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Brand Shorthand

Brand Shorthand

Hosted by Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler

BusinessMarketingInterviews guests

Episodes

109

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Mark Vandegrift and Lorraine Kessler discuss advertising, public relations, sales, positioning, branding, and more in this podcast designed for those who want to do a deep dive into the world of marketing. Mark and Lorraine discuss the psychology of what makes great brands. They break down the details of the good moves and some really bad moves by brands big and small. It's like a play-by-play of what went right, or what went wrong. If you're in the world of marketing, learn tips and tricks that will help you develop a new brand, from finding and focusing on a position, dramatizing that position in the marketplace, and distributing through the wide, wide world of media. With a combined 80 years of marketing experience, both Mark and Lorraine provide insights on campaigns they've led or seen others lead. All gloves are off when it comes to their take on great strategic marketing moves and those that might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but later flopped. No matter what part of marketing interests you, there'll be something for everyone as we cover positioning strategy, branding, creative dramatization, media selection, sales techniques, analytics, and less discussed parts of the spectrum such as distribution and growth strategies. You can be a strategist, a copywriter, an art director, a web developer, a digital marketing specialist, a sales person, an SEO specialist, and pretty much anything else in the advertising world and you'll find something on the Brand Shorthand podcast that interests you.

Listen to episodes

60 recent
August 17, 2026Episode 1523 min

Marketing in an Oversaturated Wine Market

California’s wine industry is in trouble as values drop and the market becomes crowded! Tune in to this week’s episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast as Mark and Lorraine dive into a recent article from the New York Post detailing the suffering wine industry. Learn the challenges these sellers face, how they should adapt, and whether the wine industry can bounce back. Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

August 3, 2026Episode 1429 min

Marketing Strategies for AEO, SEO, and GEO

This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark is joined by the agency’s media and digital marketing managers, Alyssa Laubacher and Lauren Leroux, to discuss marketing strategies for AEO, SEO, and GEO. Tune in to learn more about what these terms mean, how search has evolved, how to incorporate AEO, SEO, and GEO strategies to improve search visibility, and common mistakes to avoid when implementing these strategies. Join Mark, Alyssa, and Lauren for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

July 20, 2026Episode 1335 min

The Symbiosis of SEO and Content feat. Jim Cyphert

This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark Vandegrift is joined by the agency’s director of public relations, Jim Cyphert. Tune in to learn the importance of balancing your creative content with SEO and AI search. Join Mark and Jim for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

July 6, 2026Episode 1229 min

FIFA World Cup 2026 Advertising

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway! Join Mark and Lorraine on this week’s episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast as they discuss some of the advertising for this worldwide sporting event. From LEGO and Lay’s to Adidas and Valvoline, tune in as the positioning duo breaks down these ads and determines whether they scored a goal or received a red card. Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

June 22, 2026Episode 1130 min

Leveraging your CRM Platform feat. Carson Brown

Tune in to this week’s episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to learn all about leveraging your CRM Platform. Mark is joined by Carson Brown, the agency’s very own primary CRM technician and advisor. Learn how a CRM platform can help your business be more efficient, how you can use the data within a CRM platform to make decisions or provide insights, and what tools and capabilities are available within a CRM that help streamline workflow or manage data. Join Mark and Carson for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

June 8, 2026Episode 1027 min

Unhinged Marketing Campaigns

Do unhinged marketing strategies work? From Dunkin’s Dirty Soda to Dr. Squatch’s skits, tune into this week’s episode of the Brand Shorthand podcast to learn if this humorous marketing approach is effective, who the target audience is, and if it’s beneficial in long-term brand building. Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

May 26, 2026Episode 930 min

Playing to Win in Brand Rivalries

Coke vs. Pepsi and McDonald’s vs. Burger King. These big brand rivalries are nothing new to the marketing world. This week on the Brand Shorthand podcast, Mark and Lorraine dive into some recent brand battles in 2026, the strategy behind going against a rival, and tips and tricks for businesses to play to win against their competition. Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

May 11, 2026Episode 825 min

Campaign Catch Up!

Campaign catch up and the beauty of a simplified position! Some of the popular campaigns that Mark and Lorraine discussed last season are continuing their efforts into 2026. Back for round two is Sydney Sweeney with American Eagle and Walter Goggins with Walmart’s “Who Knew” campaign! Another brand seeing huge success is Starbucks, thanks to CEO, Brian Niccol, who has successfully enforced his “Back to Starbucks” plan. Tune in to this week’s episode of Brand Shorthand to hear the latest on these brands! Join Mark and Lorraine for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning.

April 27, 2026Episode 725 min

Go-To-Market Plan feat. Tony Bell

Tony Bell, Executive Director of Client Services and Media at Innis Maggiore, joins Mark for this week's episode of the Brand Shorthand Podcast to discuss the topic of go-to-market strategies. Tune in to learn how to develop an effective go-to-market strategy, the “bothism” approach, common go-to-market strategy mistakes, and how to dramatize your position. Join Mark and Tony for 30-ish as they discuss all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning

April 13, 2026Episode 632 min

Brand Shorthand’s 100th Episode

We’ve reached a milestone! 100 episodes — all about positioning. Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they remind us of the value of positioning, the meaning behind the name Brand Shorthand, some golf talk at The Masters and why they have such a “master” brand, and some recent good and bad moves of brands through the filter of timeless positioning principles.

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