Level Up Your Brand

Hosted by Snapper Studio

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Latest episode

Jul 2025

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EN-AU

About the show

This is the Level Up Your Brand Podcast. I'm Martin Sully, a brand strategist, designer and founder of Snapper Studio. And, I'm on a mission to help you gain clarity and confidence in your brand. I’ll arm you with bite-size tips and introduce you to friends of the show who are taking their brand to the next level.

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34 recent

July 14, 2025Episode 331 hr 1 min

Rebranding Happiness with Declan Edwards

Send us Fan Mail Declan Edwards is widely known as that happiness guy and as a thought leader in the space of positive psychology, employee experience, and personal development. As the founder of BU Happiness College, a social enterprise dedicated to helping individuals and organisations build the skills of happiness, Declan has built a strong personal brand by standing at the intersection of science, storytelling, and social impact. With a Master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology and a background in health, Declan has grown his influence as a trusted voice in the personal development space; speaking on stages including TEDx, consulting with leading organisations, and amassing a loyal online following of purpose-driven professionals. His work has shown that happiness is not a fluffy ideal, but a measurable and learnable skill that drives meaningful results in both life and leadership. Through intentional personal branding, Declan has not only elevated his voice but also used it to amplify a movement that is changing the way we think about success, leadership, and happiness in the modern world. In this wildly refreshing episode, we sit down with Declan Edwards – a.k.a. The Happiness Guy , founder of BU Happiness College, TEDx speaker, and passionate fruit hater. You need to listen to what fruit it is. We unpack everything from emotional branding to joy , with a detour into vegetable trauma , and why "happiness" desperately needs a better PR team . Who should listen: Brand builders, creatives, and business owners looking for a new emotional lens People in culture and hr Anyone obsessed with how psychology meets marketing Tomato lovers (consider this a warning) LINKS Subscribe to Declan's Podcast "How to Be Happy" on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zriwga04Rl0pbjFuDF6Hl?si=1361a39f296e4b60 Subscribe to Declan's Podcast "How to Be Happy" on APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-to-be-happy/id1361238593 Join the waitlist for Declan's upcoming book: https://s.pointerpro.com/bookwaitlist Website: www.declanjedwards.com BU Happiness College: buhappinesscollege.com LinkedIn: @declanjedwards Hit play to find out why building a happier brand might be the most strategic thing you do!

June 30, 2025Episode 3246 min

Making Building Easy with Kerri-Ann Hooper

Send us Fan Mail Kerri-Ann Hooper on Building Smarter: Contracts, Cash Flow & Calling BS on Industry Norms This episode is for anyone who's ever looked at a building contract and thought: Wait, where did that charge come from? I’m joined by Kerri-Ann Hooper — straight-talker, industry shaker, and founder of a building company doing things differently. We get into: The sneaky stuff hidden in building contracts (and how to spot it) Why COVID didn’t just shake up timelines — it reshaped trust What real estate taught her about branding, perception, and backing yourself How social media actually works for builders (hint: it’s not just before-and-after shots) And why building a brand with intention matters just as much as bricks and mortar Kerri-Ann’s story is packed with real-life lessons — from overcoming financial hits to navigating unrealistic design expectations and championing transparency in an industry that’s not known for it. Whether you’re in the game or on the tools, this convo is a blueprint for building better — businesses, brands, and homes. Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Office Christmas Party Recap 00:57 – Meet Kerri-Ann: A Disruptor with Purpose 01:40 – Making Waves at a Networking Event 02:23 – Branding That’s Built to Last 07:44 – Real Talk on Industry Challenges 13:12 – The COVID Fallout 16:05 – Resilience in Action 22:01 – The Block vs. Reality 24:30 – Champagne Tastes on a Bunnings Budget 24:50 – Picking Colours That Rent, Not Just Impress 26:02 – How TV Trends Skew Real Life 27:43 – What’s Next for the Aussie Building Scene 28:50 – Energy Efficiency & Government Red Tape 29:48 – Prefab Homes and Smarter Living 30:29 – Why the Housing Crisis Isn’t Just About Houses 35:59 – Relationship-Driven Business 41:24 – How to Nail Social Media When You’re in the Trade 45:25 – Wrap-Up & Takeaways

August 15, 2024Episode 318 min

Small Bytes: Reaching 2+ target audiences with one brand

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Martin Sully addresses the question of how to maintain a unified brand identity and consistent message for a two-sided marketplace with two target markets. He suggests creating personas for each target market and gathering information about their demographics, interests, and problems. By integrating this information with the brand values and message, it is possible to create content that resonates with both target markets. The key is to use language that is simple and free of jargon. The brand identity should remain consistent, but specific pages or landing pages can be created to address the different needs of each target market. Key Takeaways Create personas for each target market to gather information about their demographics, interests, and problems. Integrate the gathered information with the brand values and message to create content that resonates with both target markets. Use language that is simple and free of jargon to ensure the message is understood by both target markets. Maintain a consistent brand identity while creating specific pages or landing pages to address the different needs of each target market. Need to better understand your target audience? Read our blog post: Attracting Dream Customers and Repelling Customers

August 8, 2024Episode 309 min

Small Bytes: Discover the Hidden Depths of Brand Guidelines

Send us Fan Mail Brand guidelines are the most important document for a business, as they control and maintain consistency in branding. They can go deep and include strategy, tone of voice, and messaging. Even small businesses should have brand guidelines to guide their brand identity. Not having brand guidelines can lead to issues like inconsistent colors and messaging. Brand guidelines help document and communicate shifts in target markets and prevent confusion. While it's not necessary to outline every detail initially, the minimum for brand guidelines is logos, fonts, and colours. Key Takeaways Brand guidelines are essential for maintaining consistency in branding. They can include strategy, tone of voice, and messaging. Even small businesses should have brand guidelines. Not having brand guidelines can lead to issues like inconsistent colors and messaging. Brand guidelines help document and communicate shifts in target markets. The minimum for brand guidelines is logos, fonts, and colours.

August 1, 2024Episode 299 min

Small Bytes: Maintaining Your Brand's Tone of Voice

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Martin Sully discusses how to maintain a brand's tone of voice. He explains the difference between brand voice and tone of voice, and emphasizes the importance of aligning the brand voice with the company's mission, values, and target audience. Martin also suggests creating a written style guide to maintain consistency in communication. He advises auditing past content to ensure it aligns with the brand's tone of voice and highlights the significance of authenticity in influencing purchase decisions. Key Takeaways Brand voice and tone of voice are two separate things, with brand voice being consistent and tone adjusting based on the audience's emotional state. Align the brand voice with the company's mission, values, and target audience. Create a written style guide to provide guidance on communication. Audit past content to ensure consistency in tone of voice. Authenticity influences purchase decisions and builds stronger connections with customers.

July 25, 2024Episode 285 min

Small Bytes: Aligning Values with Execution

Send us Fan Mail The conversation revolves around the importance of paying attention to the little details in business, particularly when it comes to aligning values with execution. The host shares a personal anecdote about a company he met that focused on renewable energy but had plastic-coated business cards, highlighting the disconnect between their values and their actions. The main takeaway is that every little detail matters, especially when trying to achieve sustainability goals or B Corp registration. Key Takeaways Paying attention to the little details is crucial in business Aligning values with execution is important Every little detail matters, especially when it comes to sustainability B Corp registration requires attention to detail

July 19, 2024Episode 2713 min

Small Bytes: The Value of Real-Life Conversations

Send us Fan Mail Martin Sully discusses the importance of networking and building a personal brand. He emphasizes the need to connect with people both online and offline, and highlights the value of real-life conversations. He also shares his experience with starting a networking group called Chatterbox and the benefits it brings to businesses. He encourages small wins and offers advice on creating content and building a personal brand. Key Takeaways Networking is crucial for building a personal brand and expanding your reach. Engaging in real-life conversations with people can provide valuable insights and help in building relationships. Starting a networking group can be beneficial for businesses of all sizes. Creating content and building a personal brand requires consistency and finding a balance between polished and behind-the-scenes content. Visit the Snapper Studio Branding Agency website

July 4, 2024Episode 261 hr 1 min

The Power of Listening to Customers with Joe McKay

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Martin Sully interviews Joe McKay, a LinkedIn ghostwriter and content creator. They discuss Joe's background, his approach to working with people on LinkedIn and personal branding. Joe emphasises the importance of listening to customers and understanding their pain points to create effective marketing content. They also touch on the challenges and rewards of living and working in different countries and managing stress. They then dive into a LinkedIn profile review, focusing on the profile photo, headline, about section, and activity section. They discuss the importance of making the profile iconic, clear, and using the header to focus on the target audience's pain points. They finish by highlight the value of using documents and carousels to showcase expertise. Takeaways Personal branding on LinkedIn involves creating a clear and compelling profile that addresses the pain points of your target audience. Listening to customers and understanding their needs is crucial for creating effective marketing content. AI can be a useful tool for brainstorming and generating new ideas, but it should not replace the human touch in content creation. Living and working in different countries can be challenging but also rewarding, providing opportunities for personal and professional growth. Running a business and managing stress can be challenging, especially with young children. A LinkedIn profile should be iconic, clear, and focused on the target audience's pain points. Using documents and carousels on LinkedIn can showcase expertise and engage viewers. Branding encompasses the long-term strategy of a business, while marketing focuses on spreading brand awareness and making sales. Creating scalable offerings can help diversify and expand a business. Reach out to Joe Joe McKay LinkedIn Joe's LinkedIn Playbook

January 29, 2024Episode 2552 min

Baking Core Values into your Business with Rebekah McCutcheon of Fit Test Australia

Send us Fan Mail Bek McCutcheon built Fit Test Australia from scratch as a sole trader – nobody else was doing respiratory fit testing properly, so she did it herself. Now she runs a team of eight. Along the way she got publicly called out for publishing an AI-generated blog post, owned it completely, and came out the other side with more credibility than she started with. This is a masterclass in what brand values actually look like under pressure. ABOUT THE GUEST Rebekah McCutcheon is the Managing Director of Fit Test Australia, a specialist respiratory safety company providing fit testing, spirometry, audiometry, and ear fit testing. She built the business from sole trader to a team of eight by doing the work properly – with education and genuine care built into every service. She is also one of the most honest guests Martin has had on the show. LINKS Episode page: https://www.snapper.studio/episodes/rebekah-mccutcheon-fit-test-australia-ep-25 Fit Test Australia website: https://www.fta.net.au/ Rebekah McCutcheon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-mccutcheon-90551656 Free Brand Vision tool: https://www.snapper.studio/brand-sentiment-tracker Book a free Discovery Call: https://clients.snapper.studio/discovery Want to dig deeper into your own brand? Start with Mini Martin – a free AI brand strategy tool built by Martin Sully at Snapper Studio. Try it free at https://www.snapper.studio/emotional-branding-ai

January 16, 2024Episode 247 min

Small Bytes: Influencer Marketing VS SEO

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in brand building. And, although SEO can be confusing and expensive, it offers long-term benefits that outshine short-term marketing strategies like influencer marketing, which can be unpredictable and less controllable. SEO should be a key component of any brand's website/marketing strategy and recommends integrating it with brand building to foster trust among consumers and eventually increase sales. I have Remy Audette, from Sunday Best lined up to go into more detail on mixing brand strategy and SEO together to help grow your business. 00:00 Introduction and Rekindling Love for Website 00:48 Introduction to the Level Up Podcast 01:20 Understanding SEO and Its Importance 03:09 The Role of Luck in SEO Success 04:08 The Value of SEO vs Influencer Marketing 05:21 The Risks of Relying on Social Media Platforms 06:07 Integrating SEO into Your Brand Strategy 06:48 Building Trust and Confidence through SEO