Starting a new brand from scratch might sound like a dream to some marketers and a nightmare to others. But it is exactly what Sherry Graziano was tasked with when she signed on as head of digital, client experiences, and marketing at Truist Bank back in 2019, right as the company was formed from a merger between BB&T and SunTrust Banks. She joined On Scope host Mike Berberich to discuss how she tackled the challenge head on, capitalizing on the opportunity to shape a new brand in her vision. The pair discussed the advantages of disadvantages of launching a brand from zero, how Sherry approached imbuing the new Truist brand through every customer touchpoint, how her team was able to pivot when the pandemic happened just before launch, and Sherry’s tips for managing the emotions and discomfort that came from the massive change of merging two already existing organizations.

On “This Week in ANA Magazine,” editor Matthew Schwartz joined the show to spotlight a new story on the new media landscape, which is being driven by the rise of news influencers and is changing how people — and particularly young people — engage with content in general. This new reality is forcing brands to lean into more weird content and a trend called “unhinged marketing.” In light of this new trend, Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discussed some of their favorite examples of unhinged marketing.

Learn more about the ANA’s on-demand, self-paced Brand-Building Certificate Program and sign up by visiting www.ana.net/brandcertificate.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea for the show, you can email us at onscope@ana.net.

Doug Zarkin has spent his career helping brands deliver experiences that make them impossible to ignore. His book, Moving Your Brand Out of The Friend Zone, offers a master class on nuanced strategies that elevate the brand beyond surface-level connections to deeper, more engaged customer relationships. He joined host Mike Berberich to discuss how brands can empower frontline customer service employees to make empathetic choices when dealing with unhappy customers, what many brands get wrong in their approach to customer service, and how to communicate the importance of quality customer interactions at every touchpoint to the C-suite.

On “Marketing News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discussed a PQ Media report that suggests media might be facing an extinction level event and hypothesized what brands might do to succeed should traditional and digital media no longer be the boon for marketing that it once was.

Don’t miss your chance to attend marketing’s premier annual event! Check out the agenda and register for the 2025 ANA Masters of Marketing Conference by visiting www.ana.net/masters.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea for the show, you can email us at onscope@ana.net.

USAA has been putting on a clinic when it comes to PR and marketing collaboration. In this episode, USAA CMO Francesco Lagutaine and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Lindsey O’Neill joined the show to give listeners an inside look at what the secret to their success is, especially when so many brands are falling short on getting marketing and PR in sync. Along with host Mike Berberich, the duo discussed the origins of the marketing-PR disconnect, how middle managers and associates can affect upward cultural change, and the brand’s annual Army Navy Game activation, which is a masterclass in communications execution.

On “This Week in ANA Magazine,” IBM’s new large language model tool, dubbed “Brand Brain,” is raising some eyebrows, but it might be a bellwether for some very powerful AI-powered applications that will soon be added to the marketer’s toolbelt.

If you’re an ANA member who wants to learn more about how to get the most out of your membership, you can register for the complimentary “Unlocking the Power of ANA Membership” webinar by visiting www.ana.net/mem-webinar.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea for the show, you can email us at onscope@ana.net.