustlers' like her. This story is about a purpose-led and disciplined approach to brand- and business building, sans the 'unicorn' glazing. Continue reading →

Felix Ahlers, CEO of European frozen foods company FRoSTA tells us how he evolved and elevated the mission of the industrial food processor to: "Preparing meals the way grandma would" - using only natural ingredients and no synthetic additives. He shares lessons learned along the way that traditional manufacturers struggling to adjust to peoples' desires for a wholesome lifestyle and a healthy environment should learn from. Continue reading →

Traditional firms feel the heat from the exploding businesses of platforms and look to become one themselves. Platform businesses are all about participation and should be about positive relationships - desirable ingredients for strong brand equity. However, many platform brands are not used because we like or respect them. How can traditional brands get into the business of platforms and how can one get platform branding right? JP had a discussion on the subject with Erich Joachimsthaler at Vivaldi Group. Continue reading →

TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky tells us about how he is pushing "Eliminating the Idea of Waste" and his brand to the top of mind of consumers and packaged goods manufacturers alike. Without spending a dollar on advertising but by expending lots of energy and creativity against a vision he wants us to share. Continue reading →

Airbnb's former Global Head of Community - Douglas Atkin - tells us about how he helped the platform find a purpose and the central role it- and engineering social Trust have played in making Airbnb an Ueber-Brand. Among many other insights. Enjoy! Continue reading →

Ben & Jerry's Global Social Social Mission Officer Dave Rapaport tells us what it takes to be an authentic, purpose-led but profitable brand. Hints: Do not mix purpose and promotion - in a marketing kind of way - and stand up to be counted... when it really counts. Continue reading →

UEBER-BRANDING SOCIAL ENTERPRISES? - Absolutely! If people are not aware of social enterprises and their causes, then their possible impact remains limited. Using the 'Ueber-Branding' approach makes particular sense, since social enterprise comes with a desirable element in their DNA which other companies often lack: A higher purpose. Hear more on the subject in this interview. Continue reading →

Peter Rahal, co-founder of RXBAR tells us how the nutrition bar made its swift ascent from idea to a brand so appealing that Kellogg had to buy it for $600 million four years later. Continue reading →

An interview with Prestige brand creator extraordinaire Ramdane Touhami. He is the mind and myth-maker behind brands like Cire Trudon and L'Officine Universelle Buly. You will also find plenty of background materials in this podcast note. Continue reading →

Can the Ueber-Brand principles be applied to B2B brands to elevate them in the minds of professional buyers and make them 'priceless' - or at least less dependent on pricing?  The short answer is "Absolutely, Yes!"  But, we know, people are hungry for examples, so we talked with Christopher Harrold, Creative Director at Mohawk how this fine paper maker is not only surviving but thriving in an increasingly digital world. Continue reading →

Can Ueber-Branding be applied to any industry and brand... and people? How do Ueber-Brands elevate themselves above the rest? How do they attract people? - Not only as buyers but as employees? ... These are just some of the questions Patrick Brigger asked me in this interview. Continue reading →

‘Brandless’ is the only ‘brand’ you can buy at the eponymous e-grocer that carries the same name.  As co-founder Tina Sharkey explains, young ‘Brandless’ is not about the absence of identity or meaning and being a brand in that sense. … Continue reading →

Victor and his wife Sarah are in love with making jeans the old, slow way in their Raleigh Denim Workshop. They sewed them themselves and proudly signed every pair when they started out in 2007.  But in the meantime, they … Continue reading →

Uwe Ellinghaus is CMO of Cadillac and on a mission to revive this icon of American luxury. But rather than starting with automobiles, his vision of Cadillac is one of “an experience that young people associate with modern luxury, … of a brand that … Continue reading →

Yes, Burt really existed. The wild-bearded man on the brand’s logo was a documentary photographer turned beekeeper after moving from Manhattan to Maine. He left behind the trappings of a rather privileged upbringing to live in a converted turkey coop in the backwoods (where he … Continue reading →

David Batstone is not one to be easily typecast.  As you learn more about David you might get a bit perplexed not only by the uncounted, very public projects in which he plays a leading role or the multitude of positions he holds but … Continue reading →