#24: Pass/Fail—Breaking Down the Best and Worst in Branding

Business Made Simple Podcast

StoryBrand.ai

Marketing, Story, Bmsu, Businessmadesimple, Brand, Business, Bms, Storybrand, Entrepreneurship, 474622, Storytelling

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Messaging can make or break a brand. Whether you're launching a campaign, building a personal brand, or responding in real time, what you say and how you say it matters. One wrong sound bite can sink your credibility, while one clear, compelling message can unlock massive opportunity. The stakes are high, and yet most people treat messaging like an afterthought. So how do you know if your message is building trust or breaking it?

In this new “Pass/Fail” segment, Don and Kyle grade recent moments in marketing and culture through the lens of what worked and what flopped. They dig into Shedeur Sanders’ controversial NFL draft comments, the bold branding of Liquid Death, and the rise of user and employee-generated content. You’ll learn why arrogance isn’t confidence, what makes provocative branding effective, and how to turn your messaging into a trust-building asset. Listen in to learn what great messaging sounds like and how to avoid a fail.

Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world’s best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.

Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon or wherever you buy books!

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the Why That Work podcast presented by storybrand.a.I.
0:07.7	If you've ever wondered why certain brands, trends, or cultural phenomena find success while others don't, you're in the right place.
0:13.9	Every week we unpack why something worked, then give you actionable insights that you can use in your own life.
0:19.5	Now let's dive in with your hosts, Donald Miller and Kyle Reed.
0:24.8	Today we're kicking off a brand new segment we're calling pass or fail.
0:28.4	These are rapid fire takes.
0:29.8	I'm going to ask you, Don, to give a pass or fail grade.
0:33.5	And then we're going to get into your answer and the reason why.
0:37.6	On messaging? Yes. And what we've learned about in into your answer and the reason why. On messaging?
0:38.6	Yes.
0:39.0	And what we've learned about in messaging is that any message campaign can either break
0:42.9	trust, break sales, reputation, but it can also grow your brand.
0:45.9	Or just be ignored.
0:46.8	Yes.
0:47.4	But also when you get it right, it's super powerful.
0:51.3	Sometimes you make big choices in your messaging that pays off, and sometimes it sinks.
0:55.7	And here's what everybody's going to get at it.
0:57.0	They're going to be able to apply this to their messages pretty easily.
1:00.2	Absolutely.
1:00.9	So let's get into the game.
1:02.9	Don, recently the NFL draft took place, and there was a hot topic.
1:07.0	There was a hot topic.
	...

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