Brands, Beats & Bytes

About EncourageXOver the last 15 years, we have searched for a better way to encourage the people we care about in a more personal, authentic, and consistent way. We were unable to find an easy solution to our problem, so we decided to build it ourselves!The result is a new, holistic approach to encouragement influenced by some of the leading experts in various fields of psychology. Our simple and easy to use web application is designed to help you transform your good intentions into actions that encourage, inspire, and support the people you care about.Vision: Encourage the world, one person at a timeMission: Strengthen Personal RelationshipsStrategy: Personal, Authentic, ConsistentAbout James BrownStrategic Marketing, Sales and Business Development Leader with over 20 years of experience. Served as Head of Marketing & Sales, Director of Marketing Strategy, Director of Business Strategy, Product Development Manager, Brand Strategist, Business Development Manager, Solutions Consultant and Distributor Sales Representative.Relentless focus on the problem solving, design and implementation of strategic marketing and sales programs that drive profitable growth and organizational alignment. Committed to building strong cross-functional teams and brand ambassadors at every level within the organization.Passionate about the creation of strong brands that deliver clear, concise and consistent value propositions for employees, customers, investors.

James F. Lopez is President of Will Packer Productions. In the position he is responsible for developing and overseeing production on all film projects through the company’s first look deal with Universal Pictures.He is an executive producer on the company’s comedy film Almost Christmas, starring Gabrielle Union, Danny Glover, Mo’Nique, Romany Malco, Nicole Ari Parker, Kimberly Elise, JB Smoove, Jessie T. Usher and DC Young Fly and the upcoming July 21, 2017 feature Girl Trip starring Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah and Tiffany Haddish as well as Jacob’s Ladder, a reimagining of the 1980’s thriller classic, starring Michael Ealy, Jesse Williams and Nicole Beharie that debuted in 2017.Prior to joining Will Packer Productions, Lopez was Senior Vice President of Production at Screen Gems, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. During his tenure, Lopez oversaw some of the company’s top grossing and most anticipated projects. He was the production executive for the box office hit Think Like A Man. The film debuted at number one at the box office and grossed over $96 million worldwide. He oversaw production on About Last Night, Think Like A Man Too, The Wedding Ringer, The Perfect Guy and When The Bough Breaks for the studio. He also produced and conceived the story for the acclaimed short film #AmeriCAN, directed by actor Nate Parker.Formerly Senior Vice President of Marketing for Atlantic Records before joining Screen Gems, Lopez played an instrumental role in developing and overseeing the marketing campaigns for several multi-platinum artists including T.I. during his tenure in the music business. He also oversaw the soundtracks for numerous films including Hustle & Flow, P.S. I Love You, Step Up 2: The Streets, Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls, Meet The Browns, Why Did I Get Married? and Avatar. In addition to overseeing marketing for artists, Lopez has directed a series of television commercials for album campaigns and led efforts for film soundtracks and brand partnerships. His music video for T.I.’s “No Matter What,” from his double platinum album Paper Trail, was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award. Lopez also has a Grammy nomination for his producing of long form video “The World According to Nappy.”Lopez is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and has been included on Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 list and Imagen Foundation’s Most Powerful & Influential Latinos in Entertainment. He is also a board member for the African American Film Critics Association and ICON MANN.

About CharleneFor the past two decades, Charlene Li has been helping people see the future. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including her newest release, The Disruption Mindset: Why Some Businesses Transform While Others Fail, and Open Leadership as well as co-author of the critically-acclaimed book, Groundswell.Charlene is an entrepreneur who founded and ran Altimeter Group, a disruptive industry analyst firm that was acquired by Prophet in 2015. She continues working at Prophet as a Senior Fellow. She was also a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, worked in online newspaper publishing, and was a consultant with Monitor Group.With over 20 years of experience in tech and business, she has been a respected advisor to Fortune 500 companies on digital transformation and leadership. Charlene also serves on the regional board for YPO, a global network of CEOs.Charlene is a sought after public speaker and has appeared at events ranging from TED and the World Business Forum to SxSW. She has appeared on 60 Minutes and PBS NewsHour, and is frequently quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and The Associated Press.Charlene was named one of the Top 50 Leadership Innovators by Inc., and one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company. Charlene graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and received her MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives in San Francisco.

Happy Sunday Brand Nerds! I’ve missed y’all. Many create metric driving tactics…yet few create culture shifting Marketing with a capital M that also moves commerce. Allan Broce is cut of the later clothe. This dude is a weird cat, and I mean that with the utmost respect. You might wanna take a seat for these burners. Do you manage your career as a journey or a destination? Are your questions better than your answers? Don’t front, that’s super dope. Do you ignore all the naysayers and do what you’re going to do? Are you your agencies best client? If not, why not? Do you and/or your team members write inspiring briefs? Are you being intellectually lazy? And finally, it’s not that the answer IS yes, but can ALWAYS BE YES. I just can’t with you Allan, stop it bro. Ha. Oh, almost forgot, with a company named ‘Triple Double’ I’d be remiss not to shout out Ice Cube, The Predator, Track #7 @ 1:14. #classic #allanbroce #thisissportscenter #espn #mtv #granthill #janethill #joepytka #wieden+kennedy #marketing #advertising #branding #digitalmarketing #media #socialmedia #brandsbeatsbytes #cmo #brandsbeatsbytes

Well, well, well Brand Nerds, we’ve got a hot one in the chamber! Brands, Beats & Bytes is blessed with the historical and inspirational wisdom of my boy and media icon Louis Carr. For those who don’t know, Louis keeps it 💯. Just some of the jewels explored: Are you a marketing gunslinger? Do you wanna be good or do you wanna be great? Is your marketing (and life vision) both far sighted and near sighted? Is your brand the gold standard of your category? When you F-up (and we all F-up people), do you take full accountability? Louis is a rare species in business. He doesn’t define himself by HIS accomplishments. He defines himself by how many others he helps accomplish their dreams. Big difference. It’s why he’s a two-time author (Dirty Little Secrets and Little Black Book: Daily Motivations for Business and Personal Growth), founder of the Blueprint Men’s Summit, a leadership gathering dedicated to helping men of color conceive and refine a career vison while developing a PLAN to reach their career and life summit. And to top it off, dude is Richard Pryor funny. Young’ns google dat! Ha. #louiscarr #BETnetworks #blueprintmenssummit #marketing #advertising #branding #digitalmarketing #media #socialmedia #brandsbeatsbytes #cmo

#brilliantmarketer #marketing #advertising #branding #digitalmarketing #media #socialmedia #brandsbeatsbytes #cmo

Wait, what happened to Summer Brand Nerds! Ok, so like, I could write a soliloquy about Seth’s appearance on Brands Beats & Bytes…but I’m not. I’ll simply leave y’all with this. Humility x Happy x Homiletics = The sweet gospel according to the sagacious Seth Goldman 🔥🔥🔥 [‘And I say church (Preach)’ shout Meek Mill and Drake]. Oh, by the way, since the Beyond Meat IPO the stock is up 259% as of 08/29/2019. Yeah, there’s that part! #sethgoldman #beyondmeat #honesttea #marketing #advertising #branding #digitalmarketing #media #socialmedia #brandsbeatsbytes #cmo

Happy Friday eve Brand Nerds! Are the ladies in in the house? Without a doubt (s/o Frank White and Junior Mafia). Today you’re being blessed with ‘applied’ wisdom. Said another way, Lauren Weinberg, Chief Marketing Officer of Square, has something to say (s/o 3 stacks). Let’s start with this little ditty, the best marketing tells a strong story supported by data. But then Lauren flips it with this jewel, there is a time to turn down the data and turn up your INSTINCTS. Allow that to marinate on your cranium for second. So here’s a question for you to ponder. Do you know WHEN to turn down the data and turn up your instincts? Lauren does, and so should you. As you well know, in current day marketing we have an embarrassment of INFORMATION riches, and dearth of culturally relevant, actionable INSIGHTS. As you grope for the weekend open your ears to the wisdom of Lauren Weinberg! #laurenweinberg #square #jackdorsey #marketing #branding #advertising #socialmedia #media #brandsbeatsbytes #cmo

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Heeeeeeey Brand Nerds. Somebody please tell me the 4th of July isn’t a week from now. Geez. This week on Brands, Beats & Bytes we’ve got a real left brain/right brain Brand dude in the building. Derrick takes us behind the curtain of the blended worlds of Brand and Content while sparking your synapses to consider: Do you and your team work as if the customer pays your check? Because, well, err, they kinda do! ‘Not every hill is worth taking.’ ‘Sometimes you gotta question organizational, marketing and personal inertia.’ Yup. Finally, and this is a goodie, would you have a non-work-related beer with your agency partners? BOOM. Relax your mind, let your conscience be free and get down to the sounds of … #marketing #branding #advertising #digitalmarketing #media #socialmedia #brandsbeatsbytes #creativejuicer #cmo

Yo, yo, yo Brand Nerds! On the longest day of the year we’ve got a solstice banger. Lots of people ‘talk’ about CULTURE. Few ‘actually’ blend culture, brand building and consumer insights into a perfect cocktail, but Michael Moore has (no, not THAT Michael Moore). In this show Mike gives us an abundance of thought jewels such as: Do you have a firewall between your career and your passions? Are you demystifying the marketing black box? Are you a living example of the difference between a job and a calling? Are you smarter today than you were yesterday? And this one we just LOVE, business is NOT dispassionate, but is your EGO running the show? (shout Eckhart Tolle). For those of you saying to yourselves, ‘I wish I could find my way to a job that pays me to do what I was born do to,’ please listen carefully to Michael’s journey as it might just inspire your next career life move! Nothing like conversation among old friends who happen to know a thing or two about marketing. To aptly borrow the old Coca-Cola tagline, ENJOY! #marketing #branding #advertising #digitalmarketing #media #socialmedia #brandsbeatsbytes #IAAM #nofear #socialmedia #brandsbeatsbytes #cocacola #gloryfoods #cmo

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Brands, Beats & Bytes is honored to welcome its first lady in the building (yep, we know some of y’all have been thinking what’s up with all the dudes). No worries, there are many more industry leaders on deck who happen to be women. We got you (#trust). How many people have worked in tech during the early days, held multiple senior level marketing positions, launched an entrepreneurial firm and spent time chopping it up with Gabrielle Union on the epically real BET show Being Mary Jane? We only know one person who’s done this and it’s Goldie Taylor with her multifaceted career journey. She covers a broad spectrum of subjects such as, do your mentors give you courage and cover? And ‘bring your full self to the job.’ Said another way, are you keeping it 100 on the work front? Soak up some knowledge from Goldie as you ease into the weekend.

Chasing a bigger audience while disrespecting your core audience comes at hefty price. Laz, as we call him, eloquently breaks down this classic marketing conundrum and mistake. He learned an invaluable lesson in this domain, and so should you! This dude followed a legend at NBC in Dick Ebersol and you will quickly understand why. Listen and learn about why relationships in business are crazy important, get great advice for when to leave the office (#nofacetime) and a lot more. This is what we call a Marketing PLUS episode. Co-host Larry Taman and Laz go way back like four flats on a Cadillac and we benefit from these good friends, along with other co-host Darryl “DC” Cobbin, chopping up heady marketing and business subjects with blissful ease (shout Mrs. Snegroff RIP).

Quick question: What do Puff, Steve Jobs, Brahms, Clive Davis, Run DMC, Funkmaster Flex, Biggie, Jim Valvano (RIP), Pharrell, KRS-One, and Guinness World Records have in common? Epic stories, well told by Rob Stone. There as those who follow culture, those who enjoy experiencing culture and those who create culture. Rob Stone, Jon Cohen and The Cornerstone Agency and The FADAR team CREATE culture. Period. This week’s show is about far more than marketing. It’s about what happens when life intertwines with work and they make a beautiful baby. In this case, twins (you’ll get the joke after listening). Full disclosure: This dude is one of DC’s best friends. Rob happens to be an ICON on the low. You Must Learn! (shout The Teacher).

Off the rip, gotta admit Marvin Davis, or MD2020 as we call him, is our boy. Jeff Shirley (our show producer), and I attended Clark Atlanta University B-School with Marvin. He was one who would go to the party until late and crush the test in the morning, that was Marvin. Hated him! Ha. On this show MD2020 showcases his razor sharp wit and his marketing depth with equal dexterity. He spits killer lines with ease belying the profundity of the thought, such as: ‘agencies can’t make bad advertising without the clients help,’ or ‘people believe they know marketing because they are consumers,’ or ‘the best tech does not win.’ Simply put, Marvin Davis may be the best marketer you’ve never heard of because he doesn’t seek the limelight, he seeks RESULTS! Pop in those AirPods, head to your Bikram yoga class, and invite the sweet sound of Marvin’s marketing wisdom to caress your cranium.

Daryl ‘DB’ Butler, Head of Marketing for US Consumer Personal Systems @HP, beats, Brand Jordan, Nike, Boost Mobile, Sprint. Is your brand tone deaf and you don’t even realize it (Prada and Gucci are you listening)? Is your brand accountable to the CONSUMER? These are just a taste of the questions explored with the thoughtful Daryl ‘DB’ Butler. There are typically two kinds of business people in the world, those who follow maps and those who discover territories. One is not better than the other, but they are very different. DB discovers territories! In this show he drops pure gold with quotes like ‘culture doesn’t sleep.’ Whoa. Please enjoy this sip of branding wisdom to cleanse your marketing palette with our dude DB.

Seth Greenberg, Left Brain/Right Brain Marketing ‘Badass’ and proud Clippers fan formerly at Alteryx, LifeLock, Intuit, eHobbies.‘Sit down comedian’ Seth Greenberg turned his passion of being a self-proclaimed radio promotion ‘prize pig’ into one of the most insightful, data based, creative and entertaining careers and stories about marketing we’ve ever heard. Seth IS the poster child for the benefits of being a balanced left brain, right brain marketer. Simply put, this dude is a genius on the low. You will forever remember this marketing conversation. Forever…forever, ever, forever, ever...

Scott Hargrove, EVP and CMO @ California Pizza Kitchen, formerly at Snap, World Surf League, Coca-Cola Many highly accomplished, smart marketers confuse ‘volume’ with ‘positioning.’ These terms are related but are not the same thing. Scott eloquently and honestly recounts a valuable lesson where he learned a NARROW positioning can result in HUGE sales volume and a huge, diverse customer base. A counter intuitive principle when not understood and respected kills brands and businesses. Scott is the ultimate marketing decathlete who drops jewel after jewel to your brains delight.

Geoff Cottrill, SVP Strategic Marketing @ The Coca-Cola Company Wanna know how Converse became the number two brand on social media. Geoff Cottrill knows cuz he and his team were responsible for re-building the iconic brand leveraging music and soul at its core. G$, as we affectionately call him, drops jewels of wisdom that will up your game, and your brand.