S06.Ep15 - What Smart Brands Do Differently with David Aaker
Branding legend David Aaker returns to JUST Branding to unpack what separates truly strategic brands from the sea of sameness in 2025.
We also spotlight the updated edition of Aaker on Branding and wrap with a fast-paced quickfire round you won’t want to miss.
If you care about building brands that actually matter—this is essential listening.
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54:52
S06.EP14 - Why Brands Shouldn’t Rely on Google (+ How to Actually Get Visibility) with Mordy Oberstein
Google is shifting—and fast. Between AI Overviews, zero-click results, and the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity, traditional search isn’t what it used to be.
» Learn more at https://justcreative.com/podcast
In this episode, we’re joined by Mordy Oberstein, a leading voice in SEO, to break down what these changes mean for brand builders, marketers, and strategists alike.
But this isn’t your standard SEO conversation. We explore:
• Why brands should stop relying on Google for discoverability
• The difference between being found vs being known
• How SEO and branding are more connected than ever
• What LLMs are doing to content, reputation, and brand recall
• Why your future visibility depends more on brand codes than keyword rankings
Whether you’re a CMO, strategist, or founder, this is a wake-up call to rethink your brand visibility strategy in an AI-first internet.
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45:55
S06.EP13 - Branding in an Age of Autocracy: Marty Neumeier on Trust, Truth & Power
As democracy fractures and trust erodes, branding enters unfamiliar territory. What happens to brand building when truth becomes optional and power consolidates?
Learn more at www. justcreative.com/podcast
In this episode, we’re joined by Marty Neumeier—one of the most influential voices in branding—to explore what it means to design brands in a world increasingly shaped by autocracy, AI, and cultural volatility.
We unpack:
• Why branding depends on openness, trust, and shared meaning
• What AI, media, and power shifts are doing to perception
• The risks of brand neutrality—and the cost of staying silent
• The role of brand builders as educators, sense-makers, and cultural participants
• Why Level C is pushing brand education into new territory
• How business can remain human in an increasingly controlled landscape
This is a timely, wide-ranging conversation about branding’s responsibility, relevance, and future. If you’re a strategist, creative, or leader—this one asks more of you.
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1:04:49
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1:04:49
S06.EP13 - Branding in an Age of Autocracy: Marty Neumeier on Trust, Truth & Power
In this episode, we’re joined by Marty Neumeier—one of the most influential voices in branding—to explore what it means to design brands in a world increasingly shaped by autocracy, AI, and cultural volatility.
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1:04:32
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1:04:32
S06.EP12 - Creator Branding 101: How to Build a Creator Brand, Community & Business That Lasts with Jay Clouse
In this episode, we’re joined by Jay Clouse, one of the most trusted voices in the creator economy and founder of Creator Science, a platform helping creators become professional entrepreneurs.
Jay has built a standout brand around clarity, consistency, and community—without chasing hype or shortcuts. We dig into what it really takes to build a brand-led creator business that scales trust and stays aligned.
The JUST Branding Podcast, hosted by Jacob Cass & Matt Davies, is the only podcast dedicated to helping designers & entrepreneurs grow brands.
Each episode goes deep into the details of the brand building process, with professional insights, actionable tips and resources to help you build better brands.
The focus is on helping designers & entrepreneurs bridge the gap between strategy and design. Branding professionals from around the world join Jacob & Matt in discussing the benefits of brand strategy, top tools, how to sell strategy, brand purpose, brand positioning, neuroscience, brand personality, messaging, storytelling, brand naming, tag lines, logo design, brand identity design and brand experience.
ABOUT JACOB CASS
Jacob Cass is a Sydney-based designer & strategist who runs JUST Creative, an award-winning branding & design firm that doubles as an industry leading blog. Jacob helps brands grow & get results by crafting distinctive logos & brand identities that are backed by a solid brand strategy.
He recently rebranded San Francisco and Puerto Rico, and also branded New York's Digital District. Other clients have included the likes of Disney, Nintendo and Jerry Seinfeld. Jacob has spoken at TEDx, been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur and has been awarded LinkedIn’s “Best of” for branding.
For him, design is a lifelong journey of continuously honing his craft, as well as educating other fellow designers & business owners to build on theirs, which has allowed him to build a large and loyal following, including his website which has been been viewed over 50 million times. Jacob is an avid traveler and has traveled to 87 countries.
ABOUT MATT DAVIES
Matt is a brand strategy specialist working with leaders to align around their brand and get it ready to connect deeply with those inside and outside of their organisations. His work enables you to grow your business faster and easier. Matt solves a variety of brand challenges, from strategy and positioning to naming and identity right through to company culture and product innovation.