Poetry As Brand Strategy w/ A$iahmae, Charleston’s Poet Laureate
How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. Charleston loves a good story, but the stories we market are often the safest, cleanest versions, and people can feel the gap. We talk with A$iahmae, Charleston’s second Poet Laureate, about what it means to be a cultural worker and why their art is a form of service to Black Southern culture, community memory, and the future that memory can build. Along the way, we unpack the real path to becoming a city Poet Laureate and how A$ia Mae approaches the role without copying anyone else’s blueprint. Then we bring it straight into brand strategy. A$iahmae makes a case that poetry is connection, not decoration: fewer words, more care, more truth. We dig into why so much modern marketing sounds the same, why “trying to be for everybody” reads as inauthentic, and how choosing a clear point of view can create real community instead of shallow reach. If you care about authentic branding, storytelling, and creative leadership, this conversation has teeth. We also zoom out to “whose Charleston” gets marketed to the world, and whose Charleston gets left out. From local history and education gaps to gentrification pressures and the power of archives, A$ia Mae brings a grounded perspective on what gets preserved and what gets erased. The episode closes with a stunning performance of “Figurative Language,” a poem about a mother’s love expressed through daily acts of care, plus a look at local creative ecosystems and sustainable projects like Second Hand Supply. If this hit you, subscribe for more conversations with Charleston’s culture-makers, share the episode with a friend who works in marketing or the arts, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. How can Charleston businesses get noticed, found and chosen? The Charleston Marketing Podcast, brought to you by Charleston AMA and recorded at Charleston Media Solutions, answers the marketing and media questions local business owners are asking. We explore media buying, advertising budgets, radio, digital marketing, storytelling and the customer journey, with practical strategies for growing your business in today’s attention economy. CharlestonMediaSolutions.com Support the show Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions Annual Sponsor: SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus CAMACast Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow , Mike Compton , Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler , Amanda Bunting Comen , Silicon Harbor Hot Take Host: Stanfield Gray , https://digsouth.com Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse Score by: The Strawberry Entrée ; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase YouTube...
