VIDEOS
Sasha Strauss speaks from two decades of experience in brand strategy and brand development for corporations, nonprofit organizations, philanthropies and universities. His unique and proven perspective on how brands should be built and communicated is the foundation for his educational pedagogy and Innovation Protocol’s approach to brand development.
In addition to teaching graduate brand strategy and marketing courses as USC and UCLA, Sasha is a trusted keynote speaker for companies like Google, Nestle, LEGO and American Express. His ability to inculcate brand truth is the reason NPR, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal seek his perspective as a brand authority on topics related to market dynamics, culture, and innovation.
PRAISE
SPEAKING TOPICS
01
RISE OF THE HEROGEN
Synopsis: Marketers mislead us by focusing on millennials. By exclaiming that birthdate defines behavior, they drive brands to aggressively push messages in modern but inauthentic ways. The resulting cacophony of disjointed voices blinds us all. We scramble to block brand messages on our phones, TVs, and computers, but as software gets smarter and hardware gets harder (to manipulate), our habitual tech handholding is becoming a codependency. We can’t live (be productive, feel good) without our array of connected devices tapping the Internet. Today’s adult never new life without global private and public 24-hour communication. Thus, we are living a new kind of human existence – like our lives verses those before us who used the pony express to communicate. This is a new generation of humans. The speaker believes that if we help them learn to lead, maybe they’ll become The Herogen.
Key takeaways:
1) discuss concrete evidence for what defines this generation
2) understand the obstacles to communicating with them
3) know the four data proven steps for leading with this generation on your side
02
BRANDING IN THE NEW NORMAL
This is an unprecedented era in the history of communication. Widespread adoption of digital communications and social media has resulted in a cacophonous explosion of content. In our New Normal, organizations have a choice to make: be heard and remembered, or be silent and forgotten.
This seminar discusses how a confluence of technologies, global consumer psychology, and the evolving business climate have given birth to a communication revolution. Everything will be on the table, from why social media is now discussed in the boardroom to how B2B organizations use brand strategy to get the most out of their employees.
03
BRANDING 101
A rich introduction to all things branding—from naming and brand architecture to visual design and brand extension. We’ll look at why brands matter, who they matter to, and how you can build them into your marketing, advertising and public relations strategies. A great start for professional communicators or those simply interested in brand strategy.
04
PERSONAL BRANDING
Products are brands. Services are brands. And yes, people are brands. You are your own brand steward—you decide who you matter to and why. You control how you’re perceived by those you know and those you’ve yet to meet.
During this session, we’ll discuss how branding applies to individuals and how you can build your own, personal, influential identity.
05
NATION BRANDING
As the internet brought the world closer together, governments supported by tourism revenue took a bold stance—they defined how they were to be known and spent money telling travelers worldwide why their land should be a destination.
Well, it worked for a little while, but now almost all tourism economies advertise their stories. Destination branding isn’t nation branding though. Destination branding is marketing on behalf of a single industry: tourism. Nations deserve an identity that’s unique and inclusive, built for both those beyond their borders and for those living within them. National identity brings people together, sets the stage for international discourse, and encourages trade with like-minded nations worldwide. In this session we will discuss how and why to brand a nation.
06
B2B ENGAGEMENT
Branding isn’t just confined to the consumer goods and services industry. Now, more than ever, branding is vital to B2B companies. In fact, some of the strongest brands are in the B2B sector—firms such as Cisco Systems, Intel, SAP, GE, and Texas Instruments have consistently been ranked among the top brands in the world. Such companies are challenging the perception that B2B companies must have serious, restrained personalities.
We’ll show you how to use branding to make your firm the easy choice for customers navigating infinitely long lists of potential suppliers. This session is for B2B companies looking to differentiate themselves with unique, compelling identities that give birth to lasting customer relationships.
07
BRANDS & SOCIAL MEDIA
Your grandmother’s on Facebook. You got a job offer from a friend of your ex-ex-boss through LinkedIn. You stayed up on small town politics through Twitter. There’s no way around it—social media is here to stay. It’s not only the communication medium of choice; it’s the connector of global consumers. Product enthusiasts in Japan are sharing how-to videos with pen pals in Italy. Gamers build global clans of fellow players, unified by their digital identities alone. Teachers assign homework via Twitter and big brands have successfully managed crises exclusively through social media communications.
This seminar will discuss where brands fit in the world of social media culture. We’ll talk about each of the channels, success stories within each one as well as some must-do practices for marketers looking to leverage social media as promotional venue. Facebookers and skeptics alike will enjoy this timely session.
08
STARTUP BRANDING
Startups can be sexy, but they can also be extremely stressful. They require a very calculated and timely brand strategy—too much too soon screams superficial, too little too late results in missed growth opportunities. The seminar will discuss the development process of all startups, successful strategies for each stage of growth as well as successful case studies where branding helped to build startups into iconic brands.
This session is right for any startup leader, entrepreneur, venture capital investor, and anyone else intrigued by the fascinating world of startups.
09
NON-PROFIT BRANDING
While nonprofit branding tends to be the most challenging, it is also the most rewarding. Typically, nonprofits have limited marketing budgets, limited staff and limited resources. While faced with challenges, nonprofits require successful branding in order to be sustainable. The Susan G. Komen Foundation, Share our Strength, Product (RED)—these organizations found their way to fame and funding through strong, creative and consumer-centric branding.
This seminar will share proven techniques for defining, articulating and promoting a nonprofit brand. We’ll explore case studies exemplifying how to successfully engage and retain staff, volunteers and donors to ensure long-term success. From volunteers to board members, this session is perfect for all those involved in the nonprofit sector.
