Word & Mouth Blog
Where food, hospitality, branding, and human behavior all crash into each other. I write about restaurants, wine, placemaking, customer experience, and the small details that make people talk about a business long after they leave.
For even more snarky takes on marketing, pop culture, branding, and the internet, visit my Substack, Burnt Popcorn & Branding: Substack
-
A mix of hospitality, branding, customer psychology, hospitality culture, and internet behavior from someone who’s worked behind the scenes in marketing long enough to know what feels authentic and what feels painfully forced.
-
Yes. Especially if your marketing currently sounds like ChatGPT wrote it.
-
No LinkedIn thought leadership energy here. Just strategy, storytelling, and occasional side-eye toward trends, Chat-GPT written branding advice, and “disruptive” ideas that all look the same.
-
People in marketing, hospitality, branding, retail, wine, or anyone who secretly judges restaurants by their menu design before reading the food list.
People Aren’t Buying Your Aesthetic. They’re Buying a Promise.
Your brand isn’t a vibe—it’s a promise. Here’s why consistency, not aesthetics, builds trust (and repeat customers).
Live Your Values as a Marketer
Great modern marketers are defined, perhaps more than anything, by their resiliency and agility.
They stay on their toes, ready to pivot and adjust amid constantly changing conditions. They have the ambition and openness to try new things, never boxing themselves in. They stay motivated and optimistic even in the face of enormous challenges and setbacks.
Shana Bull embodies so many of these qualities.
Use Canva for Branding Your Social Media Marketing Efforts
One of my favorite tools to help to keep my branding simple—on my website and social media accounts—is CANVA Pro. I create shareable quotes that match my brand style and personality -- and fits my Instagram feed colors.
Branching Out of Your Marketing Niche
Brand passions are important but my two cents: have your niche, but don’t be afraid to pivot—if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that businesses, brands, and people who are able to adapt have a better chance of surviving what life throws at us.
2020 Is a Literal Pain in My Ass — Finding Out I Have Cancer During a Pandemic Was Not Part of the Plan.
Out of all the places to get cancer, it’s definitely not the most flattering. Speaking up and normalizing things (like talking about anal cancer) can hopefully inspire people to be more proactive in going to see the doctor when they have symptoms so they can get treatment.
Define Your Brand Passions For Your Social Media Marketing
Take a look at the core brand passions that get you or the owners of your business up in the morning. Remembering your brand passions will help guide your content creation for social media marketing.