One More Question

Ana Andjelic: Brands are not just economic entities, they're also social + cultural entities

Episode Summary

In Episode #49, Ross is joined by Ana Andjelic, Chief Brand Officer of Banana Republic and one of the World's Most Influential CMOs (Forbes). Ana earned her doctorate in sociology and specialises in building brand-driven modern businesses. She’s the author of “The Business of Aspiration" and runs a weekly newsletter, The Sociology of Business. Ross and Ana discuss her 4-Cs framework for building a brand, how to align business and brand objectives, and why we shouldn’t overvalue consistency.

Episode Notes

Highlights from the conversation:

• If you build upon communities that have organically been created, the chances of success are much higher
• People are not buying products, people are buying stories
• [Brands] not just an economic entity, [they’re] a social entity or cultural entity
• The most successful brands piggyback on their existing communities
• If you're not part of someone else's story, then you're in trouble
• Collaborations are not brand extensions. It's a big mistake to treat them as such

More about Ana Andjelic

Named one of the World's Most Influential CMOs by Forbes, Ana Andjelic is the Chief Brand Officer of Banana Republic and author of “The Business of Aspiration." She specialises in building brand-driven modern businesses and runs a weekly newsletter, The Sociology of Business. Ana earned her doctorate in sociology and worked at the world’s top brands and advertising agencies. She is a widely read columnist, speaker and advisor.

Find Ana here: Website | Medium | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Show notes

Companies and organisations:

• Dior
• Disney
• GOOP
• Heron Preston + Moon Toothpaste
• Allbirds + Adidas
• Patagonia
• Glossier
• Rapha

Miscellaneous:

• The Sociology of Business (Ana’s newsletter)
• The Business of Aspiration (Ana’s book)

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One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

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